The Miami Dolphins now have a galaxy’s worth of stars at the wide receiver position.
Mike McDaniel’s offense got even more potent Friday with news that Odell Beckham Jr. is joining up with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in South Florida.
How Odell Beckham Jr. Fits With Miami Dolphins
Beckham, who turns 32 in November, has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $8.3 million, PFN has confirmed, giving the Dolphins arguably the most complete wide receiver room in football. NFL Network was first to report.
OBJ is taking his talents to South Beach, as confirmed by PFN's @AdamHBeasley. 🐬#FinsUp | #NFL pic.twitter.com/t6G7KsYCIu
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) May 3, 2024
Beckham’s decision comes weeks after his visit to Dolphins HQ. Coach Mike McDaniel confirmed at the NFL Annual Meeting that the Dolphins made an offer to Beckham, adding:
“Things went great with him. … Business takes time, especially with players like Odell, who’s had a phenomenal career and still has really good football in front of him and has options.
“I think those conversations will be ongoing. We’ll see where they go. I don’t live in the world of crystal balling and I do stay in my lane as a coach. I’m definitely ready to coach him if we can come to an agreement, and I think both sides are trying to work towards that. We’ll see what happens.”
He remained a part of the Dolphins’ plans, even after they selected Malik Washington and Tahj Washington in last month’s draft.
Beckham might not be the same talent he was a decade ago, but the Dolphins don’t need him to be.
He will be a part-time player in Miami, giving the Dolphins the big-bodied target on the outside that they lack with Hill and Waddle as their top two options.
Expect a similar workload to what he got in his own year in Baltimore when he set a career-high in yards per catch (16.1).
Beckham logged just 465 snaps (an average of 33 in the 14 games he played), and the Dolphins probably won’t need much more than that out of him in 2024.
While Beckham is known for his explosive downfield plays, he has done good work out of the slot.
Putting him, Hill, and Waddle on the field at the same time with little idea of who is going to line up where would make it a big-time challenge for opposing defenses to key on tendencies.
.@obj is joining Tua and Tyreek in Miami 🙌🐬@miamidolphins pic.twitter.com/ckcN610Gov
— NFL (@NFL) May 3, 2024
Jalen Ramsey welcomed Beckham to the Dolphins on social media, pointing out that the last time they were teammates they won a Super Bowl together.
You remember what happened last time right O? @obj pic.twitter.com/r1moDV19hC
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) May 3, 2024
Miami Dolphins Wide Receiver Depth Chart
Locks
- Tyreek Hill
- Jaylen Waddle
- Odell Beckham Jr.
Hill and Waddle together made up the NFL’s most prolific receiving duo, with 2,813 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns between them.
Expect another sky-high usage rate for both in 2024 after they were targeted a combined 275 times between them.
Now throw in Beckham, who is the big-bodied target this offense lacked, and this starting lineup is as good as any.
Probably Safe
- Braxton Berrios
- River Cracraft
- Malik Washington
Berrios would have been a lock (and probably still is) had the Dolphins not used a sixth-round pick on Malik Washington on Saturday.
If the Dolphins believe they can get Berrios’ production on offense from Washington and his return production from, say, rookie running back Jaylen Wright, perhaps they try to trade him. Cutting Berrios, who is scheduled to make just $2.1 million this season, seems highly unlikely.
Cracraft is probably the Dolphins’ best blocker and high on Mike McDaniel’s list of favorite players.
Regarding Washington, McDaniel said this after the selection:
“There are some professional football players in that room that he’s going to have to compete against to get opportunities. We identified him as a person and an athlete that would be up for the challenge, and that’s a tall task. So you know that when you’re looking at these guys and that’s one of the reasons we felt he was a fit to be here.”
Roster Bubble/Practice Squad
- Erik Ezukanma
- Tahj Washington
Ezukanma has just five catches for 22 yards in two NFL seasons, but he has something that few Dolphins receivers possess: size.
The Tahj Washington pick seems like a hedge against Malik Washington developing. It’s hard to see how the Dolphins keep all three slots (the two Washingtons and Berrios) on the active roster, so the practice squad seems likely.
Long Shots
- Je’Quan Burton
- Braylon Sanders
- Anthony Schwartz
- Mathew Sexton
Schwartz and Sanders benefit from knowing the system, but it’s hard to see how any of these guys can make the 53. Perhaps one or two stick on PS.
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