National outlet pegs Dolphins player as training camp trade candidate that many Miami fans will love, but don't expect a move
Many Miami Dolphins fans thought they might have been done with IOL Liam Eichenberg after four up and down – mostly down – years in South Florida. That turned out to not be the case, as general manager Chris Grier re-signed his 2021 second-round draft pick to a one-year deal not far from the league […]
Many Miami Dolphins fans thought they might have been done with IOL Liam Eichenberg after four up and down – mostly down – years in South Florida.
That turned out to not be the case, as general manager Chris Grier re-signed his 2021 second-round draft pick to a one-year deal not far from the league minimum to come back for the 2025 season.
That said, one national outlet sees a premature departure as a possibility for Eichenberg. Pro Football Focus put out a list of 15 training camp trade candidates across the NFL, and Eichenberg made the list.
This is what PFF had to say about Eichenberg as a trade candidate:
The Dolphins seem between trying to contend while keeping the future in mind. After already trading several stars this offseason, Eichenberg could be a logical player to depart next.Eichenberg, a former second-round pick, has not been what Miami likely had hoped he would become. In four years with the Dolphins, he has never posted above a 53.1 PFF overall grade, nor a PFF pass-blocking grade of even 50.0. Playing over 1,000 snaps at exclusively right guard last year didn’t seem to offer Eichenberg much consistency, either.The Dolphins upgraded their interior offensive line in a major way this offseason by signing James Daniels and drafting Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round, both of whom appear to be multi-year starters at guard next to Aaron Brewer up the middle. Eichenberg faces an uphill battle to compete for playing time, especially considering he is starting camp on the PUP list. – Bradley Locker, PFF
Author Name
Title
From a transactional/cap perspective, a move would make sense. Trading Eichenberg instead of cutting him would help the Dolphins avoid a $2.25 million dead cap hit that a release would bring, instead incurring only $167,500 in dead money for a signing bonus. If they're going to get rid of him when roster cutdowns happen, that would help.
However, Eichenberg is not a particularly attractive trade candidate for other teams at the moment because he was placed on the PUP list before the start of training camp, which was two days before the PFF article came out. For teams looking for immediate help, that's a red flag.
Beyond that, Eichenberg, provided he can come back from injury by the start of the season, provides experience and depth at a position where Miami has battled the injury bug for years. Eichenberg isn't a starter. That's been proven over the last four years.
But there are worse things than having a player who's familiar with your system and has worked with some players who are projected to start. And Grier and Mike McDaniel appear to still have some belief in him.
We'll find out one way or another not long after the end of the preseason, when Miami trims their roster down to 53 players.
Miami Dolphins make logical decision to answer crucial question regarding their biggest offseason move
Miami made a strong move that bodes well for a long-term relationship with one of their best players
