The Dolphins are the kind of team where almost nobody feels completely untouchable ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Still, Jordyn Brooks landing on The Athletic’s list of top 50 trade candidates caught attention.
Brooks checked in at No. 21, tucked between Jets edge defender Will McDonald IV and Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley. Daniel Popper laid out the case this way: "The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively," writer Daniel Popper began.
"They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising.
The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players.
Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multiyear commitment.
The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far."
That kind of speculation isn’t brand new. Brooks was already mentioned in offseason trade chatter, with the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals cited as possible landing spots. Popper also pointed to the Cowboys, Bills and Steelers as teams that could make sense now.
Even with that buzz, the logic gets messy fast. The Dolphins gave Brooks an extension only a few months ago, and that deal came with a $20 million signing bonus. If Miami moved him now, the club would still be carrying that bonus on its cap books while also having already paid it.
That makes the timing hard to square, especially after the Dolphins extended Brooks around the same time they did the same with De'Von Achane and Aaron Brewer. When Sullivan and Hafley talked about those moves, they framed them around keeping core "pillars" in place - the kind of players who match the way the Dolphins want things done.
Hafley also said the team wanted to show players that production and doing things the right way would be rewarded.
So if Miami turned around and dealt Brooks in the middle of this season, what message would that send? The Dolphins have already stripped down a roster of high-profile veterans and absorbed $180 million in dead space to set up future years. Trading Brooks now would feel like another bold bookkeeping move, but only if there’s a real payoff attached.
And that’s the whole question: what kind of return would actually justify it?
Popper’s point was straightforward - Brooks was probably more appealing in the offseason, fresh off his All-Pro season, than he is now. He dealt with an injury in training camp and then left the Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a foot injury.
So if Miami were offered something like a third- or fourth-round pick in 2027, would that really beat keeping Brooks for the next two seasons? Not just for his play, but for his leadership and for the simple fact that he’s already been paid like a piece the team wanted to keep.
Nothing is impossible, and the Dolphins have shown they’ll absorb dead cap if they believe the move is worth it. But a trade for Brooks would still be a head-scratcher. Making that kind of deal just months after handing out an extension and a $20 million signing bonus doesn’t add up unless the return is too good to ignore.
In Other News...
Dolphins Free Agents Are Already Creating A Tough Roster Decision
The Dolphins are already staring at an early roster squeeze, with 22 players set to hit some form of free agency in 2026. That group includes 12 unrestricted free agents, five restricted free agents and five exclusive rights free agents, which means the front office is going to have to start sorting out which pieces are worth keeping long before the 2027 picture comes into focus.
Some of the names in that mix are obvious candidates to draw attention because of their performance and the teams needs, while others may not even make it to the finish line of the current season. Miami has several decisions coming at once, and the challenge is not just identifying who fits, but figuring out which contracts, roles and priorities make the most sense when the next round of roster building begins. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Deadline Approach Puts Even Zach Sieler In Play
As the NFL trade deadline draws closer, Miamis rebuild has put just about everyone on the roster under a different kind of scrutiny, and Zach Sieler has not been exempt. The veteran defensive tackle acknowledged the rumors swirling around him, even as the Dolphins continue to weigh whether moving established players now can help restock the draft capital they need for the long haul.
General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is said to be open to listening on trade possibilities, a sign that Miami is looking at the bigger picture rather than clinging to short-term comfort. For Sieler, that leaves a familiar tension around a veteran on a team in transition: a productive player wants clarity, the front office wants flexibility, and the deadline can force both sides into a decision neither can fully control. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Could Revisit A Dolphins Trade Idea Fans Know Well
Jerry Jones is already talking like the Cowboys can still climb back into the NFC East race, and with Dallas sitting at 2-4, the trade deadline looks like a real pivot point. The owner and general manager has said the team could be active, while coach Brian Schottenheimer has voiced confidence that a turnaround is still in play. With draft picks to work with and a need to upgrade the pass rush, Dallas is being linked to a few possible fixes as the speculation starts to heat up.
One of the names that keeps surfacing will feel familiar to Dolphins fans, and not in a casual way. Miamis defense has already made a strong investment at linebacker, so any renewed Dallas interest would come with plenty of context from earlier in the year and a reminder that the Cowboys have been poking around this fit for a while. Whether the deadline brings a real push or just more smoke, it is another sign that the market around Miamis roster could stay active. [Read more 🡒]