Day 908, Quasi-Quarantine: The 'Fins Subvert Building Plan To Go All In On Tyreek Hill

The Dolphins set the NFL news cycle on fire in March when they landed Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill, trading five draft picks for the six-time Pro Bowler. Miami sent its first- (29th overall), second- (50th overall), and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft to the Chiefs, in addition to fourth- and sixth-rounders in 2023. The 'Fins then promptly inked Hill to a four-year, $120 million extension, including a whopping $72.2 million guaranteed.

The pluses: I mean ... Speed. Hill leads the NFL with 14 catches of more than 50 yards since he came into the league in 2016. Still only 28 years old, he's coming off back-to-back 1,200-yard-plus seasons. In his six-year career, he's racked up 6,630 receiving yards on 479 catches, with a 13.8-yard average and 56 touchdowns. Hill is also a legitimate threat on reverses and in the return game, where he is likely to get some opportunities for Miami. As a bonus, the Dolphins beat out the Jets to land him -- a minor detail but a meaningful one in the context of the AFC East.

The minuses: I mean ... off-the-field issues. Hill faced domestic abuse charges in 2014 after choking and punching a pregnant girlfriend, leading to him being thrown off Oklahoma State's football team. He was also investigated for battery of a juvenile in 2019. On the field, his per-catch average (11.2) was its lowest since his rookie year, and he won't have Patrick Mahomes slinging the ball to him. Will the Dolphins offense -- and signal-caller Tua Tagavailoa -- be capable of featuring his top skills? At 5-10, 191 pounds, Hill also is susceptible to injury, though he's been pretty durable to date.

The bottom line: I understand it. But I wouldn't have done it.

 

Teams are more open to following the Rams model now, swapping draft-pick lottery tickets for proven assets. And honestly, the draft collateral doesn't even bother me that much -- how many times have the Dolphins accrued a slew of picks, only to misfire on 75% of them (hint: a LOT)? My concern leans more toward the idea that Miami pulled the plug on a sustained, painful building process for a wide receiver with character issues and a monumental contract. If you're willing to detonate the "plan," don't you do that for a quarterback (no, not Deshaun Watson)? Again, I get the appeal and I appreciate the dynamism and open space he could bring to the 'Fins attack, which coincides with a new coach and era in Miami. So while I can't disagree with the move, I personally would not have made it for the player and position the franchise did.