Dolphins have a tough decision to make with Parker and Landry

The Miami Dolphins expected the 2017 season to be DeVante Parker’s breakout year. It hasn’t gone that way and now they are left with a major decision this off-season.

Miami can not afford to pay both Parker and Jarvis Landry. Not after Kenny Stills’ contract last off-season. Miami relented when it came to signing Landry during the 2017 off-season and that now has bitten them in the rear-end.

Miami played a game of chicken so to speak. By not signing Landry they were pinning their hopes and expectations on Parker becoming a legitimate number one wide-receiver who would notch 70 to 80 passes this season. He hasn’t. Parker has 34 receptions on 54 targets and only one touchdown.

His inconsistencies on the field have not improved from his previous two seasons and that is not likely to change down the road. Always banged up to some degree, Parker doesn’t play well when he aches. Without question this is a mental block but it’s a block that is going to cause Miami problems.

The issue lies with his performance ahead of the 2018 off-season. Miami was so certain that Parker was going to explode they didn’t bother to talk about an extension with Landry. They can’t afford to pay all three receivers big money. Many will point to the fact that Parker is not a free agent this year. He is not. Those same individuals will point to the fact that Miami can still pick up his 5th year option thus keeping him in Miami through the 2019 season. That too is true. But here is the problem.

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Miami is going to have to pony up some cap space if they want to retain Jarvis Landry. Even as a slot receiver Landry does more for the offense than any other player on that side of the ball. What happens if Miami pays Landry his worth and in 2018 Parker explodes like Miami expects? What happens if the let Landry walk and Parker remains the same inconsistent player he has been since he got here?

This is the dilemma that Miami faces. The answer should be simple. Pay the asset you have in hand. That would be Landry. If Parker explodes in 2018, a contract year, then pick up his 5th year option and see what he does in 2019. If he repeats that ’18 performance either give him a new contract or franchise him for a season.

By 2020 Kenny Still’s contract will be far more manageable at $8.75 million and if the Dolphins wanted to restructure they could. If they wanted to trade or release him they would save $7 million and change on the cap.

Letting Landry go for the sake of hoping Parker turns it around is a bad team decision and it is the kind of decision that could hurt the Dolphins for years. Miami has an asset in Landry and now that he is producing touchdowns, six so far this season, he is showing the Dolphins that he is more valuable to them than a player who can’t make an impact.