March 24, 2022

Grade it! Who won the big trade between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs? Is it an A, B+, F? Did the Chiefs win because of all the draft picks? Did Miami win because they got one of the fastest players to ever play in the NFL?

Can it be possible that both teams win? NO!(SCREAMS TALKING HEAD SHOWS ON TV).

Ok then. Miami wins and the reason is simple.

"Heart and Hustle" is average. Yes, heart and hustle is/was average. The 1999-2000 Orlando Magic was tabbed "Heart and Hustle" and fans loved their gritty style and they found a way to compete and wasn't that exciting? It was 41-41 and missed the playoffs.

Stars win in sports and they always have and always will.

Ask the Rams, who won a Super Bowl this past season, if acquiring stars matters. The Rams gave up just about every draft pick for the next decade to get players before and during the season and it worked. It doesn't work all the time. But name me the team that traded away its star players that went on to win the championship that season. You can't.

Now back to the big trade. The Miami Dolphins have added a star in Tyreek Hill in a town that loves its stars. From Marino, Shaq, Pat Riley, Dwyane Wade, LeBron to even David Beckham(he made the town care about soccer again). It doesn't mean Hill is in that group but he is a star and someone fans want to see. No one wants to see a GM in a luxury box at the stadium with a future 4th round draft pick on a computer. No one stands and screams in joy watching a future second round pick on your big board three years from now. But they do stand and cheer when a fast wide receiver makes a big catch in stride and rolls into the end zone to give your team the lead late against a division rival.

The Dolphins are trying to go all in by not just adding Hill but with other moves to bolster the offensive line by adding Terron Armstead. Miami added Cedric Wilson to the receiving corp, running backs Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostart and tagged talented tight end Mike Gesicki.

When Tua was at Alabama he had the best offensive line, wide receivers and running backs in the game. He and his offense looked unstoppable. In Tua's first two seasons he struggled with a subpar line, an inconsistent run game, and often injured receiving corp and a front office and coaching staff that may not have always been in his corner. Now he has weapons and a new offensive wizard as his head coach in Mike McDaniel. 

Is Tua on the clock to perform? Of course he is. If he can't win with this group he won't be their quarterback in 2023. And if he can't perform early in the season, now you know why Teddy Bridgewater is in Miami. The Dolphins want to win now and know their division includes a talented Bills team and the Patriots as well. Look, I don't think Hill will catch 111 passes like he did last season with Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is a special player and Tua has not yet proven he is. My guess is Mike McDaniel knows that and it's his job to either make Tua special or find another quarterback. But Tyreek Hill is in Miami regardless of who the QB is.

I don't care about the draft picks Miami gave up. The Chiefs will be the ones who need to make those picks matter and then they can claim they fleeced Miami in the deal. But Miami gets an impact player and stars matter. If you are a fan that prefers your team always be building for the future how do you ever enjoy a season? Miami has no guarantee they will win but they at least have added players to give them a better chance to win.

Stars always matter and Miami is an attractive destination for players for obvious reasons. One of those reasons is the no state income tax and don't think that is not a big factor. Hill's $30M a year contract pays a lot more in Miami than it does in New York/New Jersey if Hill had been traded to the Jets.

As for the Chiefs, maybe that 6th round pick in 2023 turns out to be a Pro Bowl player but who cares if you are a Dolphins' fan. Tyreek Hill is in Miami now and STARS MATTER!

The Chiefs did what they believed was best for them. Perhaps they were headed for a holdout with Hill seeking a new deal. Maybe they turn some of those draft picks Miami sent into productive players. Patrick Mahomes can make average wide receivers better and perhaps the Chiefs add another pass catcher or two and their offense won't skip a beat. But Mahomes loses a key weapon in their offense and Hill does things that don't appear in a playbook. But I get the financial side of things for Kansas City. And again, they did what they thought was best for them which is why I think both teams can win a trade like this.

But whether it's LeBron taking his talents to South Beach or the Rams giving away their draft picks for years to come, you need stars to win championships. No "yet-to-be-used" future draft pick held the Lombardi Trophy during a confetti storm after the Super Bowl. Stars win championships and the Dolphins are closer to winning a title today than they were yesterday...

Final thought: Tyreek Hill's nickname is the cheetah. Cheetah's can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. Is a cheetah faster than a jaguar? Yes. jaguars can get to speeds of 50 miles per hour. No wonder Jacksonville can't get over the hump...