TAMPA, FL – AUGUST 16: Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (29) during the first half of an NFL preseason game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Bucs on August 16, 2019, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Minkah Fitzpatrick is unhappy with his role in the Miami Dolphins defense, but the second-year defensive back has been given some light at the end of the tunnel.
After last Sunday’s 59-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Pro Football Talk reported multiple Miami Dolphins wanted out of what is in line to be a season of NBA-style tanking. A name has been put on the idea now, with ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe and Chris Mortensen reporting defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick has been given permission to seek a trade.
It’s important to note the Dolphins are not shopping Fitzpatrick, and their asking price is high.
The 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Fitzpatrick had 80 total tackles, nine pass breakups and two interceptions over 16 games as a rookie. He played multiple positions, slot corner, boundary corner, etc, which is part of his value, but he was clearly most effective playing in the slot (53.4 passer rating against). Somehow, the new coaching staff in Miami has struggled to find a proper role for the Alabama product and he’s not been happy about it.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Fitzpatrick only played 12 snaps in the slot against the Ravens. He also only played 49 of the team’s 77 defensive snaps, while former Patriot Eric Rowe played 72 snaps and another former Patriot Jomal Wiltz got as many snaps as a slot corner as Fitzpatrick did against Baltimore. Head coach Brian Flores went with guys he knows from his time in New England over who the better players actually are, as safety Reshad Jones (32 snaps) and linebacker Raekwon McMillan (22 snaps) also played very little in a blowout loss that further pushed the idea the Dolphins are openly tanking.
Miami is right to have a high asking price for Fitzpatrick, reportedly a first-round pick in 2020, but the market for him could be pretty robust anyway. ESPN’s Field Yates has nicely laid out the financial factors for an acquiring team, or lack thereof relative to Fitzpatrick’s talent level.
A few teams don’t seem to have an urgent need in the secondary. But virtually all of the other 31 teams around the league could make a case internally for giving up a first-round pick to get Fitzpatrick, and the Dolphins have opened the door for one of their best players to get out.