The Miami Dolphins have traded former starting center Samson Satele to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for an undisclosed draft pick, according to the Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald.
Satele, the former 2nd round pick, started for the Dolphins since his rookie season two years ago. But he apparently didn't fit what this new regime was looking for here in Miami. And it was clear that his days in Miami were numbered when the Dolphins signed former Raiders center Jake Grove.
It'll be very interesting to see what the draft pick is that the Dolphins received in return. I hope it was at least a 4th round pick. This is a risky move, though, because the Dolphins have little insurance behind Grove - who has a lengthy injury history - at the center position. In my opinion, Satele would have made a terrific backup interior lineman - a guy who could fill in at center or either guard spot as needed. You should never give up that kind of versatility cheaply.
Hopefully we hear soon what the Dolphins got in return for Samson.
[Update] It's being widely reported that the Dolphins, in return for Satele, will receive the Raiders' 6th round pick as well as swapping picks with the Raiders in an undisclosed round.
[Update #2] The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Dolphins and Raiders will be swapping 4th round picks. If this is accurate, it means the that the Dolphins will move up in round 4 from the 26th pick in the round (122nd overall) to the 8th pick in the round (104th overall).
[Update #3] From the owners' meeting in California, GM Jeff Ireland said of the trade, "We obviously invested a lot of money in Jake. We had an opportunity to upgrade at the center position with Jake and did that. And then we had a chance to add a draft pick with this trade so we decided that was the best thing to do. We think it will work out well both ways." Clearly, this regime is very high on Jake Grove. Whether the lack of depth at center comes back to haunt Miami remains to be seen. We'll have to wait for draft day to unfold before we really begin worrying about the depth behind Grove.