Dolphins receiver Leonte Carroo is the odd man out
By Shawn Digity
During the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dolphins traded back into the third round to select a dropping Leonte Carroo. At the time, the Dolphins though they had gotten a steal, despite the 2016 sixth-rounder and 2017 third- and fourth-rounders they gave up to get him.
Unfortunately, Carroo has done little to live up to that steep price.
Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, Carroo has been overshadowed by DeVante Parker’s not living up to his first-round billing. Without Parker’s walking the line of becoming a “bust”, the Dolphins would be raked over the coals for the disastrous trade and selection of Carroo. The Fins have been, and will continue to be, chastised by many fans for the pick and I can’t blame them.
Drafting Carroo was a frustrating, frivolous selection and the discontent has only grown with Carroo’s apparent Houdini act in his first two seasons.The other early picks from the 2016 draft class have shown flashes and steady improvement.
Tunsil had growing-pain seasons at both LG and LT, so a second year at tackle should do him a world of good. Xavien Howard is becoming an island. Ask Parker about that since he’s seemingly been a non-presence in camp so far. Kenyan Drake is the starting running back and showed huge potential in the small sample size we saw in 2017. Even Jakeem Grant has shown drastic improvements in his catching abilities.
Let’s look at the Dolphins’ receivers to see how Carroo fits into the puzzle. Parker, while having a quiet camp, is still slated as one of the starters. There’s 1. You have Kenny Stills; he’s number 2. Albert Wilson and Danny Amendola are in the first seasons of their three and two-year deals. They’re not going anywhere, so there’s 3 and 4. Grant is zipping around and making diving catches in practice, which is indicative of his continued progression. He’s 5. Then you have the pleasant surprise that has been Isaiah Ford. He’s not been full healthy, but he’s making a startling and unexpected impact early in camp. Let’s pencil him in at 6.
More from Dolphins News
- Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
- 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
- Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
- 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
- Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal
Time for some quick math. Carroo is the seventh-best WR on this team right now.That’s the best-case scenario. An argument could even be made that he’s behind Rashawn Scott, as well. There just isn’t room for Carroo on the roster considering how well the other receivers are practicing. It also doesn’t help that there’s a large disparity between his invested draft value and actual on-field performance. That results in a short leash and little leeway. Carroo is not automatically off the roster at this point, but will need to show significant camp improvement if there’s any chance of him making the 53-man roster.