Nothing happening right now: Dolphins, Colts don’t strike Jonathan Taylor trade by Indy’s deadline

After an offseason of being linked to several top-flight running backs in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins are still not bringing in the latest one they’re pursuing. At least not now.

The Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts did not pull off a trade involving All-Pro tailback Jonathan Taylor on Tuesday, which Indianapolis had said was its deadline for a potential move. Now, the trade saga involving Taylor’s request to get dealt from the Colts will continue for several weeks with the NFL trade deadline not being until the end of October.

The Colts placed Taylor on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list Tuesday, meaning he is ineligible to play the first four weeks of the regular season, even if he is traded.

The Colts and owner Jim Irsay have said they’re seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Taylor, although most believe that asking price to be steep for a position that many around the league are devaluing.

Taylor, a 5-foot-10, 226-pound rusher who is 24 years old, led the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021 while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Last season, he was limited to 11 games due to an ankle injury and recovered from surgery on it over the offseason.

A move for Taylor would’ve immediately bolstered the Dolphins’ run game into presumably one of the league’s best, but Miami’s brass — from coach Mike McDaniel to general manager Chris Grier — have remained confident in the Dolphins’ current stable of running backs.

The Dolphins have veterans Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. atop the depth chart. Rookie third-round pick De’Von Achane is among those behind him, and Salvon Ahmed made the initial active roster Tuesday, along with undrafted rookie Chris Brooks.

McDaniel, who has been known to produce efficient ground games in his time as offensive coordinator and run-game coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, has said he’s looking forward to committing more to the run in 2023 after the Dolphins accounted for the second-fewest rush attempts last season.

Any potential addition of a workhorse back like Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2021, could take pressure off quarterback Tua Tagovailoa heading into his fourth professional season. It would give the Dolphins a top playmaker in the backfield to go with Tagovailoa’s elite targets in the passing game, wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. All together, Miami would have what could be considered the NFL’s most talented offense.

A move to Miami would also reunite Taylor with his college fullback at Wisconsin, the Dolphins’ Alec Ingold.

The Colts granted Taylor permission to seek a trade partner last week as their relationship deteriorated over the course of the past month, when Taylor first requested a trade over his contract. Taylor is set to play on the final season of his four-year rookie contract in 2023 at just north of $4.3 million. Striking a trade for Taylor would likely mean the Dolphins are willing to reach an agreement on a contract extension with him.

The Dolphins passed on former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook earlier in the offseason. Cook signed with the AFC East rival New York Jets this preseason. The organization had also been linked to the likes of the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs and Titans’ Derrick Henry throughout the offseason, but Miami’s brass always remained firm in its stance that it felt comfortable and confident with its stable of running backs.