Dolphins Not Pursuing Tyrann Mathieu
The Dolphins have been in plenty of headlines this offseason, making numerous additions to their roster. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, however, they are not in the market for one of the top remaining free agents, safety Tyrann Mathieu (Twitter link). 
As Jackson notes, general manager Chris Grier stated simply that the Dolphins are “good at safety”. The top of the current depth chart at the position includes the likes of Brandon Jones, Eric Rowe and Jevon Holland. None of those three are older than 29, and they each contributed to the teams’ relative success on defense in 2021 (ranking mid-pack in most categories, as opposed to the offense’s overall struggles).
While Mathieu – a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team – carries more pedigree and experience than any of Miami’s in-house options, the team is remaining committed to the aforementioned trio. The 29-year-old maintained his high level of play during three seasons in Kansas City, posting 213 tackles and 13 interceptions. Other coveted traits, such as his positional versatility and leadership, were also on display throughout that time.
However, the former Cardinal and Texan has seen the safety market essentially dry up in recent weeks. From the high-priced retentions of Jessie Bates and Quandre Diggs, to the big-money deal given to Marcus Williams, to Mathieu himself being replaced in Kansas City by Justin Reid, not many teams still have a glaring need at the position. That could lead to a less lucrative new deal for Mathieu, who averaged $14MM per year with the Chiefs.
The Dolphins have already made hefty financial commitments to two of their most recent additions. After signing left tackle Terron Armstead and trading for Tyreek Hill, Miami would likely be hard-pressed to afford Mathieu even if he was a target. Regardless, he will need to look elsewhere to find his next home in the NFL.
Latest On Dolphins, DeVante Parker
The Dolphins are in an interesting spot with their longest-tenured player. DeVante Parker would represent a quality supporting-caster at wide receiver for the Dolphins, but the team’s moves at receiver do not leave a clear role for the seven-year veteran.
Chris Grier said he will listen to offers for Parker, who came up in trade rumors last week in the wake of the Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill acquisition. While the Miami GM added that he expects Parker to be with the team next season, via Adam Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com (Twitter link), that stance certainly does not preclude a trade. Calls have come in, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. The Dolphins have been active at wide receiver this offseason, and Parker was drafted multiple regimes ago.
Chosen in the 2015 first round, when Dennis Hickey was Miami’s GM and Joe Philbin the team’s head coach, Parker received an extension during Grier’s first year in charge. But the veteran wideout ran into injury trouble last year, missing seven games. The Maryland product has also not come especially close to replicating his 1,200-yard season from 2019, when the Dolphins gave him a three-year, $30.5MM extension.
Miami drafted Jaylen Waddle in the 2021 first round, trading up for the Alabama speedster, and signed Cedrick Wilson this offseason. Along with Hill, there might not be room for Parker, though his 2022 salary ($5.65MM) is not prohibitive for a team with a starting quarterback on a rookie deal. The Eagles remain on the Parker radar, per Jackson, who adds the Colts and Packers loom as other possible destinations.
Dolphins Eyeing Austin Jackson As RT
After the Dolphins drafted him to be Laremy Tunsil‘s left tackle successor, Austin Jackson finished his second NFL season at guard. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson as the Dolphins’ worst regular starter last season and tabbed Miami’s unit as the league’s worst. The team has since made changes, signing Terron Armstead to a big-ticket deal and adding guard Connor Williams. With Robert Hunt at right guard, the Dolphins are looking to try Jackson at a third position soon. They are planning to see how the USC product fares at right tackle, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. The Dolphins also figure to try 2021 second-rounder Liam Eichenberg on the right side, with Armstead having replaced him at left tackle. Hunt, whom PFF graded as the team’s top O-line regular last season, began his career at right tackle. But the Dolphins would prefer he stay at right guard, Jackson adds. This figures to pit Jackson and Eichenberg in a position battle. Eichenberg, who replaced Jackson on the left side last year, made 16 starts as a rookie.
Dolphins, CB Byron Jones Rework Contract
The Dolphins are working to keep one the league’s most respected cornerback tandems together in Miami while retaining a bit of spending ability under the salary cap. According to Field Yates of ESPN, cornerback Byron Jones agreed to a reworked contract today to help create some cap space. 
The Dolphins converted $13.26MM of the base salary due to Jones in 2022 into a signing bonus. Along with clearing $750,000 of cap space by reworking the contract of safety Clayton Fejedelem, Miami was able to create $11.35MM of cap space. With the release of offensive lineman Jesse Davis and wide receiver Allen Hurns yesterday, the Dolphins have cleared $17.55MM of cap space in the course of two days.
The new available spending money makes the recent additions of tackle Terron Armstead and wide receiver Tyreek Hill (who was extended after his trade from Kansas City) a bit easier to stomach. Jones was able to joke about helping the team acquire such talent, tweeting out clown-faced emojis meant, in his words, to depict “(him) restructuring (his) contract just to have Tyreek Hill burn (him) everyday in practice.”
The Dolphins’ focus will now likely shift to the other side of the secondary with cornerback Xavien Howard. Howard is reportedly seeking an increase in salary and a reworked deal could kill two birds with one stone: getting Howard a new and improved deal while creating a bit more cap space for Miami.
Tyreek Hill Didn’t Consider Jets As Viable Destination
It came out in the wake of the Tyreek Hill trade that the finalists to land the All-Pro wideout were the Jets and his eventual landing spot, the Dolphins. Since both teams had similarly-valued trade packages lined up, Hill’s destination became his own choice. It appears New York was never truly a serious consideration for him to continue his career in, however. 
When asked about the trade, Hill responded, “How close was I? Who? The Jets?… I knew I was going to pick Miami no matter what because I’m basically from here, I’m here all the time. This is home for me, for us” (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo).
The Douglas, Georgia native’s first opportunity to sign an extension actually would have come from New York, Garafolo adds (Twitter link). The Jets had a trade in place with Kansas City, then “went to work on a contract with Hill”. Once Miami became involved with their respective offer, however, Garafolo describes it as being “only a matter of time” before Hill became a Dolphin.
As ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweets, the Jets “knew it was a long shot” to land Hill, but they were eliminated from contention once Miami became an option for Hill to sign with. Part of the reason he did so – other than his personal connection to the city – may have to do with his on-field role. Garafolo’s colleague Cameron Wolfe reports (on Twitter) that new head coach Mike McDaniel may try to use him in a way that is “similar” to what he and Kyle Shanahan did with Deebo Samuel in San Francisco.
Overall, there were 12 teams with which “serious talks” took place regarding Hill (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald). In the end, though, the league’s highest-paid wideout was able to secure not only a new contract, but also join his preferred new team in the process. The Jets, meanwhile, will move forward with the knowledge they were ultimately an also-ran in the process.
Eagles Among Teams Interested In Dolphins’ DeVante Parker
The Eagles were close to acquiring Calvin Ridley from the Falcons. While the team has since added ex-Colts wideout Zach Pascal, the position still appears to be on Philadelphia’s radar.
Several teams have expressed interest in Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, who notes the Eagles are one of those clubs (Twitter link). The Dolphins’ receiver situation changed Wednesday, when the team traded for Tyreek Hill and gave the All-Pro a record-setting extension.
Hill and Jaylen Waddle now lead Miami’s receiving corps, leaving Parker — a first-round pick in 2015, multiple regimes ago in Miami — with an uncertain role. The Dolphins also gave Cedrick Wilson a three-year, $22.5MM deal. This leaves Parker’s role uncertain.
A Parker trade before June 1 would cost the Dolphins $5MM-plus in dead money while adding $3.3MM in cap room. Parker, 29, is signed through 2023 as part of the extension he inked during his breakthrough 2019 season. The Maryland product is attached to base salaries of $5.7MM in 2022 and ’23, somewhat increasing his appeal as a trade chip.
A trade candidate in the past, Parker stabilized his career with a 1,202-yard, nine-touchdown season for an undermanned Dolphins team in 2019. He has not approached those numbers since and missed seven games due to injury in 2021. A hamstring injury sent Parker to IR last season; he finished the campaign with just 515 yards and two TDs. Waddle took over as Miami’s top target; Hill now joins him for what could be one of the more explosive receiver tandems in recent memory.
Philly has used first-round picks on receivers in each of the past two years, and with three first-rounders in this draft, the team could reasonably extend that streak to three. Ridley’s impending gambling suspension scuttled the Eagles’ trade talks with the Falcons. Pascal joins DeVonta Smith and Jalen Reagor with the Eagles. A Parker addition would make it less likely Philly devotes one of its first-rounders to the receiver position.
Dolphins Cut Jesse Davis, Allen Hurns
In the aftermath of making two sizeable moves to bolster their offensive line and wide receiver corps, the Dolphins are making a pair or related moves at those positions. The team announced they have cut Jesse Davis and Allen Hurns. 
Davis, 30, had been with the Dolphins for his entire five-year career. He spent time at various spots across the offensive line, starting 72 of 80 total games. His best campaign, in terms of PFF grade, came in 2020 when he received a rating of 62.6. This past season, he surrendered eight sacks in 1,063 snaps.
The move comes after Davis played a large role in the Dolphins’ overall struggles along the offensive line, and at the tackle spots in particular. With left tackle Terron Armstead being signed to solidify that position, moving on from Davis seemed an inevitability to some.
The same could be said with regards to Hurns. The 30-year-old was placed on IR this past August due to a wrist injury which cost him a second consecutive season. For that reason, the Dolphins released him with a failed physical designation. During his only campaign in Miami, the former Hurricane posted 32 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Given yesterday’s trade for Tyreek Hill, though, Hurns could be seen even more so as being expendable. The team now has Hill at the top of the depth chart, along with standout rookie Jaylen Waddle and recent signee Cedrick Wilson.
As Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley notes (on Twitter), the pair of moves saves the Dolphins $6.2MM in cap space. That financial room became much more needed with the two massive deals the team just made, while also streamlining the roster at two positions they needed to upgrade this offseason. Both Davis and Hurns, meanwhile, will look to find at least depth roles on new teams.
Chiefs Trade Tyreek Hill To Dolphins
6:54pm: Like Adams’ Raiders contract, Hill’s deal being backloaded inflated the AAV. A nonguaranteed $43.9MM salary in 2026 bumped this contract over $30MM per year, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Hill’s Miami extension is closer to a three-year deal worth $75MM. The Dolphins are giving Hill $52.5MM fully guaranteed at signing, and another $19.7MM — his 2024 base salary — will be guaranteed in March 2023. Like his lofty 2026 salary, Hill’s 2025 base ($21.8MM) is nonguaranteed. Even at $25MM per year, Hill’s contract compares favorably to Adams and Hopkins’ pacts for short-term value.
11:37am: It’s happening. On Wednesday, the Chiefs agreed to trade Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal will send a first-round pick and more to Kansas City, bringing one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers to Miami. 
The Dolphins will send a 2022 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, and a 2023 sixth-round pick to Kansas City in the deal (Twitter link via PFT). It’s a haul that’s somewhat similar to the trade that moved Davante Adams to the Raiders.
Hill will also ink a contract extension that will position him as the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver, ahead of Adams, as agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Once finalized, it’ll be a four-year, $120MM megadeal with $72.2MM guaranteed (Twitter link). SI’s Albert Breer adds (on Twitter) that extension talks between Hill and the Chiefs broke down because he wanted to top Adams’ deal, something that Kansas City “balked at”.
The ink has barely dried on Adams’ contract, a five-year, $140MM whopper that gave him $28MM/year, $22.75MM guaranteed at signing, and $42.9MM in effective guarantees. DeAndre Hopkins previously held the mantle at $27MM/year, Adams topped Hopkins at $28MM, and Hill is now the king of the mountain with $30MM per annum.
The Dolphins are now armed with Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson, Devante Parker, and Trent Sherfield at wide receiver, giving them one of the most talented WR units in the NFL. That should be plenty to keep defenses honest against quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and open up more running opportunities for Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Myles Gaskin.
The Jets were also in talks to acquire Hill this week, and they were willing to give up the No. 10 overall pick in a package for him (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). The Jets were also willing to give Hill a top-level extension, but, ultimately, the Dolphins had the winning bid. Schefter adds that New York made an offer of picks 35, 38 and 69 in exchange for Hill and No. 103 (Twitter link). He also states that the Chiefs were willing to accept it, had New York been Hill’s preferred destinaiton.
Kansas City, meanwhile, now has a massive hole to fill in their offense. Without the speed of Hill to serve as a compliment to Travis Kelce, their wide receiver room is in need of an addition. To that end, they already signed JuJu Smith-Schuster earlier in free agency, but his skillset is much different than Hill’s. Expected to target a wideout in this April’s draft as early as the first round (where the Chiefs now hold the 29th and 30th overall selections) before this trade, Kansas City now faces even more pressure to do so if they are to maintain their highly-productive passing game.
Chiefs To Trade Tyreek Hill?
The Chiefs have given Tyreek Hill permission to seek a trade (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero). Already, the Jets and Dolphins are engaged in “serious talks” to acquire the star wide receiver, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). 
Hill, who turned 28 this week, was previously in extension talks with the Chiefs. As of this writing, he still has one more year to go on his three-year, $54MM deal. His next contract could very well come from another team. Multiple clubs have chatted with the Chiefs, Schefter hears (Twitter link), but the Dolphins and Jets currently stand as the frontrunners.
Clearly, the two sides had a bridge to gap in extension talks, but few expected Hill to be on the block. It’s yet another stunner in what has been a chaotic offseason. We’re hardly past the midway point in March, but Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, Davante Adams, Khalil Mack, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz, Amari Cooper, and Yannick Ngakoue have all been traded. Depending on how things shake out, Hill could be the next superstar on the move.
The speedy wideout has teamed with Travis Kelce to form a top-end receiving duo for Patrick Mahomes. Teams limited Hill on deep routes this past year, dropping his yards-per-catch figure to 11.2, but he still managed career-high 111 receptions with 1,239 yards.
Beyond those two, the Chiefs haven’t gotten tremendous production out of their other targets. They’ve taken some steps to revamp their unit, including the recent additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Corey Coleman. Still, if you subtract Hill from the group, the Chiefs’ WR depth chart consists of Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman, Josh Gordon, Justin Watson, Cornell Powell, Dieter Gehrig, and Corey Coleman. If the Chiefs trade Hill, they’ll likely aim for a difference maker in the draft.
Despite his off-the-field controversies, Hill has been absolutely outstanding over the course of his career. Over the last six seasons, Hill has 479 catches, 6,630 receiving yards, and 56 touchdowns to his credit.
Dolphins To Sign T Terron Armstead
Terron Armstead‘s Miami visit has produced an accepted contract offer. The veteran tackle is signing a five-year deal with the Dolphins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The sides agreed on a five-year contract worth $75MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets, with Schefter adding the Dolphins will guarantee Armstead $43.37MM (Twitter link). Armstead can earn up to $87.5MM on the deal through incentives.
While Armstead delayed his decision by a bit, keeping the door open with New Orleans, he will head to Florida to give the Dolphins a high-end left tackle option. Pro Football Focus ranked the Dolphins’ offensive line 32nd in 2021. The unit featured multiple starters change positions either ahead of last season or during the campaign. Armstead’s role figures to be solidified.
Armstead operated as the Saints’ starting left tackle for the past eight seasons. While the former third-round pick missed some time due to injury, including an extended stretch last season, he hit the market as one of the top players available. The 30-year-old blocker is a three-time Pro Bowler who played a key role in the Saints’ late-2010s resurgence. Elbow and knee trouble limited Armstead in 2021, a season in which he played eight games. The decorated veteran underwent knee surgery this offseason.
This contract is similar to the one he inked back in 2016, a five-year deal worth $64.5MM. While quality left tackles in their prime do not hit the market often, the Saints prioritized the younger Ryan Ramczyk by extending their right tackle on a top-level deal last year. Ramczyk’s contract contains escalators that would change the terms of the deal if the former first-rounder excels at left tackle. Regardless of New Orleans’ plan with its well-regarded right tackle, this ends a five-year Armstead-Ramczyk partnership.
Miami’s left tackle spot has been in flux since the team dealt Laremy Tunsil to Houston in 2019. Successor option Austin Jackson, a 2020 first-round pick, has since been moved to guard. The Dolphins used 2021 second-round pick Liam Eichenberg at left tackle extensively last season, but the Notre Dame product will not keep the gig. Armstead and Connor Williams have committed to Miami, with the latter likely claiming one of the team’s guard jobs. The Dolphins moved Robert Hunt from tackle to guard during the 2021 offseason, and PFF graded Hunt as the team’s best O-line regular last season.
The team may not be done up front. They are planning to add a center, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. But new running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds already have multiple well-paid blockers set to clear lanes for them.