Miami Dolphins: Breaking the Roster – Receivers
In 2019, the Miami Dolphins made headlines all season long. It started with the firing of Adam Gase, then the hiring of a Pats coach Brian Flores, trading of star players, the “tank for Tua”, the surprise wins, the punter/kicker TD, and finishing the season beating the Pats. Yes, the 2019 season was a whirlwind for the Dolphins and their fans. Looking back on their season there’s one facet off their offense that stood out the most, the receivers.
Last season’s offseason wasn’t the most powerful. The run game was awful, Josh Rosen wasn’t, then was, then wasn’t the starter, and Fitzmagic was reborn. But breaking down their roster their receivers/tight ends made the biggest jump under Flores in his first season. Next season this unit could be the lone unit that has a little movement.
Devante Parker
The once considered “bust” took the NFL by storm on the back half of the season. Arguably in the last 7-8 weeks, Parker was one of the top threats around the NFL statistically. The man they call “Uncle” finished with 72 catches, 1202 yards and 9 touchdowns proving he wasn’t just hype and he still has some football left before declaring him a bust. Look for Parker to be the Dolphins #1 target again next season.
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Mike Gesicki
After his rookie season, Dolphins fans were rolling their eyes at another potential TE bust. Luckily they may have jumped the gun as Gesicki played a key role in the offense down the stretch. He came up with some big plays at pivotal moments and if he can continue to develop will just strengthen the game of Devante Parker forcing teams to either cheat up and get burned deep, or sit deep allowing Miami to control the clock.
Preston Williams
Imagine if Williams was on the field when Miami’s offense sparked. Early in the season, he was the primary target that sparked a struggling offense. If he’s healthy he can cause mismatches pairing on the same side as Parker, opposite of Parker with Gesicki, or pair all three on one side and force a 1-on-1 with a speedy go route opposite the trio. If Williams comes back healthy, the Dolphins should have a fast-paced offense to rival anyone next season.
Allen Hurns
Hurns made his presence known late in the season, enough so Miami signed him to a two-year extension. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamic when Williams returns. Miami still doesn’t have a true #2 receiver but each receiver could be shuffled around depending on the situation.
Albert Wilson
While he was the spark of the Miami offensive before getting hurt, he wasn’t the same player when he came back. Going into 2019, a healthy Williams and Hurns might make Wilson the odd man out. He might have a lot of football left in him, but the Dolphins don’t need three receivers all with the same skill set. He still has his explosiveness, but Miami might look to add more picks in the draft.
Rookie WR
Expect the Miami Dolphins to draft a receiver by the end of the second round. If they keep all their picks, five of them will be used in the first two rounds and a compliment to Parker on the opposite side of the ball. The receiver is the lowest spot of immediate need for Miami but if there’s a playmaker sitting there, expect them to dive in.
The receiver room might be the one room with the most familiar faces but that’s not to say they won’t go after one. With close to $100 million in cap space, they might even kick the tires on some high priced free agents. One thing for sure, the receiver won’t be their biggest focus.
Rick ODonnell aka Caveman Rick has many years covering the Miami Dolphins, Sports, and all sorts of movies and television.
