The Miami Dolphins have already shipped off one core player and now have their sights on another.
After the team shipped safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, reports have indicated that the team is shopping around running back Kenyan Drake and have picked up some interest.
As Pro Football Network’s Neal Driscoll reported, the Dolphins have gotten interest from the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers, and San Francisco 49ers. It’s not clear what the Dolphins could be asking in return, but Miami moving solidly into rebuilding mode as The Inquisitr noted the team set a high price for Fitzpatrick — a first-round pick. The Steelers were willing to pay that price, though also swapped mid-round picks with the Dolphins.
Drake is a free agent at the end of this season, so would likely not garner nearly as high a price as Fitzpatrick, who was the team’s first-round pick in 2018. Drake would be seen more as a rental player for a team that would already be looking to make the playoffs.
As USA Today’s Dolphins Wire noted, Miami could look to do more roster unloading and Drake could be a prime target as the team likely wouldn’t get anything in letting him leave in free agency.
“Miami is likely to be a free agent spender this offseason as they look to rebuild the team around a new franchise quarterback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft,” the report noted.
“As such, they’d eliminate any possibility of recouping a compensatory pick for letting Drake walk in free agency, so dealing him before his contract expires does make sense from an asset perspective, especially considering that the Dolphins staff still seems to like Kalen Ballage despite his early struggles.”
There could be even more moves for the Miami Dolphins before the trade deadline approaches. After the team’s embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, reports indicated that agents for several players approached the team asking for trades, with players not wanting to waste a year and go through what could be a tedious rebuild. It hasn’t been identified what players beyond Fitzpatrick may have approached the team asking for a trade, but Drake made it clear that he wants to stay in Miami.
In speaking to reporters this week, Drake said he has no desire to leave the Dolphins and has great relationships with everyone in the franchise.
“Everything being equal, I want to be here,” he said.