All Dolphins

Breaking Down the DT Swap

The Miami Dolphins' acquisition of defensive tackle Adam Butler realistically amounted to a trade with the New England Patriots

Alain Poupart

Two days after they lost Davon Godchaux to the New England Patriots, the Dolphins returned the favor.

The acquisition of fellow defensive tackle Adam Butler ended up being a swap with some advantages and maybe disadvantages for the Dolphins.

One clear advantage for the Dolphins will come in the pass-rushing department, where Butler figures to have way more of an impact than Godchaux did in his four seasons in Miami.

Butler will come to Miami with 15 sacks in four NFL seasons, including six in 2019 and four last year. Godchaux, meanwhile, has three career sacks, none in his five games last season before he landed on injured reserve because of a pectoral injury.

Godchaux (listed at 6-3, 311) might get the edge when it comes to stopping the run, but the gap isn't as significant as the edge that Butler (6-5, 300) enjoys as a pass rusher.

Maybe the best part of this swap for the Dolphins is the financial aspect.

Both players agreed to two-year deals, but Butler's contract is reported to be worth up to $9.5 million, a far cry from the $16 million that Godchaux's deal could reach.

In terms of age, both players are 26, though Butler will turn 27 in April and Godchaux won't do so until November.

But this looks like a pretty good swap for the Dolphins, all things considered.

Butler now will join a group of Dolphins interior defensive linemen that includes 2019 first-round pick Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and 2020 second-round pick Raekwon Davis, who played enough last year to earn All-Rookie honors from the Pro Football Writers Association.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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