Trade Options
Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs
Bowe is the first option that comes to mind when one thinks about a star WR that may be available via trade. Bowe is currently signed to a 1 year franchise tag by the Chiefs, but wants a long-term contract somewhere. Earlier this summer, there was some twitter talk between Bowe and some Dolphins players about Bowe coming to Miami, and Bowe said he'd love to play for the Dolphins. Bowe is a legit number one target, with good size at 6'2, 221 lbs, and has decent speed, running a 4.5 40-time. Bowe's biggest strengths are his size, shiftiness, soft hands and route-running ability, all of which are very important in a west coast system. he has produced at a high level throughout his career, falling short of 1,000 yards only twice, once in his rookie year, when he had 995, and once when he missed 4 games due to a suspension (not for criminal reasons). He is entering his prime, at 27 years old, and will give Tannehill a great target for the next 5-6 years. He shouldn't be too expensive if we work out a long-term deal. His cost in terms of draft picks should be about the same as what we got for Vontae, probably a 2nd round pick, a late pick and a fringe player, possibly Tony McDaniel.
Mike Wallace, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike Wallace is a typical big name trade, but will be very expensive. For a full breakdown of the possibility of a Mike Wallace trade, check out this article. It gives a good breakdown of the pros and cons of the possible trade, and how it could benefit both sides. Some new developments actually have increased the possibility of a Wallace trade. First off, as soon as the Dolphins traded Vontae to the Colts, Wallace decided to sign his tender, which he needed to sign in order to be traded. In addition, Rashard Mendenhall's recovery seems to be going very badly, and the Steelers running game, the heart and soul of a Todd Haley offense, looks to be in terrible shape. Because of these developments, a Reggie Bush for Mike Wallace trade seems to be likely. Both of them are electrifying playmakers who can help their team tremendously. Reggie to the Steelers gives them a legitimate star RB, while sending Wallace to the Dolphins gives them the number 1 WR they are in desperate need of. The Steelers do have some good WRs behind Wallace in Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery, Making a Wallace trade possible for them, while the Dolphins can go with a RB by committee approach with a triple-headed monster of Daniel Thomas, Steve Slaton and Lamar Miller.
Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers
Crabtree is the third, and least likely, of the trade options. With an amazing depth chart of WRs, Crabtree, who was their number 1 WR last year, suddenly became expendable. Crabtree is very young, at 24, and is a former top 10 pick. While he may not have lived up to his high draft ranking, he is still better than any WR on our roster and immediately gives Ryan a starting caliber WR who is the same age he is, has NFL experiance and has yet to reach his sky-high potential. He is a great fit in a West Coast system, and can become the top flight WR we need. He should come cheaper than the other two, most likely only for a 2nd or 3rd round pick, both of which we have two of.
Free Agent Options
Before I get into this list, I'm gonna start off by saying that the Dolphins should sign one of these guys as an addition to trading for one of the players listed above, not as a replacement. None of these guys are a number one guy, but all of them would be a great number 4 option behind the guy we trade for, Davone Bess and Brian Hartline.
Jabar Gaffney, age 31 and Donte Stallworth, age 32
I put Gaffney and Stallworth together because they are both in similar situations. Both have been through many teams throughout their career, but they have had decent success with almost all of them. At this age, neither is no longer the top-flight number 1 option they once were, but still are good WR, and both would be an exceptional number 4 WR for us. Gaffney has great speed and size, and has the age and experiance to serve as a mentor to some of the younger WRs. Stallworth, on the other hand, uses his shiftiness and to get open. Gaffney seems more likely, considering Stallworth's previous character issues and run-ins with the law. However, either of them would be great number 4 options for us.
Danario Alexander, age 24
Alexander may be the best WR available, but he may not be the best fit for us. He has the abilities of a legit number 1 WR, but has struggled to stay healthy, and will most likely be out injured for the next two months. It may be better for his career for him to sit out this season and then test the free agent waters next year after fully recovering. he does, however, posses great size, with a 6'5, 220 lbs frame, along with 4.5 speed to go with it. He has all the abilities, and could be one of the best WRs in the NFL, but has had injury issues throughout his career. If he can't get himself healthy, he may never live up to his potential and become the WR he could be. In addition, he may not be a good fit in this system either. The west coast system relies on quick WRs that can get seperation for short yards. Alexander is not that kind of WR. To fit these criteria, a WR needs to be someone that runs in small steps, so that he can make a quick move to break free, like Davone Bess. Alexander, on the other hand, takes long steps, meaning he does not have the shiftiness required to be a top WCO WR. He is a great player, but may nor be the best option.
Mike Sims-Walker, age 27
Sims-Walker would be a great number 4 for us. Brandon Marshall's fellow teammate at UCF, Sims-Walker is the yin to Marshall's yang. While he may not be the super-star that puts up big numbers the way Marshall does, he is a different type of WR. Marshall was not very fast, relying on his size and strength. Sims-walker has the best of both worlds, having blazing 4.3 speed alongside a large and powerful 6'2, 217 lbs frame. He has had some injury concerns, but seems to be healthy now. He struggled to be a number 1 WR in Jacksonville, but will take on a different role here. He will most likely be either the number 2 or number 4 option here, meaning his role will be reduced, allowing him to do what he does best, take advantage of weaker or slower CBs and get open one on one. If paired in a 4 WR set with, Bowe/Wallace/Crabtree, Hartline and Bess, the guy we trade for will draw FS help, leaving only the SS, who is usually the weaker at coverage of the two, to help the others. In this set, Hartline can use his ability to run the sidelines in single coverage, while Bess can use his ability underneath to draw the SS. This allows Sims-Walker to use his speed and size to beat the opposing team's 4th best CB.
That's it for my trade/free agent options for the fins, we'll see what they do. However, if I were Jeff Ireland, I would be calling the Steelers right now offering Reggie Bush for Mike Wallace, or contacting the Chiefs or 49ers about their WRs. I would also be talking to Mike Sims-Walker and Jabar Gaffney's agents about bringing them in for a tryout. However, lets see which direction the go in, and support them in it.
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