NFL insider dishes on the Dolphins’ process ahead of blockbuster trade of WR Jaylen Waddle to Denver
Common ground was found with common practices.
The Miami Dolphins‘ blockbuster trade of WR Jaylen Waddle didn’t come together overnight.
The Denver Broncos claimed the biggest prize off Miami’s roster amid the Dolphins’ ongoing teardown, securing Waddle in his prime in return for first and third-round draft picks this April and a fourth-round pick-swap. Sure, both teams leave feeling as though they’ve won. But how did this deal come to reach common ground? Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer pulled back the curtain on that process on Monday morning.
Dolphins’ trade of WR Jaylen Waddle invoked examples from recent history
“The Broncos used their chart to properly value what other receivers were traded for: like (Brandin) Cooks (the equivalent of the 30th pick in the Saints-Patriots trade, 24th in the Patriots-Rams trade), Amari Cooper (16th, since it was a midseason deal between the Raiders and Cowboys), Stefon Diggs (equivalent of the 20th pick in the Vikings-Bills trade), Davante Adams (13th pick in the Packers-Raiders trade), Tyreek Hill (14th pick in the Chiefs-Dolphins trade), A.J. Brown (16th pick in the Titans-Eagles trade) and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (28th pick in the Ravens-Cardinals trade)…Meanwhile, the Dolphins went through a similar exercise and saw the A.J. Brown trade as a good starting point. Tennessee landed a mid-first-rounder (No. 18) and third-round comp pick (No. 101) in that deal in 2022.”
— Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on the process in Denver and Miami finding common ground for Jaylen Waddle deal
Common ground was found with common practice. Denver and Miami both leaned on historical precedent to identify appropriate value on a deal, settling in the middle of Miami’s initial determination in value (the A.J. Brown trade), and some of the historical deals the Broncos considered, ranging in total value exchanged equal to a first-round pick in the teens and the 30s. Waddle, when the numbers all added up, was dealt for a trade package valued between the 25th and 26th pick in the draft.
Who ultimately wins the deal? That depends on how much Denver wins this season and how well Miami drafts in April.