Tag: Albert Wilson

Watch: Tua Tagovailoa unloads bomb to Albert Wilson at training camp

Watch: Tua Tagovailoa unloads bomb to Albert Wilson at training camp

One of the biggest limiting factor to the Miami Dolphins’ offense during the 2020 season was the lack of generated big plays down the field. It was an issue with both the running game and the passing game alike, but the ability to push the ball down the field was something Miami never really got the hang of once Tua Tagovailoa stepped onto the field. There was the deep shot against Cincinnati to Jakeem Grant that fell harmlessly to the ground after bouncing off Grant’s hands. The deep shot against Kansas City that Tagovailoa left short and was deflected into the air for his first career interception. The extended play chance just before half against the Chargers? It fell 6 inches short of a diving Grant.

We come bearing good news from Day 1 of 2021 Miami Dolphins training camp, everyone. Tua Tagovailoa dialed up the deep ball with success; nailing Albert Wilson behind the defense for a big play strike during the team’s first practice of training camp.

And we’re happy to report that the Dolphins have posted the video.

Getting a handful of these type of plays to connect in 2021 will completely alter the way the Dolphins’ offense operates — and give the team much more consistency with their ability to push into the red zone and score touchdowns. Miami enjoyed a 400 point scoring season in 2020; one of their best in recent memory. But in order to become an offensive elite, that number must grow again by another 50, 75, 100 points. And those leaps and bounds are most easily found by pushing the ball down the field.

Between Wilson, Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle, Tagovailoa will have no shortage of speed to look for in his bid to craft a more explosive offense. And, as we saw in yesterday’s first look, the team is already working on getting the hang of it.

Report: Dolphins pleased with Albert Wilson’s early offseason showing

Report: Dolphins pleased with Albert Wilson’s early offseason showing

Just a few months ago, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson appeared to be on the roster bubble. The Dolphins were on the cusp of a wide receiver room overhaul and, with a significant salary for the 2021 season, Wilson appeared to be a logical member of the chopping block. What a difference a few months makes.

There’s still plenty of work to be done, but it appears as though Wilson has answered the call regarding his status as a viable member of the receiving corp — as indicated by a recent report from the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson. According to Jackson, Miami is so happy with Wilson’s health and early showings that they’re even looking at further amplifying his role in the passing game to include reps on the outside.

“The Dolphins have been very happy with how receiver Albert Wilson looked in the offseason program and are even using him some outside, because Jaylen Waddle projects as their top slot receiver.” — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald

This is a notable development for Miami on a couple of fronts. If the team does indeed follow through and finds room for Wilson on the outside, rookie Jaylen Waddle will be freed up to take a higher percentage of the snaps from the slot, which is where he was most frequently used last year at Alabama. Furthermore, more of Wilson on the outside is bad news for talents like Preston Williams, who currently don’t offer a great deal of special teams value and are lower on the pecking order at wide receiver after the additions of Waddle and Fuller to the mix.

In all, more competition is a good thing. And if Wilson is able to play to the standard that makes his salary worth keeping on the books, the Dolphins will undoubtedly be thrilled to have him after the trying season the team had last year at wide receiver.

Training camp is the big test. But, at least for now, this is a significant development as Miami tries to sort out a crowded wide receiver room for 2021.

Cleaner effort for offense highlights Dolphins second day of minicamp

Cleaner effort for offense highlights Dolphins second day of minicamp

Remember all that buzz about yesterday’s Miami Dolphins minicamp session and how the Dolphins’ offense couldn’t seem to get anything right? Throw it all away. Because the Dolphins, in their last open practice of their 2021 minicamp, rebounded on Wednesday with a much cleaner performance according to those in attendance. And if you’re counting stats (for some reason), the production through the team’s 7 on 7 sessions and goal line sessions yielded more touchdowns on Wednesday than turnovers on Tuesday.

All is well, Dolphins fans. Collectively, you can exhale. Here are some of the quotes from those in attendance on Wednesday afternoon:

“Tua Tagovailoa didn’t throw an interception on Wednesday after throwing five on Tuesday,” the Miami Herald wrote via Barry Jackson and Armando Salguero. And in an individual session:

“…Tagovailoa threw a 40-yard TD pass to Jaylen Waddle in the next series, and then delivered a 30-yard TD pass to DeVante Parker.”

This is the content you’re hoping for when hearing the Dolphins are looking to open up the passing game and push the ball vertically down the field. But the positive reviews weren’t just from the Miami Herald, either.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will the Miami Dolphins’ chemistry on offense. But at least for one afternoon, Dolphins fans can collectively bask in the fact that headlines tomorrow won’t be talking about the sky falling because of a minicamp installation practice in June. That will be a nice change of pace from earlier in the week, at the very least.

Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson sees himself in rookie Jaylen Waddle

Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson sees himself in rookie Jaylen Waddle

When the Miami Dolphins drafted wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in the 1st-round of the 2021 NFL draft, it seemed like a heavy blow to the hopes of veteran wide receiver Albert Wilson to make the team. After all, Wilson was out of sight and out of mind in 2020 after having opted out of the season due to concerns with COVID-19. Wilson was well within his rights to do so, but the team certainly missed his services all the same; and as a result brought about an influx in new receiving talent.

Lynn Bowden Jr. was added at the start of the 2020 season. The Dolphins then in free agency added Robert Foster and Will Fuller to the mix before drafting Waddle. Hard times ahead for Wilson — or so you’d think.

But reports out of OTAs and minicamp seem to indicate that Wilson is capable of filling out an important role in the wide receiver room. And if that does indeed materialize, seeing how Wilson will mesh with Waddle instead of being replaced by him will be a fascinating subplot to a crowded receivers room.

How does Wilson see it? He’s chomping at the bit.

“Man, I’m excited to see (Waddle) go to work. Like you said, I see myself in him; so anything I can do to help him get going right now, I’m here for him,” said Wilson on Wednesday afternoon.

“And then to see somebody that can work the slot just as well as me on the other side of the ball, and we’re all just going at it; it will be a lot of fun.”

One thing that is for certain about this Dolphins wide receiver room is that they won’t hurt for speed. After a more lethargic group took most of the snaps in 2020, the Dolphins are nearly one-tenth of a second faster on average in their 11-personnel grouping this season based on early forecasts for the starting role. And with that much added stress on opposing secondaries, there should be no shortage of room to run and space to create plays. Few have done that better than a healthy Wilson (or a healthy Waddle).

It sounds like a lot of fun to us, too.

Dolphins return on investment at wide receiver further evidence for change

Dolphins return on investment at WR further evidence for change

The Miami Dolphins’ objective this offseason is clear: get better weapons for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Miami entered the 2020 season with former 1st-round pick DeVante Parker coming off of a career season and tight end Mike Gesicki suddenly looking like the talent the Dolphins envisioned in 2018 when they made him a 2nd-round choice. But beyond that? Yikes.

Even Parker, who entered this season with a new contract in tow, failed to live up to the standards he’d set the previous season. But his production was still respectable by the end of the year — 63 receptions for 793 yards and 4 scores. But the rest of the wide receiver room was ravaged by injuries and opt outs — leaving Jakeem Grant as the next most productive wide receiver on the team with a measly 373 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. No other Dolphins wide receiver finished the year with 300+ receiving yards.

The need for improvement is obvious — but when you consider what the Dolphins have on the roster and what they’re committed to spending for it, the need for change only becomes more obvious.

The Dolphins are committed to over $25M in cap commitments to the wide receiver position in 2021 ($25,500,001 to be exact). That figure is the 11th highest allocation of salary cap for the wide receiver position in the NFL. And what do the Dolphins have to show for it? 10 combined touchdowns (one less than their trio of tight ends) and one 400+ yard receiver in 2020. Granted. Injuries and opt outs did account for some of the shortcomings. But Miami’s wide receiver room is, at this point, one of the worst in football. The cap allocations for 2021 among Miami’s notable receivers are as follows:

  • DeVante Parker – $11.05M
  • Albert Wilson – $5.18M
  • Jakeem Grant – $4.75M
  • Allen Hurns – $2.88M
  • Preston Williams – $853k

This, of course, doesn’t include marginal cap hits for rookies like Malcolm Perry and Lynn Bowden Jr. Aside of yet another reminder of why building through the draft holds so much value, the Dolphins are at a painful juncture and must be honest with themselves about the merits and outlook of this group and compare it with what they’re getting back for their money. And, if 2020 production (or 2019 production in the case of Wilson & Hurns) are any indication, the end result may be a clean sweep of the team’s top cap commitments aside of Parker at receiver.

The best solution may not be be dropping $20M per season onto star receiver Allen Robinson, but then again just about any move would put the Dolphins’ receiver in a better situation than they currently find themselves.

12 AFC East stories from last week for Bills fans to know

AFC East news roundup for Buffalo Bills fans.

You’re probably all on top of the latest news surrounding the Buffalo Bills and we hope Bills Wire helped you get there. But let us keep you up to date with the Bills news, just outside the Bills’ realm.

The upcoming 2020 NFL season has many thinking the Bills are the favorite in the AFC East. But Buffalo isn’t just going to stroll into that title. The Dolphins, Jets, and of course the Patriots, will all have something to say about that.

So let’s stay on top of some of the latest headlines surrounding the Bills’ divisional foes now. Here are 12 news stories from the other three AFC East teams from the last week right here:

Division

Patriots outside linebacker Dont’a Hightower. Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Opt outs

The biggest news from across the NFL last week were opt outs. Those came to a fever pitch on Thursday as the deadline for players deciding to do so came and went. Prior to that 4 p.m. mark, we already knew the Patriots had a lot of players deciding not to suit up. But eventually, we saw at least one player from every team in the AFC East decide not to play.

So let’s get right to it, the full list of opt outs from the AFC East:

Bills

  • CB EJ Gaines
  • DT Star Lotulelei

Dolphins

  • WR Allen Hurns
  • WR Albert Wilson II

Jets

  • WR Josh Doctson
  • OL Leo Holoamatangi
  • LB CJ Mosley

Patriots

  • RB Brandon Bolden
  • OT Marcus Cannon
  • S Patrick Chung
  • LB Dont’a Hightower
  • TE Matt LaCosse
  • WR Marquise Lee
  • OL Najee Toran
  • FB Danny Vitale
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Where does Miami Dolphins’ 2020 salary cap stand after opt outs?

Where does Miami Dolphins’ 2020 salary cap stand after opt outs?

The Miami Dolphins entered the 2020 offseason with one of the highest salary cap spending amounts in all of football. And now, as we leave the 2020 offseason behind and transition into another year of football, the Miami Dolphins will still have one of the highest salary cap spending amounts in all of football.

The NFL and NFLPA ironed out the finer details of how exactly player opt-outs would impact the salary cap both in the here and now but also projecting them forward — and the byproduct is that salaries will be deferred to the future with only a small portion of each player’s hit remaining for 2020. For the Dolphins, the team didn’t necessarily lose any big name players, but seeing WRs Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson elect not to play did help to boost Miami’s spending power.

The Dolphins gave out a slew of big money contracts this offseason, including a mega-deal to CB Byron Jones and several deals that gave out $10M+ annually to the likes of Ereck Flowers, Shaq Lawson and Kyle Van Noy. And yet with the final numbers crunched after COVID-19 opt-outs, the Dolphins currently rank seventh in the NFL in salary cap space with $24,650,560 in room.

The teams ahead of the Dolphins at this point in time?

  1. Cleveland
  2. New England
  3. Washington
  4. Denver 
  5. New York Jets
  6. Tennessee

What does this mean for the Dolphins? It probably won’t change much, as the Dolphins will have the opportunity to rollover salary cap space from 2020 to 2021 and help mitigate the impact of a reduced salary cap in the face of revenue sharing losses from a lack of ticket sales this season for the NFL. The 2021 salary cap floor sits at $175M, which would give the Dolphins just under $10.5M in cap space at their disposal. But if the Dolphins are able to roll over some $20M in cap space as surplus from this year’s cap, suddenly Miami has a much more comfortable buffer of around $30M to work with, which can help the team accommodate the incoming rookie class, add a few starters via free agency and potentially sign any outgoing players that the team wants to prioritize, such as LB Raekwon McMillan or DL Davon Godchaux.

Former Chiefs WR Albert Wilson opts out of 2020 NFL season

The former Kansas City Chiefs wideout announced his decision on Twitter on Wednesday.

Another former Kansas City Chiefs player has decided to opt out of the 2020 NFL season.

Wide receiver Albert Wilson, currently with the Miami Dolphins, announced his decision on Twitter.

“Not an easy decision to make…..

I’ve decided to opt out this 2020 season. It was a very tough choice but since the day I started playing the game it’s always been Faith, Family, Football. Because of this crazy time I choose to put my family in the best situation I see fit. I will stand by my teammates and brothers to support them 100% throughout this season and will be counting the day until I can join them again. 1 love.”

Wilson signed on with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft. He was a key contributor for Kansas City throughout the Alex Smith years, catching 124 passes for 1,544 yards and seven touchdowns.

Following the 2017 season, Wilson joined the Dolphins as a free agent, signing a three-year contract worth up to $24 million. He was off to a good start in 2018 when he suffered a hip injury that prematurely ended his 2020 season. In 2019, he played in 13 games, catching 43 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown.

Wilson joins Allen Hurns as the second Miami receiver opting out. Combined the two decisions loom as a big blow to the Dolphins receiver corp to start the 2020 season. DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Jakeem Grant remain as the top receivers in Miami.

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Dolphins lose another wide receiver as Albert Wilson opts out for 2020

Dolphins lose another wide receiver as Albert Wilson opts out for 2020

The Miami Dolphins have lost their second wide receiver in as many days. The Dolphins learned yesterday that veteran wide receiver Allen Hurns would be sitting out the 2020 season due to concerns regarding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Now, today, another veteran wide receiver has chosen the same path: Albert Wilson will also not play football this season.

Wilson announced his decision with the NFL player deadline looming just over 24 hours from now.

“Not an easy decision to make…

I’ve decided to opt out of this 2020 season. It was a very tough choice but since the day I started playing the game it has always been Faith Family Football. Because of this crazy time I choose to put my family in the best situation I see fit. I will stand by my teammates & brothers to support them 100% throughout this season and will be counting the days until I can join them again. One love – AWII” wrote Wilson on his prepared statement announcing his decision.

The Dolphins’ pass catchers were a strength of the team at the end of the 2020 season, although after Miami’s thorough rebuild and two opt-outs it is difficult to say the same for the coming year as Miami draws closer to kickoff.

One key stat for Dolphins receiving corps in 2020

One key stat for Dolphins receiving corps in 2020

Exiting the Miami Dolphins’ 2019 season, the pass catching group was widely considered to be one of the better position groups on the team. Between DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki’s big breakouts and the presence of promising talent like Preston Williams, Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson, the Dolphins had a collection of players who helped serve as the identity of the team to end last year.

Fast forward to today and that group is entirely intact — after an offseason full of wholesale improvements, the wide receiver and tight end room remained completely untouched. These guys will have the chance to run it back again in 2020. Each receiver had bright moments throughout the year, too — DeVante Parker was dominant late in the year, Preston Williams was promising early before injury cut his season short. Albert Wilson and Isaiah Ford were strong as complimentary options down the stretch as well.

So while each player will be looking for a more consistent season from start to finish, the entire group can aspire to be better in one critical area:

Drops.

The Miami Dolphins, according to Pro Football Reference, were tied for the NFL lead in drops as a team in 2019 — logging 36 dropped passes on the season. Their drop percentage was 6.0%, fourth worst in the league behind Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Dallas. Seven NFL teams dropped 20 or less balls on the season last year, highlighted by the Baltimore Ravens dropping just 14 passes for QB Lamar Jackson.

If this group is going to reach their full potential as a group, they’ll need to be more consistent in converting their opportunities into catches in the passing game. If the Dolphins receivers can be better here, we can glean a better idea of which targets are best suited to fill long-term roles. And if they can’t, well then we’ll have our answer anyway — just not one that’s a best case scenario.