THE Miami Dolphins looked like a team that would enter the lottery in games without its franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. In the four games without Tua, the Dolphins went 1-3 with a victory over the New England Patriots. They only scored 40 points in Tua’s absence. Now, with Tua back on the field, the Dolphins offense looked competent again, scoring 27 points against the Arizona Cardinals.

But the Cardinals scored 28 points, dropping the Dolphins to 2-5 on the season with games against the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers still on the schedule. At this point, making the playoffs is a pretty uphill battle.

With the NFL trade deadline going forward, a few Dolphins could find themselves on the trading block. Especially after Tua didn’t immediately get the Dolphins out of the mud.

It’s worth noting that the Dolphins don’t need to sell aggressively. However, they could afford to trade a few veterans, especially those whose contracts are expiring.

If the Dolphins are looking to sell some of their expiring contracts, the first player they could float on the trading block is their leader Emmanuel Ogbah. There are a ton of teams in the league looking for edge rushers, because there are few things more important than a pass rush in football.

Ogbah, 30, recorded 44 sacks during his professional career. He was a productive edge rusher throughout his time in the NFL, including two seasons with nine sacks and five seasons with five or more sacks. When it comes to getting after the quarterback, Ogbah has been good at it for some time.

In 2024, he recorded two sacks, five TFLs, two passes defended and one interception. Ogbah has experience playing on both the edge and interior defensive line. His experience on defense would be a considerable asset to any acquiring team.

Many teams are reportedly interested in acquiring Ogbah this season. One team that comes to mind is the Detroit Lions, who are already dealing with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson. Detroit is also dealing with other injuries among its front seven that could make acquiring Ogbah a good move.

It’s unclear if the Dolphins will look to bring him back in 2025 or not. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to move him before the trade deadline.

When looking at the Dolphins roster, expired veterans are the pieces that stand out to be traded. Veterans would be valuable to other teams, especially those with a proven track record in the NFL. Expiring contracts are easier to trade for the Dolphins as they are set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. So, a player like defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who meets both criteria above, would make total sense to be moved this season, if the Dolphins are willing to take a small step back to prepare their team for success in 2025. .

Campbell, 38, has long been one of the league’s most productive defensive linemen. He is a six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro while also being a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010 team. Campbell recorded 182 TFLs, 107.5 sacks and 18 forced fumbles during his illustrious NFL career.

But his time with the Dolphins could be coming to an end. Campbell is playing the final stretch of games of his career, with a return in 2025 looking less and less likely as time goes on. Trading him to a team like the Lions or Ravens would make total sense.

The first two players on this list were expired players. Exchanging expiring contracts is easier on both sides. For the Dolphins, they’re dealing with players who won’t be back in 2025. For the other team, that wouldn’t tie them to a long contract that comes with a ton of money. But the third player, and first player, on this list is under contract in 2025.

The third player on this list is veteran running back Raheem Mostert. Mostert is on the older side for a running back, but he’s been absolutely incredible in 2023, so it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t land a decent third-day pick in a trade.

Last year, Mostert carried the ball 209 times for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns, ranking among the best running backs in the league. This year, production has dropped, but the combination of Tua Tagovailoa’s injury and De’Von Achane’s breakup is the cause.

If Mostert was moved to, say, the Cowboys, he would be at the top of their running back committee. There are several teams in the league that could use an additional guard with the potential to play at the level Mostert did last season.