The Miami Dolphins got some more bad news on Thursday at the cornerback position, when it was revealed that veteran nickel back, Artie Burns, would be out for the season with a torn ACL
Now down Burns – who was set to take up the backup slot corner role behind incumbent starter, Kader Kohou, the Dolphins’ CB situation is getting more and more dire by the day.
The two current CBs #1 and #2, Storm Duck or Cam Smith are not reliable starters from what they have shown so far in the league, although admittedly both are still young and have remaining upside.
So in this trade proposal, instead of looking to bring in one elite-level corner, like a Stephon Gilmore, the Dolphins trade for two young cornerbacks; the Rams’ Cobie Durant and the Cardinals’ Starling Thomas V – to bolster both the strength and depth of the unit.
Dolphins Need Multiple New Secondary Additions
Whilst the safety slot got a major upgrade with the return of All-Pro safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, the cornerback will need more than one new face, unless Smith and Duck are able to make giant leaps forward over the span of a few months.
And whilst multiple corners are needed, it is a tough position to acquire in a trade, especially for elite-level talents. More and more receivers are coming into the league a dime a dozen, but finding a corner who can lockdown top quality – or even just good quality wideouts – is rare.
Thus, the Dolphins could be better served to invest in two younger players who have experience starting in the NFL, and doing so at a fairly high level. Players who have both a high floor, a low salary and the potential to turn into even better players.
Would Thomas And Durant Be An Actual Upgrade For The Dolphins?
Thomas started 15 games in 2024, his second season in the league; whilst Durant started 14 in what was his third. Both received average-ish grades from Pro Football Focus, with Thomas getting 60.9 to Durant’s 63.7, ranking them as the 144th and 94th top qualifying corners in the league last year.
That may not sound high, but when you look at Duck and Smith’s grades from the same season – coming in at 55.5 for Duck and a paltry 33.6 for Smith – which ranked the latter as the eighth worst corner in all of football in 2024.
So even though neither Durant nor Thomas are particularly sexy names, they are more than capable of getting the job done and keeping Miami’s secondary afloat for the following season, until they are able to make some changes next offseason.
Miami gives up some late round picks in 2026, both of which are easily able to be made up in trading down in the early rounds of the 2026 draft – and adds a couple of players who can keep their defense in contention this upcoming season.
