That cliché of actions speaking louder than words couldn't have been truer for the Miami Dolphins this offseason. In laying waste to the vast majority of the roster, the new regime said to the old, "Your team was washed, overpaid, and flat-out terrible."
True or not, for better or worse, at the end of the day (let the clichés reign/rain!), Miami's brass cleaned house. Out with the old, in with the new! And a whole lotta losing is about to ensue.
One position that could use some serious work, even beyond 2026, is wide receiver. One younger wideout who survived the Fins' purge may not be for long.
Malik Washington is the only incumbent left among Miami Dolphins' projected top seven wide receivers
As if drafting Caleb Douglas, Chris Bell, and Kevin Coleman Jr. at the position wasn't enough of a low-key rebuke toward Malik Washington, Miami also picked up Tutu Atwell, Jalen Tolbert, and Terrace Marshall in free agency.
Tolbert has the best shot amongst the vets at being Malik Willis' go-to option in an otherwise suspect corps, rife with inexperience and dubious achievements.
As for Washington, he's supposed to be the small-but-explosive difference-maker. Unfortunately, he hasn't really been the case in his career to date. Opportunities were few behind the likes of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but still, the pure slot/WR3 role was there for the taking. Washington couldn't seize it.
Although he has shown promise as a return man, Washington has averaged just 7.5 yards per catch through two seasons. You could make a case that all six of the Dolphins' pickups at receiver have a higher ceiling than Washington has shown to date.
The general consensus about Washington when he was drafted in the sixth round back in 2024 was that the Dolphins absolutely stole him. Thus far, he's about matched that humble draft status. Maybe even fallen short of it. Yikes.
Is Washington capable of a deeper route tree? Of making more guys miss in the open field to pump up that per-reception inefficiency? Guess the new powers that be weren't about to wait around and find out without aggressively hitting Washington with competition. Coleman in particular mirrors Washington's role as a pure slot/returner to a T.
At this point, it'd be a slight surprise to see Washington crack the final 53-man roster.
GM Jon-Eric Sullivan clearly has more faith in the likes of Tolbert and Atwell to produce and lead the receiver room than Washington. Otherwise, why bring those fellas in?
Willis sure does have his work cut out to succeed in his first year as a starter. Maybe Washington sticks around in lieu of superior options immediately available, but the sheer quantity of receivers the Dolphins added tells fans all they need to know. This new regime ain't that high on 'Lik.
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