My previous 2 articles focused on the importance of the offensive line and the quarterback position to the success of 2021 Dolphins. Now it’s time to take a look at the players they will be blocking for and throwing to.
The good news is the 2021 edition of the Dolphins has more talent and depth at the wide receiver, tight-end and running back positions than they have had in a while. Let’s take a closer look at each position group.
WRs – With 14 wide-outs invited to training camp there is no shortage of candidates and ordinarily I would say there will be a lot of competition for roster spots, but in my eyes, it is fairly clear who the top 6 WRs are. The only questions are will they keep 6 or 7 WRs on the roster and could a veteran be released for salary cap purposes.
Barring injuries, the top 3 wide outs will be veteran DeVante Parker and newcomers Will Fuller (free agent from the Texans) and Jaylen Waddle (6th overall pick in the draft from Alabama). Fuller and Waddle will bring elite speed and playmaking ability that hasn’t been seen in Miami for quite a while. Parker, if he can stay healthy, is one of the better wide outs in the NFL who makes spectacular catches look easy.
The likely top reserves should be Albert Wilson, Preston Williams and Lynn Bowden. Wilson sat out the 2020 season for Covid precautionary reasons and brings speed and playmaking ability to the roster. While Miami could release him for salary cap purposes, I envision him as a valuable weapon who could be used in 4 receiver sets or when the inevitable injuries occur.
Williams has similar size and skills to Parker, but missed big chunks of the past 2 seasons due to injuries. Due to his size, talent and youth (24 years old) he should be a lock for the roster if he stays healthy. Bowden is a converted QB who the Dolphins traded for last season. At 23 years of age, he has the athleticism and playmaking ability that is worth developing.
If the Dolphins keep a 7th WR or decide to release Wilson, Mack Hollins or Robert Foster could make the roster as a special team’s maven.
Right now, I don’t see a role for veterans Jakeem Grant and Allen Hurns, although both are good enough to land on another team’s roster.
Malcom Perry, a 7th round pick out of Navy last year, is another converted QB who can play WR or RB. My gut says the Fins try to sneak him onto the practice squad due to his versatility and playmaking ability. Miami also has a few other receivers on the roster with 1 or 2 of them perhaps practice squad bound.
TEs – Miami’s tight-ends in 2020 quietly put up one of the better collective stat lines for TEs in Dolphins history. Mike Gesicki, Durham Smythe and Adam Shaheen as a group caught 91 passes for 1,061 yards and 11 touchdowns. That is an outstanding performance when you consider none of them have Travis Kelce type talent.
But one of the reasons the stats were so high was because of all the injuries to the wide receivers. Every WR missed time due to injuries including Williams missing half the season. On top of that, Wilson and Hurns both opted out in 2020 due to Covid.
Assuming the wide receiver group remains healthy and with the addition of Fuller and Waddle, a lot of those 2020 passes to the tight end will find their way to the WRs in 2021.
Gesicki, Smythe & Shaheen all return for 2021 and they have been joined by 3rd round draft pick Hunter Long from Boston College, who they are very high on. Long can block and catch and will likely have an expanded role in 2022 as Gesicki and Smythe are free agents after this season.
Miami also has 3 other TEs on the roster, including free agent Cethan Carter who can also play fullback and special teams. It remains to be seen if Miami keeps 4 or 5 TEs on the roster.
RBs – The running back group may be the one position group on the roster where you can argue the Dolphins haven’t done a great job of improving the talent and depth over the past couple of seasons. Of the 7 RBs on the roster, 1 was drafted in the 5th round, 3 were drafted in the 7th round while the other 3 weren’t drafted at all.
Many a Dolfan has been frustrated watching the past 2 drafts as RBs such as D’Andre Swift, Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins and Jonathan Taylor went unselected by the Fins in the 2020 draft while the Fins decided to pass on Najee Harris with the 18th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Dolphins’ management obviously has a higher opinion of the RBs on the roster than the fans do. But it’s just not Dolfans who have that opinion as a recent survey of the top running back for each team had Miles Gaskin rated #32 (there’s only 32 teams in the NFL folks, so that is dead last).
To be fair to Gaskin, though, he’s a surprisingly good back. He’s not big and he doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s slippery and can find the holes. He’s also a very good receiver. Playing in 10 games in 2020 he ran for 584 yards and caught 41 passes in a limited role. I think Miami is expecting him to step it up a level this season with perhaps 1,000 yards rushing and 60 receptions. That would be a strong season, but I still envision him as more of a solid #2 running back. But in Miami he is clearly their #1 RB.
Miami will likely go with a running back by committee approach to a certain extent this year with Gaskin likely getting 60% or more of the touches. Miami signed 7-year veteran Malcom Brown as a free agent this year and he will play the power back role to be used in short yardage and goal line situations.
Salvon Ahmed could get a decent number of touches as he played well when given a chance last year. He is similar to Gaskin and would be the top RB if Gaskin were to be injured.
The Dolphins used a 7th round pick this year on Cincinnati RB Gerrid Doaks and he will likely take Patrick Laird’s spot on the roster. Doaks has more upside as a runner, but will likely play mostly on special teams.
The previously mentioned Malcom Perry has an outside shot at making the 53-man roster depending on how many RBs Miami keeps due to his versatility, but he could also end up on the practice squad.
Jordan Scarlett is the other RB on the roster and there would likely need to be a few injuries for him to make the roster.
For what it is worth, some 2022 NFL mock drafts (yes, they are already out there) have Miami selecting a running back with their 1st pick. So, the consensus is the NFL world views running back as the Fins #1 position of need. Hopefully, Miami’s management and coaching staff knows more than the fans and the so called experts do, as Miami will need a solid ground game to make the playoffs this season.
Next week – My thoughts on the Dolphins defense.
Tweet me at GFuchs@GregoryFuchs.
