The Miami Dolphins entered the 2024 season with Super Bowl aspirations, but a loss on Sunday could force them to trade defensive tackle Calais Campbell. Following a 1-1 start where they barely beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion and stumbled to a 2-5 start with Skylar Thompson and a recently-signed Tyler Huntley trying to keep the offense afloat. Tagovailoa is back in the lineup, but he’ll struggle to defeat an elite Buffalo Bills team in his second start since the head injury.
If the Dolphins fall to 2-6, they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. With the trade deadline on Tuesday, a loss could force Miami to trade star defensive lineman Calais Campbell. Despite playing in his age-38 season, the former All-Pro remains one of the best in the game, recording two sacks, 17 tackles, seven tackles-for-loss, and five quarterback hits through seven games. His elite 86.4 PFF grade ranks fourth out of 122 eligible players, and a team like the Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens should do everything they can to secure his services.
Dolphins Could Trade Calais Campbell To Chargers, Ravens
Head coach Jim Harbaugh has the Chargers in the thick of the playoff race, but the reigning college football champion must continue to improve the roster if they want to go on a deep playoff run. Harbaugh is an old-school coach who believes games are won and lost with physicality in the trenches. While he ensured the edge defender position would be in good hands by retaining Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, the defensive tackle position needs some help. Poona Ford is having a remarkable season, but Morgan Fox and Otiti Ogbonnia are active liabilities.
Harbaugh desperately wants to control the line of scrimmage on every snap, and a Calais Campbell trade could give him that strategic advantage. While Bosa is still battling injury and hasn’t looked like himself even when healthy, Khalil Mack remains a dominant football player. Combining Mack, Campbell, and Ford should give the Chargers one of the best defensive lines in football, capable of clogging opposing run games and bringing pressure every time the quarterback drops back to pass.
Bolstering A Pass Rush
The Baltimore Ravens are on the short list of Super Bowl contenders, but their defense must improve to break their championship drought. Entering Week 9, the unit ranks 26th in EPA/play allowed, which isn’t good enough for a serious Super Bowl contender. While the Ravens boast one of the league’s more effective pass rushes, they owe most of their success to edge defenders Kyle Van Noy and former first-round pick Odafe Oweh. While Nnamdi Madubuike remains productive along the interior, he’s not matching his 2023 production. This team needs more defensive line depth, and a Calais Campbell trade could be exactly what this team needs.
While Campbell spends most of his time at defensive tackle, he has the versatility to line up all along the defensive line. With Michael Pierce on the injured reserve, the former All-Pro is the ideal choice to replace him on a snap-for-snap basis. The Ravens love to rotate their defensive line to keep everyone fresh, so Campbell should see plenty of work as a rotational defensive tackle and edge defender. With four players capable of getting after the quarterback, Baltimore’s pass rush should be able to compensate for the questionable secondary.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro – USA Today Sports
