Would two first-round picks get it done? What about just one? The Miami Dolphins had been telling teams that Jaylen Waddle is not available. According to a new report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, that is no longer the case.
In what could be viewed as a move to keep the general manager's job beyond the interim tag, Champ Kelly is in charge of the Dolphins roster ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. If he begins to clean house in the name of acquiring more draft capital, he likely believes it's his job to lose.
Rapoport delivered the news on NFL.com, where he mentions the team's sudden willingness to take calls on Waddle. Something Chris Grier was not willing to do.
Trading Jaylen Waddle would signal a complete rebuild for the Miami Dolphins is coming.
If the Dolphins are now showing interest in trading Waddle, does that also not mean they would be open to fielding calls about De'von Achane? It would seem that nothing would be off the table at this point.
"Sources say the Dolphins would at least consider dealing Waddle. It would be expensive, as young stars in their prime are, but not off the table."Ian Rapoport
Kelly has the opportunity to rectify the mistakes his predecessor made. He needs to get the salary cap under control, rebuild the roster, and make decisions on which players will be built around. It won't be easy.
If Kelly starts to gut the roster, it will mean a total rebuild is coming this offseason. Miami fans are riding the fence on this one. On one side, it makes a lot of sense given the failures and overspending of the last several years. The other side, however, means success is still going to be a couple of years away at the earliest.
The bigger question, of course, is whether Kelly retains the job? There is a good chance that he does. Stephen Ross is not an owner who likes changes from year to year. While this offseason will allow him to do an in-depth GM search, it doesn't sound as if he is willing to part with Mike McDaniel just yet.
That too will play a factor in the decisions to trade players. McDaniel is going to need quality players on the roster next year if he is retained, or he will simply fail yet again.