So Miami Dolphins fans, is this what it felt like to follow the Browns?
After trading away left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills, the Miami Dolphins roster for 2019 has pretty much hit rock bottom. Let’s hope that 2020 is the start of good things to come.
As the Miami Dolphins rebuild their roster, fans have to wonder if this is what it felt like to be a Browns fan for the last two decades.
Ever looked at the Cleveland Browns and wondered what it must be like to have your season be over before week one but giddy thinking about having a top 3 pick in next April’s draft? How about being a Raiders fan and watching your team trade away two of their best players (Kahlil Mack and Amari Cooper) but have a ton of picks the following year?
With one trade, Dolphins fans, the team has made both of those dreams/nightmares come true! The same team that arguably had the least talented roster in the league before August 30th just removed the ‘arguably’ from the equation.
The trade of Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills (pending physicals) means the Dolphins have one proven “above average” player left on their roster in the form of cornerback Xavien Howard. As of 8:45 pm on August 31st, your Miami Dolphins are also the youngest team in the NFL at 25.2 years of age according to Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice.
What does this mean going forward?
Let’s start with the positive, shall we? For those that hoped Miami would have their choice of quarterbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s all but certain you got your wish. Even if Miami somehow doesn’t end up with the worst record in the NFL, which would be a monumental shock, the Dolphins have more than enough ammunition to trade up for whichever quarterback GM Chris Grier desires.
Even without compensatory selections, the Dolphins have two picks in the first, second, sixth and seventh rounds of the 2020 draft along with one selection in the third and fourth rounds. That will make for an exciting three days in Las Vegas (site of the draft) come late April.
The downside? For all the joy that fans will feel for the three months leading up to next year’s draft, the pain of losing Tunsil and Stills will be felt for the next 16 weeks of NFL football. It’s a safe bet that the Dolphins will not be favored in a single game this season and will be lucky to be competitive in most of those games.
Will the Dolphins be able to turn a dismal season and tons of draft picks into a future ‘powerhouse’ like the Browns appear to be doing? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Dolphins fans, get ready for some exciting football over the next four months…on Saturdays. After all, that is when/where most of this team’s talent for the 2020 season will be playing this year.