Miami Dolphins Sign Free Agent WR Will Fuller:
On Wednesday, March 18th, the Miami Dolphins signed veteran speedster Will Fuller to a one-year deal worth at least $10 million. Fuller has the chance to earn an extra $3 million in incentives for the one year.
Will Fuller brings a new dynamic to the Miami Dolphins’ WR group, as they have been desperately needing a receiver who can take the top off of an opposing team’s secondary with his blazing speed. Likely no one is more happy about this signing than second-year QB Tua Tagovailoa, who throughout his drop-backs last season was missing a player like Fuller to throw a deep ball to. Tua has shown in college, as well as a couple throws in the NFL, that he can be accurate downfield. Tua just never had a WR on the Dolphins capable of creating the necessary separation downfield like Fuller will be able to.
There are however two caveats to the Fuller signing. Fuller has had an extensive injury history, causing him to miss a handful of games throughout his young career. Fuller has never played a full 16 games in any of his first five seasons in Houston. Last season though Fuller was suspended by the NFL for six games after violating the league’s performance enhancing drugs policy. That is the second caveat in the Dolphins signing Fuller. Fuller will be un-eligible to play in the Dolphins’ season opener due to the suspension, but will be able to re-join the team in Week 2.
Before being suspended last season, Fuller was on track to blow his previous career-highs in catches, yards, and touchdowns out of the water. Through 11 games, Fuller hauled in 53 catches for 879 yards and 8 touchdowns while serving as one of Deshaun Watson’s most consistent targets.
Fuller joins a young skills group that includes Devante Parker, Preston Williams, Mike Gesicki, Jakeem Grant, Albert Wilson, and Lynn Bowden Jr. among others. The Dolphins still hold the #3 and #18 picks in the 2021 draft as of writing this article, and the team could look to use those picks to bolster this skills group even further. Should the team draft a player like Ja’Marr Chase or Devonta Smith, this could become one of the most underrated WR groups in the entire league. Tua should find himself with a multitude of targets next season, and I’m beyond excited to see what this revamped skills group can do.
