Broncos Acquire WR Jaylen Waddle From Dolphins
MARCH 18: Following the Maxx Crosby drama, fans of both teams were anxious for Waddle to complete his physical to formally complete the trade. The deal was formally announced on Wednesday by both teams, indicating that Waddle passed his physical in Denver and is now officially a member of the Broncos.
MARCH 17: The Broncos’ first outside addition of the new league year is certainly a notable one. Jaylen Waddle is heading to Denver. 
The Dolphins have worked out a trade to send Waddle to the Broncos, as first reported by Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Multiple picks in the 2026 draft will be exchanged as part of the deal, as detailed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Meanwhile, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes Denver will take on the remainder of Waddle’s contract in full, including his 2026 base salary ($1.22MM).
Here is the full breakdown of the trade terms:
Broncos acquire:
- Waddle
- Miami’s fourth-round pick (No. 111)
Dolphins acquire:
- Denver’s first-round pick (No. 30)
- Broncos’ own third- and fourth-rounders (Nos. 94 and 130)
Until today, the Broncos had focused on retaining as many of their own players as possible. The AFC’s top seed in 2025 still had a vacancy with respect to pass-catching options, however. Denver was linked yesterday to interest in the tight end market, with Evan Engram disappointing during his debut Broncos campaign. Regardless of what happens on that front, a high-profile receiving option is set to be in place for next season with GM George Paton taking a major swing early in the new league year. A physical is scheduled for tomorrow, per Schefter’s colleague Jeff Darlington.
The Dolphins dismissed general manager Chris Grier shortly before the 2025 trade deadline. That led to an increased expectation with respect to the team’s willingness to move on from players. Waddle, 27, generated considerable interest, and the Broncos were one of many teams which made calls. In the end, no suitors were willing to meet the Dolphins’ asking price of a first-rounder and more.
With new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley arriving, the Dolphins have begun a full-blown rebuild. Several veterans have been released recently in cost-shedding moves and to clear roster spots for younger replacements. That includes not only quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and edge rusher Bradley Chubb – both of whom quickly found new homes in free agency – but also receiver Tyreek Hill. It came as no surprise when Hill was cut, a move which seemed to put Waddle in position to operate as the Dolphins’ top wideout in 2026 and beyond.
Indeed, a report from last month named the former first-rounder along with lead running back De’Von Achane as core pieces the new regime was not looking to part with. Things have certainly changed in short order with a suitor willing to pay a premium for Waddle. Three years remain on his contract, a lucrative extension signed in 2024. Given the guarantees present in the pact, this swap will carry even more unwanted financial implications for Miami during an offseason full of major cap-related moves.
Waddle is owed an option bonus worth $6.06MM on Friday as part of his $17.24MM in overall compensation. That helps explain the timing of this trade, one which will see the Alabama product paired with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin. Sutton’s pact runs through 2029, while Mims and Franklin – just like quarterback Bo Nix – are attached to their rookie contracts. Coming off the back of a second straight playoff appearance, Denver is aggressively pursuing an upgrade in the passing game.
Miami, meanwhile, will add yet another premium pick for 2026. Once the Waddle move is official, the Dolphins will own a pair of Day 1 selections and a total of seven picks across the first three rounds. Several roster holes will need to be filled next month, and receiver will no doubt be high on the priority list. With Hill and now Waddle out of the picture, Miami’s WR depth chart is currently topped by the likes of Malik Washington and recent additions Tutu Atwell and Jalen Tolbert.
Putting together a cost-effective supporting cast around new quarterback Malik Willis will increasingly be the goal for Miami this offseason. This trade highlights to an even larger extent the long-term nature of the team’s rebuild. As the Broncos look to maximize their window with Nix on an affordable contract, bringing in a three-time 1,000-yard producer will generate increased expectations on offense.
Dolphins Not Making RB De’Von Achane Available In Trades
A February report indicated neither Jaylen Waddle nor De’Von Achane were available, deeming both core players in Miami. The Dolphins have since moved Waddle, sending the 1,000-yard wide receiver to the Broncos for a package headlined by a first-round pick. Teams are naturally wondering if the rebuilding team’s stance has changed on Achane.
As of mid-March, it has not. The Dolphins are informing interested teams the fourth-year running back is not available, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes. One season remains on Achane’s rookie contract, and after the team stripped Malik Willis of his top pass catcher, the new QB will be expected to have the speedy running back complementing him.
Achane, 24, is due a $5.68MM base salary in the final year of a third-round rookie deal. The staffers that brought the Texas A&M alum to Miami — Chris Grier, Mike McDaniel — are gone, and the Dolphins have separated from their Waddle-Tua Tagovailoa–Tyreek Hill troika this offseason. The team also cut Bradley Chubb and traded Minkah Fitzpatrick for a second time.
With a second rebuild in seven years in the works, Miami probably will not slam the door on dealing Achane — a valuable piece due to his age and sprinter speed — but it would seemingly take a strong return for a player profiling as an extension candidate.
Before the Dolphins brought in Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan, Achane made it known he was seeking an offseason extension. This year could see pivotal updates on the running back market, with Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs now extension-eligible. Both the Falcons and Lions can buy more time — if they choose to — by exercising the former first-rounders’ fifth-year options, pushing their rookie contracts through 2027. The Dolphins have no such luxury, with Achane a former third-round pick.
Even with a new Miami regime in town, the team needs to pay someone to play alongside Willis. Placeholder options (Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert) are positioned at receiver, with the injury-prone Greg Dulcich at tight end. Achane represents the Dolphins’ clear centerpiece on offense.
When asked about extensions at the Combine, Sullivan targeted summer talks with Achane and select others. Considering the players the Dolphins have dealt, not many extension candidates are on this roster. After finishing the 2024 season with 1,499 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns, Achane followed it up with a 1,838-yard, 12-TD 2025. While the latter effort was obscured by Tagovailoa’s descent and steady rumors of staff upheaval, the Dolphins will hope to rely on him — potentially after a big-ticket payday — as Hafley’s HC tenure starts.
Jamaree Salyer To Compete For Starting Guard Job In Miami
The 2025 season was one of the healthiest in recent memory for the Dolphins’ offensive line.
Four players played over 800 snaps, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required): left tackle Patrick Paul, left guard Jonah Savaiinaea, center Aaron Brewer, and right guard Cole Strange. Austin Jackson held the starting right tackle job in Week 1, but injuries resulted in Larry Borom finishing the year with 11 starts.
Borom left in free agency, but Jackson agreed to a revised contract and will likely enter the season as the starting right tackle once again. Strange’s departure to Los Angeles will force new offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik to find a new right guard, and after ranking as the NFL’s lowest-graded starting offensive lineman in 2025 (via PFF), Savaiinaea’s starting job may not be secure, either.
New free agent signing Jamaree Salyer is expected to factor into the starting guard competition in Miami this summer, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. In fact, such an opportunity was among the reasons he opted to take an inexpensive deal in Miami over better offers from other teams.
The 2022 sixth-round pick took over as the Chargers’ starting left tackle four games into his rookie year but was replaced by Rashawn Slater after he was drafted the following spring. Salyer played almost every snap at right guard in 2024 and has spent the last two years as a versatile backup. That skillset came in handy amid the Chargers’ offensive line injuries, with Salyer starting nine games and taking snaps at every position except center.
His competition for a starting guard gig will include Savaiinaea and Andrew Meyer, per Jackson, and the team could also augment the position with another veteran signing or a draft pick in April. Kion Smith, who started two games last year, could also get a look, though he struggled mightily in his limited playing time.
Dolphins Sign OLB David Ojabo
The Dolphins continue to shape their roster under a new decision-making tandem. David Ojabo is Miami’s latest arrival. 
Ojabo was signed on Monday, per a team announcement. The fifth-year edge rusher hit the market once his Ravens rookie contract expired. A change of scenery may prove to be a welcomed development in this case, given how Ojabo’s Baltimore tenure played out.
The Michigan product suffered an Achilles tear during his Pro Day leading up to the 2022 draft. His stock fell as a result, and Ojabo remained on the board until the second round. His rookie season was limited to just two games, and a rebound from a health perspective did not prove to be possible the following year.
Knee and ankle ailments led to Ojabo being shut down after only three games in 2023. Through his first two NFL campaigns, therefore, he had only managed a pair of sacks in very limited action. Ojabo managed to turn a corner with respect to injuries afterwards, logging 13 games in 2024 and another 14 this past season. Over that span, however, he was unable to emerge as a full-time defensive presence. Ahead of roster cuts in the summer, his Ravens future was far from certain.
Ojabo totaled 2.5 sacks across the past two years. He will look to improve in that department on a new team. Miami’s edge rush depth chart was topped by Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips entering 2025, but it will look much different next season. Phillips was traded away at the deadline, while Chubb was one of many veterans cut by new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. He and first-year head coach Jeff Hafley have been busy adding new roster pieces since free agency began.
Miami’s new-look pass rush will no doubt include a notable workload for 2024 first-rounder Chop Robinson. The team has also added Josh Uche and Robert Beal in free agency while retaining Cameron Goode. At least one notable draft investment next month would certainly not come as a surprise. Ojabo will spend training camp looking to carve out a role with the Dolphins once their EDGE setup becomes clearer.
Entering Monday, Miami was near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space. Like the Charlie Heck signing from earlier today, though, this Ojabo deal will not be an expensive one. The Dolphins should still have a degree of financial flexibility moving forward as a result.
Troy Aikman To Stay With Dolphins In ‘Some Capacity’
Two months after parting with general manager Chris Grier, the Dolphins brought in Hall of Fame quarterback and career-long Cowboy Troy Aikman to consult in their GM search. Former Cowboys and Dolphins head coach Jimmy Johnson, who won two Super Bowls with Aikman in Dallas, recommended him to Miami.
A little over a week after Aikman joined the Dolphins, they tabbed former Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan as their GM. With the team still in need of a head coach to replace the fired Mike McDaniel, Aikman remained on board in an advisory role. The Dolphins went on to hire ex-Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to replace McDaniel.
Miami’s new leadership has been in place for approximately two months, but Aikman has not gone anywhere. The 59-year-old told the Rodeo Time podcast that he will stay with the franchise in “some capacity” (via Jayna Bardahl of The Athletic).
It is unclear how involved Aikman will be with the Dolphins, but continuing to work with them will not affect his status as the color commentator on “Monday Night Football.” Aikman and play-by-play man Joe Buck are set to announce their seventh Super Bowl as a duo next February.
“It’s been awesome,” Aikman said of his 22-year run as a broadcaster. “I don’t know how much longer that will go — hopefully, a long time — but yeah, life’s good right now.”
Aikman and fellow Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady are in the unique positions of assisting with teams while also serving as broadcasters. As the highly influential part-owner of the Raiders, Brady has more responsibilities than Aikman. Although there have been conflict-of-interest concerns with Brady, he is on track to return as Fox’s lead color commentator for a third season in 2026.
Dolphins Sign OT Charlie Heck
After playing for the Buccaneers in 2025, offensive tackle Charlie Heck is moving to one of Florida’s other franchises. The Dolphins have signed Heck, per a team announcement.
A 2020 fourth-round pick from North Carolina, Heck spent the first four years of his career in Houston. He totaled a career-high 13 starts in his second season. Since the Texans released him in August 2024, Heck has gone through short stints with the Cardinals, 49ers and Bucs. The 29-year-old has started in 29 of 67 games, including six during a full campaign in Tampa Bay.
Heck lined up for 458 snaps at right tackle in 2025 while subbing for the injured Luke Goedeke. Pro Football Focus was unimpressed with Heck, whom it ranked 82nd among 84 qualified tackles.
Almost all of Heck’s work in the NFL has come at right tackle, where he will back up the oft-injured Austin Jackson in Miami. Jackson dealt with a toe issue that limited him to six games last season, the second straight year in which he missed significant time. The Dolphins relied on Larry Borom to fill in for 11 starts and 664 snaps in Jackson’s place in 2025, but he left for the Lions’ one-year offer last Monday.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
Falcons Sign QB Tua Tagovailoa
MARCH 13: Like Russell Wilson in 2024 and Kyler Murray on Thursday, Tagovailoa agreed to a veteran-minimum contract following a high-profile release. The former Dolphins starter, who will compete with Penix for the Falcons’ QB1 gig, will do so for barely $1MM, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones confirms. This will cut into Miami’s historic dead money bill, but not by much.
Exercising Tagovailoa’s 2026 option bonus before his release (per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson), the Dolphins will be tied to a $55.4MM dead money hit this year. That breaks Wilson’s single-season record ($53MM). Tagovailoa will count $43.8MM against Miami’s 2027 cap.
MARCH 9: The Dolphins are planning to release Tua Tagovailoa, and just a few hours later, he has found a new team. The 28-year-old quarterback will be moving one state north to join the Falcons, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
As expected, Tagovailoa will receive a one-year, veteran-minimum deal in Atlanta, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, as Miami is still paying him $54MM this season. He will join fellow lefty Michael Penix Jr. in a Falcons quarterback room that will likely soon lose Kirk Cousins.
In fact, Tagovailoa projects as the team’s bridge starter as Penix works his way back from knee surgery, filling a role that could have kept Cousins in Atlanta. Instead, the veteran should now get the opportunity to pick a new team that he did not receive last offseason.
Considering Tagovailoa’s drastic fall since his 2023 Pro Bowl nod, Atlanta is a fine landing spot for the former first-round pick. The Falcons have been non-committal on Penix’s status as their franchise QB, and his injury will give Tagovailoa an opportunity to rebuild his stock surrounded by a strong supporting cast.
The Falcons have a solid offensive line and exciting young skill position players like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. But Tagovailoa’s struggles over the past two seasons will still give him an uphill battle in convincing Atlanta’s new leadership that he, not Penix, is the quarterback to steward the team’s offense into the future.
Finding no trade takers, the Dolphins will designate Tagovailoa as a post-June 1 cut Wednesday. That comes as little surprise, as it will allow Miami to spread out the record-breaking $99.2MM dead money charge in this case over two years. Thanks to Tagovailoa’s guarantees on his contract, he could account for $67MM a dead cap charges in 2026 as the Dolphins move forward with their full-scale roster reset.
Benched before Week 16 last season, Tagovailoa would welcome a fresh start. His four-year, $212.4MM extension — which included a $54MM 2026 option bonus that shifted from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in March 2025 — backfired quickly. Still, Tagovailoa played well for much of the 2022 and ’23 campaigns.
Tua, 28 in May, led the league in yards per attempt and passer rating in 2022, passing yards in 2023 and completion percentage in 2024. Concussion concerns resurfaced in 2024, and Tagovailoa missed six games that year. His 2025 season continued a downward trajectory. But at the veteran minimum, the Falcons will take a flier.
If Tagovailoa were to make that a serious consideration later this year, it would create a fascinating dynamic in Atlanta. The Falcons surprised many by selecting Penix with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft weeks after signing Cousins to a four-year, $160MM deal with $90MM guaranteed. Cousins started the regular season strong, but struggled with turnovers down the stretch and was replaced by Penix. He went into 2025 as the unquestioned starter with Cousins trying to force his way out of Atlanta. But Penix did not inspire much confidence himself before partially tearing his ACL, leaving the Falcons in a tricky spot this offseason.
Normally, a quarterback’s third season (second as a starter) is a good litmus test for their long-term capabilities. But Penix will not get that type of opportunity, as he is expected to miss offseason practices as the team transitions to Kevin Stefanski‘s coaching staff. Instead, Tagovailoa will have the first opportunity to impress the new regime on the field.
Dolphins, WR Jalen Tolbert Agree To Deal
The Cowboys franchise-tagging George Pickens gives them two high salaries at wide receiver. A four-year CeeDee Lamb supporting-caster will now relocate.
Jalen Tolbert is joining the Dolphins, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who adds the parties agreed to a one-year deal. Pickens’ Dallas arrival cooled the momentum Tolbert established as Lamb’s top sidekick in 2024, and he will attempt to rebound as one of Malik Willis‘ targets in Miami. As Schultz points out, Tolbert and Willis have been close since playing in the Senior Bowl together four years ago.
In 2024, Tolbert broke through with a 49-reception, 610-yard season that produced seven touchdowns. That is an outlier on the former third-round pick’s resume, however. Tolbert has not eclipsed 300 yards in another season, and he combined for just three TDs between the 2022, 2023 and 2025 campaigns.
Dallas saw little from Tolbert in 2022 and ’23, but he moved into the starting lineup in 2024. His breakthrough receiving season came in a year in which Dak Prescott missed extensive time with a hamstring injury. Tolbert teamed with Cooper Rush down the stretch, catching a touchdown pass in three straight games. He then closed that season with four receptions for 98 yards in Trey Lance‘s only start. Tolbert, 27, will be working with a similarly unseasoned QB in 2026.
After the Dolphins cut Tyreek Hill, they have an opening for a No. 2 receiver alongside Jaylen Waddle. The team has added two NFC tertiary targets in Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, each likely representing low-cost additions for a team set to carry a single-year dead money record (Tua Tagovailoa‘s $55.4MM) to go with dead cap from the Hill and Bradley Chubb cuts. Malik Washington, a 2024 sixth-round pick, remains on the roster as well. Washington averaged just 6.9 yards per reception last season.
Dolphins Sign OL Jamaree Salyer
The Dolphins have been busy adding a number of defenders early in free agency. Miami still has a number of unanswered questions along the offensive line, however, and a move is being made to help address that.
An agreement has been reached with Jamaree Salyer, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. This will bring about a change of scenery for Salyer, who played out his rookie contract with the Chargers. He amassed 40 starts over that period. The Dolphins have since announced the signing.
As a rookie, Salyer operated as the Bolts’ starting left tackle. He remained a first-team regular the following year but did so at the right guard position. The former sixth-rounder logged over 1,100 snaps during his second season but his PFF evaluation left plenty to be desired. Over the past two seasons, Salyer only totaled nine starts, seeing action at both guard spots but also left tackle in 2025 due to the injuries suffered by Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt.
With Mekhi Becton having been released and Zion Johnson departing on the open market, losing Salyer will leave the Chargers in need of multiple O-line moves. One guard addition has already been lined up, with an agreement being reached with Cole Strange. For Miami, meanwhile, this signing may yield a starting presence at guard. Salyer, 25, could replace Strange (especially since Daniel Brunskill is a pending free agent); alternatively, he could serve as competition for 2025 second-rounder Jonah Savaiinaea.
The Dolphins have lost Strange as well as Larry Borom during the opening stages of free agency. The team still has right tackle Austin Jackson in the fold, though, after he accepted a pay cut ahead of his contract year. Depending on how Miami’s offensive line maneuvering shakes out, Salyer could find himself occupying a starting gig along the interior. At a minimum, he will serve as experienced depth up front.