The Miami Dolphins aren’t going to the playoffs this season.
While technically anything is possible, that seems particularly unlikely, and so it means the Dolphins’ tanking is something they have to fully embrace.
For the most part, it seems Miami has done a good job of that, and the next step is to make some trades.
There aren’t a ton of veteran players on the Dolphins’ roster on shorter-term contracts. They already cut loose a bunch of aging, expensive players, so there aren’t many left.
Jordyn Brooks, though, is one guy who is still around and could be a trade candidate.
Jordyn Brooks Trade Rumors
Brooks’ name has floated in trade speculation before, but he was singled out anew as part of the trade board put together and published on Thursday by The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
The idea of the list is to rank players who could be traded in the next few weeks before the deadline, and Brooks checks in at No. 21 on the list — a combination of his talent and his likelihood to be traded.
“The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively,” Popper writes. “They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising. The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players. Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multiyear commitment. The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far.”
A $15.6 million dead cap hit isn’t nothing, but the Dolphins are paying nine figures worth of dead cap hit on their current salary books for this season, so it doesn’t seem out of bounds. Miami might very much consider a trade if the return is solid.
Another Candidate
Popper names another Dolphins defender on his trade board: defensive lineman Zach Sieler.
“Sieler signed a three-year extension with the Dolphins in 2025, under the previous regime of GM Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel,” Popper writes. “The Dolphins would take on $24.7 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Sieler, but again, the new regime does not seem worried about dead money amid a dramatic rebuild. Sieler is due $12.67 million in base salary in 2027, and $10 million of that becomes fully guaranteed on March 15. Sieler can be disruptive as a pass rusher and run defender. He has been inconsistent this season, though he is not surrounded by much talent in the Dolphins’ defense. His game could play up in a better situation.”
It’d be an even higher dead cap hit to trade Sieler, but the Dolphins are on a multi-year path back to relevance. They may be willing to pay that cost in the meantime.
Dolphins Can Make $15.6 Million Trade Decision