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The Miami Dolphins have come up as a suggested landing spot for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in recent weeks, but a new Bleacher Report mock draft has the Fins trading their right to select Penix to the Las Vegas Raiders.
On April 1, the Bleacher Report scouting department — made up of Alex Ballentine, Brandon Thorn, Brent Sobleski, Cory Giddings, Derrik Klassen, Kris Knox and Matt Holder — predicted that Miami would send their 2024 first rounder to the Raiders for a package of picks. In turn, Las Vegas would then draft Penix after already grabbing Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu at No. 13 overall. Below is the full projected trade proposal from B/R.
- Dolphins get: 2024 second-round pick (44th overall), 2024 third-round pick (77th overall) and 2025 third-round pick.
- Raiders get: 2024 first-round pick (21st overall), 2024 sixth-round pick (198th overall) and 2025 fifth-round pick.
This deal would give the Dolphins three opportunities to plug roster holes from picks 44 through 77 (including their own second rounder at No. 55), while also adding a future third rounder next April. Sure, the sacrifice — a top 21 selection — is great, but this is a likely net win in terms of overall value if you look at the 2024 NFL trade value chart (estimating 2025 pick values).
It’s important to also consider Miami’s top needs: Guard, defensive tackle, WR3, depth at linebacker/edge.
These are positions that can be found in rounds two and three, rather than round one. When you also factor in limited cap space, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Dolphins chose to trade their first-round selection in 2024.
Should Dolphins Consider Drafting Michael Penix Themselves to Replace QB Tua Tagovailoa?
The Penix to Miami theory is an odd one — considering many have described the Washington Huskies lefty as a very comparable prospect to Tua Tagovailoa.
If the Dolphins were in the midst of a rebuild, drafting Penix might then make sense. After all, he’s similar enough to Tagovailoa if he were to work out at the NFL level, plus you’re also restarting your rookie contract at QB.
The reality is that this Miami organization is the furthest thing from a rebuild at the moment. They are all-in behind a narrowing championship window and an aging core made up of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and left tackle Terron Armstead.
Replacing a proven commodity at quarterback for a rookie in order to save cap space would be the risk of all risks for general manager Chris Grier.
This QB swap would only be viable if; one, the Dolphins completely lost faith in Tagovailoa — which doesn’t appear to be the case. And two, if they were replacing him with what they felt was a guaranteed hit at quarterback.
But as we know, those don’t exist in the NFL. Even Caleb Williams replacing Justin Fields in Chicago comes with uncertainty, and Miami can’t afford to take any QB chances on a prospect like Penix ahead of a pivotal 2024 campaign.
Dolphins Re-Sign Swing OT Kendall Lamm
In other news, the Dolphins reinforced their offensive tackle depth on April 2, coming to terms with veteran swing tackle Kendall Lamm on a new 2024 contract.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano announced the development on X, calling it another “one-year deal” for Lamm and Miami.
“Kendall Lamm was excellent in relief of Terron Armstead last year,” Palm Beach Post reporter Joe Schad reacted after seeing the news. “This is an important depth signing for the Miami Dolphins.”
ESPN’s Dolphins beat writer Marcel Louis-Jacques also referred to this as a “critical depth signing” for Miami.
Lamm started eight games for the Dolphins in 2023, appearing in all 18 including the playoffs. Pro Football Focus graded him at a 64.3 overall with a 67.1 in pass protection and a 55.3 as a run blocker.
According to PFF, Lamm was charged with four sacks allowed and 20 quarterback pressures last year while splitting time between left and right tackle (96.5% pass-blocking efficiency). He did not commit a single penalty on the season and was on the field for 613 offensive snaps.
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