In our second installment of Around the AFC East, Matty I talks about changes in the Dolphins' receiver corp.
With the departure of receivers Chris Chambers and Marty Booker, where do you see the Dolphins' receiver corp? Do Ted Ginn and Derek Hagan have the skills and experience to step up and make the plays they need to in order to help Miami move forward?
The Phinsider: That's a great question. And I wish I knew. But here's the thing: I like Ted Ginn a lot. He's going to be a very good receiver in this league (probably not worth the 9th overall pick, but even still). But is he ready to take that step in '08 is the question, especially with defenses not having too much else to worry about in the passing game.
Hagan, who has been working his tail off this offseason, is reportedly looking better than he ever has. He's always had potential thanks to his size and strength. It was his inconsistent hands that have always held him back. But he's reportedly taken care of that issue, which is important for him if he wants to even think about starting.
But more than likely, it will be free agent acquisition Ernest Wilford starting opposite of Ginn. And Wilford is a perfect compliment to Teddy and is exactly what this offense needs. He's very big (6'5 to be exact) and has very reliable hands. He's the kind of player who moves chains while also posing a big-time threat in the redzone.
I think that if you look at the production Chris Chambers and Marty Booker had in Miami the past 2 seasons, you'll see that it's not a very difficult task to fill their shoes. And I think Ginn and Wilford will do a good job of that – likely producing more yardage than Chambers and Booker have done in '06 and '07. But will that even be enough to help the Dolphins? I have no clue right now.
Ernest Wilford seems like the guy to watch. He's a tall veteran with some skills. In addition to what Matty says are his attributes, I might add "Seam". He's roughly the same size as Moss, our premier seam WR, but I'll defer to Matty on this one; he knows him best. Look for some interesting stuff to come from this receiver corp.
Props to Matty I for his most excellent info. Be sure to visit The Phinsider, SBNation's very cool Miami Dolphins blog, for my answers as well as lots of great info on the Dolphins.