In the days before the Miami Dolphins officially introduced Jon-Eric Sullivan as the team's new general manager, he ticked off about four players by name that he referred to as cornerstone pieces. Players he could build the team around.
Jaylen Waddle, Aaron Brewer, Patrick Paul, Jordyn Brooks, and of course, De'Von Achane. Miami, however, isn't in a position to keep them. Miami needs draft capital to build the roster. They need money to build a team. Fans won't like it, but by the time the Dolphins are competitive, not all of these players will be given another contract.
This is where Sullivan has to walk a fine line as he moves forward in his first season as a general manager. Does he trade his best players and use the draft picks to build his roster the way he wants, or waste the next two years of their careers with the hopes of being competitive?
Miami Dolphins' best options to accelerate their roster makeover may be to trade their assets
During the 2025 season, shortly after Chris Grier was let go, the Dolphins had offers for Waddle and Achane. Interim GM Champ Kelly opted not to make a move, instead sending only Jaelan Phillips out of Miami.
Kelly didn't like the offers he was receiving. Now it will be Sullivan's responsibility to entertain trade offers for his best players. Miami would be completely on board with trading players like Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, but the other two would bring them a greater return.
Miami would find it easy to trade Patrick Paul if they were interested, but he won't bring a Laremy Tunsil-type deal to the table. Brewer would be a tough sell as well. Unlike Paul, it's hard to see Brewer as a part of the roster in another two years.
That same line of thinking applies to Waddle far more than it does Achane. Waddle is on his second contract, and it's difficult to see a pathway for him to get a third with the Dolphins. Frankly, his production aligns more with a great number two receiver than a good number one.
Achane is the money maker for the Dolphins. He has proven consistency and runs like an elite back with little help from the offensive line. He is also controllable in terms of a contract. Achane will enter the final year of his rookie deal, and any team that would acquire him would have the option of tagging him if they couldn't work out an extension.
If we are being honest, the Dolphins could nail their next two drafts and still not be ready to make a successful run. Miami's roster isn't built for success now, nor for 2026 or 2027. If it were, Grier would still have a job. Everything the Dolphins built depended on the success of Tagovailoa and Hill, and it didn't work out.
There isn't anyone else to build the roster around. Chop Robinson has shown flashes, but he is still unproven and inconsistent.
Is this what fans want to see? Of course not, but in the bigger picture, before the Dolphins are competing for a division title, hopefully in 2028, it's hard to imagine the Dolphins having anyone but Paul and Achane on the roster.
If moving them gives Sullivan more flexibility to build his team and fill holes, he should at least listen to what other teams might offer before slamming the door and saying no. None of this is ideal, and the Dolphins are in this position because Grier couldn't do his job effectively. It's up to Sullivan now to fix it all.