Trade Achane?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Are we at the stage like Detroit with Barry Sanders when we invest in the stud and build players around him? Probably not to that extent. But it would be healthy to go at least part way into it. I think we already are with the OL and TE additions this draft.   

Achane is a very good RB.  But he is not Sanders level. 

Also building a team around the running back is unlikely to win a championship.  A running game is a great way to eat up clock when you are ahead, but you aren't going to win many come from behind games without a strong passing game. 

[Spider-Dan]

I am happy Achane got his contract because he really did earn it unlike Tua or Waddle.

Achane has not led the league in rushing yardage or been voted a Pro Bowl starter.

The idea that Tua and Waddle didn't earn contract extensions but Achane did is bizarre to me.  What has Achane accomplished that Waddle hasn't?  To say that he "carried" the offense in years that the offense was average at best isn't really saying much; DeVante Parker carried the offense in 2019, for all that meant.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Achane has not led the league in rushing yardage or been voted a Pro Bowl starter.

The idea that Tua and Waddle didn't earn contract extensions but Achane did is bizarre to me.  What has Achane accomplished that Waddle hasn't?  To say that he "carried" the offense in years that the offense was average at best isn't really saying much; DeVante Parker carried the offense in 2019, for all that meant.

It is not hard to hold the opinion that Achane has done enough to be worth a contract worth $16 million per year, but think Waddle wasn't worth $28 million per year on a lower salary cap.   

[Spider-Dan]

It is not hard to hold the opinion that Achane has done enough to be worth a contract worth $16 million per year, but think Waddle wasn't worth $28 million per year on a lower salary cap.

Comparing RBs and WRs on a dollar-for-dollar basis, as if those positions get paid the same, is indeed a hard opinion to hold.  And the idea that any NFL franchise QB would or should sign a contract extension for $16M/yr in 2026 is outright laughable.

The more relevant comparison would be to say that the Dolphins made Achane the 3rd-highest paid player at his position, while they made Waddle the 7th-highest paid player at his position and Tua the 4th-highest paid player at his position (which became the 5th-highest before Tua played his next regular-season game).  And Achane has done less to earn that pay ranking than Waddle or Tua had when they signed their deals.

[Phishfan]

I don't get the Waddle bashing. He was a great Dolphin and I wish the situation was different where he could have been with the team longer.

[Downunder Dolphan]

Achane has not led the league in rushing yardage or been voted a Pro Bowl starter.

The idea that Tua and Waddle didn't earn contract extensions but Achane did is bizarre to me.  What has Achane accomplished that Waddle hasn't?  To say that he "carried" the offense in years that the offense was average at best isn't really saying much; DeVante Parker carried the offense in 2019, for all that meant.

Are you taking the piss?

Achane was selected as one of the three Pro Bowl RB starters last December, the only player in our squad earning a first team status. He wasn't voted as an alternate. Considering how shitty the rest of the offense was, that's quite an achievement.

https://www.miamidolphins.com/news/de-von-achane-named-to-afc-pro-bowl-games-roster

Achane was also voted Team MVP last season, and I'd argue he should have got it the season before as well.

Waddle hasn't been named to the Pro Bowl. Hell, the closest is being named as a third alternate. If you think he was seriously in contention in any MVP voting, you must be smoking something funky. He was a number two receiver with the contract of a number one receiver, which is why the new regime traded him out. He wasn't bad, but he underachieved compared to his draft position, and especially the heavily back-ended contract.  

[Downunder Dolphan]

Achane is a very good RB.  But he is not Sanders level.  

Also building a team around the running back is unlikely to win a championship.  A running game is a great way to eat up clock when you are ahead, but you aren't going to win many come from behind games without a strong passing game.  

Definitely not Barry Sanders level, but it was more of the philosophy of "feeding the stud" which is what I was getting at.

After three seasons, Achane is a known quantity. He's performed at an elite level every season, been very durable, and is a game changer. Right now there's really no one else on the offense that you can say that about, so it makes sense to make the most of what you have (at least until something else develops). It seems a smart way to go about it while the team is still developing.

[Downunder Dolphan]

It is not hard to hold the opinion that Achane has done enough to be worth a contract worth $16 million per year, but think Waddle wasn't worth $28 million per year on a lower salary cap.   

The back end of Waddle's contract was closer to $50M per year, which is why the new regime couldn't wait to trade him... and thankfully Denver decided he was still worth it and offered a better deal than I thought was coming.

At least it wasn't fully guaranteed like the Tua contract (which basically made him un-tradeable - to quote a blogger, "we paid Tua $99M to fuck off")

It's been quoted that about half of Achane's contract is guaranteed, which is relatively team-friendly as well as being significantly cheaper. Value-wise, I think it's as good as we could reasonably expect. It also makes him a very attractive prospect for other teams, so they are going to have to cough up a damn good trade for us to even consider it.

[Spider-Dan]

Achane was selected as one of the three Pro Bowl RB starters last December, the only player in our squad earning a first team status. He wasn't voted as an alternate. Considering how shitty the rest of the offense was, that's quite an achievement.

I said "starter," not "alternate."  Achane was neither; he was a reserve, as Pro Bowl teams do not "start" 3 running backs.  (The starter at RB for the AFC was IND's Jonathan Taylor.)

"Starter" means you were voted in as the top player at that position for your conference (or top 2 if it's a position like WR or CB with 2 starters).
"Reserve" means you were voted in, but not as the top player; you didn't start the game.
"Alternate" means you were not voted in, but made it anyway because a player who was voted in elected not to participate.

Tua was voted the starter at QB for the 2024 Pro Bowl after he led the league in passing yards.

Achane was also voted Team MVP last season, and I'd argue he should have got it the season before as well.

Waddle hasn't been named to the Pro Bowl. Hell, the closest is being named as a third alternate. If you think he was seriously in contention in any MVP voting, you must be smoking something funky.

Waddle was voted team MVP after his rookie season!  I mean, if you count being voted team MVP as "contention for MVP voting," which you shouldn't.  Team MVP is not a serious award.

He was a number two receiver with the contract of a number one receiver, which is why the new regime traded him out. He wasn't bad, but he underachieved compared to his draft position, and especially the heavily back-ended contract.

When Waddle was the focal point of Brian Flores' terrible offense, he set the NFL rookie record for receptions.  He followed that up by leading the league in yards/reception on a 1300+ yard season in 2022, and had a third straight 1000+ yard season in 2023.

There's also a contradiction in the premise: if Tua was a terrible, overpaid QB, how was Waddle expected to perform well?  Justin Jefferson didn't perform like a #1 receiver last year, either.

And just to be clear: Achane got a top 3 contract at his position, which is higher than Tua and a LOT higher than Waddle.  So we'll see if he outplays them post-signing, because - while he has played well - he hasn't played nearly as well as Tua or Waddle had when they received their extensions.