De'von Achane Landing Spots: Which Nfl Teams Could Trade For Dolphins Rb?

De'Von Achane might be feeling a little lonely right now.

When he first broke out with the Miami Dolphins as a rookie in 2023, the running back figured to be the youngest big-play dynamo on an offense rife with them. Achane averaged an astronomical 7.8 yards per carry for an attack that paced the league in yards and ranked second in scoring, but he was hardly the main attraction. Fellow speedsters Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert were the go-to threats for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

But after Tuesday's trade sending Waddle from the Dolphins to the Denver Broncos, Achane is the last proven commodity standing on a unit that figures to look substantially different in 2026 under first-year coach Jeff Hafley.

Given the lengths to which Miami has gone to strip its roster of past key contributors in favor of affording itself greater flexibility and a longer timeline for building a contender, could Achane be the next to be sent packing?

It surely doesn't make much sense for a team embracing a transitional season to ride things out with a highly accomplished running back in the final year of his deal – especially when that player might be coveted by other teams. Achane remains one of the NFL's premier speed merchants, as he reached 15 miles per hour on a league-high 70 carries – nearly a third of his rushing attempts – in 2025, according to Next Gen Stats. His 5.7 carries also ranked first among all qualified rushers and stood a half-yard above the next full-time starter. And he's a true difference-maker in multiple phases of the game, with his 67 receptions last season besting the output of all but five other backs.

The Dolphins, of course, aren't hurting for draft capital – they now hold seven picks in the top 100 – and can afford to carry Achane's $6 million cap hit this season. But with Miami seemingly a long shot to capitalize on the compensatory draft pick game in 2027, first-year general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan might be best suited to part with Achane either before the draft or prior to the season to continue building his reserves.

With that in mind, these seven teams could be the most reasonable landing spots for Achane in a trade:

Seattle Seahawks

No contender has a bigger hole at running back than the defending champs, who watched Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker II sprint off to a heftier payday with the Kansas City Chiefs. Zach Charbonnet looked capable of taking on a larger share of the carries, but his torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in January leaves plenty of uncertainty about how Seattle will move forward. Achane would help the offense build upon the breakaway threat that Walker posed in the ground game while also dialing down the level of difficulty for Sam Darnold with his ability to create mismatches in the passing attack. Seahawks general manager John Schneider might have some trepidation about coughing up at least one of his four draft picks in April for an expiring contract at a non-premium position, but maybe there's a reasonable extension to be worked out. And if not, he could play some Howie Roseman-like arbitrage with the compensatory draft pick formula that could net Seattle more assets down the line.

Minnesota Vikings

Aaron Jones was spared from the Vikings' cap cull, but the 31-year-old back no longer offers the explosiveness that made him such a dynamic threat early in his career. With Minnesota set to pivot to Kyler Murray behind center, why not embrace a full-scale changing of the guard in the backfield? The team's post-Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moves have all expressed an urgency to return to a spot near the front of the NFC North pack, and Achane could help get the group there. Pairing Murray with a speedy, slippery primary ball carrier seems sure to vex opposing defenses while putting Justin Jefferson at ease about the direction of the offense. Vikings offensive line coach Frank Smith, who had been the Dolphins' offensive coordinator for Achane's entire NFL career to date, surely would be able to assist Kevin O'Connell with figuring out how best to utilize the back.

Washington Commanders

Acquiring marquee veterans has been the hallmark of Adam Peters' roster-building since his team's surprise run to the NFC championship game in 2024. What's one more splashy move as Washington tries to reassert its place as a legitimate contender? For all the promise Jacory Croskey-Merritt exhibited as an undrafted rookie, Achane is the kind of talent capable of elevating Jayden Daniels even further and breaking the offense out of its committee approach at running back. Washington still hasn't equipped Daniels with sufficient firepower beyond Terry McLaurin, and a trade for Achane could help the team return its focus early in the draft toward continuing to build out an underdeveloped defense.

Tennessee Titans

Mike Borgonzi and Robert Saleh have made Tennessee arguably the most active team in free agency, with the duo taking numerous steps to reshape the roster and institute a higher floor. But the lackluster supporting cast for 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward still isn't nearly up to par. The Titans could be a leading candidate to take Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love with the No. 4 overall pick to create a prized pairing with Ward. But if the team wants to continue ramping up its defense, it could still revitalize the run game with Achane. And with plenty of financial flexibility, the Titans could lock in Achane for the long term and not have to roll the dice on a running back later on in a class that looks noticeably weak at the position.

Los Angeles Chargers

It's probably a pipe dream, but reteaming with former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel – now serving as the Chargers' play-caller in an oddball partnership with Jim Harbaugh – surely would make for a lot of fun. The presence of 2025 first-round pick Omarion Hampton almost assuredly makes that notion a non-starter. But if Harbaugh truly wanted to go all in with an exotic run game to work in tandem with Justin Herbert, this would be quite the way to throw defenses off.

Jacksonville Jaguars

They're already dealing with depleted draft capital in light of last year's Travis Hunter Jr. trade, and the backfield might be settled with Bhayshul Tuten and free-agent signing Chris Rodriguez Jr., who played under Liam Coen when the Jaguars head coach was his offensive coordinator at Kentucky. But after their time with Travis Etienne Jr., the Jaguars are accustomed to rolling with a leading option who is a big-play threat and an all-purpose standout. Achane certainly fits that bill. While agreeable terms ultimately might be too difficult to hammer out, a swap sending receiver Brian Thomas Jr. – whom general manager James Gladstone has insisted he's not shopping – might be appealing for Miami.

Carolina Panthers

Achane isn't exactly the embodiment of the "keep pounding" ethos. But maybe Carolina needs a mindset shift to move forward with its Bryce Young-helmed attack. Chuba Hubbard can still ground out the difficult yards, but Achane would prove massively useful in allowing the offense not to have to string together long, methodical drives in order to get on the scoreboard. But his most meaningful contributions might come via the passing game, where he could lighten the load on Young by creating quick wins and run-after-catch opportunities.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: De'Von Achane landing spots: Dolphins RB could have trade suitors