The Quenton Nelson trade has already given the Dolphins a fresh lens on their own roster, and it could change the shape of Miami’s approach before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
With Indianapolis sending the perennial Pro Bowl guard to the Seattle Seahawks, Miami’s Week 10 trip to Lucas Oil Stadium suddenly looks less daunting than it did a day ago. That game comes Nov. 15, and the Colts may look very different by then.
The reported return for Nelson was a third-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft and a fifth-round selection in 2028. That kind of haul matters not just because it explains how far Indianapolis is willing to go in its expected fire sale, but because it gives other clubs a benchmark as they weigh whether to move players before the deadline.
For the Dolphins, the bigger question is what this means for their own veterans. Coming off a win, they still should be thinking long term and treating their roster with the future in mind. That means listening if teams call, and potentially dealing players who may not be part of the plan beyond this season.
Austin Jackson has been viewed as a likely trade candidate for a while. He’s in the final year of his contract, his salary is on the expensive side, and his season hasn’t gone especially well. Miami also has a possible long-term answer on the roster in Kadyn Proctor if the team chooses to move him to right tackle instead of leaving him at left guard, where he has flashed as a rookie.
Nelson’s deal may not be the right comparison for Jackson, because offensive linemen don’t often fit neatly into trade value discussions around the league. But it could help frame what Miami might ask for in a different situation - one involving defensive tackle Zach Sieler.
Sieler is a more complicated case. He’s a useful player in the middle of the defense and one of the leaders on a roster filled with young players. He’s not an All-Pro like Nelson, but he is under contract for three more years after this one, and there is no guaranteed salary left, which gives an acquiring team some room to work with.
So what might he bring back? The most obvious answer is whatever a team in need at defensive tackle is willing to pay, with the New York Giants mentioned as one possible fit. Still, the sense has been that the best Miami might realistically land is a third-round pick, and even that could require the Dolphins to include a late-round pick as part of the deal.
Jackson would likely bring less. Because his contract is expiring and he has a long injury history, along with issues in pass protection, a late-round pick feels like the most he could fetch.
And the Colts may not be done. After GM Chris Ballard was fired following the loss to the Tennessee Titans, the franchise appears headed toward a full rebuild, with Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner also possible trade candidates.
By the time Miami arrives in Indianapolis, that roster may barely resemble the one the Dolphins beat - or rather, were beaten by - in the 2025 opener, a 33-8 loss.
In Other News...
Dolphins May Have Finally Found A Coach Worth Trusting
Jeff Hafleys first season in charge has already given Miami at least one sign that the reset might be moving in the right direction. The Dolphins finally got into the win column with a victory over the Jets, and it came with the kind of early-season context that usually tests a new staff most: a rebuilding roster, plenty of youth, and little room for patience. Even so, the team has looked competitive enough to suggest there is something more sustainable taking shape.
NFL insider Peter Schrager took note of that after the win, framing Hafley as a coach who has Miami headed somewhere better than the usual rebuilding slog. The challenge now is turning one encouraging result into a real stretch of momentum, and the schedule offers another chance soon enough with the Patriots coming to Miami in Week 8. For a team trying to establish trust in a new direction, the next few games will matter just as much as the first win did. [Read more 🡒]
Malik Willis Just Changed The Dolphins Conversation
The Dolphins finally got their first win of the 2026 season in Week 7, edging the Jets 28-25 in a game that did more than just snap the skid. Malik Willis delivered the kind of all-around performance Miami has been searching for, throwing for 208 yards and two touchdowns while also making plays with his legs and finishing with a 130.7 passer rating.
It was the sort of outing that can change the way a quarterback is discussed in a building, especially when it comes with both efficiency and improvisation. Willis also landed among the leagues most productive dual-threat passers this season, and the advanced numbers only added to the appeal, with his day against New York grading out as one of the best performances of the year in terms of expected points added per drop back. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Already Face A Brutal Future Debate
The conversation around Miamis future is already drifting well beyond the next draft, with fans eyeing the 2027 class as a possible answer to the franchises long-running quarterback dilemma. Much of the early speculation has centered on the kind of player who could alter the direction of the roster, and the buzz has quickly turned into a familiar kind of draft debate: whether the Dolphins should chase a quarterback or start thinking about another elite weapon.
One name generating the most heat is Drew Mestemaker, a quarterback who has drawn Josh Allen comparisons and would fit the profile of the kind of swing-for-the-fences prospect fans cant help but discuss this early. Another is Jeremiah Smith, widely viewed as the top wide receiver in the conversation, which only adds to the intrigue as Miami weighs where its biggest need might truly be when that class finally arrives. The wild card, of course, is Arch Manning and what he decides to do next, which leaves the Dolphins long-range outlook feeling both promising and unsettled. [Read more 🡒]