Albert Wilson's future with Dolphins considered to be 'tenuous'?

After sitting out the 2020 season, Albert Wilson‘s future in Miami is apparently in doubt. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins wideout “isn’t expecting the Dolphins to automatically plug him into a significant role in 2021.” In fact, Wilson’s camp is uncertain if he’ll make it to training camp at all, and Jackson calls the wideout's position "tenuous."

The Dolphins front office wouldn’t see a whole lot of financial relief by simply cutting Wilson. As Jackson points out, releasing the receiver would save the team $2.9M against the cap, but they’d also be left with $2.3M in dead money. The 28-year-old will be entering the final year of the three-year, $24M pact he signed with Miami back in 2018.

Considering the limited financial ramifications, moving on from Wilson would be merely be part of the team’s continued quest to get younger. With DeVante Parker and tight end Mike Gesicki leading the team in targets, Wilson would be relegated to competing with the likes of Preston Williams (23 years old) and Isaiah Ford (25 years old) for a spot on the depth chart. The Dolphins could also easily add to the receiving corps via the draft, further reducing Wilson’s role.

Wilson has struggled with injuries throughout his career, appearing in 16 games only once. As a result, he’s been unable to truly establish himself as a top-two receiver on any of his teams. His best season came in 2017 with the Chiefs, when he hauled in 42 receptions for 554 yards and three scores. In 2019, he finished with 43 catches for 351 yards.