The Miami Dolphins have little reason to go shopping ahead of the NFL trade deadline—unless this exception actually becomes available
No one is going to mistake the Miami Dolphins as trade deadline buyers because they’re a piece away. They should still be monitoring one trade situation across the NFL.
We’re about a month away from the NFL shutting down trades for the rest of the season. It’s hard to believe how quickly this season has advanced, even for the slow-starting Miami Dolphins.
Now, no one is going to consider the Miami Dolphins a logical “buyer” at the trade deadline. But there is at least one trade storyline that even the Miami Dolphins should be monitoring.
The Miami Dolphins should certainly be among the teams monitoring Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
“Teams are continuing to watch the Marvin Harrison Jr. situation closely, wondering if he would become available, as Dan pointed out last week. He would have a market, though not for a high pick (possibly a quality Day 3 pick, as one team forecasted). Harrison, the former No. 4 overall pick who has struggled in Arizona, showed a slight uptick last week vs. San Francisco with three catches for 43 yards on five targets. But tight end Trey McBride and wide receiver Michael Wilson are clearly the Cardinals’ primary options.”
— ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on the status of Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Many will scoff at the idea. It all depends on how narrow your belief is for teams who should be trading in-season. Traditionally, yes. Buyers are teams that think a player can put them over the top. But the Dolphins fit into a second “buyer” bucket — not at all dissimilar to the New York Jets last year.
The Jets were clearly in a rebuild of their own last season with a new head coach and a new GM. Yet that did not stop New York from trading for CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. on September 23, 2025. The Jets conducted a pick-swap with the Tennessee Titans to secure a new player for their depth chart. That’s the kind of buy that Miami would be doing: high ceiling, low risk, and low cost. Adding talent to build a roster must come from every avenue.
Harrison Jr. is certainly at risk of becoming a bust for the Cardinals. But at the price of a Day 3 draft selection? That’s not an expensive bet to place. His finances aren’t expensive, either. The Cardinals’ remaining balance for this season is veteran minimum, plus a salary that is pushing $5.5 million in 2027. You get two years of player control to see the bet through before his current contract expires. And the ceiling is obviously there given that he was a top-10 draft choice.
The Dolphins are going to have more cash available to them than they could possibly spend after stripping down the old parts this offseason, too. A $5.5 million commitment to potentially steal a first-round player returning to form isn’t obscene and it’s frankly a drop in the bucket relative to their available cash. Miami also has a need at wide receiver, with three rookies manning the majority of the snaps this season beyond Malik Washington.
Oh, right. And one last thought. Miami already has two fifth-round picks in 2027 courtesy of the Minkah Fitzpatrick/Jalen Ramsey/Jonnu Smith swap last summer. They’ve got surplus on Day 3, too. So if you’ve got a reason why the Dolphins shouldn’t be interested in trying Marvin Harrison Jr. out as a reclamation project? I’d love to hear it.
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