The Miami Dolphins added one of the most athletically gifted wideouts in the NFL via a trade with the Chicago Bears when the ‘Phins traded for Chase Claypool on Friday, though the bargain-bin price tag on the deal shows that this is as much of a dart throw trade as any.
Miami sent a 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick and Claypool, who has been a healthy scratch recently in Chicago. The 2020 second-round pick wore out his welcome in the Windy City in less than one calendar year, but Miami’s top offensive playmaker is ready to welcome him to the 305 with open arms.
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Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill Is Excited About Miami’s Newest Addition on Offense
Tyreek Hill is arguably the most explosive weapon in the NFL. He knows a thing or two about top-tier wide receiver play, and Miami’s team captain and top playmaker approves of the team’s new acquisition.
Chase Claypool I like it 🥹
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) October 6, 2023
Claypool will likely slot in as Miami’s fourth wide receiver, at best, for the time being. Hill and Jaylen Waddle are the team’s unquestioned top two, while Braxton Berrios has rotated in frequently as the team’s No. 3 option. River Cracraft (shoulder) and Erik Ezukanma (neck) have been placed on injured reserve and the non-football injury list, respectively, leaving the Dolphins thin at wide receiver.
Veterans Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Robbie Chosen have filled in over the past two games, and they’ll be Claypool’s top competition for snaps as he acclimates to head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense.
Just a few short years ago, Claypool was one of the most exciting up-and-coming wide receivers in the NFL. After the Pittsburgh Steelers made the Canadian-born phenom the 49th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, he got off to a roaring start in his rookie season.
In just his fourth career game, Claypool broke out, hauling in seven of 11 targets for 110 yards and a whopping three scores, adding another six yards and a fourth touchdown on the ground. He ultimately amassed 62 receptions for 873 yards and 11 total touchdowns in his rookie season, leading many to believe he would be one of the league’s most dynamic offensive playmakers for years to come.
That didn’t come to fruition. Claypool recorded similar production in Year 2 before sputtering out in his third season. The Steelers traded him to the Bears midway through last season, but he averaged under 40 yards receiving in his eight starts with the team and fell out of favor with the coaching staff.
Through four weeks this season, Claypool appeared in three games, catching just four passes before the team designated him a healthy scratch. Head coach Matt Eberflus asked the much-maligned wide receiver to stay away from the team while they pursued a trade. At one point, he was even lambasted across the internet for appearing to give little to no effort during the team’s Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
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Now, Claypool has a chance to resurrect his young career with the Dolphins. Standing at 6’4″ and nearly 240 pounds with the ability to run a 4.42 40-yard dash, there’s no question that he’s one of the most athletically gifted players in the league. McDaniel knows better than just about anyone else in the NFL how to utilize blazing-fast playmakers.
If Claypool uses this opportunity to start fresh and can crack the lineup, he has a chance to be a contributor to one of the most explosive offenses in recent memory.