The Miami Dolphins have been in the news more recently than most teams regarding trading and acquiring tight ends.
Miami traded away Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers after failing to come to terms on an extension before trading for former Giants tight end Darren Waller, who came out of retirement to opt to play in Miami.
Smith had a breakout season for the Dolphins in 2024, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns, setting career highs across the board. That wasn’t enough for the Dolphins to feel comfortable extending Smith; instead, they lured Waller out of retirement.
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field.
© Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Waller hasn’t played since 2023, when he caught 52 passes for 552 yards and a touchdown in 12 games for the Giants, and he’s only played 16 games twice in his NFL career. However, the Dolphins feel that Waller can fit into the offense just as well as Smith.
Insurance for Waller may be necessary though, and according to Nic Rohloff of Dolphins Today by Chat Sports, the Dolphins should be looking to another veteran tight end as the answer.
“Miami needs to add another tight end. They lose Jonnu Smith, they pick up Darren Waller, but the rest of this position group is just not good enough to be a team that has aspirations for at least being competitive and contending in the NFL playoffs” Rohloff said.
The Dolphins enter the 2025 season with Waller, Pharoah Brown, and Julian Hill as their top three tight ends, leaving much to be desired. Especially since Waller has a history of getting banged up. Rohloff added, “There is no guarantee that Waller gives you anything this season, and there’s no guarantee that he makes the 53-man roster.”
One trade option that Rohloff brought to the table was Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, despite a tough year for the veteran in 2024.
“He’s been one of the best tight ends in the NFL over the last five to six years in the NFL,” Rohloff went on to say, “But he’s 29 years old, he’s getting older, his contract is close to running out and with Isaiah Likely continuing to rise through the ranks, Mark Andrews could be on the move.”
Andrews caught 55 passes for 673 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, but his play dramatically decreased from being one of the top three tight ends in the NFL.
Despite that, Andrews can provide some excellent pass-catching for the Dolphins in the short and intermediate areas of the field while also factoring in as one of the best red zone threats in the NFL.
