Just before the start of the 2020 regular season, the Miami Dolphins made noise with some staff decisions that shook the order set out in the team’s defensive depth chart, including the decision to change the defense of veteran Raekwon McMillan in Las Vegas. Raiders.
The Dolphins sent the Raiders to McMillan, a fourth-year veteran who hired a year and a selection from the fifth round of 2021 for the fourth round of 2021, the same selection was sent back to the Las Vegas Raiders in the following days in a second separate deal that included novelty receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. In total, the Dolphins swap materialized between the two trades as follows:
Miami rep:
Rookie WR Lynn Bowden Jr.
2021 Selection of draft of the 6th round
Las Vegas rep:
Selection of the fifth round 2021
LB Raekwon McMillan
The decision to change McMillan ruined some feathers in the Dolphins fan base, lamenting the decision to break away from a physical defender who had become a strong presence among the attacks. But Miami had other plans for that role, instead choosing to host its representatives at LB Elandon Roberts. And, when Roberts started the season slowly and the Dolphins conceded 217 running yards in Week 1 to the New England Patriots, there was a general sense of concern that the Dolphins had gone wrong.
But after a later overhaul, the Dolphins are the clear winners of that exchange and hope to get a second win against the Raiders by starting one at the football field on Saturday night.
The draft options exchanged here are insignificant, as they serve as proverbial lottery tickets that are unlikely to bear any significant fruit. But between McMillan and Bowden Jr .; which player do you prefer to have? McMillan, who is still pending free agency this offseason, has played only 77 defensive photos for the Raiders during the first 15 games of the season. Only two games this season have seen him record more than 10 defensive snapshots (including last season’s maximum 28 defensive seasons).
Or, alternatively, you can have the player with whom the Dolphins leave the exchanges at Bowden Jr .; a talented novice theater creator who has also devoted much of his time to working in training; but it provided much better results. The rookie has accounted for 191 yards of the fight over the past three games and has recorded nearly as many offensive clicks just last week (65) as McMillan has recorded the Raiders defense all season.
When you add Bowden, there will be a player who will be under contract for three more seasons after 2020 and it is over and it is clear that Miami pulled the right strings in their relationship with the Raiders. And, as motivated as Raekwon McMillan can get his old team to pay to change him this summer, he can be sure that Bowden Jr. he’s also willing to have a little more in his game on Saturday night after the Raiders changed him months after drafting him in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft.