NFL: Breaking down the 2015 Miami Dolphins
By Andrew Garda
Wide Receivers—Tight Ends
WR Starters: Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, Jarvis Landry
TE Starter: Jordan Cameron
WR Depth: Rishard Matthews, DeVante Parker (rookie), Matt Hazel, Michael Preston, Tyler McDonald, LaRon Byrd, Nigel King (rookie), Christion Jones (rookie), Damarr Aultman (rookie)
TE Depth: Dion Sims, Gerell Robinson, Arthur Lynch, Jake Stoneburner, Tim Semisch (rookie)
The Miami Dolphins clearly wanted to give quarterback Ryan Tannehill as much support as they could this season, and went out to grab two veteran receivers to balance out the youth in the rest of the group.
Greg Jennings signed a two-year, $8 million contract ($3 million signing bonus) so he’s probably going to see a lot of action. Unlike in Minnesota with the Vikings where the bulk of his snaps came out of the slot, he will get more outside routes. That means he’ll probably get a few less opportunities, though his yards per catch might go up a little.
Kenny Stills might be a veteran, but at 23 years old, he’s still young. Traded by the New Orleans Saints to the Dolphins in March, Stills is very reliable (78 percent catch rate in 2014) and a very nice deep threat, but the Saints had him doing much more than that and you can expect the Dolphins to line him up in several spots.
After a very good rookie season, Jarvis Landry seems poised for a big 2015, though his numbers might not be what they could have been with both Jennings and Stills in the house. Working mostly out of the slot, Landry was second in targets to the departed Mike Wallace with 112 and he led the team in receptions with 84. He could easily top that this coming season, as Tannehill likes to hit the slot receiver.
The depth behind Jennings, Stills and Landry is impressive, but at least one guy isn’t all that pleased by it. Rishard Matthews has asked to be traded or released. Matthews was supposed to be the up and coming slot guy, but he’s never really proven he can handle the role, which is why Jarvis Landry was drafted. The last straw seemed to be the drafting of DeVante Parker with the 14th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Parker is a big-bodied receiver who attacks the ball in the air with his height and arm-length. He doesn’t always snag the ball cleanly when a cornerback is there to challenge him, and he can struggle against more physical corners, but he can also produce some explosive plays.
If Matthews gets released, it could help Matt Hazel stay on the roster. Yet another slot receiver, Hazel is a good route-runner with good hands who can also produce on special teams.
Michael Preston is an interesting player. A tall, rangy athlete, he could be a red-zone scoring threat but the fact that he was out of football last season tells you he needs more work. If he can have a good camp, he could stick though.
Tyler McDonald was signed to a futures/reserve contract in January. He has decent speed and fairly good hands, and was a productive player for South Carolina State. He was originally with the New England Patriots, but they cut him after five days to make room for Greg Orton. LaRon Byrd has bounced around the NFL since 2012 because while he has the size and speed, he doesn’t use either thing on the field.
The undrafted free agents at the bottom of the receiving depth chart are a mixed bag. Damarr Aultman was very productive at Maine, had an insane Pro Day and can return kicks, but at 5’11” he’s a bit short for an every down role and he could struggle against NFL corners. Christion Jones is nothing but a special teams guy, but can return punts as well as kickoffs. And Nigel King is a longshot to have an impact because while he has speed and athleticism, he produced very little at Kansas and appears very raw.
The Dolphins picked up Jordan Cameron to get a playmaker at tight end, but there are questions about whether he can stay injury free, especially after concussion issues in three seasons. He is a tremendous tight end, a guy who can stretch the field and make highlight reel grabs, but he needs to stay healthy to do it.
Dion Sims started out as more of an in-line tight end, a guy who could block well but also catch the ball. He looked good when Charles Clay was hurt last season, but he’s more of a blocker. Gerrell Robinson was on the practice squad in Denver, then signed by Cleveland, who didn’t really do much with him. Originally a wide receiver, the Broncos moved him to tight end as a backup to Julius Thomas, but he hasn’t shown a ton yet. If Robinson is only a pass catcher, Arthur Lynch is his opposite number because he can block, but can’t separate or catch. Jake Stoneburner can play wide receiver or tight end, but never produced much at Ohio State. He had a cup of coffee with the Packers in 2013 before ending up on the Miami practice squad last season. He’s an OK player, but nothing special.
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