Dolphins Deadline Recap, ‘Got Calls’ But Didn’t Bite

It’s not often you see a general manager become the biggest casualty on a 2-7 team roster heading into the trade deadline, but that was the case for the flailing Miami Dolphins on Tuesday afternoon.

GM Chris Grier was fired before Sunday’s loss. Did this play into the Dolphins staying put for much of the deadline action? Who knows. All we know for sure is that the hay is in the barn. The Phins will be finishing the season with much of the same roster they started it with.

Jaelen Phillips, who has been involved in trade talks since the start of October, ended up being the only one to find a new home. The former first round pick, who was set to become a free agent after this season anyway, was flipped to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a high value third round selection.

This wasn’t for lack of trying, however. ESPN’s insider Adam Schefter confirmed Tuesday afternoon that, despite not budging, the Phins were contacted numerous times.

“Despite getting calls for Jaylen Waddle and Bradley Chubb, the Dolphins did not make another deal before the deadline and opted to hold on to both,” Schefter wrote in a post.

Jaylen Waddle Stays Put

Jaylen Waddle was considered the most attractive trade piece in South Beach. The fourth year receiver is already under contract until 2028. Meaning that, before this season’s implosion, he was always supposed to be a part of the Dolphins future going forward.

But despite his name being signed on the dotted line for a grand total of 85 million dollars, many predicted that he would be on the move.

There were several rumblings, but none seemingly coming from inside the Dolphins building.

“The Dolphins are willing to listen to offers on any of their players ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, but it is — in the words of one well-placed source — “highly unlikely” that Miami will trade wide receiver Jaylen Waddle,” wrote Adam Schefter in a story posted three days before the deadline. “The Dolphins are expected to trade away at least one of their pass rushers, according to league sources, but a trade involving Waddle would be exceedingly difficult to pull off for a variety of reasons.”

Should They Have Selled Harder?

I know it’s easy to get swept away in the emotions of a 2-7 season, but look around the league. Many have called for the jobs of Tua Tagovailoa and Mike McDaniel, but quarterbacks don’t grow on trees.

If the roster was blown up and Tua was sent to the curb, then what? Just draft a good quarterback, right? It’s that easy, just don’t ask the Jets or the Saints or the Browns.

This season is a disaster, and fans are right to demand much, much better. But McDaniel and Tua have proven an ability to win. Is it worth it to blow up the rest of this season and next season too at the possibility of becoming better? Or would it be smarter to hold on to a talented young roster, and put together a well thought out plan of attack for a soft rebuild?

I lean towards the latter.

Mavericks' dream Cooper Flagg lineup could already be doomed by one glaring flaw

As soon as the Dallas Mavericks drafted Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, fans salivated at the idea of trotting out a massive starting lineup that would include Flagg, D'Angelo Russell, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II to begin the season. This would be an incredible defensive lineup, as every member of this unit is an elite defender outside of Russell, but a weakness on the other end of the floor could hold it back from being as effective as fans think.

If Jason Kidd decided to roll with a similar unit, which he teased earlier this offseason, their shooting could drop off significantly. So much so that he may not get to use it often.

This unit already has two non-shooters with Lively II and Davis, and everyone around them would need to be consistent 3-point shooters to give them the spacing they need to operate down low while also keeping the defense honest.

Wing shooting will decide the fate of Mavericks' jumbo lineup

Washington had an excellent season from downtown last season as he shot 38.1 percent from three, but it can't be expected that he can replicate this dominance out of the gates next season. It would be massive for Dallas if he can, as he shot 31.4 percent from beyond the arc during his first season as a Maverick, and another dominant year from downtown would prove that the mechanical tweak that he made to his jumper last offseason has paid off significantly.

Washington would be playing small forward if Kidd uses this lineup, which he has barely done over the course of his six-year career, and this would quietly be a major change for him. He would need to take advantage of the open looks that are created for him, and we could even see his 3-point volume go up from the 4.2 threes per game he shot last season (second lowest mark of his career).

With Washington set to play the three in this unit, Flagg would be forced to play shooting guard.

Flagg's 3-point shooting at the NBA level may be a work in progress, as it remains unknown if he can keep up his solid shooting numbers from Duke, and the potential success of this unit could heavily rely on his shooting.

If Flagg can't turn into an above-average shooter, the performance of this unit would likely plummet, considering that he would be the two guard of this group, and Kidd will quickly know if he can use these jumbo lineups frequently by how they shoot threes. Having solid shooting is essential in today's NBA, and they must have good 3-point shooters around Davis and Lively II or Daniel Gafford if they want these double-big lineups to work.

At the point guard spot, whether it's Russell running the show or Kyrie Irving once he returns from his ACL tear, the Mavericks should be in good hands when it comes to shooting. Russell is a career 36.5-percent 3-point shooter, while Irving is a 39.4-percent 3-point shooter, and both players would have to be effective shooters from beyond the arc in order for this lineup to succeed.

Since Davis (a few per game) and Lively II or Gafford (rarely) aren't known for shooting threes and mostly operate inside (or in the mid-range for Davis), nearly everyone around them needs to be a good shooter for the spacing to stay good.

Mavericks fans saw just how quickly things can go south last season when Dallas' shooting hit rock bottom at the end of the year (even though they were battling injuries across the board), and they must trend in the right direction in this area to emerge as true contenders in the Western Conference.

Defense was never going to be a problem with this group, but Mavericks fans must keep a close eye on the team's 3-point shooting to gauge how practical using this lineup is. It won't be a shock to anyone if Kidd at least tries this huge lineup, as it would strike fear into their opponent's eyes thanks to the defensive versatility and size it has, but the shooting on the wing around Davis and Lively II is what it'll really come down to.

If the threes don't fall, the Mavericks' mammoth lineup may remain nothing more than a dream.