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Josh Uche’s Cheap Deal Gives the 1-6 Dolphins an Easy Pick if He Isn’t in Their Future
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- Josh Uche’s Cheap Deal Gives the 1-6 Dolphins an Easy Pick if He Isn’t in Their Future
The trade deadline can be a total gamble. Make the right move, and you're fueling a deep playoff run or laying the groundwork for a future contender. Make the wrong one, and you're either panic-selling your best assets for pennies or anchoring your salary cap with short-sighted contracts.
But sitting at a brutal 1-6, the Miami Dolphins don't need to turn a lost season into a fire sale. They just need to be smart. And their easiest decision before the Nov. 10 deadline revolves around edge rusher Josh Uche.
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If general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley don't see Uche as part of the long-term blueprint in Miami, his incredibly cheap contract means it's time to pick up the phone and flip him for a draft pick.
The Contender Market is Ready
In ESPN's recent deadline preview , Dan Graziano flagged Uche as the exact type of low-cost, productive pass-rusher that a legitimate contender would love to add to their rotation. Let's be honest—when you're 1-6, keeping a player on an expiring, inexpensive deal just to watch him walk in free agency makes zero sense.
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Look at a team like the Chicago Bears. ESPN analyst Seth Walder floated Uche as a perfect target for the 6-2 Bears. Chicago already pushed its chips in by trading away two first-rounders for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, so adding a low-cost contract on the edge is exactly the kind of budget-friendly move they need.
The numbers on Uche are a bit of a mixed bag this year—his pass-rush win rate sits in the 60th percentile, while his pressure rate hovers in the 35th percentile. Nobody is pretending he's a definitive, franchise-altering defensive centerpiece. But Chicago wouldn't need him to be. He'd step right into a casual, highly effective rotational role alongside Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and Daniel Hardy.
Hold the Core, Move the Rest
Trading Uche doesn't mean Miami is waving a white flag on the entire franchise culture, either. ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques reported that Miami's actual deadline priority is protecting its foundational locker room leaders. Right tackle Austin Jackson and defensive tackle Zach Sieler aren't going anywhere—especially Sieler, who remains the heartbeat of that defensive front.
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Grier has already proven he's willing to make a tough business decision when the value is right, as we saw with the Jaylen Waddle trade. The goal here isn't to hoard draft picks just for the sake of it; it's about maximizng the roster for the next version of this team that can actually compete.
With ESPN's Football Power Index giving Miami a microscopic 0.1% chance of making the postseason and slating them for the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, the reality of 2026 is staring everyone in the face. They have money to spend in 2027, but where do they dole it out? Roster continuity matters, but future flexibility matters more.
The equation on Uche is simple. If he isn't a foundational piece for 2027 and beyond, holding onto him for a handful of meaningless games in a lost season is a waste of an asset. If a contender offers a worthwhile pick, take it and build for tomorrow.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
