The Dolphins unexpectedly shipped former first-round cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the Cowboys on Tuesday, for former second-round cornerback Kelvin Joseph. Miami coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that the Dolphins weren’t trying to trade away the 2020 draft pick.
“That was something that we definitely weren’t chasing; we were approached with [it],” McDaniel said. “There was some interest there. Really, regardless, it wasn’t planned. It wasn’t a situation where we were really exploring the idea of not having him on the roster. But when given the opportunity and our specific team with our specific needs, we thought it was . . . a win for us. I’m so happy for and really proud of Noah because everybody wants to be a first-round draft pick. As a 20-year-old, that sounds cool, but there’s a burden with that. What you’ve seen is a guy grow as a player and as a person. I think being able to be 23 years old and go to a place with a fresh start, specifically with a guy that I’ve worked with in [defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn and just knowing his coaching mentality, I think it’s a good fit for them. I think it’s a good fit for us. That’s how deals are done.”
Igbinoghene has 32 regular-season appearances and five starts. Joseph, drafted in 2021, has 26 regular-season games with three starts.
Both get a fresh start after relatively disappointing launches to their careers.