The wide receiver position is by far the weakest position on the Miami Dolphin’s roster. It is no secret that upgrading this position is a top priority for Miami this offseason. It has been widely rumored that free agent Greg Jennings will be reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Green Bay Joe Philbin. The Dolphins have a pair of great number two receivers but lack a true number one that can stretch the field. Jennings would fill this role nicely. Davone Bess the Dolphin’s slot receiver, is one of the best slot men in the league and will be entering the final year of his contract, so it is clear Miami will make a move either in free agency, the draft or both.
The Dolphins struggled to move the ball last season and clearly had to rely on other positions to move the chains. The Dolphin’s wide receivers only scored three touchdowns all of last season. General manager Jeff Ireland has taken some serious heat for trading away Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears. Now the pressure is on to find a suitable replacement for Marshall.
Before Miami signs any new free agent, they have a pair of free agent receivers of their own to deal with. Brian Hartline and Marlon Moore are both free agents, Moore is an restricted free agent. The Dolphins are in good shape in regards to the salary cap and will likely resign Hartline. The former Ohio State Buckeye was quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target last season and has developed into a reliable player. Hartline could bolt to another team, but the Dolphins will try to keep him in south Florida. Moore is also likely to stay given his value on special teams.
Miami has zeroed in on several possible free agent candidates. Jennings has been the obvious top choice because of his connections to Philbin. Jennings knows the offense and has had a productive career in Green Bay. Injury concerns have tampered talks of a possible move to Miami. Last season the Dolphins were rumored to be targeting quarterback Matt Flynn but in a surprise move Miami passed on Flynn. The Jennings move feels eerily similar. It is entirely possible that coach Philbin is unimpressed with Jennings as a player and could elect to pass on the former Green Bay star.
Another scenario that has been gaining momentum lately is the Dolphins signing Mike Wallace away from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wallace has shown outstanding production in Pittsburgh and is one of Ben Roethlisberger’s favorite targets. Wallace has world-class speed, something that Miami is desperately lacking.
Other Possible Candidates
Dwayne Bowe
Bowe is a huge target and a valuable red zone threat. He is a sought after free agent and several teams have him on their radar. It has been rumored that new head coach Andy Reid would like to keep Bowe in Kansas City. Bowe does come with some character flaws and Miami is unlikely to risk another Marshall situation.
Wes Welker
The former Miami Dolphin has put up amazing numbers in New England. There is much debate about Welker’s ability to succeed outside of New England. Many believe he is a product of the offense and would struggle to put up similar numbers on another team. Welker’s departure from the Patriots seems unlikely especially now that Tom Brady has restructured his contract to free up more cap space. The more likely scenario will be Welker resigning with the Patriots.
Julian Edelman
Edelman is another receiver cut from the Welker cloth. He is a shifty slot receiver with a talent to separate in small spaces. Edelman could sign with Miami if Hartline leaves for more money elsewhere. Edelman would have a much lower price tag than Hartline, but is not as good of a receiver.
Miami has the 12th pick in this years draft and it will interesting to see how Miami decides to fill the void at wide receiver. There are many teams with a need at wide receiver, which will create a high demand for the top free agents. The Dolphin’s management has been frugal with free agent signings and are unlikely to over pay for a top free agent, however pressure from ownership and restless Miami fans may get the better of them.