The Miami Dolphins are not interested in trading De’Von Achane, as per reports.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that though teams have called general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and the Dolphins to inquire about trading for the Pro Bowl RB, he is not available in any capacity.
Why would the Dolphins potentially trade Achane?
There has been a lot of speculation regarding Achane’s future with the Dolphins, given the rest of the team’s moves this offseason. The Dolphins have strategically moved off veteran players and taken on massive cap hits, in hopes
of clearing out cap space for the 2027 season and beyond. In fact, Miami is set to incur over $175 million in dead money next season, with the following players no longer on the team.
- Tua Tagovailoa: $50M+
- Tyreek Hill: $28.2M
- Jaylen Waddle: $26.3M
- Jalen Ramsey: $20.9M
- Minkah Fitzpatrick: $13M
- Bradley Chubb: $10.9M
- Terron Armstead: $10.7M
- James Daniels: $4.8M
- Zach Wilson: $3.8M
- Alec Ingold: $2.0M
- Jonnu Smith: $1.7M
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: $1.6M
- Matthew Judon: $1.4M
- Jason Sanders: $663K
- Cam Smith: $528K
- Mohamed Kamara: $160K
Given this exodus of talent, many around the league suggested that Achane might be next. Achane is currently playing for the Dolphins on a 4-year, $5.44 million rookie contract. Seeing as he’s three years into this contract and will be a free agent next season, a scenario in which the Dolphins traded Achane for more draft capital would not be crazy. The Dolphins would not have to pay Achane next year, thus furthering their goal of staying in a healthy situation salary cap-wise.
Of course, the Dolphins could be playing mind games, and only publicly suggesting that Achane is not for sale to entice teams to come back with a better offer. If that is the case, only time will tell.
If Achane stays, what does Miami’s future look like?
Seeing as we cannot see into the future, this news taken at face value suggests that Achane is here to stay. In three seasons with the Dolphins, Achane has 4,334 total yards, 35 total touchdowns, and 172 receptions. Given these incredible numbers, he will likely fetch top-of-the-market money if offered a new deal. The top five highest paid running backs in the NFL (Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffery, Derrick Henry, Kenneth Walker III, and Breece Hall) all earn about $15 million per year.
Currently, the Dolphins are set to have $156 million in cap space in 2027, the 3rd-most of any team. In other words, they will certainly have the room to sign Achane to a long-term contract, if desired.
