The Miami Dolphins are 5-2 and have looked thoroughly dominant at times, but it should be noted that they have beaten up on some bad teams and their two losses came against the only two clubs with winning records on their schedule.
That’s not to say that the Dolphins are frauds, but it does seem to indicate that they may need to make some moves to truly compete with the big boys.
Miami has the NFL’s most explosive offense and is clearly not that far off, but it should certainly look to add some pieces before the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline.
Here are three targets for the Dolphins to pursue.
Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears
The Bears don’t seem to be all that interested in moving Jaylon Johnson, but I find it hard to believe that they won’t at least consider it for the right price.
Miami is trying to win now, so it would probably be willing to part with a Day 1 draft pick for a player that would instantly elevate the club.
Johnson could be that guy.
The Dolphins rank just 20th in pass defense, and while they will be getting star cornerback Jalen Ramsey back from injury soon, they still need more depth in their secondary.
A tandem of Johnson and Ramsey would make Miami incredibly tough on the outside and would significantly bolster its shoddy pass defense.
The problem for the Dolphins is that they likely wouldn’t have the cap room to re-sign Johnson, who is an impending free agent, in the offseason.
Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals
While the Dolphins have a lethal aerial attack, they haven’t really gotten much production from their tight ends. As a matter of fact, Duran Smythe is the only Miami tight end who has caught any passes this season, and he has logged just 11 grabs.
Imagine throwing Zach Ertz into the fray?
The Dolphins obviously rely on their elite wide receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but having a guy like Ertz to take care of the short and intermediate routes would make Miami’s passing game that much more formidable.
Not that Hill and Waddle need the field to be opened up for them, as they take care of that on their own, but just picture how many good looks Ertz would get with opposing defenses so preoccupied with the Dolphins’ two wide outs?
Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals
This one is more of a shot in the dark, but it’s worth a mention.
The Dolphins could certainly use an upgrade at safety, and Budda Baker is one of the best safeties in the business.
Baker just came off the injured reserve list, but the Cardinals are 1-6 and seem headed for an inevitable rebuild this offseason.
Could they decide to trade Baker—who has another year left on his deal—in order to recoup some substantial value for him?
Should Arizona attempt to move Baker, Miami should place a call to the club. Baker would massively improve the Dolphins’ secondary and would comprise a nasty duo with Ramsey once he gets healthy.
Imagine Ramsey on the outside and Baker playing center field. It’s frightening to think about for opposing offenses.
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