While our Jeff Risdon recently noted that rumors surrounding teams trading up for Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are basically dead — the trade rumors at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft have persisted.
The latest reports involving a potential trade between the Detroit Lions and the Miami Dolphins don’t involve Tagovailoa, but instead an unnamed offensive tackle — suggesting the Dolphins want to get ahead of the New York Giants and their No. 4 overall pick.
Yesterday, NBC Sports’ Julie Donaldson was first to suggest this possibility, noting that she had heard this from “multiple sources”:
I am hearing from multiple sources Miami is looking to move up to #3. Specultion suggest it could be for OT, maybe Andrew Thomas out of Georgia. Then Jeff Okudah from Ohio State goes to Detroit at 5, and Tua Tagovailoa to Chargers. #NFLDraft
— Julie Donaldson (@JDonaldsonNBCS) April 21, 2020
Today, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted a similar report and the Athletic’s Chris Burke noted that Lions general manager Bob Quinn has anticipated this since the NFL Combine:
Bob Quinn hinted at something like this back at the combine. "If I do get calls, it might not be for a quarterback." https://t.co/0h0kpS2meK
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) April 22, 2020
It’s generally not a smart investment to put too much stock in rumors less than 48 hours away from the draft, but as Burke noted, this type of trade has had legs since the Combine back in February.
So maybe this rumor has a bit more substance… but probably not.
But maybe.