It seems everybody, or just about everybody is fair game when it comes to the NFL trade deadline and the Miami Dolphins.

It was expected that we would see the names of Zach Sieler and Austin Jackson mentioned among trade candidates given their contract status and age, plus the obvious situation in which the franchise finds itself.

But Jordyn Brooks?

That one, we have to say, surprised us when we saw him included in a list of top 50 trade candidates put together by The Athletic.

Yet there was Brooks at number 21, between Jets edge defender Will McDonald IV and Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley.

"The Dolphins are executing their tank effectively," writer Daniel Popper began. "They have remained moderately competitive while still losing five straight games to begin the season. Their rookie class looks promising. The next step would be accruing some more draft capital for 2027. One issue, though, is they do not have many tradable players. Brooks, a reliable veteran off-ball linebacker, is one of the few. He signed a three-year extension in July and has close to $13 million in guaranteed salary in 2027, so any acquiring team would be making a multiyear commitment. The Dolphins would take on $15.6 million in dead money in 2027 if they traded Brooks. This regime, with coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, has not been afraid of dead money thus far."

HAS THE TIME TO TRADE BROOKS PASSED?

Brooks' name came in trade speculation in the offseason, with the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals mentioned as logical suitors, and Popper mentioned the Cowboys, Bills and Steelers are potential trade partners now.

But the big question here is simple: Why would the Dolphins trade Brooks only a few months after giving him a contract extension that included a $20 million signing bonus?

If they were to trade Brooks, the Dolphins would be on the hook for Brooks' bonus when it comes to the cap space on top of already having signed that check.

After the Dolphins signed Brooks to his extension after doing the same with De'Von Achane and Aaron Brewer, GM Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley both spoke of making sure to hang on to franchise "pillars," good players who do things the way the Dolphins want them done.

Hafley also talked about showing players that the franchise will reward those who produce and do things the right way.

What kind of message would it send to sign Brooks to an extension and then trade him in the middle of a season that's gone not too far from where the organization figured it would or could go after they dumped high-profile veterans and saddled themselves with $180 million of dead space to clear the books for future years.

Sure, Sullivan has shown a willingness to take dead cap money if it accomplishes a goal, but what goal would be accomplished by dumping Brooks if the Dolphins can't get a premium pick in return.

And that's what it boils down, as always, because there's no player for whom the Dolphins shouldn't entertain an offer too good to be true.

But what could the Dolphins realistically expect to get for Brooks?

In terms of his appeal and market value, he probably was more valuable in the offseason coming off his All-Pro season than he is right now after dealing with an injury in training camp and then leaving the Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a foot injury.

Would a third- or fourth-round pick in 2027 be more valuable to the Dolphins than having Brooks next season and the one after, both in terms of talent but also in terms of intangibles — Brooks' leadership plus keeping the player you just extended?

The bottom line is stranger things have happened, which is why we'll never say never, but a Brooks trade seemed a lot more likely then than it does now because making a deal months after giving a player an extension and giving him $20 million in signing bonus just doesn't compute.