After only one day, it is presumed that interim general manager Champ Kelly has the inside track to become the full-time GM after the season. If that is the case, this year's trade deadline is going to give Miami Dolphins fans an inside glimpse into what his team might look like.
The Dolphins should be sellers at the deadline. From Bradley Chubb to Jaylen Waddle, there are plenty of names that could be on the block. The question is, will Kelly make the moves the Dolphins need, or will he make moves to set himself up for the future?
What Miami does before the November 4 deadline will be interesting, but one thing is certain: there will be a lot more speculation about who may or may not be available. If Kelly knows he is not guaranteed the job after the season, he might be more inclined to send players out.
Trade deadline could give Dolphins fans a glimpse of Stephen Ross' plans for Chris Grier's replacement
Fans have been talking about the team's direction for years. The fact that Grier lasted as long as he did was more of a testament to having Ross' trust than anything else.
With Grier now out of the building, there are some in the media who believe every player could be on the table. As Connor Hughes of SNYtv talked about on Friday, Grier had a list of players that were "untouchable." Will Kelly maintain that list?
Something I was told regarding Jaylen Waddle, and said this on @SNYtv: He wasn’t getting moved as long as Chris Grier had a say. He believed, because of one-possession games, Dolphins could turn it around.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 31, 2025
With Grier now gone …
Kelly needs to keep the phones open and listen to offers. He will then need to discuss them with Mike McDaniel and Ross. Ross needs to be open to moving whomever he can. The best-case scenario to find a new GM would be to offer them a clean slate with a better cap situation and let them rebuild the franchise.
This is why the trade deadline is important for fans. If the Dolphins begin to move players out of Miami and build a better draft cache for the future, Kelly's hold on the job will be fluid and not guaranteed. If the Dolphins pull back and make no major moves, it could be a sign that Kelly is looking at how he wants the roster to look next year when he becomes the full-time GM.
At this point, nothing is certain, but Tuesday could at least give fans a hint as to where the Dolphins might be heading. When Miami brought Kelly on board, it wasn't simply for aesthetics. Many believed he was going to replace Grier, just not this soon.