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Former Dolphins tackle Laremy Tunsil.
- The Miami Dolphins season-long tank arguably began with the team's decision to trade away offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil.
- In return for Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills, the Dolphins got two first-round picks and a second-round pick over the next two NFL Drafts, as well as a few more smaller pieces.
- Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters that when Tunsil saw what the Texans were offering to bring him to Houston, the tackle replied, "I would trade me for that."
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The Miami Dolphins are off to an 0-3 start, and things are going exactly as planned.
Before the start of the year, it became clear that the Dolphins, unlikely to compete in the AFC East, were happy to punt on the 2019 season in favor of acquiring draft picks and future assets for whatever players they could sell off from their roster.
The move that most clearly showed the Dolphins intent was the team's decision to trade offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills away to the Houston Texans in exchange for a slew of draft picks over the next two years.
It was a move that reportedly inspired something of a revolt in the Dolphins locker room, as Tunsil was an especially beloved member of the team.
But according to general manager Chris Grier, when Tunsil saw what the Texans were offering for him, he understood and even agreed with the front office's decision. Speaking with media ahead of the Dolphins Week 3 game against the Cowboys, Grier described Tunsil coming into his office and seeing the proposed trade on the board.
"A funny story I was saying the other day was I called Laremy about the trade, and Laremy walked in my office and saw it on the board and goes, 'I would trade me for that,'" said Grier, per USA Today.
Three weeks into the season, it looks as though both sides have gotten what they wanted out of the deal. The Dolphins are off to an 0-3 start, but have two first-round picks (2020 and 2021) and a second-round pick (2021) from the Texans to help them rebuild over the next few years.
Meanwhile, the Texans have started the season 2-1, and look likely to contend for the AFC South title throughout the season and hopefully earn a spot in the postseason.
It's likely never easy for a young player to learn he's about to be traded, but when you see as big a price on the board as Tunsil did, it's not that hard to understand the deal.
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