The Miami Dolphins made two big trades this week that will undoubtedly impact how their Week 11 matchup against the Washington Commanders unfolds.
By acquiring defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and tight end Darren Waller, the Dolphins have significant changes coming on offense and defense that the Commanders will want to study in the weeks and months that come before their November duel in Spain.
If NFL.com's Eric Edholm is right, however, the net result of the move is that Washington will be facing a lesser team now that these trades have taken place.
As part of the trade that brought Fitzpatrick back to Miami, the team sent tight end Jonnu Smith to the PIttsburgh Steelers along with defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Doing so puts quarterback Tua Tagovailoa firmly in the losers category of the deal, according to Edholm.
"After a Week 2 concussion (in 2024), Tagovailoa missed four games, with the Dolphins going 1-3 in that span. Tua mostly played well in his nine-game return, completing 74.5% of his passes and throwing for 2,384 yards, 17 TDs and four interceptions. But Miami couldn't turn out of its tailspin, and then a hip injury ended Tagovailoa's season early. Now, the trade of Jonnu Smith removed one of the QB's major weapons from the equation. In Weeks 8-16, Smith (67 targets) saw nearly as much action as Tyreek Hill (69 targets)," says Edholm.
While Waller will be coming in expected to replace some of that production, it is hard to tell just what the Dolphins will be getting from the veteran who is into his 30s and didn't play in 2024.
Joining Tagovailoa in the losers group is his head coach Mike McDaniel, of whom Edholm said, "Hired in 2022, McDaniel's candid presence made him a breath of fresh air in a league where his colleagues are known to be a little more buttoned-up. But he followed consecutive playoff seasons with an 8-9 dud, and pressure will surely be mounting on him to show he can get this team back on the right track."
"This trade sent away the Dolphins' leading pass catcher from 2024 and one of its most talented defenders. In return, they got a safety who wasn't too thrilled last time he was in Miami. ...The lack of depth at certain spots has to really worry McDaniel. The Fins have fallen behind the Bills in the AFC East, and the Patriots and Jets both had big offseasons, led by defensive-minded coaches who now probably smell a little blood in the shark-infested waters of South Florida. They'll be gunning to knock Miami out of that second spot in the division.
"This is about as tough a spot as McDaniel's been in since taking over the job. McDaniel is no longer the new kid. He's now a man who must return his team to success after it was gutted of some talent."
The third and final loser on Edholm's list was the Dolphins' defense, hitting the trifecta for the team down south as the big losers in this trade. Good news for those looking to see the Commanders get a big Week 11 win in Spain, just before entering December football and the final run into the postseason.
