Dolphins end Isaiah Wilson experiment abruptly and rightly
The Miami Dolphins took a flyer trading for 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Wilson but that gamble has abruptly ended with his release on Saturday.
Isaiah Wilson joining the Miami Dolphins was made official just after the start of the new league year on Thursday, March 18 as the swap of 2021 seventh-round picks with Tennessee that sent the offensive tackle to South Beach was completed. Just three days later, the 2020 first-round pick is now out of a job as the Dolphins released him, as first reported by The Miami Herald.
Of course, given the details of his brief stint with Miami, this should not come as a shock to anyone. Wilson was traded from the Titans after playing less than five snaps as a rookie while having multiple stints on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, being arrested for DUI-related charges and other general off-field behavior.
In trading for Wilson, the Dolphins were hoping a change of scenery would refocus the former Georgia Bulldog loaded with size and talent. Instead, the same behavior persisted as, according to reports, Wilson refused attempts from the organization to help, showed up late for his physical, and skipped workouts he’d committed to attending.
Based on the brief but torrid history of Wilson in the NFL, this isn’t a player ready to be a professional and, as such, the Dolphins were right to move on. Being able to do so without any penalty makes it an even easier decision. But it does raise questions moving forward.
How does cutting Isaiah Wilson affect the Dolphins’ draft plans?
While it continues to look more likely that the Dolphins won’t be trading for Deshaun Watson, their draft plans are still in question. They own the No. 3 and 18 picks in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. And with their first selection, many have speculated they should draft offensive tackle Penei Sewell out of Oregon.
Trading for Wilson added some pause to that, however. If he was able to change the course of his early career in Miami, that would given them a first-round pick in Wilson, another 2020 first-rounder in Austin Jackson and 2020 second-rounder Robert Hunt to move around. That, of course, is no longer the case.
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It remains to be seen if the Dolphins are honed in on Sewell but no longer having Wilson on the roster does seemingly make it a more likely possibility at No. 3 for the Dolphins. Or perhaps they could trade down from the third pick and target players like Ra’Shawn Slater or others. In any case, offensive tackle is very much in play for the franchise as Wilson flamed out extremely quickly.