Miami Dolphins: Lynn Bowden Jr. will become an impact player

One of my favorite Miami Dolphins writers and all-around great dudes on Dolphins Twitter, Josh Houtz of SB Nation’s The Phinsider, wrote a fantastic piece titled “Is Miami Dolphins wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. ready to breakout in 2021?” If you have not read it yet, make sure you do.

Houtz obviously talked about if Lynn Bowden Jr. could have a breakout year in 2021. And while Houtz said, “NO ONE—not even Brian Flores and Chris Grier—knows what the future entails for this group of pass-catchers,” he felt strongly about Bowden’s potential to make an impact for the Dolphins this season.

It really got me thinking, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t just believe Bowden will be a breakout player; I think that Bowden will become an impact player for the Dolphins for years to come.

Houtz brought up the important note that Miami traded for Bowden. So, it’s clear they wanted him, and they felt strongly about getting him.

He also mentioned that “I’m not here to say Lynn Bowden Jr. is the next great Miami Dolphins wide receiver.” I’m glad he said this because that is not what I am doing either. Instead, I’m saying that Bowden will be a receiver fans can count on and expect him to make big plays.

Lynn Bowden Jr. will make big plays and become an impact player.

Bowden will never be the Dolphins No. 1 receiver. If that’s the case, something went terribly wrong in the 2021 season. Miami is loaded with talent at the receiver position, but Bowden is part of that talent.

Will Fuller V will be the Dolphins No. 1 target, followed by DeVante Parker and 2021 first-round pick Jaylen Waddle. After those three is where the Dolphins roster gets interesting.

And that’s where I see Bowden making the most of his new opportunity in Miami.

Bowden was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. Bowden would never play a snap for the Raiders. Instead, he was traded with a 2021 6th round pick to Miami for a 2021 4th round pick.

Tyler Dunne of Go Long with Tyler Dunne covered the Las Vegas to Miami saga, and just like Houtz’s article, you need to read this incredible piece. Truthfully, it was so powerful that it made me want to pull for Bowden even more.

And those who know me know that’s hard because Bowden ruined my night on September 8th, 2018. Bowden’s Kentucky Wildcats upset my Florida Gators, with Bowden making the biggest play of the game. He lined up in the slot and caught a 54-yard bomb to crush my soul that night.

But what he also did was leave a mark in my mind to help me see even more what he can do for the Dolphins offense.

Bowden can make plays and impactful ones. He will never be the No. 1 receiver that’s catching 100+ passes for 1,000+ balls, but that’s okay. He doesn’t need to do that to become an impact player for Miami.

Bowden needs to make plays like he did when he ran through the Gators’ secondary and caused me misery. He needs to be a player that Miami can generate touches for because they will generate big plays.

And I genuinely think that’s what will happen in 2021. I know some Albert Wilson truthers will not like reading this because they magically believe he will be a star in his seventh played season (eight total, but he sat out in 2020 due to COVID-19), but to me, that’s just wasting the untapped potential of Bowden.

Wilson will be 29 next week and has six seasons’ worth of film. I know fans love to always look at the glass half full, but come on. Obviously, any player in the NFL can have a breakout season at any time, but Wilson breaking out would be pure luck at this point. If Miami were wise, they would give Bowden all of Wilson’s snaps and targets.

Bowden breaking out would be progression and development. And knowing the way Miami operates, and if I were a betting man, I’d bet they would rather see what they have in Bowden than waste more time with Wilson.

Miami would be making the right choice because what they have in Bowden is a future impact player for their football team.