Miami Dolphins trade DE Charles Harris to Atlanta Falcons for 7th round pick

After releasing veteran DE Taco Charlton on Thursday, the Miami Dolphins took the predictable next step and moved on from former first-round pick Charles Harris on Friday. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, GM Chris Grier actually managed to find a trade partner. In exchange for Charles Harris, the Dolphins will receive a 2021 seventh-round pick.

The #Falcons are sending a seventh-round pick to the #Dolphins for DE Charles Harris, per source.

That’s two former first-round picks Miami has moved on from in the past 24 hours: Taco Charlton cut yesterday, now Harris traded.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 1, 2020

Considering Charles Harris has only 3.5 sacks throughout his entire three seasons with the Dolphins, it’s shocking the Falcons were willing to give up an asset for him. With that trade, Miami now has a total of 10 draft picks ready for the 2021 NFL Draft. Their extra first and second-rounders come from last year’s trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans. The extra sixth-rounder comes from the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

• 1st Round – 2 picks
• 2nd Round – 2 picks
• 3rd Round – 1 pick
• 4th Round – 1 pick
• 5th Round – 1 pick
• 6th Round – 2 picks
• 7th Round – 1 pick

Harris’s departure is under the same circumstances as Taco Charlton’s. The Miami Dolphins have added a lot of talent at both defensive end and outside linebacker for their 3-4 defense. For different reasons, neither Charlton nor Harris were expected to contribute. Charlton is speculated as not being a “locker room guy,” while Harris was simply unproductive. Consequently, the door is open for the likes of Curtis Weaver, Jason Strowbridge, and Miami’s free agent haul to provide what Harris couldn’t.

All of a sudden, the Dolphins roster is now devoid of any of their hand-picked first-round talent from 2009-2018. The only one who remains is WR DeVante Parker, who recently signed a 4-year, $30 million dollar contract after a breakout season. However, while Harris will remain as a certified bust on Chris Grier’s resume, Grier deserves credit for not hanging on to hope for too long and cutting ties in a timely manner.

Now Miami can move forward with new, more scheme-fitting talent. In essence, the extra pick is icing on the cake that allows the Dolphins to continue building for the future.

Luis Sung has covered the Miami Dolphins for numerous outlets such as Dolphins Wire for seven years. Follow him on Twitter: @LuisDSung