Dolphins surprise trade sends Tutu Atwell back to Rams for intriguing young RB

With the release of Tyreek Hill and the trade that soon followed of Jaylen Waddle to Denver, Tutu Atwell was expected to compete for the Miami Dolphins' WR1 role. Yet, even in a weakened position group, Atwell struggled in his short time in South Florida. And ahead of Miami's final preseason game, the Dolphins elected to trade the veteran receiver to get at least some sort of compensation in return.

On Thursday, the Dolphins traded Atwell back to the team that drafted him, the Los Angeles Rams, in exchange for running back Jarquez Hunter. Initially, following the Waddle trade, Atwell was in line to battle Jalen Tolbert to be Miami's No. 1 receiver. Tolbert, too, has been unimpressive this training camp, but it was Atwell who truly stood out in his struggles.

With Miami's final preseason game just one day away, signs were pointing to the fact that Atwell wouldn't make it past Sunday and onto the team's 53-man roster. Thus, general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and company made the wise choice of getting something back at least.

Miami Dolphins trade Tutu Atwell back to Rams in exchange for RB Jarquez Hunter

Still listed as a starter, Tolbert seems safe (for now) to make the team. It's been the rookies who have stood out amongst the Dolphins' WR group, but they could benefit at least from Tolbert's veteran leadership. The same could not be said of Atwell, however.

Atwell did not have a good offseason with Miami, and the writing was on the wall for his departure immediately following the Dolphins' initial depth chart release, with rookie Caleb Douglas already being listed ahead of him. In Miami's second preseason game, Atwell had two noticeable drops in the early stages of the game that seemingly sealed his fate in South Florida.

The trade, essentially, works out for both parties. Atwell gets to return to the team that drafted him in the second round back in 2021. Miami, meanwhile, receives compensation at a position that seemed more of a strength at the beginning of training camp, but hasn't seen the desired results to this point.

De'Von Achane is above and beyond the Dolphins' RB1; there's no disputing that. But Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II haven't had great training camps, and equally, haven't been impressive in either of Miami's first two preseason games. Just one day before trading for Hunter, the Dolphins signed Coleman Bennett to a one-year deal after spending much of the preseason with the Chicago Bears.

Hunter won't usurp Wright or Gordon right away, but he should make both players nervous. The Rams were heavily interested in him during the 2025 NFL Draft, moving up in the fourth round to secure the RB out of Auburn. Unfortunately, dealing with a backfield that included Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, Hunter wasn't able to make enough of an impact and only appeared on special teams in a handful of games as a rookie.

There are some concerns with Hunter's pass protection and height, but his vision and decisiveness are what made him an intriguing prospect a year ago. Moreover, he'll have a much better opportunity of making the team than Bennett, Donovan Edwards, or Carlos Washington Jr. He could also create a scenario in which the Dolphins may look to move Wright or Gordon to add depth at a more needed position.

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