- The Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers are both 0-2 on the season.
- Fitzpatrick requested a trade last week because of concerns about his role with the Dolphins.
- Fitzpatrick was the No. 11 overall draft pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Miami Dolphins continued their roster purge, as they’ve traded away second-year free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Dolphins received a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, and a 2021 sixth-round pick in the exchange. Along with acquiring Fitzpatrick, the Steelers will also receive the Dolphins 2020 fourth-round pick and a 2021 seventh-round pick. Despite losing Ben Roethlisberger for the season, the Steelers couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make an upgrade on the defensive side of the ball.
With Minkah Fitzpatrick’s arrival, the Steelers secondary will get a big boost and should no longer be susceptible to giving up big plays down the field. Fitzpatrick is the type of safety that can cover wide receivers and tight ends at an elite level.
In his rookie season, the safety compiled 80 tackles, two interceptions, and nine passes defended. The Steelers defense was lacking a playmaker like Fitzpatrick, as they’ve surrendered the fourth-most passing yards in the NFL through two weeks.
All in all, this was a good trade by the Steelers because it improved their secondary and won’t cost them much financially, as Fitzpatrick is still on his rookie contract. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Minkah suit up for the Steelers in their next matchup against the San Francisco 49ers who are 6.5-point favorites on Sunday.
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The Dolphins continue to hoard draft picks as they rebuild their roster under first-year head coach Brian Flores. They now have three first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2020, along with two first-rounders and two second-round picks in the 2021 draft.
The Dolphins are by far one of the worst teams in the NFL, and losing a player of Fitzpatrick’s caliber should cement their status in the basement of the league. The Dolphins go on the road to take on the undefeated Dallas Cowboys, who are a whopping 21.5-point favorite to beat the 0-2 Dolphins at online sportsbooks in the US. The O/U for the matchup is 47.5 and the total has gone over all of the last five games for Dallas.
Fitzpatrick will get to play against his former team during Week 8, when the Dolphins travel to Pittsburgh for another edition of Monday Night Football. Through two games this season, Fitzpatrick has registered 11 only tackles; however, with more talent around him on the Steelers defense, Fitzpatrick’s numbers should look much better at the end of the season.
Hang in there Dolphins fans – only 14 more weeks left this season.
As a professional sports writer, Robert has written for outlets such as the FAMUAN and other sports-centric platforms. He focuses mainly on NFL and NBA betting, though he keeps tabs on every major sport.
