[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwhebtqp7ahdjt player_id=none image=https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
When the news broke a few weeks back that the Miami Dolphins were trading out of the No. 3 overall pick before eventually settling back in at the No. 6 overall selection, one of the big questions surrounding Miami’s big move was “why now?” Why would Miami, a full month before the 2021 NFL Draft, make such significant moves without knowing how the draft board was going to fall for them or what opportunities they may have surrendered as a part of that process.
Now we know.
Because the Miami Dolphins were not the only team entertaining the idea of a trade down in the 2021 NFL Draft’s first few picks. It has since been reported that Atlanta has had some “preliminary” discussions about trading down. Just like the San Francisco 49ers were not the only team looking to trade up in the order for a quarterback. Carolina elected to go in a different direction — opting instead to give up lesser picks for QB Sam Darnold yesterday instead of heavily pursuing a deal to move to No. 4 for the 4th quarterback off the board.
And for the Dolphins, it is a bullet dodged. For Chris Grier, it is a successful read on the rest of the NFL’s landscape. Because what would have happened if the Dolphins had waited this out, hoping to leverage the Carolina Panthers’ desperation for a quarterback against both the rest of the league and Carolina’s better judgement. Sure, the success story would be Carolina caving to match the offer San Francisco provided but with a fall to No. 8 instead of No. 12 — perhaps in that reality Miami stays put with the No. 8 pick, too.
But where would the Dolphins be if Carolina opted to trade for Sam Darnold before Miami moved out of the No. 3 spot? Had that become the case, the trade market, at least for the sake of the Miami Dolphins, becomes dire very quick. Carolina beating San Francisco to the punch and doing so without Miami being involved would alleviate pressure from the 49ers to try to win the race to get aligned for a top quarterback. Without the looming threat of Carolina spurring the 49ers into action, perhaps they’re less willing to pay two 1st-round draft choices to jump up to No. 3 overall. Perhaps the 49ers are more willing to “play ball” with Atlanta at No. 4 or Philadelphia at No. 6 and cut the Dolphins out of the trade scenarios all together.
If you’re not first, you’re last. The Dolphins, thanks to Grier’s anticipation of how action would unfold across the league, ensured that he struck while the iron was hot in the quarterback market. Had he waited, yesterday’s Darnold action would have become a crushing blow to Miami’s leverage in negotiations.
Thankfully, instead it is simply an afterthought and an interesting footnote on what could have looked differently about this 2021 Dolphins offseason.