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This group is likely the strongest on the team. The top three are obvious, and the battle for the reserve positions will be... legendary.
OK fine... not legendary, but some good players will be traded or lost on waivers at the end of camp unless someone slides onto one of the injured lists. Let's do the starters real quick and then move on to the actual battles.
Tyreek Hill, an NFL all-pro candidate. He's our unquestioned starter and lines up at every position, but his size limits him from being a true X receiver. His game contains both short area and long speed; the only thing he lacks is the size to bully DBs when the field is tighter.
Waddle... a slightly lesser Hill. He is also a small receiver who has both short area and deep speed. He is outstanding out of the slot and on the tradional deep Z-type routes, but like Hill, he isn't a bully reciever and he is not at his best on the sideline or redzone.
Then there's Beckham, he's no longer a Pro Bowl level receiver, but in his age 32 season, he is capable of lining up in any formation that Waddle and Hill are featured. He's a bit bigger than Waddle, as well as stronger in contested catches, so it's likely that he's a better candidate for red zone targets when no one is as open. I believe his true value though is not that he's a better X, but in his ability to replace our top two when they are nicked up or injured.
Now the battle begins. As you have seen, I still think we lack a bully target (unless it's a Tight End). Yes, McDs offense runs a fast break style between the 20s, and yes, we should continue to do that, but as we've seen when the Dolphins play a top defense that can cover, we flounder. In these situations, the Dolphins need to show some strength to go along with all the finesse... and some bigger targets would go a long way here.
These are the remaining candidates for the three remaining spots, because we will break camp with 6 WRs again: Erik Ezukanma; Draftees, Malik and Tahj Washington; slot man and punt returner Braxton Berrios; everyman River Cracraft, perennial PS member Braylon Sanders; and two extreme longshots Schwartz and Burton.
Let's look at EZ E first, because he is the ONLY WR on the roster with any size at all (6'2") The first question is obviously... is he healthy? Is the college neck injury under control? Erik said that he could have played last year, but wasn't allowed to because the list he was placed upon did not allow him to return.
IF he is healthy, and that's a big IF, I think he's our WR4. Before he was placed on the injured list last year, McD was manufacturing touches for Erik... even using EZ on jet sweeps. McD clearly liked EZ and he looked to have a future here... He can do a few things that no other receiver on this roster can do... so... is he healthy? Good question... he needs to show it in camp.
Berrios has one path to make the team... designated return man. He has to hope that neither of the Washingtons displace him, because we really don't need another slot receiver, we have about 5 of them. I think Braxton is a trade candidate.
River Cracraft... the everyman receiver who is known to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the playbook and acts almost as an assistant coach during practice. He's 29 this year and has been waived over a dozen times in his career... he'll be waived again this year, although he is a candidate to be resigned afterwards. But really... his future is in coaching.
Then there are the Washingtons, Malik was drafted in the 6th round and Tahj in the 7th. Both players were projected to be drafted higher than they were, so... if we cut either player, they're gone. These two would be poached in a heartbeat.
So... what do they offer? Malik looks a lot like Tyreek in his size and his game. No, he isn't nearly as good, but with Tyreek leaving in a year or two, Malik is a strong prospect for draft and hold. Unless he faceplants, I think we'll hold him as a reserve.
Tahj is a slot only prospect who is an experienced return man. He's here to challenge Berrios. We'll likely keep one or the other. If Tahj looks good early, Berrios is in big trouble.
The other three? Remember in the Princess Bride when Max said... "It would take a miracle". Let's leave it at that.
My way too early guess for the roster. Hill, Waddle, Beckham, Ezukanma, Washington, and Washington.
River gets waived... again.
We attempt to trade Berrios.
OK fine... not legendary, but some good players will be traded or lost on waivers at the end of camp unless someone slides onto one of the injured lists. Let's do the starters real quick and then move on to the actual battles.
Tyreek Hill, an NFL all-pro candidate. He's our unquestioned starter and lines up at every position, but his size limits him from being a true X receiver. His game contains both short area and long speed; the only thing he lacks is the size to bully DBs when the field is tighter.
Waddle... a slightly lesser Hill. He is also a small receiver who has both short area and deep speed. He is outstanding out of the slot and on the tradional deep Z-type routes, but like Hill, he isn't a bully reciever and he is not at his best on the sideline or redzone.
Then there's Beckham, he's no longer a Pro Bowl level receiver, but in his age 32 season, he is capable of lining up in any formation that Waddle and Hill are featured. He's a bit bigger than Waddle, as well as stronger in contested catches, so it's likely that he's a better candidate for red zone targets when no one is as open. I believe his true value though is not that he's a better X, but in his ability to replace our top two when they are nicked up or injured.
Now the battle begins. As you have seen, I still think we lack a bully target (unless it's a Tight End). Yes, McDs offense runs a fast break style between the 20s, and yes, we should continue to do that, but as we've seen when the Dolphins play a top defense that can cover, we flounder. In these situations, the Dolphins need to show some strength to go along with all the finesse... and some bigger targets would go a long way here.
These are the remaining candidates for the three remaining spots, because we will break camp with 6 WRs again: Erik Ezukanma; Draftees, Malik and Tahj Washington; slot man and punt returner Braxton Berrios; everyman River Cracraft, perennial PS member Braylon Sanders; and two extreme longshots Schwartz and Burton.
Let's look at EZ E first, because he is the ONLY WR on the roster with any size at all (6'2") The first question is obviously... is he healthy? Is the college neck injury under control? Erik said that he could have played last year, but wasn't allowed to because the list he was placed upon did not allow him to return.
IF he is healthy, and that's a big IF, I think he's our WR4. Before he was placed on the injured list last year, McD was manufacturing touches for Erik... even using EZ on jet sweeps. McD clearly liked EZ and he looked to have a future here... He can do a few things that no other receiver on this roster can do... so... is he healthy? Good question... he needs to show it in camp.
Berrios has one path to make the team... designated return man. He has to hope that neither of the Washingtons displace him, because we really don't need another slot receiver, we have about 5 of them. I think Braxton is a trade candidate.
River Cracraft... the everyman receiver who is known to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the playbook and acts almost as an assistant coach during practice. He's 29 this year and has been waived over a dozen times in his career... he'll be waived again this year, although he is a candidate to be resigned afterwards. But really... his future is in coaching.
Then there are the Washingtons, Malik was drafted in the 6th round and Tahj in the 7th. Both players were projected to be drafted higher than they were, so... if we cut either player, they're gone. These two would be poached in a heartbeat.
So... what do they offer? Malik looks a lot like Tyreek in his size and his game. No, he isn't nearly as good, but with Tyreek leaving in a year or two, Malik is a strong prospect for draft and hold. Unless he faceplants, I think we'll hold him as a reserve.
Tahj is a slot only prospect who is an experienced return man. He's here to challenge Berrios. We'll likely keep one or the other. If Tahj looks good early, Berrios is in big trouble.
The other three? Remember in the Princess Bride when Max said... "It would take a miracle". Let's leave it at that.
My way too early guess for the roster. Hill, Waddle, Beckham, Ezukanma, Washington, and Washington.
River gets waived... again.
We attempt to trade Berrios.
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