While the Miami Dolphins have been adding a litany of defenders, particularly to their secondary, it appears as though the offensive side of the ball was being neglected. Jon-Eric Sullivan's latest move will have fans cautiously optimistic because of ghosts from the Dolphins' past.
Under the guidance of Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins were frequently lambasted for being a 'finesse' team. Detractors would point to the Dolphins' WR corps, which featured Tyreek Hill (5'8" at his Pro Day, 191 lbs), Jaylen Waddle (5'10", 185 lbs), and Malik Washington (5'8", 195 lbs) as evidence of this take. The Dolphins' latest addition is hardly a break from that mold.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Dolphins agreed to terms with wide receiver Tutu Atwell, who has spent the past five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. In addition to his diminutive size (5'9", 165 lbs), Atwell shares something else with his new Dolphins teammates: blazing speed. At his Pro Day in 2021, the Miami native clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash.
Despite his size, there's a lot to like about Tutu Atwell's fit with the Miami Dolphins
Atwell's NFL journey to this point has been curious. A second-round pick of the Rams, he has seen very limited playing time in his career. While Rams head coach Sean McVay frequently downplayed any size concerns with Atwell, his actions speak louder than his words. As a rookie, Atwell didn't record a single reception.
He appeared in 64% of the Rams' offensive snaps in 2023, but was otherwise never used on more than 40% in any of his other four seasons. In fact, despite being a part-time player in 2024, the Rams gave him a one-year extension for $10 million. They must've finally deployed him as a major part of their offense, right? Nope.
Instead, he played only 27% of the team's offensive snaps, including multiple weeks as a healthy scratch. While it is a fool's errand to assume we know more about a player than the coaches who see them practice every day, Atwell's production seems to indicate there's more to him than his snap count suggests.
Atwell is still only 26 years old, and for his career, he's caught 105 passes for 1,535 yards and five TDs. What's most intriguing is his eye-popping 14.6 yards-per-reception. For perspective's sake: Jaylen Waddle's average sits at 13.5 and Tyreek Hill's 13.9 in their respective careers. This just proves that Atwell is a legitimate deep threat with a demonstrated ability to blow the top off a defense.
While the Dolphins will ideally add some length to their WR room through free agency or the draft, Atwell represents another ideal player for this iteration of the Dolphins to bet on. A young player who has shown flashes in his career is a worthwhile gamble for a team few expect to compete this year.
Don't be surprised, though — now that the Dolphins employ a quarterback with a cannon attached to his shoulder in Malik Willis, Atwell, and Waddle could blow the top off more than a few defenses in 2026.