The Miami Dolphins might've actually been better situated to execute their roster overhaul under new head coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan if their predecessors had pulled the trigger on trading Jaylen Waddle sooner.
...Only it might've caused a legitimate fan revolt. No seriously, there was exemplary restraint shown by the previous regime. They had to know they were on a figurative sinking ship. Interim GM Champ Kelly couldn't have expected to be in the running for the full-time gig after Chris Grier if Miami was really going to change things as a franchise.
Nevertheless, Kelly had an offer on the table from one of the Dolphins' mortal enemies that, to be honest, few could've blamed him for taking at last year's trade deadline.
Miami Dolphins ex-interim GM Champ Kelly rejected Bills' hot pursuit of Jaylen Waddle at NFL trade deadline
Before their panic-desperation trade for notorious on-field loafer DJ Moore, the Buffalo Bills were pushing hard to score Waddle from their AFC East rival.
NFL Media's Tom Pelissero went on The Rich Eisen Show to reveal precisely what Buffalo offered up for Waddle. Interest-piquing to say the least!
"The Bills offered them a first-round pick in the 2027 draft, as well as a Day 2 pick in 2026. [...] They ultimately, especially within the division, just decided that wasn't enough. They wanted to get a 2026 first [-round pick] if they were going to move Waddle. So they didn't trade him."
Pelissero noted that prior head coach Mike McDaniel was involved in the decision-making on that. As rough as the offense looked under Tua Tagovailoa last season, imagine how bad it might've gotten had Waddle gotten moved at the deadline.
To add insult to the Bills' injury, funnily enough, when Josh Allen's Buffalo squad rolled into Miami for the very next game in Week 10, the Dolphins played their best ball of the season. They beat the brakes off the Bills 30-13.
Most of the roster that pulled off such a decisive victory is gone. As is the coaching staff. As is the front office that could've traded Waddle before that game and put him on the Bills' side.
Despite signing Malik Willis as a free agent, there's still a sense that the Dolphins, based on how they're gutting the roster, aren't necessarily tied to him as their long-term quarterback. This could be a full-blown tank job for Arch Manning, another top QB, or shoot, even Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith in 2027 (only half-kidding).
This year is more about loading up on depth and a young foundation to then take more meaningful action next offseason. Another first-rounder in the '27 draft would've gone a long way toward either securing a new QB or adding another potential star in a rookie class that's expected to be far better than the one we're getting in this April's draft.
How much must the Bills be kicking themselves, though? They wound up with the 26th overall pick. The team they lost to in the playoffs, the Denver Broncos, were the ones who traded for Waddle only four picks further back.
I think Buffalo GM Brandon Beane wants a mulligan on that one, especially after giving up the 60th pick for DJ Moore. HA!