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Dolphins’ 2019 Win Total Still at 4.5 After Trading Tunsil

Robert Duff

by Robert Duff in NFL Football

Updated Mar 29, 2020 · 7:42 PM PDT

Laremy Tunsil
The Miami Dolphins have traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans. Photo from @TheAthleticMIA (Twitter).
  • The Miami Dolphins have traded left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Houston Texans
  • Tunsil is considered one of the rising young blindside blockers in the NFL and Stills caught 21 TD passes the last three seasons
  • Sportsbooks are still projecting the Dolphins win total for the 2019 NFL season at 4.5

After trading offensive starters Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills on Saturday, the Miami Dolphins may be living proof that it can’t get any worse than this.

Despite giving up their starting left tackle and a wide receiver who has caught 21 touchdown passes since 2016, sportsbooks are unwavering in its belief regarding how bad the Dolphins will be this season.

Prior to the deal, they pegged the total wins for Miami this season at 4.5. Even after trading away two keys to the offense, sportsbooks still have the Dolphins set at 4.5 in its NFL wins total odds.

Miami Dolphins 2019 NFL Regular Season Win Total

Over/Under Odds
Over 4.5 -135
Under 4.5 +115

*Odds taken 8/31/19.

The Dolphins went 7-9 last season and have won at least six games every season since 2008.

Will Tunsil Trade Lead to Dolphins Mutiny?

There were recent reports out of Miami with unnamed Dolphins suggesting a deal that would move Tunsil out of town would lead to outright revolt with the locker room.

Tunsil had started 44 games since he was drafted 13th overall in 2016. He overcame the controversy created on draft night when a video surfaced of him smoking marijuana from a bong attached to a gas mask.

Tunsil made 15 starts last season at left tackle and was considered one of the fastest-rising blindside blockers in the NFL.

Stoking the Fires of Discontent

Miami hired New England defensive coordinator Brian Flores as its new head coach. Flores seems intent on proving that he isn’t going to be a player’s coach, or perhaps that he’s just as cold-hearted as Bill Belichick, his old boss.

Stills was critical of Dolphins owner Stephen Ross and his support of US President Donald Trump. He also took rapper Jay-Z to task for signing a deal to work with the NFL.

Flores responded by trolling Stills, playing eight successive Jay-Z songs over the sound system during practice.

Yeah, that’ll get the players to play for you.

Dolphins Sending Mixed Messages

This latest move, which brought mostly futures back to the Dolphins – certainly nothing to make them better this season – is confusing to say the least.

Earlier in the week, the team announced veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick had won the starting quarterback position over coveted prospect Josh Rosen. That led to the belief that Miami was interested in winning this season.

Saturday’s changes suggest exactly the opposite, and that perhaps Fitzpatrick is going to be made the sacrificial lamb rather than risk Rosen’s future.

The Dolphins have gone under 4.5 wins in just two seasons since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. But this is one tire fire of a team.

Go for the odds and take the under.

Play: Under 4.5 wins (+115)

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