The Dolphins blew it by putting a tender of $1.35mil on him which insured they would get a 2nd round pick. They could have easily went with $1.85mil to insure a 1st round pick compensation or what they should have done is to put the $2.35mil tender on him so they would receive a 1st and 3rd round pick if someone still was interested at that cost.
The situation was created by Mueller and taken advantage of by the Pats, it was totally avoidable.