Can Preston Pick Up Where He Left Off?
Among the many injury questions the Miami Dolphins had at the start of training camp — and, yes, that includes the status of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — one of them involved wide receiver Preston Williams.
The good news is that, unlike star cornerback Xavien Howard, Williams did not start camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
What that means in the grand scheme shouldn't be overstated, but it most definitely was a good sign.
“Preston has worked extremely hard since the injury," Coach Brian Flores said Monday. "He’s worked his way back to where he was cleared for activity again. It’s walk-through right now, so there’s strength and conditioning in the morning. So he’s running, he’s lifting and we’ll see him in a walk-through setting. But again, for Preston, it’s a new offense so we’re learning the terminology, the depths on some routes and things of that nature. They are a little bit different than they were a year ago. That’s kind of where his focus is right now. He’s worked extremely hard, as all of our guys have, from a rehab standpoint."
In this season of unknowns, Williams' ability to duplicate what he did in 2019 ranks right up there.
He actually was the Dolphins' best offensive player in the first half of the season, though the bar admittedly was low during a very tough stretch for the Miami offense.
It also is fair to mention that while Williams was impressive, he wasn't perfect, because there were some passes he dropped.
But overall it was about as impressive a rookie season as the Dolphins could have hoped from a wide receiver, who typically don't make much of an impact in their first NFL season. The fact that Williams was undrafted makes it more impressive, though he wasn't a typical UDFA because off-the-field concerns played a big role in his going undrafted.
If Williams is able to bounce back, it's certainly logical to expect him to start opposite DeVante Parker to give the Dolphins a very big starting pair of wideouts that would make things difficult for opposing cornerbacks.
Both Williams and Parker not only are tall, they have shown the ability to use their body to shield defenders.
For those wondering about Chan Gailey's offense in terms of spreading the ball among the receivers, his history suggests it's certainly possible for two wide receivers to put up big numbers.
Just look back at his most recent time in the NFL, as offensive coordinator of the New York Jets in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Brandon Marshall had 173 targets and Eric Decker had 132, and the following season Marshall (128) and Quincy Enunwa (105) both topped the century marks.
So there should be plenty of opportunities for both Parker and Williams.
That's presuming, of course, both are healthy and productive. It's still too soon to make a prediction on that, but the fact that Williams didn't start off on PUP certainly was an encouraging sign.
