Yet another shocking trade hit the NFL newswire today as Tyreek Hill was dealt from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Miami Dolphins.
Hill was traded for a bevy of picks, including a first rounder, a second rounder and two fourth rounders. Immediately after the deal, the Dolphins signed Hill to a four year, $120 million contract extension.
The Chiefs, a perennial Super Bowl contender, made the move due to that extension. They simply did not have the money to pay Hill what he feels he is worth and while Hill is one of the best receivers in the league, Patrick Mahomes will make any receiver look good.
The Chiefs now will look to the draft to replace Hill.
It is likely they use one of their first round picks on a wide receiver to pair with superstar tight end Travis Kelce. They also signed JuJu Smith Schuster earlier in free agency, and it appears like he will now play bigger role than expected.
Ultimately, as long as the Chiefs have Mahomes, they are a super bowl threat and this trade does not change their outlook too much.
For the Dolphins, however, this trade changes everything.
Now with Hill and a budding superstar receiver in Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will have no more excuses. The former fifth overall pick has been underwhelming in his first two seasons but has had poor skill position players and an awful offensive line.
The Dolphins addressed the offensive line in free agency and added a lot of weapons for Tua. The time is now for him to prove himself. With a new offensively focused coach in the picture, Tua could be set up for a breakout season.
Miami was in the playoff race last year but had somewhat of a fluky 9-8 season that featured wins over a lot of bad teams. Their schedule was easy and they still couldn’t make the playoffs. Now, they will expect to be a contender and it’s paramount that Tua improves on his play.
This is just another trade in the craziest offseason of recent memory.
Beyond the quarterback trades and Brady’s fake retirement, the changing of talent in the league has never been this prevalent. Two top five receivers from last season have now been moved in Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams.
Whether there is more movement coming remains to be seen, but if there’s anything this offseason has taught NFL fans, it’s to be prepared for anything.
