The Miami Dolphins already boast one of the most potent offenses in the entire NFL. This is a team that, without Jaylen Waddle in the lineup, scored 70 points against the Denver Broncos back in Week 3. Heading into Week 5, the Dolphins have added yet another playmaker to a roster that already includes the likes of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, star rookie Devon Achane, and more.
They struck a trade and took a bit of a risk on former Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd-round pick Chase Claypool. Claypool was acquired last year by the Chicago Bears in a trade that sent the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Steelers. Needless to say, with the way things played out in Chicago, Claypool was a complete bust.
The #Dolphins have now announced the trade, with Claypool and a 2025th 7th rounder going to Miami for a 2025 6th rounder. https://t.co/NVq4YM3Q4E
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 6, 2023
He appeared in 10 games as a Bear, and caught just 18 passes in total with one touchdown. Now, he's going to a high-flying Miami Dolphins offense where head coach Mike McDaniel should be able to maximize Claypool's talent.
McDaniel comes from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, where you consistently see guys that excel after the catch thrive. Claypool is a unique athlete at the receiver position, built like a tight end with elite speed. The Steelers really did a tremendous job of utilizing him back in his rookie season when he had 12 total touchdowns: 9 receiving, 2 rushing, 1 passing.
Now, neither the Steelers or Bears have been able to recapture that same type of magic that we saw from Claypool back in 2020, but he also hasn't had the best offensive or quarterback situations around him. He's now going to Miami where they have an extremely healthy offensive system, a really good quarterback, and good coaches.
Interestingly enough, the Dolphins' wide receivers coach is Wes Welker, the former slot god of the NFL. It will be fun to see how Welker can perhaps get Claypool back on track and whether or not the Dolphins will have him doing any work with the tight ends. Once again, though, this is an offense where players who excel after the catch can really thrive. I don't think it's out of the question that Claypool can sort of resurrect his promising career in Miami.
The Dolphins did a late-round pick swap in 2025 to make this trade happen, and I like it. It's an aggressive move from a team that wants to compete and be in the thick of things at the end of the season. Sometimes you have to take calculated risks to get there.
Claypool's availability obviously comes with some red flags. There are issues personality-wise that led to him being traded from the Steelers and now the Bears. He's probably on one of his final chances to not be blacklisted by NFL teams, so this is a very interesting situation for him. But I like the fit and I like the aggressiveness by Miami.