Dolphins cut Tyreek Hill. Could a proven veteran, with speed and past success, make a "prove it" deal with the Chargers a smart risk?
This may seem like an article I've written before, but I promise this one is new and different. Because whether the Los Angeles Chargers should trade for Tyreek Hill is a question from the past now that the Miami Dolphins have released the 10-year veteran wide receiver.
Here's what I wrote at the end of my post from 2+ weeks ago, about whether or not the Chargers should trade for Hill and reunite him with Mike McDaniel:
I'm a pretty strong "No" on the idea of reuniting McDaniel and Hill unless the Dolphins cut Tyreek and the Chargers can sign him for a much more reasonable deal. Even then, he comes with so much baggage that you never know if it'll be worth it.
At this point in his career, Tyreek Hill is likely not worth the $35M price tag that he had attached to him. Now that he's a free agent, he can sign for as low as $1.25M per season.
Would Hill be interested in a "prove it" contract with the Chargers, who will now (in theory) run an offense he's already had loads of success in? He may not have a better choice.
The fit, on paper, is a good one. The Chargers absolutely have a need for a downfield threat like Hill, assuming he hasn't lost any speed following a torn ACL last season, and he has twice made the All-Pro team as a wide receiver in Mike McDaniel's offense.
The issues typically come off-the-field with Hill, but that might also be a decent fit for the situation. A market tempered by age, major injury and an inability to stay out of trouble could easily mean that Hill is willing to take a "prove it" deal for far below what his market would otherwise be, especially if it means landing in a spot where he feels his skills will be maximized.
From the Chargers perspective, this doesn't just help in terms of roster-building (money saved at WR can be used elsewhere, like an Odafe Oweh franchise tag). It also gives the team the flexibility to release Hill should he be washed up as a player or too much of an off-field nuisance for the team to stomach.
Before suffering a season-ending knee injury last year, Hill averaged 106.3 receptions for 1,489 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns per year for McDaniel's Dolphins teams. He found success on downfield routes, but would also use that threat of a downfield route to find openings in the middle of the defense.
Hill was a Pro Bowler in his first eight seasons in the NFL, six of those coming with the Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs before he was traded. It's impossible to know where his health is at and how much more value could be squeezed out of him if paired with a QB like Justin Herbert, but I'm hopeful that (for the right price) we'll get to find out.