If the Miami Dolphins are going to offer their quarterbacks with the best possible supporting cast this season, they’re going to need some lucky breaks in the health department. One such lucky break has presumably already come with the news that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be practicing with no restrictions once the Dolphins strap on the pads later this month. But who will Tagovailoa be throwing to other than DeVante Parker who can make a big splash in the passing game?
Sure, Mike Gesicki’s name comes to mind, but tight ends have traditionally been more of a complimentary target for offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s offenses. One big target who Miami will also need some luck with is second year wide receiver Preston Williams — and it seems as though the Dolphins’ fortunes may well be on their side once again with Williams. A standout rookie on last year’s team, Williams went down mid-season with an ACL injury that ended his year after eight games.
But, according to Dolphins head coach Brian Flores this morning, Williams has been cleared for football activity, which means the Dolphins may be able to put their best product on the field from the get go this season with Williams lining up opposite DeVante Parker.
Flores says Preston Williams (ACL) has been cleared for activity again. "He's running, he's lifting." Says he needs to learn new small things with the new offense. "Just try to get better on a daily basis."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 3, 2020
Getting Williams at 100% is still up in the air, as he may need additional time for his explosiveness to come back after the injury. But at the very least, having Williams available to create chemistry with Miami’s quarterbacks in the new offense as he continues his recovery is a benefit in itself. Dolphins fans can look no further than to another contributor in their wide receiver room for an example — Albert Wilson played nearly the entire season last year but was hardly himself after a 2018 hip injury. Wilson only looked to find his quickness back in the final month of the 2019 season. So while Williams’ clearance is a positive and his recovery is promising, assuming we’ll see him back to his old form by the start of the season is something that shouldn’t be assumed. If it happens, the Dolphins’ fortunes this year will be even better than they already seem.