Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Texans trade Benardrick McKinney to Dolphins for Shaq Lawson

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 3/14/21

The Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins completed a trade on Sunday and, no, it wasn't Deshaun Watson for Tua Tagovailoa.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Texans traded linebacker Benardrick McKinney to the Dolphins for LB Shaq Lawson. The trade will also involve a swap of late-round picks, Schefter adds.

Houston and Miami have a deal: Texans are trading LB Benardrick McKinney to the Dolphins for LB Shaq Lawson, per league sources. The deal also will include a swap of late-round picks, but the focus is the LBs.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2021

McKinney has spent his entire six-year career with the Texans. Houston selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft. The 28-year-old appeared in four games last season before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. He had 37 tackles and one tackle for a loss.

McKinney has a cap hit worth more than $7 million in 2021 and won't become a free agent until after the 2023 campaign.

Lawson played just one season in Miami after spending four years with the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo selected him 19th overall in 2016. The 26-year-old appeared in 14 games last season, recording one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, four sacks, 32 tackles, four tackles for a loss and 18 quarterback hits.

Lawson has an $8.5 million cap hit in 2021 and has a potential out after next season. He'll count for $9 million against the 2022 cap if he remains on Houston's roster.

More must-reads: