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.

[Downunder Dolphan]

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.
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.
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.

I will have to eat a bit of humble pie here.

Yes you are correct that under the technicalities of the Pro Bowl, Achane wasn't named as the starter (which was Taylor).

You are also correct about Waddle being Team MVP his rookie year - how did I forget that... seems an eternity ago, and I guess 5 years is close enough to an eternity.

Tua was named a Pro Bowl Starter, once after the 2023 season.

But here's the thing...

By your own measures, the massive contracts for both Tua and Waddle were for just the one year of achievements (a Pro Bowl starter for Tua, a Team MVP for Waddle) - contracts that when added to the ridiculous ones dished out to a few other choice individuals, ended up being team crippling to the point of killing the rebuild before it had finished.

You may argue that Achane is being paid as one of the best players at his position, but the early indications are not only does it look good for all parties, it's nowhere near going to cripple our cap position either. The devil will be in the detail of the contract, and while the top brass have said they are not going to "kick the can down the road" like the previous regime, I would be surprised if there wasn't an element from this year back-ended with both Achane & Malik's contracts just to literally fit into the less than 40% of the cap debacle we find ourselves in for 2026. I remember thinking foolishly that Tua's contract was around market value when it was announced... until we eventually found out it was heavily back-ended and all guaranteed.

[Spider-Dan]

By your own measures, the massive contracts for both Tua and Waddle were for just the one year of achievements (a Pro Bowl starter for Tua, a Team MVP for Waddle)

First, I don't consider "team MVP" to be a meaningful achievement.  Second, as I already said, Waddle set the NFL rookie record for receptions in his first year and followed that up with two more 1000+ yard seasons.  And as far as Tua goes, he led the league in passer rating the year before he led the league in passing yards.  So it wasn't "just one year" of achievements for either of them.

But even if it was... what has Achane done that is superior to what Waddle or Tua accomplished?  I don't see how Achane is a "proven star" while Tua and Waddle were "paid too early."  At a very minimum, you could say that when Tua and Waddle got paid, the idea was that the Dolphins were locking up the nucleus of a steadily-improving team expected to compete for championships going forward... but that's not at all the case with Achane.  They are paying him top 3 money on a team that's expected to be one of the worst in the league.

You may argue that Achane is being paid as one of the best players at his position, but the early indications are not only does it look good for all parties, it's nowhere near going to cripple our cap position either.

It is certainly true that RB contracts are less than WR or QB contracts, which is probably because RBs don't have a lot of value in today's NFL.

I remember thinking foolishly that Tua's contract was around market value when it was announced... until we eventually found out it was heavily back-ended and all guaranteed.

His contract was no more guaranteed than those of his peers.  If CIN had released Burrow or LAC had released Herbert two years after signing their new extensions, they would have also been in cap hell.

Ultimately, I don't have a problem with MIA paying Achane... but I also didn't have a problem with them paying Tua or Waddle.  The Dolphins do not have the sort of history of successfully identifying quality players that would allow them to let potential superstars walk too early rather than too late; they desperately need to hold onto every diamond they happen to find.