While the Dolphins continue to rotate three quarterbacks with the first unit in an effort to determine who will be the starter against the Jets in the season opener, the real question is just who will be catching their passes amongst a kiddy corps of receivers.
Gone are two former Pro Bowl veteran receivers Chris Chambers and Marty Booker, Attempting to make their own marks are last year's overall ninth pick Ted Ginn Jr., underachieving third-year receiver Derek Hagan and young veteran Ernest Wilford, who the new regime snatched up in the first day of free agency last February because they crave his 6-4 size and dependable hands. Dolphins receivers caught a combined paltry seven touchdowns last season.
Beyond those three are two hungry journeymen in Greg Camarillo and David Kircus, and undrafted rookie free agents Davone Bess, John Dunlap, Justin Wynn, Jayson Foster and Selwyn Lymon.
Hoping to mold this adolescent unit is first-year Dolphins receivers coach Karl Dorrell, who brings with him the respect of being a head coach at UCLA, where he also starred as a receiver. He also coached Pro Bowl receivers Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith in Denver when they both topped the 100-catch plateau.
"Recently being a head coach, being able to communicate with the guys, the younger players out there I think is really important," said Dolphins coach Tony Sparano. "I mean Ted Ginn, he's only been out of college for a year and I think that the more you can get those guys around a coach that can communicate like that the better of you'll be."
Dorrell knows that potential doesn't always translate into production.
"There's a lot of possibilities," Dorrell said. "It's a group that has a lot of growth potential and that's my job, to get that potential out of them."
Sparano has gone out of his way to single out Hagan for his offseason work ethic. Hagan is trying to shake off a budding reputation of being an inconsistent receiver.
"I heard all the stories and all that and I know the kid was out here on his own time spending a lot of time catching balls from the jugs machine, catching balls with the quarterbacks and doing all those things," Sparano said. "I really like where this guy is right now and I think he's playing with a little bit of confidence. When you play with confidence and you feel good about yourself, you play fast."
Hagan had 29 catches for 373 yards and two touchdowns last season, but he realizes it's time to stop resting on his Arizona State laurels.
"I'm ready (for a breakout season)," Hagan said. "I've been sitting behind Chris Chambers and Marty Booker the last couple of years and now those guys are gone and my expectations are high."
Ginn, who has the speed but not the route-running skills to create separation last season, has also impressed Dorrell with his mature attitude.
"(Creating separation) takes day-to-day preparation and work at doing that, and he does that every day," Dorrell said. "Route-running, ball skills, he has a better knowledge of what we're trying to get done. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes.
"He's trying to act like an experienced player out there, too, so he's doing a lot of positive things."
Former Dolphins receiver Jimmy Cefalo said the receiving corps will instantly be upgraded by the presence of offensive coordinator Dan Henning, who has a history of churning out Pro Bowl receivers such as Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad.
"He taught us that it's not about a foot race, but about the angle you come off the ball," said Cefalo, who worked under Henning when he was the Dolphins quarterbacks and receivers coach from 1979-80. "He's the best teacher I ever had."
Bess has stood out among the undrafted receivers, while Wilford seems comfortable in third-down situations.
"I see improvement," Sparano said. "There is a lot of competition at the position right now.
"What I like is we have some big players at the position. We have some smaller guys that can really run. We are starting to find some roles in maybe our half-personnel stuff when you are getting three wide receivers out there. Some things are starting to take shape as we get on with this."
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