Miami Dolphins · Franchise era 6 of 6
The speed rebuild: the Miami Dolphins story
Franchise era
2016—present
The speed rebuild
Miami Dolphins
The story in one sentence
Miami accumulated draft capital, built the league's fastest skill group and returned to the playoffs behind Mike McDaniel's motion-heavy offense.
Tua, Hill and Waddle stretch every blade of grass
Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2016
What came before
Elite defenders and brief offensive revivals produced occasional playoff teams without a lasting answer at quarterback.
2017-01-08
Wild Card: Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers
August 31, 2019
The Laremy Tunsil trade tree that accelerated two rebuilds
The Texans needed immediate protection for Deshaun Watson. The Dolphins accepted a teardown package and repeatedly moved the premium selections.
15Pick-tree acceleratorAugust 31, 2019HOU⇄MIATunsil to HoustonHouston acquired Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills and two later picks for two firsts, a second, two players and extraordinary leverage for Miami.9 assets · 3 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Houston Texans received
- • Laremy Tunsil
- • Kenny Stills
- • 2020 fourth
- • 2021 sixth
Miami Dolphins received
- • Johnson Bademosi
- • Julien Davenport
- • 2020 first · No. 26
- • 2021 first · No. 3
- • 2021 second · No. 36
Tunsil became Houston's long-term Pro Bowl tackle, while Miami transformed the draft capital into branches that included Jaylen Waddle, Jevon Holland and further first-round control.
Open full trade tree →March 23, 2022
The Tyreek Hill trade and Kansas City's draft remix
The Dolphins wanted a field-tilting weapon for Tua Tagovailoa. The Chiefs chose cap flexibility and enough draft currency to rebuild the supporting cast around Patrick Mahomes.
08Star receiver resetMarch 23, 2022MIA⇄KCTyreek Hill to MiamiMiami acquired Tyreek Hill and signed him to a record-setting receiver extension. Kansas City received five picks spread across the next two drafts.6 assets · 4 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Miami Dolphins received
- • Tyreek Hill
Kansas City Chiefs received
- • 2022 first · No. 29
- • 2022 second · No. 50
- • 2022 fourth · No. 121
- • 2023 fourth · No. 122
- • 2023 sixth · No. 178
Hill produced historic receiving seasons in Miami. Kansas City used the pick tree to help land Trent McDuffie, Skyy Moore and pieces of later draft-day moves, then won the next two Super Bowls.
Open full trade tree →2023-01-15
Wild Card: Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills
2024-01-13
Wild Card: Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core