Dolphins Make Moves at the Trade Deadline

Although all of the attention on November 3rd is on the national election, and rightly so, the NFL also had big decisions to make. The NFL’s trade deadline came and went on Tuesday, and while not normally an active occasion, the Miami Dolphins made a couple of interesting moves.

While there were a number of major names on the market, most teams kept their rosters intact. Rumors of players like New England’s Stephon Gilmore being moved amounted to nothing. Teams may have hesitated to pull the trigger because of concerns over next season’s salary cap and delays in player availability due to COVID-19.

Miami, though, saw an opportunity to add depth at a position of need and did so.

Dolphins Deal Ford to New England

A rare intra-division trade: Dolphins are trading WR Isaiah Ford to the New England Patriots, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2020

The Dolphins completed a rare in-division trade with New England. Miami sent receiver Isaiah Ford to the Patriots for a 2022 seventh-round pick. This came as something of a surprise, considering the Dolphins liked Ford coming out of Virginia Tech in 2017. Miami selected Ford with a seventh-round pick but he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.

Ford landed on the IR in 2017 and bounced between the active roster and the practice squad afterwards. He played only one game in 2018, but found a role last season. He played eight games in 2019 and made 23 receptions for 244 yards. This season, he played in all seven games and caught 18 passes for 184 yards.

Ford’s departure opens additional opportunities for Jakeem Grant, rookies Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry, as well as the recently activated Antonio Callaway. While Grant should see his role expand, Callaway could take time from the two rookies.

Callaway made 43 catches for 586 yards as a rookie in 2018. But he was suspended 10 games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy in 2019. He spent a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL before being signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad this season.

Dolphins Trade for RB Depth

Sources: The #Dolphins are trading for #Chiefs RB DeAndre Washington in exchange draft pick compensation. Added RB depth in Miami.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2020

The Dolphins also acquired running back DeAndre Washington from Kansas City during on trade deadline day. Miami sent the Chiefs a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick in exchange for the reserve running back and a conditional 2021 seventh-round pick. This trade comes in the wake of injury news regarding Myles Gaskin.

Gaskin leads Miami in rushing this season with 387 yards and two touchdowns, but just a 3.9 yards-per-carry average. He’s tied for the team lead in receptions with 30. Gaskin sustained a strained MCL late in the win against the Rams. He’s expected to miss three weeks.

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Washington, meanwhile, has just three carries for five yards in 2020. He spent his first four seasons with the Raiders and tallied 1122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 4.0 yards-per-carry. He has 89 catches for 615 yards and one touchdown in his career. Washington rarely played this season, particularly after KC’s acquisition of Le’Veon Bell.

The Raiders selected Washington with a fifth-round drafted pick in 2016 out of Texas Tech. Current Dolphins senior personnel executive Reggie McKenzie was the general manager of Oakland then. Washington won’t be available to play for the Dolphins this weekend as he navigates the COVID-19 protocols.

The Dolphins have the fifth-worst rushing attack in the NFL, averaging just 98 yards-per-game. Their 3.6 yards-per-carry average is second-worst in the league.

Without Gaskin or Washington, the Dolphins will turn to Matt Breida and Patrick Laird, as well as Jordan Howard, who’s been inactive in recent weeks, and possibly practice squad RB Salvon Ahmed.