Which Miami Dolphins WRs Are the Best Fits for West Coast Offense?

There will be no No. 1 receiver in the Miami Dolphins offense. If that much wasn't clear when the team traded away Brandon Marshall at the start of free agency, head coach Joe Philbin made it clear over the course of the offseason.

The Dolphins need receivers to step up in their system and show that they can be a good fit.

"We want our quarterbacks typically to have what we call progression reads, where they're not necessarily isolated on one specific individual," Philbin said at the coach's breakfast, according to ESPN.com.

He continued:

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We're going to certainly strive to create mismatches and take advantage of the guys that we do have. But the offense, once we install the passing game, is not necessarily built upon, "OK, you're the No. 1 guy, you're the No. 2 guy, you're the No. 3 guy."

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But who emerges from the group will be all about who has the most opportunities on the field, and that will depend on who are the best fits for the offense. Which receivers have a chance to emerge from the group?

Brian Hartline

Hartline did most of his damage on deep balls in 2011, but he is still known more for his prowess underneath than his vertical ability. He averaged five yards after catch per reception in 2009 and 5.7 YAC/reception in 2010 per Pro Football Focus.

Those numbers aren't gaudy by any stretch, but his directional targets have proven him to be a solid option on short and intermediate routes, having been targeted just 33 times on passes of 20 yards or longer out of a possible 188 targets in his three seasons in the league. Also, according to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald, Hartline was one of the most impressive receivers at Dolphins minicamp.

In a contract year, Hartline could have plenty of opportunities to show the Dolphins what he's worth as one of the most experienced receivers on the roster. As a third-year vet, that's saying a lot about the Dolphins receiving corps.

Davone Bess

The Dolphins offense could look a lot like what the Packers ran in 2011 and what Mike Sherman ran with Texas A&M. That has Bess excited about his chances to produce in 2012 as he watches tape of those offenses.

"I've been watching and licking chops," he said to Jesse Alger of MiamiDolphins.com. "I'm excited."

With good reason, too. Bess has been a tremendous receiver out of the slot for the Dolphins, doing an excellent job at creating yards after the catch and getting into the open field. According to Pro Football Focus, 1,158 of his 2,668 receiving yards since 2008 (43.4 percent) have come in YAC.  

His ability to work the underneath patterns will make him a commodity in the Dolphins offense.

Edmond "Clyde" Gates

Gates suited up for 13 games, but caught just two passes as a rookie. The Dolphins could be expecting a lot more out of Clyde Gates, at least if Armando Salguero is right:

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I can also tell you the Dolphins are hoping (for) a lot out of Clyde Gates. He was on the receiving end of more passes than just about any wide receiver today. I didn't say he was the most impressive receiver at the workout. To me, that was Brian Hartline and Roberto Wallace.

But suffice to say Gates was a major focal point.

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His skill set is different from the average receiver in the West Coast offense, lacking the size that is typical of such a receiver.

But there is a role for him in the system. He has solid long speed, as displayed in running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the 2011 combine. If he can stretch the field vertically, he can really open things up underneath for the other receivers to do their jobs.

Rishard Matthews

Hardly anyone looked at the selection of Nevada wide receiver Rishard Matthews in the seventh round as a move that could provide the Dolphins an answer at wide receiver. While he's not going to replicate the success of Brandon Marshall, he could definitely find a role in the West Coast offense.

Matthews is a developmental receiver to be sure, but he has the potential to develop into a solid receiver. He has the attention of Pro Football Talk and Rotoworld's Evan Silva.

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For #Dolphins, Rishard Matthews interests me more than B.J. Cunningham. Matthews much better athlete, smoother. Should play early.

— Evan Silva (@evansilva) May 22, 2012"

Speed isn't his strong suit, but his athleticism will be a commodity in a receiving corps that largely lacks it. At a shade over 6'0" and 217 pounds, he has the big frame and the running ability to create after the catch. 

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