When Joe Philbin took over as head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2012, wide receiver was not an issue until he started to jettison some important parts of the offense.
Gone was wide receiver Brandon Marshall at the start of free agency with a surprising trade.
The following year, the Dolphins upgraded with Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson and let tight end Anthony Fasano leave South Florida without an offer. Fasano was a Tannehill favorite and safety net. Not to mention, Davone Bess was sent to Cleveland packing for an unknown issue with playing time and a difference of opinion with coach Philbin.
Already under Joe Philbin’s tenure, the Dolphins drafted young receiver Rishard Matthews in the 6th round and tight end Michael Egnew in 2012.
The belief with both of these players, was they would develop into talented go-to guys in the NFL for the Dolphins.
However, as luck would have it, Michael Egnew was not the smooth pass-catcher and blocker he appeared to be at Missouri and lacked mental toughness as highlighted by the show HBO Hard Knocks. Egnew had a difficult making the active roster in his first and second season until being cut in training camp in 2014.
At this point in the off season as Dolphins’ scouts have done their due diligence and started to piece together their draft board with GM Dennis Hickey and soon to be VP Mike Tannenbaum, it’s becoming alarmingly clear that the Dolphins are going to keep one or two of their high profile receivers.
As mentioned late last night in the Miami Herald, Armando Salguero goes into full detail about how much it would cost the Dolphins Cap wise to cut Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, or even Brian Hartline.
For as much as has been made about the issue at the end of the season, Salguero paints a new picture for Dolphins fans who like Mike Wallace in that he not only complained in the Jets game, but also during the Dolphins debacle in New England 41-13. In light of this new information, the decision for the Dolphins should be simple right?
For everything that Joe Philbin stands for, Salguero is clear about the rest of the team watching his every move pertaining to Wallace. If Philbin asks the front office to trade or release Wallace, he’s in charge.
However, if Philbin allows Mike Wallace to stay in a Dolphin uniform and let his attitude permeate in the locker room, that might be a sign of Philbin playing favorites.
Consequently, a Miami wide receiver is going to be cut. Who of the three is the biggest question?
Both Hartline and Gibson have contracts that can be re-worked to benefit the team. However, Mike Wallace’s 12.1 million against that Cap next season, is something to watch.
This time, Joe Philbin has the offensive personnel to mesh with his quarterback, only this time, he might end up pulling the plug on the experiment and change the dynamic between Tannehill and his receivers.
The clock is ticking! What will the Dolphins do at receiver?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
