The Miami Dolphins presumably gave it their best shot. The team was in hot pursuit of free agent RB Le’Veon Bell throughout the majority of the day yesterday — ultimately finishing second to the Kansas City Chiefs for his services. And while it would have been a fascinating experiment to see play out on the gridiron had the Dolphins secured him, we have learned more about the Dolphins throughout this process than we would have had they actually signed Bell to a deal.
For example, we know that the Dolphins aren’t averse to spending money in 2020. But throwing the checkbook at Bell to tempt him away from the lure of a potential Super Bowl in 2020 would have been an upset. Chris Grier has known his price for players, even if that has meant them going a different direction. A few examples of this include Jadeveon Clowney, Trey Flowers, Melvin Gordon and now Bell.
But this was a different scenario than those prior examples because this one comes mid-season for the Dolphins. And that, Dolphins fans, is where the lessons begin.
Miami looking to add a significant running back contract mid-season tells you that this team feels as though they can compete for a playoff spot at the end of the year. The confidence required for Miami to continue flirtation with Bell throughout the day yesterday is significant and should not be overlooked. It means Miami could potentially be buyers in other scenarios for the rest of the year — so keep your eyes peeled on opportunities to add pieces that may help Miami push themselves to be a more competitive team.
Another tidbit we’ve learned along the way is that money isn’t really an objection (within reason) for Miami. Draft capital, on the other hand, is. And as we’ve watched this Dolphins team work since Bell was released on Tuesday night, it has become appear Miami was interested because of the price in assets. Money? The Dolphins have cap space. They have long-term maneuverability. But draft assets, which the Jets wanted in return to trade for Bell, was a no-go. So was Bell’s albatross of a contract, but that’s why we said money wasn’t an objection “within reason”. No reasonable team was taking on Bell’s contract.
We may not have seen the Dolphins ink Bell, but it was clearly a challenging choice for the former All-Pro back. And ultimately, Miami may be better off without him in the picture anyway. But expect this position to be revisited sooner rather than later — the absolute latest being the 2021 NFL Draft. We know Miami wants to get better there. And we also know that Miami feels an upgrade now could help their efforts to reach the postseason in 2020. That level of confidence is in the building.