The Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver room got turned upside down this week with the announcements from both Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson that neither will play this season. For a team that elected not to add a single wide receiver to their roster this offseason, that’s a tough pill to swallow — but a development that the Dolphins will gladly take in stride in order to support Hurns and Wilson with their respective decision.
But it seems as though the Dolphins did indeed add a wide receiver this offseason after all. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald is reporting that the Dolphins are asking former Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry to learn how to play slot receiver, citing a team source.
“The Dolphins are expected to take a look at him at both running back and receiver,” wrote Jackson.
“And Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper said Perry reminds him of Julian Edelman and Antwaan Randle-El, two former college quarterbacks who excelled as receivers in the NFL.”
That is about as promising and optimistic of a forecast as you could possibly have for a triple-option quarterback. And if he does live up to that potential, it will go down as a big win for the Dolphins. But it also isn’t likely to help Miami with their pressing issue in 2020. Given how inexperienced Perry is at running routes, it is difficult to envision him becoming crafty enough in that capacity to win with frequency as a rookie from the slot — meaning he’s going to have to make the active roster as either a return man or as a backup running back and then continue to develop his craft.
Perry might be the answer in the slot for the long run, but he’s not going to be the panacea for Miami’s recent wide receiver departures for the here and now.