Andrew Buller-Russ
By moving on from several big-name players, first-year Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan held trade discussions with multiple teams this offseason. The Dolphins, of course, tried to find trade partners willing to take on large contracts tied to Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, and Bradley Chubb, but ultimately were forced to cut them from the roster and take whatever cap relief was available instead.
Ultimately, the Dolphins overhauled their roster, which is not that uncommon when a new GM and head coach are hired. But there were some players deemed as franchise cornerstones that the Dolphins didn’t want to move on from. That includes 24-year-old Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane, who recently signed a four-year, $64 million contract extension to put an end to all trade rumors involving the star player.
However, while ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the Dolphins managed to get Achane under contract for a reasonable rate, he believes Miami may have been better off capitalizing on his trade value after a strong season paired under Mike McDaniel. There’s no guarantee Achane has that same amount of success in a new offense with an unproven QB like Malik Willis
“The Dolphins aren’t likely to field much of a passing attack anytime soon, and Willis probably will shoulder some of the rushing workload, which will combine to limit Achane’s ability to impact games. He’s a very good running back, and it’s reasonable for Sullivan to see Achane as a core component for the Dolphins moving forward, but I don’t know if these Dolphins will be able to get the most out of him. Achane could have thrived elsewhere. If the Dolphins could have landed a second-round pick for him, I would have preferred to see them move on and try to land the next Achane in the middle rounds of the draft over the years to come.”
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on De’Von Achane
Not paying running backs has become more of an NFL trend in the past decade. But certain teams still believe paying superstar backs is worth it.
Should the Dolphins really have committed to a $48 million contract, knowing they’re likely headed for some first-year and possibly second-year struggles? Time will tell, but they seem to be operating under the belief that Achane can help elevate the entire offense, possibly enough to compete right away.
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