Can The Miami Dolphins Miss Out On Jonathan Taylor And Succeed?

All eyes are on the Indianapolis Colts. With their stance on Jonathan Taylor and a trade suddenly having a change of heart, there are a few teams in the mix for his services. At just 23 years old, Taylor has a lot of upside as one of the top running backs in the league. However, before teams like the Miami Dolphins bet the farm on him, maybe it’s time to reel in expectations.

First and foremost, the Miami Dolphins don’t have a lot of cap room to spend. There are plenty of rookie contracts coming up that will need some attention. If they feel like Tua Tagovailoa is their guy going forward, he’ll need his payday. Jaelan Phillips is a staple on defense and he will eventually need to get paid. The team has expressed interest in keeping Christian Wilkins so he’ll need a long-term deal. Jaylen Waddle will need his long-term deal. Jevon Holland. The list goes on and on. Where is this money coming from? Yes, these contracts might need to be addressed down the road, but the money still has to be there.

More Miami Dolphins: More Balance In the Offense?

Second off, where are they getting these extra picks? True, Chris Grier has done great at finding ways to fill out the roster with both starting caliber players from trade deals and free agents, but back to the question at hand. If all those players are going to need long-term deals, surely some of them will seek other opportunities. If the Dolphins keep giving away draft picks, they’re going to have a hard time drafting guys who will replace them or be a cheaper alternative to the other paydays.

While we’re on the subject of running backs, didn’t the Miami Dolphins just come off a preseason where they led the NFL in rushing yards? It may be “just the preseason” but Miami trotted out the same backups as other teams. They still might not have had their starting offensive line in. Their top WRs weren’t there to create space on defense. Yet they still walked away leading the preseason in average yards. They have capable running backs, they’re just looking for a long-term solution at the position. Jonathan Taylor would be a piece that extends addressing the position more than one year at a time. Could they use an explosive back such as Taylor, absolutely. However, if they don’t get him, they’ll be just fine.