Dolphins Won't Get Into Bidding War For Jonathan Taylor

The Miami Dolphins' pursuit of Colts tailback Jonathan Taylor has more to do with opportunity than desperation

The Miami Dolphins are interested in acquiring tailback Jonathan Taylor, but the franchise isn’t pressed to get a deal done if the price is too steep.

According to a league source, Miami’s initial offer to the Indianapolis Colts didn’t intrigue General Manager Chris Ballard, who seems to be playing a waiting game with the anticipation that better offers will come this weekend, as teams begin discussing, and assessing their rosters as a prerequisite for Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline to get the training camp rosters down to 53 players.

That deadline is important because Taylor is on the Colts' Physically Unable to Perform List, and Indianapolis must either move the former Wisconsin standout in a trade, activate him and place him on the 53-man roster, or keep him on the PUP list, which would make him ineligible to play for the first four games of the season.

What teams are interested in Taylor?

About half a dozen teams have expressed interest in acquiring Taylor, and there’s league-wide speculation that Denver, Philadelphia and Chicago are among those teams.

However, it is unclear which of those teams, along with the Dolphins, have made a formal offer to the Colts.

But it is clear that Miami has no interest in getting involved in a bidding war for the 2021 MVP candidate, who is making $4.3 million in the final season of his rookie deal and is seeking a multi-year deal that pays him north of $12 million a season from whatever franchise acquires him.

According to an ESPN report, the Colts are seeking a first-round pick, or the equivalent of it, which would be a second- and possibly a conditional third- or fourth-round pick, or a veteran player, from the team inquiring about Taylor.

Dolphins have traded first-round picks for elite players

The Dolphins used first-round picks to acquire All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill and pass rusher Bradley Chubb, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, the past two seasons, but are seemingly unwilling to part with another first-round pick for various reasons.

First, Taylor is a disgruntled tailback who has threatened to skip the 2023 season to force his way out of Indianapolis because he’s felt disrespected by the organization.

Second, the tailback position has been devalued in recent years, and most teams have been unwilling to give big-money deals or use first-round picks to acquire them, either in the draft or via trade. There are a handful of upper-echelon tailbacks likely to become available as unrestricted free agents next offseason.

And finally, the Dolphins are comfortable with the team’s stable of tailbacks, which is led by Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson, who collectively accounted for 1,751 rushing yards and scored 11 touchdowns last year. Miami also added De’Von Achane, a speedster from Texas A&M the Dolphins used a third-round pick to select in the 2023 NFL draft.

Mostert, who averaged 4.9 yards per carry last season, gained 891 rushing yards on 181 carries and 202 yards on 31 receptions before breaking a finger in the regular season finale against the Jets.

Wilson, who the Dolphins acquired in a trade at midseason, averaged 4.7 yards a carry in his eight games with the Dolphins, rushing for 392 yards and scoring four touchdowns on 84 carries.

However, the Dolphins have been aggressive when it came to exploring tailback upgrades this offseason.

Miami inquired about trades for Las Vegas Raiders tailback Josh Jacobs, who like Taylor is at an impasse with the Raiders over the franchise’s unwillingness to give him a multi-year deal, and D’Andre Swift, when he was being shopped by the Detroit Lions before getting traded to the Eagles during draft weekend.

The Dolphins also were bidders for Dalvin Cook after he was released from Minnesota, before he signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the New York Jets.

McDaniel likes Dolphins backfield

Mike McDaniel has vowed to get back to his roots as a run game specialist, making the pass-happy Dolphins of 2022 a more balanced team.

“It’s a valuable position that you have to have depth at,” McDaniel said Thursday before pointing out the Dolphins like the depth in the tailback unit. “You’ve gone to practices and you’ve seen two games. Pick a day, pick a game and you’ve seen a running back make plays. A running back!

“There are different ones every time,” McDaniel said, referring to Myles Gaskin’s impressive performance (57 yards on seven carries) against the Atlanta Falcons in the first preseason loss, and Salvon Ahmed’s standout performance (99 rushing yards on 12 carries) in last Saturday’s 28-3 preseason win over the Houston Texans. 

“Speaks to the competition that we have in that room and that’s why I’ve always valued the position. It’s a big portion of your touches and you understand that in that process you have to have a good solid group really for the team, and for your offense for the whole year," McDaniel continued. “I got my feet wet really in NFL game planning in the run game, so it’s near and dear to my heart.”

Ballard and Marvin Allen, the Dolphins' assistant general manager, worked alongside one another for four seasons while with the Kansas City Chiefs when Ballard served as Chiefs' director of personnel and Allen served as director of college scouting.

So there’s a chance their relationship can help facilitate a deal between Miami and the Colts, but a deal has to make sense for both sides.