The Dolphins have been extremely active in free agency, both losing and attaining several players with expired contracts. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, after all their recent developments, wide receiver has become a position of focus.
The Dolphins are by no means short of talent at the wide receiver position. Between Tyreek Hill‘s incredible season in which he hit over 1,800 total yards and caught 13 touchdown passes and Jaylen Waddle hitting the 1,000-yard receiving mark with four touchdowns of his own, Miami has more receiving talent in those two alone than many other NFL teams have on their roster right now.
Beyond Hill and Waddle, though, the statistics drop off dramatically. After those two, the receivers with the next most yardage were Cedrick Wilson with 296, Braxton Berrios with 238, Robbie Chosen with 126, River Cracraft with 121, and Chase Claypool with 26. All five of those receivers hit free agency when the new league year began. Wilson is headed to New Orleans on a new two-year deal, while Berrios recently re-signed with the Dolphins on a one-year contract. Currently, Hill, Waddle, and Berrios are the only three wideouts on the roster who caught a pass for the Dolphins in 2023.
The team does have interior options on the roster, but they aren’t necessarily experienced and have yet to show they can step up. Erik Ezukanma, a fourth-round pick out of Texas Tech from 2022, is also under contract. Former third-round speedster Anthony Schwartz and undrafted receivers Braylon Sanders and Mathew Sexton all signed reserve/futures contracts with the team, as well.
Still, Miami desires a bit more upside and experience behind its elite duo. One name that Jackson reports they’ve inquired about is former Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins. Watkins served as WR2 for Philadelphia in the year before they acquired A.J. Brown but has since taken a back seat. 2023 saw his worst season since his rookie year, but in both of those years, he missed several games. He dealt with hamstring issues last year that held him to only nine game appearances.
Whether Watkins is the guy or they continue exploring other options, it’s clear that the Dolphins need more behind Hill and Waddle. They will continue shopping the free agent market and are likely to target the position through the draft, as well. For now, though, Hill, Waddle, and Berrios represent the totality of their experience.
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