The 2025 NFL trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and the Miami Dolphins are expected to be top sellers from now until then. Several Dolphins players have already been mentioned in potential deals and discussed as candidates for other teams. However, not all of the players circulating should be on the market -- at least not for general manager Chris Grier.
Dolphins stars De'Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle should be off limits for Chris Grier to deal
With the 2025 season heading south for Miami, the team is looking at a hard reset dead in the eyes. As a result, veteran pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, along with young stars like running backs De'Von Achane and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and even offensive tackle Patrick Paul, have been discussed as potential trade candidates for the Dolphins by the early November deadline.
Dealing Phillips and Chubb makes sense for the team now and looking ahead. Phillips will be looking for his second contract -- and a significant one -- heading into the 2026 season. But with an injury history and a rebuild coming for the Dolphins, it would be wise for Miami to get what it can for him now. Likewise, Chubb is a veteran with a lengthy injury history as well. Yet, when healthy, he's a terrific player and could help a contending team in the postseason.
Grier's days in Miami should be numbered, but with owner Stephen Ross, nothing is set in stone on that front, and chances are the former will finish the season with the Dolphins no matter what. That means Grier will still be the guy calling the shots up to the trade deadline, which means he'll be in charge of potential deals involving Phillips and Chubb. And that's fine.
What's not fine is Grier being involved in talks of Miami's other players.
When it comes to Paul, I don't even believe the next regime should be looking to move him. Good offensive tackles are tough to come by to begin with (especially for Miami), and Paul is a second-year player still on his rookie deal. Even rebuilding teams have to keep some players, and only maybe Chop Robinson makes more sense than Paul for the Dolphins to hold onto. Outside of a blockbuster offer that no team would likely consider, his name should be off the table entirely.
Achane and Waddle are a different story, however. Achane has clearly been Miami's best player this season, and he'll be looking for a new contract next offseason heading into the final year of his rookie deal. While he's been terrific, the Dolphins may not want to dish out big money to a running back, and his value likely won't get any higher than at this point. Thus, a trade could come to fruition.
There have been some rumblings of Miami planning to deal RB Jaylen Wright, who has been a healthy scratch the past couple of weeks. Yet, some believe dealing Achane instead is the better play given the draft capital that can be obtained.
Both sides of the RB coin make sense, but this is a decision that affects the team more long-term. And because Grier should not be here in the long term, he should not be the one deciding on how to proceed.
As for Waddle, admittedly, trading him at this time doesn't make a lot of sense to me. There were obvious talks of trading away Tyreek Hill before his season-ending injury, but it shouldn't be an automatic reason to move Miami's next No. 1 wide receiver now that he's out of the picture.
Talks have heated up that the New York Giants have interest in acquiring Waddle, but Miami would then be forced to find his replacement. Even a first-round pick would be challenging on that front, and Waddle is already on a reasonable contract for a WR1.
Nevertheless, as is the situation with Achane, this is a long-term decision, and thus, should not be made by Grier. With the fans, Grier's time is long past due. Some would argue that he shouldn't be making any decisions at all. I'd agree, but he is still the GM, and trading Chubb and Phillips for some sort of capital is the logical step.
Texting with an NFC exec this week about the pass rusher trade market, it sounds like there will be a supply and demand issue for teams looking to upgrade:
— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) October 16, 2025
"More teams interested than teams selling it seems like." #Panthers
There will almost certainly be a market for both Chubb and Phillips, but expectations should be tempered on Miami's ROI. The Dolphins could possibly get a Day 2 return for Phillips, but I wouldn't expect more than an early Day 3 selection for either. Trades for Miami's pass rushers might seem significant on the surface, but they'll be more cost-cutting moves than anything else. Thus, Grier can and should be active in trade talks for them.
But it should be made clear that Achane and Waddle are off limits for the current general manager. If and when the next regime arrives, they can make that decision on how to proceed. For now, Ross needs to put his foot down and make it clear that they're not available. Unfortunately, that's not something we've seen from the Dolphins owner in the Grier era.