It sounds like Dolphins trade talks could pick up following Chris Grier firing

Following their Week 9 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Miami Dolphins finally parted ways with longtime general manager Chris Grier. What that means going forward remains in question, but for now, there is a trade deadline that will arrive in four days. And with interim GM Champ Kelly now calling the shots, NFL teams could be calling again regarding players the Dolphins weren't previously ready to part with.

Talks of a fire sale within the Dolphins have been widely discussed outside of the organization, but inside, there have been no such talks. Quite the opposite, actually. Miami's front office still believed there was an opportunity for a turnaround, specifically after a dominating performance in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, and made it known that there would be no fire sale.

But the Dolphins were slapped back down to reality in their Thursday Night Football loss, leading to owner Stephen Ross releasing a statement Friday morning discussing Grier's departure. With the postseason still in mind, Miami was reluctant to discuss trading some of the team's top players.

However, that slim chance seems impossible now, and with Grier out of the picture, teams are likely to inquire again about their availability.

NFL teams likely to check back in on Dolphins players' availability ahead of trade deadline

Less than two weeks ago, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was among a list of players I mentioned the Dolphins should not consider trading. And of the players listed by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero as who other teams called in about, he remains the only one I would not consider moving unless there's an offer too good to be true.

Waddle is an underrated receiver in this league, and Tyreek Hill isn't coming back next year. There is no one else currently on the roster who could be a WR1, meaning that even with high draft compensation, the Dolphins would be looking to draft Waddle's replacement in hopes that they could be just as good.

As for the other players, if I'm interim GM Kelly, I say, "Let's talk." Dolphins edge rusher Bradley Chubb has been the most likely candidate to be on the move ahead of Tuesday's deadline. With no guaranteed money remaining after this year and not in the long-term plans, it makes the most sense. Chubb can help a contending team with its pass rush, and in return, the Dolphins would get some compensation (late Day 3, most likely) instead of releasing him for nothing.

Just as heavily discussed -- and probably more so -- is the potential of trading pass rusher Jaelan Phillips. It's almost a foregone conclusion that the Dolphins will trade at least one of their top pass rushers, if not both. Yet, teams are likely to be more inclined toward Phillips between the two.

The former Miami Hurricanes player will be an unrestricted free agent next season. The Dolphins could try and play the compensatory pick game if they don't trade Phillips and don't intend to re-sign him. However, that hasn't worked out too well for the Dolphins in recent memory, and Phillips has an injury history. Plus, with a new regime coming in that will be looking to sign its own players, a comp pick for Phillips may not be in the cards.

A fourth-, maybe even a third-, round pick for Phillips is probably what it will take to get a deal done. As for the two remaining names on the list -- Matthew Judon and Rasul Douglas -- the Dolphins should take whatever they can get.

Both Judon and Douglas joined the Dolphins late in the offseason, meaning other teams weren't looking that hard in bringing them in to begin. Nevertheless, they've been heavily involved in Miami's defense since arriving (not including Judon's healthy scratch in Week 7), and apparently, the rest of the league has taken notice.

Both players are on the wrong side of 30, and on short-term deals, are not in the Dolphins' future. If teams are again calling about either player, a small deal -- such as a seventh-rounder or a pick swap -- should be enough for Kelly to pull the trigger.