Dolphins To Work Out Robinson…Can Do Better
By Brian Miller
November 8, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Laurent Robinson (81) catches the ball as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Cassius Vaughn (32) defends during the second half at EverBank Field. Indianapolis Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-10. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins lost Armon Binns to an ACL/MCL injury. He is done for the year. Tomorrow they will look to replace him when they work out Laurent Robinson. Robinson was on their radar last year but he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Eventually he was cut due to concussion issues. So why is Miami looking to bring him back to the NFL? For starters he won’t be a starter but a 4th WR on a team looking to fill in the final three of four WR spots. Two seasons ago Robinson put up 11 TD’s. Still is Robinson the best they can do? No, I think they can do better and when you look at what is available today, maybe they should be making some other calls.
Brandon Lloyd – Lloyd was a miserable failure in New England last year. He was supposed to be “THE” WR for a Patriot team that brought back his top coach as their OC. Josh McDaniels. Instead Lloyd was criticized as a locker room cancer and fell out of favor with Tom Brady quickly. He hardly put up numbers in an offense that leaned heavily on the TE’s. Still Lloyd is a solid receiver and his attitude was not a problem in Denver. Giving Lloyd a chance in Miami may be a good thing that keeps whatever issues he had in NE in check. In Miami he won’t be a number 1, 2, or even a 3 slot guy. It’s obvious no one else is knocking on his door these days. The opportunity to stick it to the Pats twice a year might be more motivation as well.
Brandon Stokley – The former Bronco, not it’s not an intentional theme here is without a job. He lost his to Wes Welker. Stokley was a top target last year for Peyton Manning when he got in trouble and he can still make the tough catch. In Miami he would fit in well as the 4th WR. He really isn’t much more than that and doesn’t need to be. He is a seasoned veteran and having a veteran who has played with some top QB’s could do wonders for Miami’s younger WR’s. Laurent Robins or Brandon Stokley? I would seriously consider Stokley at this point.
Steve Breaston – In 2011 Breaston signed a 5 year FA deal with the Chiefs and posted over 750 yards. In 2012 he posted over 70 yards in 10 games. It would be great to point the sole finger at the Chiefs woes in 2012 on Breaston but the entire team basically sucked which is why they finished with the number one overall pick in the draft and traded for Alex Smith in March. Breaston was released in February after new HC Andy Reid arrived. Breaston wasn’t a model cititizen in KC by far but that doesn’t mean he can’t be productive. Players have often turned around their careers with a change of scenery. Truth is he has talent and everything for everyone went south last year in K.C. Again we are talking about a 4th WR here and not a starter so he should be someone to take a look at.
Lee Evans – Evans is entering his 13th NFL season and this one really is pushing the boundary of making sense. He missed all of last year when the Jaguars released him prior to the start of the season. A year before that he dropped the game winning TD in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots as a member of the Ravens. Evans may not want to play anymore and he surely isn’t a top three WR but he can still run and catch. Bringing a veteran with his talent level as a number 4 gives Ryan Tannehill a solid option in the passing game. With a year off from the game it’s hard to tell if Evans’ body would benefit from the vacation or suffer for it but right now we are discussing workouts and not signing. Worth a look? It’s free to run him through drills.
Donald Jones – The former Bills WR was up and down but showed glimpses of what he could do. The Patriots thought enough of him to bring him in this past March. They released him a week ago. In 2012 he collected 41 passes for 443 yards on a Bills team that wasn’t very good. The Dolphins should have enough tape on him. The only thing concerning is why the Patriots would release him as strapped as they are for WR’s.
The options on the market right now are not ideal but some are still better than a player coming off a series of concussions which is more troublesome than an attitude issue that may be fixable. The Dolphins could keep things as they are and wait and see who enters the free agent market over the next several weeks. With Binns gone for the year and Rishard Mathews nursing an undisclosed injury, the team is looking for Marvin McNutt and Jeff Fuller to step up quickly.