Davone Bess has been a great story for the Dolphins, making the team in 2008 as an undrafted receiver out of Hawaii and making an instant impact as a dependable slot receiver.
But Bess’ five-year run with the Dolphins came to an unceremonious end on Friday night, when the Dolphins traded him to the Cleveland Browns for a mid-round pick, a league source confirmed. The Browns then gave Bess, who was entering the last year of his contract with the Dolphins, a new three-year contract.
The Dolphins got the Browns’ fourth (104 overall) and fifth-round picks (164th) in exchange for Bess, a fourth-rounder (111th) and a seventh-rounder (217th). The Dolphins now have three picks in the fifth round (146, 164, 166).
Bess’ departure from Miami isn’t too surprising. The Dolphins were 27th in the NFL with just 18 points per game last year, and Bess, who isn’t a speedster at 5-10 and 193 pounds, scored just 12 touchdowns in five seasons with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins have spent all offseason trying to find quarterback Ryan Tannehill better weapons, and Bess’ days became numbered when the team added Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson in March. A high-ranking team source also said Friday that the team was planning on drafting West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin with the 12th pick if he was available (he went eighth to St. Louis).
Bess also had a little friction with the new coaching staff. He missed the last three games of 2012 with a back injury, but the team didn’t put him on injured reserve because it believed he could play through the injury.
In five years with Miami, Bess never had fewer than 50 catches or 537 yards. His best year was 2010, when he had 79 catches for 820 yards and five touchdowns.
The Dolphins will play the Browns in Week 1 of the 2013 season.