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The Miami Dolphins thought they were getting an impact defensive player in outside linebacker Dion Jordan when they leapfrogged the Philadelphia Eagles to draft him in 2013. That move stung at the time, but ultimately it worked out well for the Eagles—Lane Johnson was taken with the next pick and he appears on his way to being an elite tackle. Meanwhile, Jordan has yet to make any sort of impact for the Dolphins and it seems the team is ready to ship him out of town.
Naturally the Eagles have been mentioned as a potential trade partner for Jordan, but I don’t expect the team to make a move for him. When rumors of trading Jordan sparked up last year, the idea was quickly shot down because his dead cap hit was astronomical. It’s much more manageable in 2015, but with a cap hit of $5.6 million and $6.6 in dead money it still doesn’t make financial sense for Miami to move him.
To facilitate that trade, either Jordan would have to re-structure or Miami would have to agree to pick up part of the tab. That might be an option they’d consider, but the second problem is that Miami isn’t going to get great value for him. Jordan hasn’t been a playmaker, plus he’s been suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. So, at this point, Jordan will only bring them back a late-round pick. Is it better than nothing? Sure. But is that pick going to be enough for Miami to eat that amount of cash? Probably not.
That money would be the only hurdle for the Eagles. The price for Jordan works heavily in the Eagles’ favor, and he would definitely have a role on the defense behind starter Brandon Graham. The catch is that the Eagles are already paying Graham what they’d be paying Jordan without a change to his contract. There’s no chance they bring him in under those circumstances.
My guess is that Jordan sticks with Miami for one more season and then gets moved somewhere in 2016. At that point the Dolphins would be saving a little over $3 million by cutting ties with Jordan, and by then they’ll also know for sure what Jordan brings to the table. The Eagles may love him and a trade might sound enticing, but in the end the Eagles shouldn’t do it. Not unless Miami is willing to bend over backwards to make it happen.
Doug Green is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com covering the Philadelphia Eagles and the NFL. Follow him on Twitter @DGreenNFL.
