Campbell’s ouster helps clarify WR situation in Miami

By Hugo Guzman  |   Tuesday, July 10, 2007  |  Comments( 24 )

Miami Dolphins
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What appeared to be a logjam at wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins is slowly but surely becoming more clear-cut.

On Friday, the Dolphins cut veteran receiver Kelly Campbell. The speedy wideout appeared to finally be healthy enough to compete for legitimate playing time after missing two full seasons thanks to a lingering quadriceps injury. Prior to his injury issues, Campbell made a name for himself as a game-breaking speedster for the Minnesota Vikings. Clearly, though, Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron felt that the four-year veteran was not primed for a return to form in '07.

Campbell will now try to catch on with another NFL franchise, and the Dolphins will attempt to further clarify a position that is still a bit overstocked and unsettled.

The only guy who seems to be a shoo-in for starting duties is Chris Chambers. Despite being the subject of countless negative fan rants over the past few seasons, Chambers does have a Pro Bowl pedigree. However, Chambers is set to turn 29 in August, which means the days of waiting on his "potential" are over. It's safe to say that what you've seen is what you'll get in 2007.

After Chambers, there's a potentially interesting position battle brewing. Will veteran wideout Marty Booker get the starting nod, or will it be rookie speedster Ted Ginn, Jr.? The Dolphins won't release an official depth chart for another month or so, but at this point it appears that the job will be Booker's to lose. That seems fair when you consider that Booker has been arguably the most consistent producer on the outside over the past few seasons. The 31-year-old should have at least one more productive season in him.

Here's where things get interesting for Cameron & Co.

You've got an electrifying rookie receiver whom you invested the ninth overall pick in, a second-year guy with good size who has shown promise, a first-year running back with great elusiveness who played a bit of slot receiver in college, and yet another shifty wideout with 10 years of experience and a Super Bowl ring. With that said, who should get the leftover playing time when the regular season rolls around?

Ginn will more than likely get his fair share of touches at wideout, but expect him to do most of his damage in the return game.

Fellow rookie Lorenzo Booker will also likely see action in the return game and will spell Ronnie Brown in certain situations, but don't be surprised if you see him lining up in the slot from time to time.

Derek Hagan will be under a lot of pressure to perform in Year 2 because he was not drafted by Cameron, but the rookie head coach should give him plenty of opportunities to earn his keep, especially considering the team's only other big receiver, Marty Booker, is probably coming to the end of his tenure as a Dolphin.

As for Az Hakim, don't look for him to get much playing time, unless the youngsters falter or are riddled by injuries. Still, he will provide much-needed experience and security at the position.

All of these guys should make the final 53-man roster; the Dolphins should keep five wideouts, and Lorenzo Booker will be listed as a running back.

In the end, playing time will be determined by training camp and preseason production. That's a tried-and-true formula in the NFL. Beyond that, it will be Cameron's job to plug the youngsters in at the right time, ensuring that the team can transition from its core of veteran pass-catchers to the new crop of playmakers who will be lining up on the outside in 2007 and beyond.

RealFootball365.com: Where there's no such thing as an offseason for the Miami Dolphins.
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About Hugo Guzman

Trying to bring an objective approach to NFL analysis.
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CommentsComments: 24  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
Kevin		08:55 AM
07/10/2007
Another really important article written by the realfootball365 folks. It gets very tiresome reading this nonsense day in and...
No.2
PHINTIM		10:01 AM
07/10/2007
"Whew" Kevin I sure hope you are wrong because the Dolphins have larger problems to deal with than the WR situation you just...
No.3
Lowell Schoenfeld		10:05 AM
07/10/2007
Never posted before but I just would like to address the prior comment. I seriously doubt the team would cut a player that could...
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