Revisiting Grier's Trade Deadline History

Acquiring Bradley Chubb from the Denver Broncos stands out as Chris Grier's most significant deadline move as Miami Dolphins GM.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier discusses the upcoming draft on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. / HAL HABIB / The Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY NETWORK

As we wait to see what kind of move the Miami Dolphins might make at the NFL trade deadline, if they do anything at all, it's a good time to look back at General Manager Chris Grier's previous in-season deals.

While he officially became GM for the Dolphins in 2016, in 2019 — after Mike Tannenbaum left the organization — Grier truly became the man in charge of personnel decisions. That means this is his sixth NFL trade deadline as the man in charge.

In those first five years, Grier consummated eight in-season trades, whether at or shortly before the trade deadline, starting with dealing away Kenyan Drake to acquiring Chase Claypool, with the big Bradley Chubb move in between.

EVALUATING GRIER'S IN-SEASON TRADES AS DOLPHINS GM

10/6/23 — WR Chase Claypool and a 7th-round pick in 2025 from Chicago for a 2025 6th-round pick

The classic case here of low risk, high reward. There was no reward because Claypool was an absolute non-factor down the stretch, plus he was on the wrong end of the game-clinching interception for the Buffalo Bills in the Week 18 showdown that decided the AFC East title. Considering Claypool was a former second-round pick, this was worth a shot.

---

11/1/22 — OLB Bradley Chubb and a 2025 5th from Denver for 2023 1st and 4th-round pick and RB Chase Edmonds

What needs to be mentioned about this trade is that it also involved the Dolphins having to give Chubb a new contract, which is the reason the Broncos wanted to trade him in the first place. This trade doesn't look very good right now as Chubb continues to recover on PUP from his nasty 2023 knee injury, though nobody complained when Chubb was lighting it up last season. Still, a first-round pick plus a huge new contract is an awfully big price to pay for somebody who might fall short of elite status.

---

11/1/22 — RB Jeff Wilson, Jr. from San Francisco for a 2023 5th

A fifth-round pick was a cheap price to pay for somebody who's been a solid backup, even though he no longer has a role on the team after the Dolphins drafted not one but two players (De'Von Achane and Jaylen Wright) at the position since the trade. The Dolphins now find themselves in the position where they'd gladly accept what they gave up for Wilson, maybe even less. And before we dump on this move, let's not forget Wilson's key work in the final drive in the playoff-clinching victory against Dallas last December.

---

10/5/21 — 2023 6th from Chicago for WR Jakeem Grant

While Grant never was a factor on offense, he was always a threat in the return game, so this move was a bit dicey, given the modest return.

---

11/3/20 — 2022 7th from New England for WR Isaiah Ford

The funny part about this trade is that Ford never played for the Patriots and returned to Miami for a brief stint. The Dolphins traded that seventh-round pick to Carolina the following summer to get tackle Greg Little.

---

11/3/20 — RB DeAndre Washington and 2021 7th from Kansas City for 2021 6th

The compensation on this one was typical, but the Dolphins got very little out of Washington, who averaged 3.1 yards in his three appearances.

---

10/29/19 — CB Aqib Talib and 2020 5th from L.A. Rams for 2022 7th

This was a really interesting one because it involved a big name but was done strictly for cap purposes from the Rams' side. Talib was on IR when he was traded and stayed on IR for the rest of the 2019 season before he retired. But in exchange for taking on some salary, the Dolphins upgraded two rounds (and two years earlier).

---

10/28/19 — 2020 5th from Arizona for RB Kenyan Drake

This trade was about doing right by Drake, whose role in Miami had dissipated, as well as getting something for a player in the last year of his contract who clearly didn't fit in the future plans. At least Drake, who retired this summer, left having cemented his Miami legacy for his role in the wildest play in franchise history (or one of the wildest).