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The Mike Wallace saga is finally over. Now what? With the trade of the star wide receiver to the Minnesota Vikings, the Miami Dolphins got rid of the biggest distraction looming over the team going into the 2015 season and freed up enough cap space to make moves that will keep improving the team. Still, getting only a fifth-round pick for one of the biggest deep threat receivers in the game is disappointing.
So what do the Dolphins do to fill the void left by Wallace’s departure? There are several courses of action that Miami can take.
The Dolphins could go after one of the top wide receiver threats in the upcoming NFL Draft considering where they pick. Kevin White and Amari Cooper will likely be off the board when the Dolphins go to the podium, but DeVante Parker may still be there with the 14th pick. If top cornerback prospect Trae Waynes has been selected and top safety Landon Collins isn’t the best player left on Miami’s board, Parker may be the pick and could turn into a poor man’s Andre Johnson.
If the top three receivers and the best secondary prospects are off the board, the Dolphins should trade down in the first round and address one of their other pressing needs, like middle linebacker or guard, at the end of the first round. They could then go after a Phillip Dorsett-like player in the second or third round.
The team could also keep the free agency party rolling. There are still a number of veteran options on the open market, and signing one of them to a short-term contract while biding time to find the next No. 1 receiver in the draft is certainly a possibility. If this is the course that the Dolphins elect to take, expect the team to target players like Michael Crabtree and Cecil Shorts in hopes of them finding success in a “receiver by committee” system.
Or, they could stand pat. The combination of Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Rishard Matthews should be scary enough to be formidable. With the addition of Jordan Cameron at tight end and the possibility that Charles Clay returns to Miami, the Dolphins may not need another true wide receiver.
Is this the most risky of the options? Sure, but it might also be the smartest. Without shelling out wide receiver money, the Dolphins could have a potent offense that is chock full of matchup nightmares while saving up for the future. If this is the course the Dolphins choose to follow, Miami would be well served to trade down and look for a fourth receiver deep in the draft and go after a need during the first two days of the draft.
No matter what the Dolphins do, the offense this season will be far different than any Miami offense fans have seen.
