The Miami Dolphins need to stop playing games. That's not meant in the literal sense, although after losing to the Las Vegas Raiders 27-13 in Week 1, perhaps some fans would prefer to Madden-style simulate the entire 2026 season and get excited about a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Caleb Douglas was a major bright spot in the defeat in Sin City, racking up five receptions for 94 yards in his NFL debut. That chemistry with quarterback Malik Willis is some hope for Phin Phanatics to cling to.
And you know what? The Dolphins are embracing a youth movement as is. Why not ride that rookie momentum in the receiving corps and apply it to the extreme in Week 2's duel with the 49ers in San Francisco?
Overhauling the wide receiver rotation is a crucial step the Miami Dolphins need to take now
Look, y'all. Malik Washington is not a starting wide receiver. Why are we still pretending he offers upside offensively?
Sometimes, box score scouting is an acceptable shortcut to take. I don't often recommend it, but let's be real. Washington only caught three of eight targets against a very suspect Raiders secondary. He averages 7.9 yards per catch for his career. We're in Year 3.
Rookie Chris Bell is easily the most gifted pass-catcher on Miami's roster. He's returned far sooner from a torn ACL than anticipated. Nobody thought he'd be ready to roll in Week 1, but he was.
Bell was so new to getting fully cleared that, even as he was thrown into the fire with the starting offense, Willis had to tell him where to line up. This comes from Bell himself, who also said in his latest press conference that he's ready for a larger workload:
"I felt like I did okay. [...] A lot of times where I second-guessed myself, and then [Willis] had to line me up. [...] I do believe that [my snap count will increase]. They’re just trying to see what I’m going to do with the snaps that I do get, see…I know they got a good plan for me."
Can someone get Jeff Hafley and Bobby Slowik on the horn to tell them Bell should play every snap humanly possible since he's clearly healthy enough to do so? He and Douglas have the versatility to play in the slot, too, so no need for Washington!
You know who can and should play in the slot, though? Kevin Coleman Jr., the third rookie wideout who merits far more of a longer look than this, is clinging to the ridiculous notion that Washington can be somebody.
Sorry to be harsh about Mr. Washington, but he's had his chances. Plenty of them. He's PFF's 76th-graded wide receiver out of 84 qualifiers on the young season. Not encouraging.
If you ask me why Coleman played 14 of his 16 snaps on the boundary this past Sunday, after playing, literally, I kid you not, just under ninety-two percent of his snaps in college from the slot, my answer is, I do not have the slightest clue.
Hey Jeff and Bobby, don't overthink it. Why are you trying to put a clearly promising Day 3 draft pick in a position he's so alien to? Just put him in the slot where he belongs. I guarantee you he's better than Washington.
There's plenty of film on Washington for the 49ers to know that they don't have to worry about him. Kevin Coleman Jr. may be a different story.
Worth a shot! What do the Dolphins have to lose with this approach? I say nothing. Not a single person in the NFL world believes the 49ers won't steal and snuff out Miami's souls on the field in Week 2. Might as well let the youngsters learn via trial by fire as much as possible, no?
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