Jaelan Phillips continues to hear his name mentioned as a potential trade option for edge-needy teams. It would make sense for the Miami Dolphins to explore those options if they were to become available before the trade deadline.
The Dolphins' fan base loves Phillips. He is hard not to like. His energy is infectious, his attitude is elite, and his drive is everything you want in an NFL football player. Phillips, however, isn't reliable.
With free agency coming into play after the season, Phillips is garnering media speculation about a trade, but it only works if a team meets the Dolphins' asking price.
Jaelan Phillips won't be traded unless the Dolphins get perfect compensation in return
The best Miami could hope for right now is a third-round pick, and that might be a little too high for teams concerned over his health. We mentioned being reliable. After finishing two straight seasons on injured reserve, Phillips isn't someone who is a guarantee to make it through a season.
That is going to scare teams off, but the Dolphins would be wise to hold out for at least a third-round pick. If Phillips left the Dolphins after the season, he would most likely earn the Dolphins a third-round compensatory pick, but even that comes with a caveat as well.
Miami allowed Christian Wilkins to leave in free agency. His contract would have provided the Dolphins with another third-round pick. However, after he was injured and failed to meet the playing time requirements for that level, the Dolphins received a fourth instead.
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This is something they also need to take into consideration if teams inquire about his services. Miami can't be 100 percent certain that Phillips will bring in an extra third.
Of course, making all of this more interesting is the Chris Grier angle. Trading away assets is an indication that Grier isn't worried about his job. While NFL insiders continue to speculate that Phillips could be on the block, no one is saying the Dolphins are going to be sellers at the deadline.
By not making trades that would bring in draft picks for the future, Grier could be showing concerns about his job security. Players like Phillips or Bradley Chubb make sense if offers are made. This will be an interesting few weeks.
The NFL trade deadline is on November 4.