Dolphins get an A+ for playing chess while everybody else is playing checkers...

The Dolphins get an 'A+' for playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers

[www.cbssports.com]

The NFL world went topsy-turvy on Friday as the Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles shook up the entire complexity of the draft by making two separate trades involving top 10 picks. To make a long story short, the 49ers have the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, the Dolphins have the No. 6 pick, and the Eagles No. 12 -- with plenty of future first-round picks going to Miami and Philadelphia.

San Francisco is in prime position to land a franchise quarterback while Miami is set to still select an offensive playmaker and Philadelphia loaded up on assets for the future that only the Dolphins can top. We break down each of these deals with trade grades for all three teams:

Dolphins

The trade: Miami trades No. 3 overall pick to San Francisco for No. 12 overall pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2023 first-round pick.

The trade: Miami trades No. 12 overall pick, fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a 2022 first-round pick to Philadelphia for No. 6 overall pick and fifth-round pick (No. 156).

Miami already had an impressive draft haul over the next two years and now it's even bigger after pulling off two separate deals to get out -- then jump back -- into the top 10. Clearly Dolphins general manager Chris Grier took advantage of the quarterback-needy teams by acquiring more assets with that No. 3 overall pick.

Signing Will Fuller eliminated Miami's need to add one of the big three wide receivers -- or tight end Kyle Pitts -- at No. 3 overall. Why keep the pick if you can trade back, acquire further draft capital, AND still get the playmaker you covet? The Dolphins get another first-round pick in 2022 and a 2023 first-round pick so the 49ers can move up nine spots? Easy call.

Miami originally had two first-round picks in 2022 and two first-round picks in 2023 -- in addition to the No. 12 and No. 18 pick in this year's draft. The Dolphins had plenty of assets to find their way back into the top 10, only giving up the No. 12 pick and their own 2022 first-round pick to the Eagles to move up six spots to No. 6.

The Dolphins have the No. 6 and No. 18 picks, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and two seventh-round picks in 2021. They still have a first-round pick in 2022, a second-round pick and two third-round picks. In 2023, Miami has two first-round picks, a second-round pick and a third-round pick.

Five first-round picks over the next three years with four second-round picks and four third-round picks. That's 13 picks between the first two days in the draft -- with Tua Tagovailoa as the quarterback and a prime opportunity to draft an offensive playmaker at No. 6 with an already talented roster that finished 10-6 last season.

Grier should write a novel on how to build a roster.

Grade: A+

49ers

The trade: San Francisco trades No. 12 overall pick, 2022 first-round pick, 2022 third-round pick, 2023 first-round pick to Miami for No. 3 overall pick.

The 49ers are sensing a championship window with a talented roster -- but no clear answer at quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo has two years remaining on his contract, but the 49ers can easily move on and save $23.6 million in salary cap space just by trading him. Garoppolo is only owed $53.4 million over the final two years of his deal and the 49ers have never seriously been sold on him as the franchise quarterback -- which helps he has a tradable contract and is a solid starting quarterback in the league.

Garoppolo isn't a difference-maker at the position, which is what the 49ers are seeking. This is why San Francisco made the bold move to move up from No. 12 to No. 3, ensuring the franchise lands either one of Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance. Trevor Lawrence is going No. 1 to the Jaguars and the Jets are in prime position to select Wilson -- leaving Fields or Lance available for the 49ers.

Fields or Lance would be strong fits as signal-callers in head coach Kyle Shanahan's zone-run scheme, giving San Francisco a true dual-threat quarterback in the process. The 49ers will have a quarterback on his rookie contract they can develop into one of the best in the league -- aided by an already talented roster that is in contention for a Super Bowl over the next few seasons.

The 49ers don't have a first-round pick for the next two years, so Lynch better make sure he gets this pick right. They still can get more draft assets back by dealing Garoppolo, but this trade is about landing a franchise quarterback.

Fortune favors the bold.

Grade: A-

Eagles

The trade: Philadelphia trades No. 6 overall pick and fifth-round pick (No. 156) to Miami for No. 12 overall pick, fourth-round pick (No. 123) and a 2022 first-round pick.

Let's be honest here: Does anyone actually know what the Eagles are doing in regards to the 2021 season? Philadelphia had a golden opportunity to select a playmaker at No. 6 for Jalen Hurts once Miami traded down from No. 3 to No. 12 -- which basically ensures the top three picks in the draft would be quarterbacks. The Eagles staying put at No. 6 would have netted them one of Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Kyle Pitts or Jaylen Waddle. Any of those players would have made their pass-catching group immediately better in 2021.

Trading down to No. 12 eliminates Philadelphia getting one of those players, but there's hope for the Eagles. Over the past decade, the third wide receiver taken has only gone before No. 12 once. That still leaves the Eagles with the hope of selecting Smith or Waddle -- of course hope isn't the same as a sure thing. Keep in mind this draft has 12 to 15 star players before the talent pool dips considerably -- and the Eagles are still in one of those top 12 positions.

Now for the draft capital the Eagles have in 2021 and 2022. Philadelphia has a league-high 11 picks in this draft, including the No. 12 and No. 37 picks. The Eagles have two third-round picks as a result of the Carson Wentz trade and a fourth-round pick from the Dolphins for trading down.

Philadelphia has two first-round picks in 2022 with the potential for a third first-round pick from the Wentz deal. If Wentz plays 70% of the snaps and the Indianapolis Colts make the playoffs in 2021, or if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps this year, that conditional second-round pick for 2022 turns into a first. The Eagles have two first-round picks and two second-round picks in 2022 regardless.

The Eagles have plenty of draft capital for the next two years and Hurts will have the opportunity to prove he's the franchise quarterback in 2021. If only the guy making the picks (general manager Howie Roseman) was excellent at drafting....

Grade: B+