Miami Dolphins 2015 Needs: WR
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins were expected to make some changes at wide-receiver this off-season before Mike Wallace‘s finale against the New York Jets. All of the Miami receivers are under contract this off-season. That does not mean the Dolphins won’t make some changes.
Rishard Matthews is an up and coming receiver with good hands and good route running but he lacks discipline and spent the final game of the 2014 season suspended due to off-field conduct. It’s not his first time. Brian Hartline had a very off year and is scheduled to make around $7.3 million in 2015. The Dolphins will likely ask Hartline to restructure his deal because releasing him will save on $3 million while costing the team $4 million in dead money.
Then there is Mike Wallace, the teams highest paid receiver who spent the final half of the Jets game on the bench due to a myriad of rumored reasons.
Wallace’s cap number is around $12 million which does not equal his production level.
One wide receiver who could be out of a job is Brandon Gibson. Gibson played a small part in the Wallace post-game interview spectacle and is set to make over $4 million in 2015. Gibson has also seen his playing time decrease due to the emergence of rookie Jarvis Landry in the slot. Gibson and Wallace’s antics were witnessed first hand by Dan Marino and CEO Tom Garfinkel and cutting Gibson could send a message to the team. In addition the team needs to free up some cap space and Gibson’s contract would do that. Releasing Gibson would cost the Dolphins about $1 million while saving the club around $3 million.
The Dolphins are not expected to be free agent players in the wide-out market this year but will likely address the position in the draft and could do so early. The free agent market is good this off-season at least initially it looks to be but those are the high end receivers that will have many talking and the Dolphins won’t spend that kind of money on receivers this year. The middle to bottom of the free agent market could bring in some competition but the Dolphins will likely ride what they have into 2015 with a restructure or two and likely release of Gibson.
Cowboys Dez Bryant, 26 years old
Broncos Demaryius Thomas, 27 years old
Packers Randall Cobb, 25 years old
Ravens Torrey Smith, 25 years old
Eagles Jeremy Maclin, 26 years old
49ers Michael Crabtree, 27 years old
Jaguars Cecil Shorts, 27 years old
Colts Hakeem Nicks, 26 years old
Seahawks Jermaine Kearse, 24 years old (RFA)
Broncos Wes Welker, 33 years old
Colts Reggie Wayne, 36 years old
Chargers Eddie Royal, 28 years old
Rams Kenny Britt, 26 years old
Cowboys Cole Beasley, 25 years old (RFA)
Browns Miles Austin, 30 years old
Packers Jarrett Boykin, 25 years old (RFA)
Titans Nate Washington, 31 years old
Raiders Denarius Moore, 26 years old
Redskins Leonard Hankerson, 25 years old
Raiders Andre Holmes, 26 years old (RFA)
Steelers Darrius Heyward-Bey, 27 years old