Miami Dolphins' 5 Best Replacement Options for Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson
When the Miami Dolphins released both Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, they signaled the beginning of a new era at wide receiver.
Their depth chart, once loaded with veteran talent, is now down to scant recognizable names. Mike Wallace and Jarvis Landry provide a solid starting foundation for the wide receiver room, but beyond those two, the Dolphins have some serious question marks.
That being said, by releasing Hartline and Gibson, the Dolphins give themselves an opportunity to change the identity of their passing game for the better. One area they have been struggling in is the red area; with so few big-bodied pass-catchers at their disposal, the Dolphins have not been able to create mismatches and win with size in tight spaces.
Beyond simply big bodies, though, the Dolphins should be looking for receivers who are better fits for Bill Lazor's offense, which calls for more short and intermediate throws with receivers creating their own yards after the catch.
Here is a look at a handful of players who could help change the face of the Dolphins offense.
Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts
1 of 5
On Friday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they will not be re-signing veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne. How much does the 36-year-old wide receiver have left in the tank? Who knows. But how many times a year does a team have an opportunity to add a receiver with as much experience—and positive experience, at that—as Wayne? Not many.
Wayne has not been the same player since an ACL tear ended his 2013 season, but he still managed to haul in 64 passes for 779 yards and two touchdowns in 2014. At 6'0" and 203 pounds, Wayne isn't necessarily the red-zone threat the Dolphins may be hoping for, and at his age, he's not going to threaten defenses with the big play.
What he does have, however, is the knowledge of what routes beat what kinds of coverage, and how to run those routes in the most effective way possible to give his quarterback a chance to make a play.
The Dolphins can't expect Wayne to be more than a stop-gap solution to what will be a long-term problem unless they begin developing depth at the position.
Andre Johnson, Houston Texans
2 of 5
According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, wide receiver Andre Johnson has asked the Houston Texans for his release.
If we were to combine the previous slide with this one, it would be a recreation of the 2000 Miami Hurricanes. As it is, however, neither Johnson nor Reggie Wayne are the player they used to be. The 2014 season was the first time since 2004 (Johnson's second in the league) in which he played in more than 13 games and failed to record more than 100 receptions.
But Johnson, like Wayne, has a ton of experience under his belt that he could use to quickly assimilate to the Dolphins offense. Also, at 6'3" and 230 pounds, he has size that can't be coached, and would give the Dolphins a major threat in the red zone.
The fact that the Texans had to cut him, and couldn't find a trade partner for him, says a lot about how teams currently feel about Johnson's ability to contribute. He will likely have to take a sizable pay cut from his $15.6 million cap figure if he wants to keep playing.
Dezmin Lewis, Central Arkansas
3 of 5
If the Dolphins don't mind grabbing a receiver who will need some time to develop, Central Arkansas' Dezmin Lewis would be a very intriguing option. His upside is undeniable, with the frame to high-point difficult-to-reach passes such as he'll have to grab in the red zone.
He is not an explosive downfield threat (4.58-second 40-yard dash), but he did prove his playmaking ability and nose for the end zone with 174 receptions for 2,333 yards (13.4 yards per reception) and 19 touchdowns.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein has concerns that Lewis' "level of competition will be questioned" due to the fact that he faced subpar opposition in the Southland Conference. There are also concerns that he hasn't been asked to run many complex routes, but he's 6'4", 214 pounds and has 32.5" arms, and you can't teach that.
If the Dolphins want a player who can contribute in the red zone now, but won't be ready to contribute in a big way for a few years, Lewis would be a strong choice.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Dorial Green-Beckham, Oklahoma
4 of 5
Would the Dolphins really, in the Joe Philbin era, use a draft pick on a player who has been accused of domestic violence? Philbin has moved on from players for lesser infractions. It would be somewhat shocking to see them take a chance on Oklahoma wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham.
In fact, Green-Beckham's issues are so unique and far-reaching that he never caught a pass at Oklahoma despite being listed as an Oklahoma receiver by every scouting website on the Internet. He was dismissed from Missouri following an alleged domestic incident and had to submit a waiver to play immediately after transferring to Oklahoma, but his waiver was denied.
There were no charges filed in the case, so he may have a case for forgiveness, but with how tight the focus has been on domestic abuse in the NFL lately, teams will have a hard time taking a chance on him.
That being said, the 6'5", 237-pounder is what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein describes as an "imposing physical specimen with outstanding height, weight and speed numbers," and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash as proof of that speed. Zierlein also says Green-Beckham has "rare catch radius with ability to pluck would-be interceptions and turn them into catches," which should be intriguing."
The Dolphins would be taking a calculated risk by selecting Green-Beckham, but if they can have him in the second or third round, the value could be too good to pass up.
Chris Conley, Georgia
5 of 5
If it's a red-zone threat the Dolphins want, Georgia wide receiver Chris Conley can give it to them for the mere price of a mid-round pick.
With 20 touchdown catches and a touchdown rate of 17.1 percent in his four-year career, there was never any doubt over his ability to create mismatches in the red zone, but a 45-inch vertical leap only hammered that point home. The questions were pointed toward his ability as a downfield threat, but a blistering-fast 4.35-second 40-yard dash may cause some scouts to go back to the tape.
As with many receivers possessing such immense physical skills, the downside with Conley is his lack of polish. CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler says Conley is "too upright in his routes and doesn't consistently sink-and-shake to fool defenders and create separation," and that he is "too easily slowed by defenders in his patterns and can be out-muscled at the top of routes."
That being said, if the Dolphins are comfortable that he can develop into not only a consistent threat in the red zone but at all depths of the field, Conley could be theirs late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 of the draft.
Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information and draft notes provided by NFL.com and CBSSports.com; all salary-cap and contract information provided by OverTheCap.com; and all advanced stats provided by ProFootballFocus.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
