A new report indicates that the blockbuster trade of quarterbacks between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams figures to have a major impact on the possibility of the Miami Dolphins trading the third overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
The Lions traded veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams in exchange for signal-caller Jared Goff, a third-round pick this year and two future first-round draft selections.
Prior to the deal being made, Stafford was expected to be dealt, with the Lions holding the seventh overall pick in the draft.
Kyle Crabbs of Yahoo! Sports points out how the Stafford-Goff trade could directly impact the Dolphins’ chances of trading down to acquire additional assets.
“With such a bad roster, the swap for Jared Goff and so much future capital, it is probably safe to say that Detroit is not going to be in the trade-up market for the No. 3 overall pick,” Crabbs wrote. “That removes an attractive trade back target for Miami and it also reduces the demand for the No. 3 overall selection — which may make finding an acceptable trade even more difficult to find.”
The situation means that the next likely candidates for a deal are probably the Carolina Panthers in the eighth spot, the Denver Broncos in the ninth position or the San Francisco 49ers in the 12th spot. All three teams are presumably looking to acquire one of the trio of top prospects at quarterback in this year’s draft.
Further complicating the issue is the potential trade of disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson. The Panthers, Broncos and 49ers will likely ponder that option, which could result in the Dolphins simply holding onto the third overall pick.
Despite the loss of a potential trade option, the Dolphins are still in prime position to add talent to their roster with four picks wtihin the first 50 selections.
