Can Miami's fringe receivers develop into playmakers?

Whoever the WRs are, they should have plenty of opportunities to make splash plays because every team we face will probably be crowding the LOS and flooding the short-intermediate zones...If they're not blitzing relentlessly and challenging our guys to get separation quickly.

That's why I like Garrard as the starter, he has experience working (well) with a less than stellar set of WRs, and he has the ability to extend plays and make things happen with his feet. Plus, he doesn't fumble all the damn time like Matt Moore.

A mobile QB, lots of roll outs & bootlegs, a steady diet of 2-3 TE sets, a dependable run game, all good ways to hide a bad group of WR's. Hopefully the up tempo style will take some the edge off of opposing defenses' aggressiveness. And if it all comes together perfectly, we should have no problem scoring 14-17 points per game.

I'm kidding about the last sentence.

Sort of.

 

I would feel more comfortable if Mohammed Sanu and Devon wylie were on the team, but we're gonna have to hope for a precision type, movin the chains style passing game, and Hope Ireland has an eye for talent, which we should know by midseason on all counts.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing which receivers make the final roster. I don't care who it is at WR, I want production on the field. This is going to be fun to watch.

 

Unfortunately for Marlon Moore, this is something that could/might have been written about him last offseason or the one before. You can argue he didn't get much of an opportunity, but the previous staff must have not seen enough to get him the ball more or they simply saw him as a poor man's Marshall, should he get hurt ?? The bottom line is he needs to show us his stuff, more consistently and when the bullets are flying. However, it's his time to shine...he's had a couple of years under his belt to learn the job, he's shown some flashes of being better than camp fodder and we all seem to think he's got the right system/coaching for him to bust out...now it's his turn.

As to who ends up lining up in Sept, like most, I don't have preferences mainly because other than Bess, every other WR on our roster has something to prove... Can Johnson/85 be the guy he was a couple of years ago? Is Hartline ready to put it together completely and become a legit threat on a consistent basis? Legadu is in the same boat as Hartline...some flashes but not a consistent threat. Pruitt and Wallace, like Moore, it's time for them to break out or move on. Gates will get another shot. Was his lack of consistency due to the injury or inexperience or just plain lack of what it takes, despite the blazing speed. Then there is a group of guys (Fuller, Cunningham, Hogan, Mathews)...where do they stand and can any of them distinguish themselves this camp due to the number of other WRs that have to do the same this camp? It's going to be much watched as TC unfolds...

 

Something I think our group lacks is some size and strength, I believe Chads descending play can be attributed to him losing some size and strength that past few years, I've read some things about him that talked about how he didn't train like he was earlier in his career in the weight room, I've seen the losses in that dept so I believe it.

Hartline desperately needs to add some strength and muscle to his frame, I hope this surgery didn't rob him of his strength and offseason muscle gain.

Marlon Moore needs to learn how to catch a football.

Gates, I'm concerned that his light frame and build is getting him manhandled at the LOS...I hope he really focused on getting a bit bigger cause he reeeeally needs it to compete at this level..the man is 26 years old..

 

I'll be shocked if we average anymore than that with the group of WR's and QB's we have.

 

They aren't going to line up in 4 WR sets often, IMO. We expect the offense to resemble the packers, and pass 70% of the time but our strength is still Te's and Backs. Versatile Te's and Backs that you can move all over.

Point being.... the passing game won't exactly drive the offense, and it won't entirely be dependent on some joe- like Bess/Hartline/Wallace/Gates turning into an all-pro. Sure would help though.

 

Well if any of these WRs dont work out there is always Terrell Owens waiting in the wings
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-netwo.../Is-Terrell-Owens-a-good-fit-for-the-Dolphins

 

I don't think it's as precarious or bad a position as people seem to think. Depth isn't great, and we don't have a marquee game-breaker type receiver, but I don't know we've got to have one either. I think it's a pretty safe bet Bess and Hartline can be solid starting receivers.

Davone Bess is capable of greater workloads than he has had in the past. He's maxed out at 700-800 yards receiving, but he's done so playing like 65% of the Dolphins passing downs. When he has been on the field, he's had pretty heavy workloads in terms of passes thrown at him, and he's remained healthy through his career so I think there is a good chance you could ask, and get more from him.

I think he fits the offense pretty well. He runs a limited route tree, but he's good on some bread and butter routes, and I think you can get mileage out of a possession receiver type like Bess in this offense.

Hartline there's questions if he can stay healthy I think, but he's shown flashes of being able to handle a bigger workload, and they clearly like him. He does well on other bread and butter routes, but I think they're different routes than what Bess runs which is also helpful in that regard.

 

Had to go and post that didn't ya? I just threw up in my throat . . .