Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross Wanted To Trade Back In First Round
There was chatter before the draft that the Dolphins could move up in the first round to select a quarterback who could take over for Ryan Tannehill in the near future. However, when Miami was on the clock with its No. 11 overall selection, team owner Stephen Ross stepped in and implored his team to trade back, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.
Volin reports that Ross wanted the Dolphins to acquire additional draft capital and to save money on the first-round selection (and, as the top four QB prospects were off the board by that time, perhaps he felt it made more sense to trade down). Ultimately, however, Ross’ football people talked him out of it, and the team turned in the card to select Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Time will tell whether the pick was a good one, or whether the Dolphins should have made more of an effort to land a signal-caller, but it cannot be argued that Fitzpatrick’s upside and versatility make him a logical fit for the Fins. Indeed, Miami needed help all over its defense, and the Crimson Tide standout — who can play safety or cornerback — was one of the best defenders in his class. He is also a playmaker, having recorded 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, and one interception in his last collegiate season to go along with two pick sixes in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Even if they had traded back just one spot, Fitzpatrick may not have been on the board for Miami. The Buccaneers, who were sitting at No. 12 after trading its original No. 7 overall selection to the Bills, were in the market for a high-end DB, and many mock drafts had Fitzpatrick going to Tampa Bay at No. 7.
It is also unclear if the Dolphins actually had an offer for their No. 11 overall pick, or if Ross wanted them to work the phones more to seek out a deal.
More Details On Akeem Spence Trade
- The undisclosed 2019 pick that the Lions acquired from the Dolphins in the Akeem Spence trade is a conditional seventh-rounder, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. Miami originally acquired the selection in the deal that sent Jarvis Landry to the Browns.
[SOURCE LINK]
Dolphins Claim QB Bryce Petty
The Dolphins have claimed quarterback Bryce Petty off of waivers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Petty was released by the Jets on Thursday, exposing him to the waiver wire. 
Petty was the victim of a number’s crunch in New York. The Jets are already committed to two QBs between No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold and veteran Josh McCown while Teddy Bridgewater and Christian Hackenberg are among those battling for the final quarterback job.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, were in need of an extra arm for camp behind Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, and David Fales. Petty, who has one season left on his rookie contract, had some buzz behind him heading into the 2015 draft, so the Dolphins are at least curious to see what he can offer.
The Baylor product has gone 1-6 in seven NFL starts and is a career 53.1 percent passer with four touchdown passes against ten interceptions. The Dolphins have assumed Petty’s original rookie contract, which has one year remaining.
Dolphins Meet With Terrell McClain
Veteran defensive tackle Terrell McClain is visiting the Dolphins today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). McClain was released by the Redskins after the draft. 
McClain was being pushed out of D.C. after the Redskins selected two defensive linemen in Da’Ron Payne (first round) and Tim Settle (fifth round). McClain appeared in 12 games with two starts for the Redskins last year, but he did not make a mark in his first season in the nation’s capital. He graded out as one of the three worst qualified defensive tackles in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, though he did manage two sacks from the interior.
The Dolphins’ defensive line got a serious makeover this offseason thanks to the departure of Ndamukong Suh and the acquisition of Robert Quinn. Then, on Wednesday, they traded for one potential starter in defensive tackle Akeem Spence.
If the Dolphins don’t sign McClain, the Cowboys could be among the clubs to show interest in the veteran. McClain spent three years with Dallas and started in all 15 of his games in 2016. In that season, he managed 2.5 sacks from the interior and 39 total tackles.
Lions Trade DT Akeem Spence To Dolphins
The Lions have traded defensive tackle Akeem Spence to the Dolphins. The Lions will receive an undisclosed 2019 draft pick in return. 
Spence agreed to rework his contract with Detroit on Thursday morning in a move that made little sense at the time. Now, we know that the contract was adjusted in order to facilitate a trade to Miami.
Spence now joins a revamped Dolphins defensive line that no longer includes Ndamukong Suh. With Spence, Jordan Phillips, Davon Godchaux, Vincent Taylor and end/tackle William Hayes in the fold, the Dolphins have a solid group in the middle, albeit one with a lot less name recognition.
Last year, Spence had three sacks while playing on the interior and 39 tackles overall. Spence graded out as the 65th best defensive tackle in the league, per Pro Football Focus, which portrays him as a solid reserve on the interior defensive line.
The Lions may explore other free agent defensive tackles after dealing Spence. After the departure of Haloti Ngata, A’Shawn Robinson stands as the only significant holdover from last season.
Dolphins Decline LB Stephone Anthony’s Option
As expected, the Dolphins have declined the fifth-year option for linebacker Stephone Anthony. The additional year would have come at a cost of $9.232MM. 
Anthony seemed to have a great deal of promise when he entered the league as a first-round pick of the Saints in 2015. After starting in all 16 games as a rookie, he was moved from middle linebacker to strongside linebacker with poor results. The Dolphins acquired him for a fifth-round pick last fall, but the change of scenery didn’t do much for him. Anthony had just 15 tackles in eight games last year.
Anthony has solid speed for a player in the 240-pound range, but he has yet to turn his natural gifts into quality play on the field. He is now slated to hit the open market next March.
Jay Cutler Expected To Retire
It sounds like Jay Cutler is retiring, again. The former Dolphins quarterback is expected to leave football, potentially to begin a reality show with his wife Kristin Cavallari, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. FOX also has interest in signing Cutler as a color commentator for NFL games, which was the position he was set to begin before signing with Miami last year. 
Cutler will turn 35 on Sunday and he has ample money after 12 years as a starting QB in the NFL. Cutler’s short-lived retirement didn’t bring about the results the Dolphins were hoping for, however, as he compiled a 6-8 record in his 14 starts and threw for just 19 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 35-ranked quarterback out of 39 qualified players, a sign that he probably didn’t have much quality football left in the tank.
In December, Cutler indicated that he was still interested in playing football, though he did not want to return as a backup QB. Even as Cutler evaluates his options in television, one can’t help but wonder if a summer injury to a QB could lead to his return. Cutler is no longer starter material, but he could be the best option an NFL team can find in an emergency situation in August.
The quarterback carousel that sent several bridge options to other teams in March did not include Cutler. While his career endured some interesting twists and only featured one Pro Bowl, the former Vanderbilt standout and 2006 first-round pick outlasted his draft-class peers and was a starter for nearly his entire career.
Cutler started two full seasons for the Broncos, beginning his first-string run as a rookie late in the 2006 season, before being involved in a high-stakes trade. The Broncos shipped him to the Bears for two first-round picks in April 2009. Cutler’s 2008 season in Denver, though, doubled as his only Pro Bowl bid. Cutler did lead the 2010 Bears to the NFC championship game before being hurt during that contest — one that doubled as Chicago’s most recent playoff game. He threw a career-high 28 touchdown passes in 2014, and his 2015 work with Adam Gase (21 TDs, 64 percent completion rate) helped secure the $10MM Dolphins gig last year.
For his career, Cutler threw 227 touchdown passes and totaled 35,133 air yards, completing 62 percent of his passes. He holds Bears franchise records for career passing yards (23,443) and TD tosses with 154.
Dolphins Looking To Move Up In First Round?
The Dolphins could be eyeing a quarterback in the first round. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets that the organization would consider trading up tonight if a quarterback slides down the board. Regardless of what happens, the Dolphins have told starter Ryan Tannehill that he’ll be their starter in 2018.
The Dolphins are currently slotted in at the No. 11 spot of the first round, and they’re also armed with four additional picks before the end of the fourth round. Unless they’re willing to sacrifice a 2019 first-rounder, it’s unlikely they’d have the draft capital to move into the top-five. However, they do have enough picks to conceivably move up several spots.
Tannehill is only 29-years-old, so the Dolphins realistically shouldn’t be in any rush to find a replacement. Of course, the team might not be overly thrilled with the 2012 first-rounder’s future prospects, especially after he missed the entire 2017 campaign after tearing his ACL. Tannehill played 13 games during the 2016 season, completing 67.1-percent of his passes for 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Browns, Colts Lead League In Cap Space
The Browns and Colts have the most cap room of any team in the NFL heading into draft, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the official rundown of every team’s cap space for 2018 on the eve of draft weekend:
- Browns – $69.5MM
- Colts – $59.8MM
- 49ers – $43.8MM
- Titans – $35.8MM
- Texans -$35.6MM
- Bears – $24.1MM
- Jets – $21.9MM
- Bills – $19.4MM
- Jaguars – $18.6MM
- Cardinals – $18.1MM
- Redskins -$17.1MM
- Bengals – $16.8MM
- Packers – $16.2MM
- Vikings – $15.5MM
- Broncos – $14.6MM
- Patriots – $13.8MM
- Buccaneers – $12.3MM
- Cowboys -$11.9MM
- Chargers – $11.4MM
- Lions – $9.4MM
- Giants -$9.4MM
- Ravens – $8.8MM
- Seahawks – $7.6MM
- Chiefs – $6.7MM
- Saints – $5.7MM
- Panthers – $5.2MM
- Dolphins – $2.9MM
- Eagles – $2.2MM
- Steelers – $2MM
- Raiders – $1.8MM
- Falcons – $1.3MM
- Rams – $264K
Dolphins Pick Up DeVante Parker’s Option
The Dolphins are picking up Devante Parker’s fifth year option for 2019, a league source tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (on Twitter). The additional year on the wide receiver’s deal is guaranteed for injury only. 
[RELATED: PFR’s 2019 Fifth-Year Option Tracker]
Parker has been held back by foot, hamstring, and ankle injuries during his three-year NFL career, so this is not exactly a no-risk proposition for the Dolphins. Parker has yet to break out in the way Miami hoped he would when he was drafted No. 14 overall in 2015, but they believe that he still has serious potential.
At one point in time, the Dolphins were concerned about their ability to lock both Parker and Jarvis Landry up in the long-term. Much has changed. Landry has since been sent to the Browns in a sign-and-trade and Parker is not a candidate for a big money extension at this time.
Last season, Parker missed three games and totaled just 670 yards and one touchdown off of 57 catches. His 2016 season was his best showing to date as he had 56 grabs for 744 yards and four scores.
Parker is now set to earn $9.387MM in 2019.