Last offseason, the Miami Dolphins signed veteran wideout Odell Beckham Jr. with the hopes that he’d be the perfect WR3 next to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Unfortunately, like the entire Dolphins season last year, the move ended up being underwhelming. Dealing with injuries, Beckham played in just nine games, catching nine passes for 55 yards before he was waived in December.
With the failed Beckham experience fresh in the minds of Dolphins fans, it would make sense if fans were apprehensive about ESPN’s latest suggestion for Miami. Analysts Aaron Schatz recently proposed one final offseason move for all 32 teams, and for the Dolphins, Schatz suggested signing Keenan Allen.
On the surface, this seems like repeating the same mistake: signing an aging veteran receiver that is on the other side of his prime. However, there’s reason to believe Allen will work out better than Beckham did if he made his way to Miami.
ESPN says Dolphins should sign Keenan Allen to complete offseason
Allen entered the league one year before Beckham did, and he’s roughly six months older than him, already turning 33 back in April. However, the six-time Pro Bowler has been more productive, and healthier, than Odell in recent years, and those reasons are enough to believe a Miami stint would go better for the former Charger.
Last year, Allen played his first season with a team not named the Chargers, joining the Chicago Bears. Despite all of the dysfunction that is the Bears, the veteran still posted 70 receptions for 744 yards and seven touchdowns. A look at his film makes it clear he could’ve had even better numbers if he wasn’t in a struggling offense like Chicago’s.
Additionally, he played 15 games last season, and 13 in the year before that. While he has missed a few games in recent years because of a heel issue, he hasn’t dealt with a significant injury that kept him out for a long period of time since 2022, when he strained his hamstring.
Ultimately, the Dolphins shouldn’t let what happened with Beckham scare them away from pursuing other veteran wideouts. While Miami does have promising young receivers who could emerge in 2025, Keenan Allen could also be an option, as he’s still capable of producing and consistently moving the chains.