Eagles rob Dolphins, get final Super Bowl piece in Ajayi
The rich get richer.
In what's been a shockingly active trade deadline period, the team with the best record in the league, the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles, sealed their status as a serious Super Bowl contender by acquiring Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday.
Related: Dolphins trade Ajayi to Eagles for 4th-round pick
Don't be fooled by Ajayi's lackluster 2017 production; the running back remains a rare stud, and he should send the already potent Eagles offense into the stratosphere.
He's the same back that produced not one, not two, but three 200-yard rushing games in 2016.
In 2017, he's been hampered by terrible blocking, an anemic passing game, and lingering knee issues, leading to a season in which he's averaged just 3.4 yards per tote and has yet to find the end zone.
While the 24-year-old's knees remain a concern (though having more capable backups to ease his workload should help), the rest of Ajayi's roadblocks should disappear in Philadelphia.
Carson Wentz has blossomed into a stud, head coach Doug Pederson is coming into his own as a play-caller, and the Eagles' offensive line is one of the best run-blocking units in the league - even without star left tackle Jason Peters, who is out for the year.
And Philadelphia got this immense upgrade for the meager price of a fourth-round pick. Daylight robbery.
Maybe Ajayi's knee issues are much worse than currently known. Maybe Dolphins head coach Adam Gase wanted to send a message to his team following an embarrassing 40-point shutout by the Baltimore Ravens, which was itself preceded by six games of only slightly less pitiful output from the league's 32nd-ranked offense. We don't know.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
What we do know is that the Dolphins are significantly worse than they were before the trade. Kenyan Drake and Damien Williams are underwhelming as backups, let alone as a starting tandem.
And while a fourth-round pick is far from worthless, this team set out to win this season, not to sell off assets to build for 2018 and beyond. Why else would the Dolphins pay Jay Cutler $15 million to come out of retirement?
But they're tanking now, as top wide receiver Jarvis Landry is also reportedly available for trade - though the four wins they've miraculously managed this season will impede the effectiveness of this plan.
While the Dolphins are clearly giving up on this iteration of their team, Philadelphia is all in - and rightfully so.
Eagles running backs LeGarrette Blount and Wendell Smallwood have combined to form the fifth-ranked ground attack, but Blount is a limited player and Smallwood is an OK backup at best.
Ajayi isn't a home-run threat, but he has great vision and agility, and he's improving as a pass-protector and pass-catcher. He should become Philadelphia's workhorse almost immediately, though Blount and Smallwood should still have solid roles.
The Eagles already looked Super Bowl bound thanks to Wentz and an ascendant, opportunistic defense. Now, they have arguably the most complete offense in the NFC, and weren't forced to surrender any significant assets to add the final piece.
Bravo, Howie Roseman. Bravo.