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| Zack Levine. 8th September, 2010 - 5:05 pm
 Two weeks into the preseason, the Miami Dolphins found themselves with an extra slot receiver and a need to upgrade their shaky pass defense.
Since second-year wideout Brian Hartline has progressed into the number two spot on the depth chart, Miami had both Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo competing for the slot position. In an offense that rarely runs a four-wide receiver set, the Dolphins decided to capitalize on a spare asset.
The front office opted to send Camarillo to Minnesota in exchange for cornerback Benny Sapp. Perhaps an intended replacement for the injured Will Allen, Sapp was the Vikings? starting nickel back last season.
Position-wise, this trade makes sense for the Dolphins. Allen, who just came off a season-ending injury, is hurt again and will be out four to six weeks. Vontae Davis continues to show flashes of brilliance one play then get beat for 25 yards on the next, and while Sean Smith is excellent at defending short routes, he struggles at stopping deep passes. The roster is littered with players that are simply unreliable pass defenders.
Miami certainly needs secondary help, but is Benny Sapp really the missing piece to the puzzle?
Sapp is no doubt aggressive in pursuit of the ball, coming away with 43 tackles last season. Like most of Miami's current cornerbacks, he is steady at stopping the run, but his pass defense is somewhat inconsistent.
When throwing at Sapp, opposing quarterbacks achieved a passer rating of 103.5. That?s much higher than last season?s league average among starters of 83.4. And of the 57 passes tossed his direction, he allowed 40 of them to safely reach the hands of the receiver. In his seven-year NFL career, Sapp has only intercepted four passes.
By the numbers, the Dolphins now have another average cornerback who has difficulty defending the pass.
To get him, Miami gave up one of the league?s most sure-handed and consistent receivers. Camarillo would have easily challenged Bess for the number three spot on the depth chart this season.
The fans in Miami loved Camarillo. Not only was he productive on the field, he was an underdog; an undrafted player that worked hard to succeed. But perhaps above all, fans won?t forget his dramatic touchdown catch and run in overtime that saved the Dolphins from an 0-16 season in 2007.
Overall, Miami traded away a quick and dependable receiver for much less than he is worth. Should he blossom in Minnesota, the Dolphins will be haunted by the ill-advised trade that sent Wes Welker to the Patriots four years ago.
If they were set on trading him, the front office should have worked harder to get better compensation for Camarillo in the form of either draft picks or a more talented defensive back.
Grade for the Dolphins: C-
The Vikings have been plagued by uncertainty and injury throughout the offseason. Finally convincing Brett Favre to return for what is presumably his final season certainly provided some comfort, but questions swirled around who his targets would be.
Last year?s standout, Sidney Rice, recently underwent hip surgery and will be sidelined for nearly eight weeks, and Percy Harvin has been plagued with migraines throughout camp.
Minnesota found help with the acquisition of Camarillo in a trade that added wide receiver depth and provided Favre with a reliable option in the slot.
What quarterback wouldn?t be glad to throw to a player with hands like Camarillo?s? Despite playing in 15 games during the 2009 season, he never dropped a single pass.
Although Camarillo does not have the desired size or vertical speed of a star receiver, he is an excellent route runner who gets in and out of his cuts quickly. He will prove to be an excellent addition to the Vikings? roster.
In order to bring the receiver to Minnesota, the Vikings offered their starting nickel back, Benny Sapp. While he did receive ample playing time last season, Sapp will be replaced without difficulty by another corner on the roster.
The Vikings can fill the traded defensive back?s shoes with a number of players including veterans Lito Sheppard and Asher Allen. They may even give the nod to second-round draft choice Chris Cook out of the University of Virginia. Either way, the Vikings will have the position filled with a solid contributor.
Minnesota played this trade well. They needed a reliable player to pick up the slack of their injured receivers and got their man in Camarillo. The Vikings were able to acquire their desired player by giving up an asset that could be easily replaced and without relinquishing any draft picks.
Grade for the Vikings: B+
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