Dolphins Ship No. 48 Pick To Saints
The Dolphins will acquire more draft capital, dealing the No. 48 overall pick to the Saints. This will involve three picks coming back to Miami.
Involved in dealing high draft choices in recent years, the Saints will send picks 62 and 200 in this draft to the Dolphins. New Orleans will also part with a 2020 second-rounder to move up 14 spots in this year’s second round. The Saints will also collect a Dolphins 2019 fourth-rounder (No. 116).
And the Saints will use this selection to add center Erik McCoy. Max Unger‘s retirement has now preceded New Orleans signing Nick Easton and using its only pick in the first four rounds to add one of this draft’s top interior linemen.
For the Dolphins, this may keep their Josh Rosen talks alive. They were reluctant to part with the No. 48 pick for Rosen, but with the team dropping in this year’s second round and adding a 2020 Round 2 pick, perhaps the Fins and Cardinals can come to an agreement.
Redskins’ Daniel Jones Interest Prompted Giants’ Pick?
At this time Thursday, a divide was believed to have existed among Redskins brass as to whether Dwayne Haskins or Daniel Jones was the right quarterback in which to invest. This may have played into the Giants’ thinking.
The Giants chose Jones at No. 6, prompted plenty of scrutiny. New York took the Duke-developed passer earlier than most expected because of concerns Washington or another team would swoop in before the team’s No. 17 overall pick, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports.
While teams between Nos. 6 and 17 worried the Giants, they also feared the Redskins would trade in front of them — with either the Jets or the Raiders — at 6 to select Jones, per Vacchiano. Potential Bengals and Dolphins interest in Jones also influenced the Giants to act quicker than expected on a quarterback.
The Giants are still planning to start Eli Manning in 2019, and Dave Gettleman said the longtime starter may keep his job into next season. While Manning’s contract expires after 2019, he has said he plans to play in 2020. The Giants have also indicated they would not mind having him back next season. But Jones is now the heir apparent, and having chosen him at No. 6 overall, the Giants are still in need of an edge rusher entering Day 2 of the draft.
New York left Josh Allen on the board to take Jones and took defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence at No. 17. An outside linebacker likely resides as the Giants’ top need as of Friday afternoon.
Dolphins, Cardinals Nearing Josh Rosen Trade?
The Dolphins and Cardinals are nearing a trade that would send 2018 first-rounder Josh Rosen from the desert to South Beach, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). PFT says that the deal, which may be tentatively complete, would see the Dolphins send tonight’s No. 48 overall pick to the Cards.
However, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network tweets that the No. 48 pick is a little rich for Miami’s blood, so the Fins may ask the Cards to kick in some later-round compensation to balance the scales, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald on Twitter) says that a trade is not close. Albert Breer of TheMMQB agrees with Rapoport, saying that a deal is not done but that the lines of communication are definitely open (Twitter link). The two sides are expected to talk again this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) hears the Dolphins would not give up their No. 48 pick for the QB, which seems to indicate that A. The deal is far from done and B. The Dolphins may be willing to walk if a deal cannot be agreed upon soon.
Initially, the Cardinals asked for a first-round pick, which the Dolphins declined. Miami brass had a third- or fourth-round pick in mind for the 2018 No. 10 overall selection, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. Talks are expected to resume, but Anderson notes the teams are still fairly far apart.
If the trade is completed, it would end one of the more interesting journeys for a first-round QB in recent memory. Everyone in the league seemed to know that Arizona, which traded up in the first round to select Rosen last year, was willing to deal the UCLA product as soon as Kyler Murray declared for this year’s draft. The Cardinals did the expected and made Murray the No. 1 overall pick last night, and we learned today that Arizona GM Steve Keim began shopping Rosen in earnest only minutes before the draft began, so he may have played this one incorrectly.
On the other hand, recouping a second-round pick for Rosen would still be a decent salvage job, as Rosen and Murray cannot feasibly coexist on the Cardinals’ roster, and since several clubs that could have been Rosen suitors selected collegiate passers last night, Keim does not have a ton of leverage at the moment.
From the Dolphins’ perspective, the rebuilding outfit would get a QB with a first-round pedigree who has some flaws and who is coming off a disappointing rookie campaign, but who has a franchise-caliber arm and size. Plus, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Cardinals have already paid 65% of Rosen’s rookie contract.
In that sense, it’s a low-risk move for the Dolphins with a potentially high reward. If Rosen — who would presumably compete with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job in 2019 — lives up to his draft status, Miami’s rebuild would be accelerated and it could address a different need with its early draft picks in 2020. If he doesn’t, then the Dolphins will not be much worse off than they are now.
Dolphins, Cardinals Discussing Rosen Trade
We heard earlier this week that the Dolphins had spent more time researching Josh Rosen than any other team in the NFL. So this morning’s news shouldn’t be all that surprising; NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Dolphins and Cardinals continue to discuss a trade for the quarterback. The reporter cautions that nothing is imminent, noting that Arizona isn’t looking to give away last year’s 1oth-overall pick.
Rosen is on the block after the Cardinals used last night’s first-overall pick on quarterback Kyler Murray. After moving on from Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins inked veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their QB in March. Of course, the veteran isn’t a long-term solution at the position, so it’s only natural that Miami would be intrigued by Rosen.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that a trade is a foregone conclusion. The Dolphins could eye a signal-caller during today’s portion of the draft, with Missouri’s Drew Lock being among the best players remaining. They could alternatively hold out and hope that one of next year’s top prospects (a grouping that should be headlined by Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) fall into their lap.
If the Dolphins are indeed focused on acquiring Rosen, it sounds like their competition is dwindling. As Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com points out, the Cardinals seemingly lost a pair of Allen suitors last night after the Giants selected Daniel Jones (No. 6) and Washington took Dwayne Haskins (No. 15).
As Gantt writes, teams like the Chargers and Patriots could be matches, but these organizations obviously already have starting quarterbacks. The writer opines that the Cardinals’ best option may be to wait for an injury to occur during training camp.
Dolphins Getting Calls For No. 13 Pick
- There may be another seller in the AFC East. Earlier on Thursday, the Dolphins were viewed as a trade-down candidate. Teams are now hearing, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (video link), Miami is quite motivated to move back from No. 13. The Dolphins are receiving calls about their pick, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). This would make sense, given where the Dolphins are in their rebuilding process. However, they have done extensive work on both Dwayne Haskins and Daniel Jones, per Pelissero. But with Miami being mentioned as a candidate to wait until the higher-profile 2020 quarterback class to land its passer, Pelissero adds the Dolphins could pass on both Haskins and Jones even if they were available at 13.
- More consistently linked to QBs than either the Dolphins or Broncos, the Giants have a major decision between their top short- or long-term need at No. 6. Viewed as possibly having executed a Haskins smokescreen operation, the Giants may prefer Jones or Drew Lock over him. While Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv notes they “love” both Jones and Lock, neither may be in play at No. 6. Instead, Big Blue may be gambling it can land one of them at No. 17. This would point to the Giants selecting a pass rusher with their initial first-round pick tonight.
Draft Rumors: Bush, Redskins, Rams
Let’s round up the latest draft rumors in advance of tonight’s main event:
- We heard several days ago that the Falcons were interested in trading into the Top 10, and that they had their sights set on defensive linemen like Christian Wilkins and offensive linemen. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network confirms that Atlanta is indeed interested in moving up, but his sources say the club’s target is actually linebacker Devin Bush (Twitter link). Per Pelissero, the Falcons would need to leapfrog the Broncos, who hold the No. 10 overall pick, to assure themselves of landing Bush.
- Despite all of the rumors suggesting that the Redskins are interested in making a big trade up into the Top 5, Pro Football Talk says that all of the calls that team president Bruce Allen are making are just an example of Allen being Allen and that Washington doesn’t really have a desire to make a move (Twitter link).
- Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Rams, who hold the No. 31 overall pick in tonight’s draft, have received a number of calls from teams wanting to trade into the back end of the first round. First-rounders, of course, can be kept under club control for five years instead of four.
- As Pelissero notes in a separate tweet, the teams that have shown the most interest in trading down from their current first-round slots are the Jets (No.3), Lions (No. 8), Dolphins (No. 13), Seahawks (Nos. 21 & 29), and Rams (No. 31).
- If Kyler Murray should start to fall down the draft board, he may end up having a better financial future in baseball. As Albert Breer of SI.com notes, MLB’s Oakland A’s have offered him a $14MM “sweetener” on top of the $4.6MM bonus he was already due after the club drafted him last year, for a total of $18.66MM. That number would land between the 10th and 11th overall picks in tonight’s NFL draft, so if Murray ends up falling that far, teams are concerned that he would return to the diamond. But Breer still thinks that Murray will be the No. 1 overall pick tonight.
- Breer calls Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons the most interesting prospect in the draft. He is one of the top defensive players in his class, but the troubling video showing him striking a woman in high school, along with his ACL tear, have completely removed him from some teams’ draft boards. But there is still a good chance that he will be selected in the first round tonight.
- The Panthers and Vikings are both very serious about addressing their needs along the offensive line with early draft picks, as Breer notes in a separate piece. Both clubs used a high number of top-30 visits on O-linemen.
- LSU cornerback Andraez “Greedy” Williams is perhaps the most talented corner in the draft, but as Breer notes, he comes with plenty of red flags concerning his toughness, work ethic, and personality. He did not make a single pre-draft visit, and despite his upside, he could slip out of the first round.
Latest On Dolphins, Josh Rosen
The Dolphins have spent more time researching Josh Rosen than any other team in the league in recent weeks, Peter King of NBC Sports hears. That could be a sign that the Dolphins are a serious suitor for Rosen as the draft draws near. 
Rosen, last year’s No. 10 overall pick, could be up for grabs if the Cardinals follow through on taking Kyler Murray No. 1 overall on Thursday. Multiple QB-needy teams have been connected to the UCLA product, but, so far, no one sounds willing to give up a first or second rounder. The Redskins, once thought to be a logical frontrunner for his services, appear to have cooled on him, but the Dolphins would be a sensible fit.
The Dolphins inked Ryan Fitzpatrick to be their QB in March, but he’s not a long-term solution for the position. In theory, the Dolphins could select their QB of the future at No. 13 overall, but it’ll be slim pickins if the Cardinals, Redskins, and Giants all use their first-round ammo to select signal callers. Such an outcome would also hamper the Cardinals’ leverage, which may allow the Dolphins to land Rosen for their third round pick at No. 78 overall.
For what it’s worth, the Cardinals are willing to keep Rosen even if Murray is their guy – or, at least, that’s the narrative they seem to be pushing. There’s also a possibility that they’ll select a defender with the top pick, which would allow Rosen to stay in place as their starter in 2019.
Dolphins Likely To Go Defensive Line In First Round?
- The “odds remain in favor of the Dolphins addressing their defensive line with their first-round choice,” writes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. A lot of Dolphins fans have been hoping Miami would take a quarterback with the 13th pick, but the team appears set to punt on the position for now and take a bigger swing at it in 2020. The Dolphins appear set to roll with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starter for the duration of the 2019 season, and as much as they want to deny it, are tanking.
Complete 2019 NFL International Pathway Program
Moritz Boehringer is back in the NFL. The German tight end, who became the first European player ever to be drafted without playing American college football back in 2016, has been allocated to the Bengals as part of the league’s international pathway program, per Darin Gantt of ProFootballTalk.com.
Boehringer’s assignment to the Bengals completes this year’s program. Each season, teams in two divisions get a roster exemption to develop a player from another country. The player can be the 91st man on offseason rosters, and can be an 11th player on practice squads during the regular season. Boehringer was drafted by the Vikings, but spent his rookie season on the practice squad without ever appearing in a game. He came into the league as a receiver, but has since transitioned to tight end. He was with the Bengals as part of this program last year, and will be back in Cincy in 2019.
Here’s a list of the rest of the players selected to participate:
Baltimore Ravens
- FB Christopher Ezeala
Buffalo Bills
- RB Christian Wade
Cleveland Browns
- DB Tigie Sankoh
Miami Dolphins
- DT Durval Neto
New England Patriots
- TE/FB Jakob Johnson
New York Jets
- RB/WR/KR Valentine Holmes
Pittsburgh Steelers
- TE Christian Scotland-Williamson
The AFC North participated last year, but this year the AFC East is taking the place of the NFC South. Notably, Efe Obada was a participant in the program with the Panthers last year, and he went on to make Carolina’s 53-man roster last season. He was re-signed this offseason.
Each of the players assigned to the AFC North were with those teams last year. Scotland-Williamson is a former rugby player, while Boehringer, Sankoh, and Ezeala all played American football overseas before making the leap.
All of the AFC East players are new to the program. Given the Patriots’ track record of finding hidden gems, Johnson will likely end up leading the league in receiving yards at some point. Johnson was signed from the German football league. Neto was playing football in Brazil before being added to the Dolphins. Wade and Holmes are both former prominent rugby players.
Dolphins Exercise Laremy Tunsil’s Fifth-Year Option
Although many high-profile Dolphins from last year’s team are elsewhere now, some stalwarts remain firmly in the organization’s plans. Laremy Tunsil is one of them.
The Dolphins will pick up their left tackle’s fifth-year option, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. This will push Tunsil’s rookie deal through 2020.
After a pre-draft slide, Tunsil wound up in Miami three years ago. He has started 44 regular-season games, moving from left guard to left tackle full-time in 2017. Tunsil will be a constant for an offensive line that has since lost Ja’Wuan James, Ted Larsen and Josh Sitton. Miami returns Daniel Kilgore, but the 24-year-old Tunsil obviously profiles as a longer-term starter.
Pro Football Focus viewed 2018 as Tunsil’s best season, one that ended with the site grading the Ole Miss product as the No. 36 overall tackle. His salary will spike to around $10MM in 2020, barring an extension in the meantime. These options are guaranteed for injury only.