The 2024 NFL season hasn’t even started yet, but it’s never too early to take a look into the future. That’s exactly the approach the team over at Bleacher Report has taken, laying the groundwork for what each team could do in next year’s free agency period to help keep their teams competitive or help them take that next step.
For the Miami Dolphins, it should come as no surprise that they’re projected to add more speed to the offense. Speed has been the calling card of the Dolphins offense since head coach Mike McDaniel arrived on the scene, and they already have it in spades. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is one of – if not the – fastest wide receivers in all of football, and his running mate, Jaylen Waddle, is no slouch in the speed department either.
The running back corps is a veritable track team with the likes of Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, and rookie Jaylen Wright each being some of the fastest at the position. It’s hard to imagine the Dolphins offense getting even faster, but that’s exactly what Alex Ballantine, NFL analyst for Bleacher Report, suggests the Dolphins do in the 2025 NFL free agency period, by signing current Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell.
Atwell may be undersized for the position at just 5’9” and 165 pounds, but what he lacks in size he makes up for in speed with a 4.32 40-yard dash during his pre-draft cycle ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Dolphins offense is in desperate need of someone to step up as the team’s third wide receiver to take some of the pressure off Hill and Waddle. Few, if any, teams in the NFL rely more heavily on the top two pass catchers.
Atwell could give the Dolphins a reliable third option at wide receiver, and give them yet another player who is a threat to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field. If the team were to sign Atwell in 2025, the downside is that it could push out rookie Malik Washington from both the offense and his special teams contributions. Atwell would likely come in and take over the kick/punt return duties, as well, leaving Washington struggling to make a contribution despite his breakout this preseason.
That’s life in the NFL, though, and certainly not something that is likely to prevent the Dolphins front office from at least exploring the possibility. There’s a ton of time between now and the start of next season’s free agency period, but it’s fun to think about the Dolphins’ offense getting even faster next year.