Kelly: Beckham Fits What Dolphins Offense Needs
Mike McDaniel is viewed as one of the NFL’s young offensive masterminds.
He’s a trendsetter — not a follower — in life and, more importantly, in football.
So it’s hard to second-guess, or doubt McDaniel whenever he veers off the beaten path.
When that happens, I usually conclude that the Miami Dolphins head coach is up to something, and that’s the thought process I’ve taken to Dolphins’ courtship of Odell Beckham Jr., who spent Thursday on a free agent visit with the team.
The Dolphins already possess one of the most productive, and feared NFL receiver duos in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who collectively have accounted for 5,879 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns the past two seasons.
Hill and Waddle each has the speed and skill set to change the game on one catch, and that makes opposing defenses act accordingly.
That duo, and Tua Tagovailoa's efficiency as a quarterback, are the the main reasons the Dolphins finished 2023 with the top-ranked offense in the NFL.
But what last year’s final month struggles showed the world was that Miami needs a third weapon in the passing game, someone who can do the dirty work that isn’t ideal for Hill and Waddle, two speedsters who are on the smaller side.
Dolphins need a physical receiver
The Dolphins need someone to rough a crisp slant in the seam, get blasted, and manage to consistently bring the ball down.
They need someone who can box out a cornerback, then high-point the football in the end zone to make Miami’s goal-to-go offense more efficient.
The Dolphins need a receiver who has the speed and power to create separation in small spaces, and a receiver who can block with the ferociousness of a fullback, allowing Miami’s big-play offense to stay productive.
The Dolphins need someone better than Cedrick Wilson Jr., Braxton Berrios and River Cracraft, who were collectively used as Miami’s third receiver last season and had a whisper-level impact on the NFL’s No. 1 offense.
Berrios and Cracraft have re-signed with the Dolphins, but let's view Beckham's visit as a clear indicator the Dolphins realize the team needs to do better at receiver, and can.
The Dolphins need a possession receiver who can masquerade as a between-the-hashes target, and that’s exactly the role Beckham played last season for the Baltimore Ravens, contributed 565 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the 35 receptions he pulled down in the 16 games he played last season.
These days Beckham, who sat out a year of football rehabbing a knee injury in 2022. is more of a big name than he is a game changer.
What OBJ will Miami be getting?
He was a 1,000-yard receiver five times in his nine seasons, but has spent the majority of the past seven years battling through serious injuries, and fighting off rust.
His production for the Ravens, which paid him $15 million for the 2023 season, wasn’t phenomenal, and certainly didn’t match his price tag. But that doesn’t mean he can’t help the Dolphins offense, if the asking price is reasonable.
That doesn’t mean he can’t be the missing puzzle piece McDaniel is searching for, a pass-catching weapon who can bring some toughness to Miami's finesse offense.
Only time will tell how this courtship of Beckham plays out. Both parties easily could move on to explore other options and avenues.
But the fact Beckham is the first outside receiver brought in for a visit, a courtship that became public Wednesday evening, hints that McDaniel sees something he wants, and can use, and has instructed the powers that be to go get it.
