No matter when there's a trade that takes place between teams, there's going to be winners and losers on both sides. In Monday's blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins, it felt awfully one-sided.
The Steelers have had an aggressive offseason, with Ramsey and Smith just the latest in their additions. Their roster is now set to be completely revamped from last season, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, plus wide receiver DK Metcalf and cornerback Darius Slay.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins can't seem to stop the bleeding, even if it is by their own cuts. Ramsey and Smith's now perhaps becoming the deepest. While OutKick's Armando Salguero said that this was actually a win for the organization and GM Chris Grier, it still presents a massive uphill challenge for head coach Mike McDaniel entering his fourth season.
In his winners and losers piece from the trade, NFL.com’s Ed Edholm labeled McDaniel as one of the biggest losers in the deal.
Back-to-back playoff appearances are well in the past after last year's sub-.500 season with a postseason absence. Edholm said that McDaniel now has to try to get this team back on the right track. The problem is, the lack of depth and talent is now surmounting — more so than what it already was.
"This trade sent away the Dolphins' leading pass catcher from 2024 and one of its most talented defenders," Edholm said. "In return, they got a safety who wasn't too thrilled last time he was in Miami. That said, trading Ramsey has long been in the cards, and McDaniel's offense hasn't traditionally relied on a volume tight end, so we can't project a guaranteed doomsday forecast here.
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"But the lack of depth at certain spots has to really worry McDaniel. The Fins have fallen behind the Bills in the AFC East, and the Patriots and Jets both had big offseasons, led by defensive-minded coaches who now probably smell a little blood in the shark-infested waters of South Florida. They'll be gunning to knock Miami out of that second spot in the division."
For what it’s worth, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the Dolphins have been making calls about adding a tight end — including an inquiry about the Raiders’ Michael Mayer. There’s been no word yet on a plan at cornerback.
“This is about as tough a spot McDaniel’s been in since taking over the job,” Edholm added. “McDaniel is no longer the new kid. He's now a man who must return his team to success after it was gutted of some talent.”