The agreed-upon trade between the Dolphins and Eagles that will send Byron Maxwell and Kiko Alonso to Miami is in limbo, as the new league year approaches, according to multiple reports.
A source initially told Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the trade may be off due to concerns from the Dolphins’ side about Maxwell’s shoulder, which he injured at the end of last season. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) indicates that, while the deal is “held up” as the Dolphins take a closer look at Maxwell’s shoulder, it’s not off yet. Rapoport describes Miami’s examination Maxwell’s health as “concerning, but not abnormal.”
On Monday, the Dolphins and Eagles reached an agreement on a trade involving Maxwell and Alonso, but that agreement was pending physicals. Since no trade can be finalized until the new league year begins at 3:00pm central time today, neither team is necessarily locked into it quite yet.
Still, with both clubs having been pursuing other moves that are somewhat dependent on this trade going through, it would be a major upset if it fell apart — the Dolphins’ concerns about Maxwell’s shoulder would have to be pretty serious.
While we haven’t yet heard what sort of compensation the Eagles will be getting in the deal, it’s worth considering that perhaps news of the Dolphins’ apprehensions has leaked in an effort to encourage Philadelphia to agree to a lesser draft pick in the trade in order to get it done.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this deal as the day progresses.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.