What the Judon Interest Might Suggest

The Miami Dolphins won't have to face the New England Patriots edge defender twice a year anymore.

New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) warms up before a game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium last week. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Dolphins have invested an awful lot of resources for pass rushers in the past couple of years, but apparently they're still not satisfied.

What else to make of the report by NFL journalist Aaron Wilson indicating the Dolphins were one of the teams that inquired about trading for New England edge defender Matthew Judon before he was sent to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a third-round draft pick?

#Bears #Dolphins were the other teams involved in #Patriots #Falcons trade for pass rusher Matthew Judon, dealt for third-round pick, per league sources. #Texans made brief inquiry, but nothing developed @KPRC2

— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 15, 2024

After all, the Dolphins used a first-round pick on Jaelan Phillips in 2021, traded a first-round for Pro Bowl player Bradley Chubb in 2022, and then selected Chop Robinson in the first round of the 2024 draft before doubling down by taking Mohamed Kamara in the fifth round.

DOLPHINS ALWAYS IN THE MARKET

That the Dolphins would get involved in discussions for a top-end talent is nothing new based on what we've seen in recent years, with the team alread making trades for not only Chubb but also Tyreek Hill, Jalen Ramsey and Jeff Wilson Jr.

Of course, one could make the argument that making a move for Judon would have been overkill, also understanding that what led to the trade was his request for a new contract, when the Dolphins already have Phillips, Chubb, Robinson, Kamara as well as Emmanuel Ogbah, who has looked this summer much more like the 2020 version of himself than the ones from 2022 or 2023.

This is where we point out that Chubb's status for the start of the 2024 regular season is cloudy because of the torn ACL he sustained New Year's Eve against the Baltimore Ravens. There's also no guarantee that Phillips will be back to being peak Jaelan Phillips early in the season despite all the signs in his recovery from his torn Achilles tendon being so encouraging.

Was the Dolphins' reported interest in Judon, who's just flat-out a very good player, some kind of indication that there's concern about Chubb and what he could contribute in 2024? And then looking ahead, we have to mention that Chubb has no guaranteed money left beyond this season and the Dolphins would save $20 million of cap space if he became a post-June 1 release.

PATRIOTS MATCHUPS AFFECTED

In the final analysis, the Dolphins benefited from the Judon trade even without being able to get him — assuming they made a concerted effort to get it done — because his departure has made a talent-deficient Patriots team even less of a threat.

Judon, who had four sacks in four games in 2023 after being a Pro Bowl selection the previous four seasons, was the best player on what is one of the most mediocre rosters in the NFL and it's no stretch that New England could end up having one of the worst records in Jerod Mayo's first year as Bill Belichick's successor.

In one of Judon's four games last season he had a sack during Miami's 24-17 victory at Gillette Stadium in Week 2, giving him four in eight career games against the Dolphins.

While maybe the trade will work out for New England in the long run, the immediate impact is hurting a defense that already has lost standout defensive tackle Christian Barmore following a diagnosis of blood clots.

The Dolphins face the Patriots this season at Gillette Stadium in Week 5 and at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 12.