The Miami Dolphins had offensive issues last season. Their ground game struggled and their highest paid wide receiver failed to even rank first team stats. Getting a better arsenal of weapons to surround quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been a priority for the team this year and while they have added a few big names, the team is not done yet.
The latest free agent to make their way down to South Beach is former Detroit Lions receiver Nate Burleson. The wide receiver was released by the Lions for salary cap purposes so Detroit could clear $5.5 million in space. Burleson went on the NFL Network and told Steve Wyche that he would be taking a visit to the Dolphins on Thursday.
Burleson could be a very solid addition to the Dolphins when healthy. He did miss 17 games over the past two seasons due to injuries which has hurt his value on the free agent market. He had the now infamous Dominos pizza incident that left him with a broken hand. He only managed 461 yards last season, but in 2011 when he played every game, he had 757 yards and three touchdowns.
Burleson will help boost the wide receiving corps, something Mike Wallace failed to do. The wide receiver has been facing trade rumors after his quiet 2013 season. Wallace put up 930 yards, placing him second behind Brian Hartline who had 1,016 yards receiving. The Dolphins have no hope of trading Wallace since his salary is very unfavorable to take on, so adding another player around him will be crucial.
If Burleson is too expensive, the team can take a look at Miles Austin or Santonio Holmes. Both players fit a similar description to Burleson. They were one-time stars before suffering a variety of injuries. All three players could come very cheap for the Dolphins which fits well into the team's other free agent signings. The Dolphins were able to convince Knowshon Moreno to sign a one-year deal despite coming off a career-high season with the Denver Broncos and only being 26-years-old.
The Dolphins will likely use a draft pick on a running back to pair with Moreno, so signing a wide receiver in free agency is a priority in the next few weeks. If Burleson's demands are low, he could earn a contract by the end of the week.
