Gary Jennings

Lions hold tryout for 3 players including QB Kyle Lauletta

Lauletta was a 4th round pick in 2018

There were three extra football players in Allen Park on Tuesday as the Detroit Lions auditioned three street free agents.

Quarterback Kyle Lauletta and two wide receivers, Gary Jennings and Damion Willis, tried out for the Lions. Lauletta was a fourth-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Richmond. He played extensively against Detroit in the two teams’ joint practices and preseason game that summer. He was most recently with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.

Jennings is another fourth-round pick who didn’t work out. The Seattle Seahawks bailed on their 2019 fourth-rounder midway through his rookie season. Jennings, a speedy former QB, has also been with the Miami Dolphins.

Willis is the only tryout who has played in an actual game. He started three games for the Bengals as an undrafted rookie in 2019. He spent the summer with the Cleveland Browns before being waived.

None of the players have been signed as of Wednesday morning.

Three Dolphins Who Can Step Up Without Allen Hurns In 2020

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The Miami Dolphins made the decision this offseason to avoid adding any fresh faces to their wide receiver room. Yes, Miami brought in two undrafted free agents but the team was more focused on building up the defense and the trenches with their prized assets in team-building. That decision not to address wide receiver will be tested this year — Miami’s starting duo of DeVante Parker and Preston Williams remains but veteran pass catcher Allen Hurns recently announced his decision to opt out of the 2020 NFL season, citing concern for the health of his family.

Miami will now have to see their younger receivers step up. Which young pass catcher is most likely to see the biggest advance in reps this season as a result of the absence of Hurns? Here are the three best options.

WR Jakeem Grant

Grant felt as though he was already on schedule to see a boost in targets — he’s been vocal this offseason about wanting to prove that he is a wide receiver first and foremost and his route running clips this summer jump off the screen. But Grant will need to stay healthy if he’s going to see the kind of production boom that he’s hoping for. And with 12 missed games over the last two seasons (and two stints on injured reserve), Grant is going to have his work cut out for him to simply stay healthy and play 16 games. That should be a concern for the Dolphins as much as anything — if you put too much on his plate, will Grant’s body break down from the wear and tear?

WR Isaiah Ford

Ford has been with the Dolphins for several seasons now and bounced back and forth between the practice squad and the active roster. The patience he’s held that his shot will come may have just paid off — especially when you consider that Ford looked strong at the end of the 2019 season as he was pressed into action. Ford has a similar skill set to Hurns as well, he might be the easiest “one for one” plug in option for the Dolphins’ wide receiver room. What is his ceiling? He’s likely reserved for routes coming from the slot and he’s not likely to be a big play receiver. But he’ll be reliable with his hands and, best of all, he’s hungry to prove he deserves a spot.

WR Gary Jennings Jr.

Jennings is a former 4th-round pick from the 2019 NFL Draft. Miami took advantage of their low post on the waiver wire last fall when they were able to pluck him off of Seattle, who had cut him from their active roster. Jennings didn’t get much run in Miami but the catalyst of those issues was his health — he ended up playing just a handful of snaps before missing the end of the year. Something important to keep in mind for Jennings? He’s got explosive speed. He tested in the 4.3s in the 40-yard dash and has plenty of experience winning from the slot at the college level, where he played at West Virginia. Jennings is the sleeper to reap the benefits of Hurns’ departure for 2020 — but he’s well equipped to make a splash and create some chunk explosive plays that this team will desperately need.

Who has the best chance to be the Dolphins’ WR6 in 2020?

The Miami Dolphins will face an interesting dilemma this summer once training camp opens up. The team decided to stand firm on their wide receiver room amid the improvements the team made elsewhere across the entirety of the roster — which could be interpreted in a number of different ways. One possible explanation is that the Dolphins decided to only prioritize a handful of objectives this offseason and wide receiver did not make the cut. But another possibility is that the Dolphins feel their wide receiver room has plenty of untapped potential — which would need to come from the youngsters on the roster. Which players are strong bets to make the team?

You can be sure to see Devante Parker, Albert Wilson, Preston Williams, and Jakeem Grant in Miami this September. Veteran WR Allen Hurns has also seemingly solidified his standing — so an extra boost to the passing game will need to come from a 6th wide receiver to make the roster. Who are the best contenders?

Mack Hollins

Hollins has vertical components to his game and is a strong special teams contributor. That’s his best bet to make the Dolphins — star on the team’s third unit as a gunner and hope his length and catch radius can provide enough of a push to make an impact.

Isaiah Ford

Ford has built up some solid sweat equity with the Dolphins after being called into action during the 2019 season. After lingering on the Dolphins’ practice squad, Ford stepped into a void and was a fairly reliable receiver — although his lack of high end physical traits may prevent him from filling a greater role for the team in 2020.

Jennings is a sneaky sleeper because he is just one year removed from being a 4th-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks. What’s more interesting is that Jennings — a burner with 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash, came from a spread offense at West Virginia that frequently utilized him in the slot; which is where he’d be of most help to the Dolphins.

Kirk Merritt

Merritt is a troubled prospect who went undrafted during the 2020 NFL Draft but has some reported eye-popping numbers in his athletic testing. Merritt would need to enter training camp and blow the Dolphins away with his route running in order to command an active roster spot.

Final Verdict

Don’t sleep on Gary Jennings. He’s the Dolphins wide receiver with the best chance to make the roster and he was unable to make a lasting impression after injury cut short his time in Miami last season after being claimed off waivers. A recent report from the Miami Herald spotlighted Jennings as a standout this offseason at a third-party workout/training facility, too.

“It was like old school college seven-on-seven out here, and (Jennings) put on a clinic. His routes were outstanding. We’re talking about two straight hours going against some of the top defensive backs in this league,” said trainer Pete Bommarito of Bommarito Performance Systems.

“He was a 4.3 guy (coming out of college) and is still a 4.3 guy. I had All-Pro cornerbacks on those fields (last Friday) and they said he’s the real deal. All he needs is a shot. He has all the skills to be big time.”

He’ll get his shot in Miami. What he makes of it will be up to him.

After learning a ton, John Ursua is ready to contribute in 2020

Seattle Seahawks receiver John Ursua is all caught up after struggling with the playbook last year, and he’s ready to make an impact.

The Seattle Seahawks used three of their 11 draft picks in 2019 on wide receivers. One of them, DK Metcalf, quieted the doubters and turned in an excellent rookie campaign while another, Gary Jennings, never made the active roster and was released before the season ended.

The third was John Ursua, a seventh round pick out of Hawaii who projects as a possession slot receiver in the NFL, but who only saw action in three games last year, with just 11 total snaps.

Ursua had a strong preseason, even drawing some way-too-early Doug Baldwin comparisons, but he struggled to learn the playbook and adjust to the NFL game, which hampered his ability to get on the field in year one.

Those days are behind him however, and coach Pete Carroll is excited at the prospect of a fully ready Ursua in the mix for playing time in 2020.

“Johnny Ursua coming up, we’re excited to see where he fits into it,” Carroll told reporters at the NFL combine on Tuesday. “He could definitely be a factor. He was the other end of the spectrum when we’re talking about young receivers. Johnny had a long way to go and had a lot to learn, and it took him longer to assimilate. But he’s getting there now and he finished out the season with us being active and all that, so there’s a lot of exciting parts to put together here.”

Ursua spent most of the season as a healthy inactive, appearing in three games and hauling in one reception, an 11-yard gain in the Week 17 battle with the 49ers that fell just one-yard short of the end zone.

The 26-year-old has a year of preparation under his belt, and if he can prove he’s ready to take on the playbook and the speed of the NFL game, he could be a nice short-yardage option in the receiver room in 2020.

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