The San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins can afford to gamble.

The San Francisco 49ers defense became even more terrifying with the addition of edge rusher Randy Gregory, and the Miami Dolphins offense incorporated Chase Claypool into an absurdly talented group of skill players on Friday.
Two early-season NFL behemoths took a chance with their own money. The two trades were practically free, and both franchises emerged from the pandemic as billionaires.

While Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel are stockpiling for a playoff run, here’s hoping both teams stay healthy.
The Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears each relieved themselves of unnecessary headaches after rocky starts.
The Dolphins’ second-year coach was chosen from Shanahan’s coaching tree, and it’s no accident that some of the league’s prettiest football has come from those two coaches this season.

Late-stage Fast and Furious horsepower is now available in dolphins.

With everyone getting a chance in this offense, Claypool transfers from the Bears to the Dolphins in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick.
He won’t have to worry about his position in this offense.
The combination of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Claypool is comparable to mixing plutonium, C-4, and nitroglycerine.
Additionally, McDaniel seems to be the kind of director who is adept at making use of a moody character actor.

Miami still leads all teams in scoring with 37.5 points per game and a +31 point difference, despite getting trounced by Buffalo by four scores on Sunday. Tua Tagovailoa now has a “possession” receiver who can stretch a defense as if that were even a concern thanks to Chicago’s temporary rental, who is 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds.

The best receiving group in the NFL will be the Fins’, and there won’t be much of a debate if the coaching staff can set Claypool free from his ostensibly self-inflicted problems.
San Francisco has three skill players who are All-Pro caliber as well, but they do not play in the same position or have a few track stars who are lazily, dangerously standing in the backfield.

The optimism claims that this team has not yet reached its peak, with cornerback Jalen Ramsey aiming for a December return.
We’ll see how long it takes for the novelty of McDaniel’s scheme to wear off (or if that happens at all). It doesn’t take a sports writer to figure out how Miami’s season falters, so I’m going to follow in the footsteps of a superstitious baseball player and refrain from mentioning hits — I really mean it.

Miami doesn’t want to play during the playoffs anywhere with bad weather, so that was the real driving force behind this risk. Keep that offense loose and as far away from Western New York or Kansas City in January as you can, and welcome everyone.

If the 49ers defense had a weakness, it doesn’t anymore.

Some plays have failure written all over them, and in most cases, the team rather than the player is to blame.
Gregory is nearly a situational player at this point in his career.
The veteran who was tasked with saving Russell Wilson or Dak Prescott will now have free reign opposite Nick Bosa because the 49ers defense frequently finds itself in a favorable situation for an edge rusher.

A 2024 sixth-round pick was all that was required to secure the veteran, and John Lynch received a seventh-round pick in exchange, much like Miami and Chicago did in their trade.
It’s a no-brainer for a Niner’s team that could use another player to pressure the quarterback, and it’s not a bad deal for Denver who got a better return than the alternative of simply releasing him.
Denver is reportedly responsible for the majority of Gregory’s 2023 salary.

The undefeated Niners play with a lead as much as any team this season, yet reside in the lower third in sack totals.
Obviously, that total doesn’t tell the whole story, but San Francisco has already seen Daniel Jones, and the Giants are half the reason Seattle is tied for the league lead in QB takedowns.

Gregory could theoretically make a lot more of an impact than Dolph Lundgren, who is 65 years old, despite being as disposable as Sly Stallone’s most recent IP dump.

A Miami-San Francisco Super Bowl would be like that Rams-Chiefs Monday night shootout, but with Michael Bay — or whoever’s the current version of Michael Bay that’s not canceled — orchestrating the pyrotechnics. It doesn’t sound like the Niners’ acquisition will suit up against Dallas on Sunday, but I’m sure there will be a return match in the playoffs, and Gregory will break Dak over his knee, Bane style.