Dolphins Trade Pitch Lands Two-Time Super Bowl Champion Corner

It was officially announced by Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniels that the team’s best corner, Kader Kohou, would miss the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL. Kohou becomes the second defensive back in a light corner room to suffer a season ending injury in the first two weeks of training camp.

I praised the team a week ago for going out and getting not just one, but two cornerbacks out of free agency. That was before their best guy went down. Now it will take another miraculous act of desperation to put a band aid on an undermanned pass defense.

ESPN’s Seth Walder published an article calling for five “win-win” trades during training camp. Rounding off the list was a deal that sends Miami’s sixth round selection to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for two-time Super Bowl champion Joshua Williams.

“Williams is a depth corner for the Chiefs, who already have Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Kristian Fulton (signed in March) and Nohl Williams (2025 third-round pick),” Walder writes. “Joshua Williams, who is scheduled to make $3.2 million this year, was even left off ESPN’s 53-man roster projection at the start of training camp.”

After the injuries, the Dolphins now have 90 active players and more than $12 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. This is a stark contrast from just a few days ago when the Phins were one of two team’s in the entire league that were in the red.

“Williams does have some encouraging numbers over his first three seasons. Across 769 coverage snaps, he has allowed 0.9 yards per snap — better than average — and 0.6 over the past two years, albeit in a small sample,” Walder concluded.

Should Miami Be Buyers Before The Season?

If you ask me, yes. If you ask Walder, no.

“Miami looks more like a team in flux than a franchise looking to add talent before the season. But given the state of the Dolphins’ cornerback group, a low-risk maneuver like this would make sense,” Walder writes.

Why trot a team out there for 17 games if you know it is not the best possible team you can put on the football field. I understand it’s a business and you shouldn’t mortgage your future on a risk. However, Chris Grier, Mike McDaniels, and Tua Tagovailoa all risk a trip to the unemployment line if the 2025 campaign looks anything like last year’s efforts.

Outside of the defensive secondary, this is a reinvented team. The pass rush has a very legitimate chance to be a top-five unit, the quarterback is healthy, the offensive line has been bolstered. Stars like De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle have another year of experience under their belt.

On all accounts this is a team ready to take a leap that cannot afford to roll out an uncompetitive cornerback room. They now have the money to make a splash and should be making the appropriate phone calls to find a starter on the outside.

Joshua Williams Can Be A Long Term Answer

Yes the two injuries were unfortunate. However, Artie Burns is 30-years-old and has been showing signs of decline for three seasons. Joshua Williams is a two time champ who played genuine high leverage snaps on his team’s quest to three straight Super Bowls.

He is a 25-year-old fourth round pick entering the final year of his rookie deal. If the paring does not work out, Williams is gone as quickly as he came.

If it goes well, the Phins can lock down another young defender and avoid putting themselves in this situation again. Either way the Dolphins are going to be gambling on the team’s newest acquisitions, I believe Williams is another low-cost sound bet.