Dolphins Facing Identity Crisis at Wide Receiver

Out with the old, in with the new.

The above cliché could be applied to every team in every offseason, but rarely are the changes as pronounced at one position as they have been for the Miami Dolphins over the past few seasons.

In 2013, sweeping changes were made that involved releasing Davone Bess, signing Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson and re-signing a long-term deal with Brian Hartline. In 2014, the changes continued with the Dolphins drafting LSU wide receiver Jarvis Landry in the second round. And now, the Dolphins have released Hartline and Gibson, clearing roughly $7 million in cap space in the process. 

So to recap: It's been out with the old, in with the new; out with the new, in with the brand new; and the next stage of this evolution is in progress.

Player	Ht	Wt	Exp
Mike Wallace	6'0"	200	6
Jarvis Landry	5'11"	202	1
Rishard Matthews	6'0"	215	3
Matt Hazel	6'1"	202	1

What was once a strong and fortified position on the Dolphins roster now appears to be held together by duct tape. Only Landry, Wallace and Rishard Matthews remain—and the latter two aren't even a lock to still be on the roster at the beginning of the season.

It's yet to be determined what will happen with Wallace, who is scheduled to count for $12.1 million against the salary cap, according to sports contracts website Spotrac. They could try to restructure his contract, or they could save $2.5 million this season by cutting him outright.

Wallace has not filled the void of a deep threat that's been lacking from the Dolphins offense, and has caught only 12 of 60 passes thrown his direction that traveled 20 yards or more (three drops), according to ProFootballFocus.com.

Despite that lack of chemistry, and despite some friction between Wallace, quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the coaching staff, Tannehill would like to give the relationship more time to grow.

"Yeah," Tannehill said, when asked if he wants Wallace back on the team, via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I like Mike. I think he's a talented player, and we'll see what happens."

Meanwhile, Matthews has created some friction of his own and has asked for a release or a trade, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Releasing Matthews seems counterproductive, as it would only create $660,000 in cap space, but teams will probably not be too keen on the idea of trading for him, given the fact that he's been so vocal about his distaste for the Dolphins.

Matthews was productive in 2013 when Gibson was lost for the season to an ACL tear, but has been an afterthought other than that.

Now, with holes in some spots and question marks in other spots on their depth chart, the Dolphins must begin considering how to completely revamp their receiving corps.

In the draft, the Dolphins could look to receivers like Amari Cooper (Alabama), Kevin White (West Virginia) or DeVante Parker (Louisville) to provide a combination of size and speed. All three are considered NFL-ready prospects, but each would require a first-round choice. Breshad Perriman (Central Florida), Sammie Coates (Auburn) and Devin Funchess (Michigan) are some receivers the Dolphins could target in the second round.

They can always get started in free agency, but with so much money already invested in Wallace, they probably would rather not invest in another big-money receiver. Instead, they'll have to search for budget-friendly options in the open market and then round out the depth chart with a draft pick or two in April.

The second-tier free-agent class offers a few intriguing options in Cecil Shorts (Jacksonville Jaguars), Eddie Royal (San Diego Chargers) and Jacoby Jones (Baltimore Ravens). The Dolphins could find a fit for any of the three in their offense, as Bill Lazor has shown a tendency toward shorter throws that a receiver can turn upfield to gain yards after the catch. Shorts, Royal and Jones all excel in that area.

Whether it's investing money on veteran free agents or investing time in developing rookies, the Dolphins will need to put the resources into improving the receiving corps, before their "out with the old, in with the new" streak continues to plague their roster-building for years to come.