The Miami Dolphins are off to a nightmare 0-3 start, and in Week 4, the team will play its second straight game in primetime, facing off against the New York Jets. New York is also winless, so a loss against it would really send Miami to rock bottom.
It’s not an exaggeration to say a loss on Monday Night Football could lead to sweeping changes for the Dolphins.
If Miami falls to 0-4, the franchise may immediately hit the reset button. If that happens, the Dolphins could trade away several players, as they throw in the towel on the season. One of the players who will surely be a trade candidate if Miami reaches this point is Jaelan Phillips. NFL insider Dan Graziano explained that in a recent ESPN piece, covering all the current buzz throughout the NFL.
NFL insider says Jaelan Phillips could be a trade candidate if Dolphins continue to struggle
"Another potentially available Dolphin I have my eye on is edge rusher Jaelan Phillips, a 2021 first-round pick who's in the final year of his contract. If Miami decides to start moving players, Phillips is probably one of their more popular potential trade options."
Phillips was selected by Miami in the first round of the 2021 Draft, and his career has already been filled with highs and lows. In his first two seasons, Phillips recorded 8.5 sacks as a rookie and seven a year later.
In year three, he was looking as good as he ever has, posting 6.5 sacks in eight games. Unfortunately, his season was ended early by an injury. The same thing happened last year, after just four games and one sack.
Now, the outside linebacker is healthy, starting all three games this season, but the Dolphins aren’t good. With Phillips entering free agency after the season, Miami could just decide to part ways with him during the year, getting something back in return. If the Dolphins haven’t turned things around by the Nov. 4 trade deadline, Phillips and others could be gone.