Not many teams went all out to bolster their offense like the Miami Dolphins did over the opening months of the NFL offseason.
The Dolphins entered the NFL free agency period in March with nearly $50 million in cap space, and team general manager Chris Grier shifted much of his attention to simply surrounding quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with all-around talents. From signing offensive tackle Terron Armstead to a five-year contract deal to adding several running backs, Grier did what he could to revamp an offense that ranked at 25th in yards per game last season with a 307.0 average.
The Dolphins also rejuvenated their wide receiver depth. Out of the seven wideouts who took part in at least 50 total snaps for Miami last year, only Jaylen Waddle and Preston Williams will feature for the team in the 2022 campaign.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has stressed the importance of not relying on Tagovailoa or any single player to put the team on their back. At the least, he will need his wide receiver corps to lead the way in order for the Dolphins to make a return to the playoffs.
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Dolphins Key Position Group For 2022 NFL Season
The Kansas City Chiefs offense did not shine over the past few years solely because of the keen chemistry that Patrick Mahomes and Tyreek Hill built. Instead, it was a collective effort, with the likes of Mecole Hardman and Sammy Watkins also rising to the occasion for the team. For Miami's wide receiver corps to meet expectations in the coming season, Tagovailoa must not only get Hill involved on offense but also the rest of the key wideouts on the depth chart as well, as Mahomes has done so over the years.
Tagovailoa was able to continually get Waddle going in the passing game last year, whether it was in screen plays or stout throws in the middle of the field. He will need to do just that with the likes of Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Erik Ezukanma.
Wilson joined the Dolphins on a three-year deal in March after a trio of seasons spent with the Dallas Cowboys. He is coming off of his most productive campaign in the league, posting career highs in receptions (45) and receiving yards (602).
From his speed off of the line of scrimmage to his developing prowess as a versatile route-runner, Wilson can add another dimension to Miami’s offense.
From Tagovailoa’s standpoint, what stands out to him about Wilson is his size and also his agility on the field.
“With Cedrick, I thought he was a lot smaller for some reason,” Tagovailoa said in April. “Maybe the No. 1 made him look extremely slim when he was with the Cowboys. I thought he was a very small, shifty guy but he’s actually really big. He’s tall, he’s lanky and he can move, which surprises me.
“Normally tall guys can’t move as quick and aren’t as shifty. It’s cool to see him out there running routes. He’s done a good job thus far within our voluntary veteran minicamp, so I’m excited.”
Multiple wideouts are set to have the golden opportunity to be the No. 4 wide receiver on the Dolphins’ depth chart. Among them, Ezukanma could end up being that player for the Tagovailoa-led Miami offense later this year. The rookie wideout was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, which came following his formidable tenure at Texas Tech.
With what McDaniel watched from Ezukanma's run with the Red Raiders, he was quite impressed.
“The cool part about Erik is that he competes and he does it,” McDaniel said following the draft. “Wes (Welker) believes it and a lot of the receivers in the room are starting to understand it but you can really dictate the toughness and the physicality of the team with how guys go about their business. … That’s watching Erik do something similar in a completely different body type.
“It was exciting to watch him play and I think he fits the energy and the skill level that we’re looking for. We want guys to be fast and play fast and doing both with a decisiveness and a team-first passion that he bleeds.”
Overall, wide receivers such as Trent Sherfield, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Williams are slated to be candidates who will have a chance to round out the Dolphins' depth at the position. In an offense that will be guided by McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith, this unit may end up being one to watch over the course of the upcoming campaign.
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