Dolphins Draft Recap - Pat White/Receivers

Initially, when the Dolphins drafted Pat White, I had figured that besides his role in the Wildcat, he would be used as a receiver, at least for the time being. However, with the Dolphins drafting both Patrick Turner in the third round and Brian Hartline in the fourth, it seemed to indicate that the Dolphins had a different role for White in mind.

On Monday, it was confirmed when the Dolphins dropped John Beck. Pat White, besides being the Wildcat back, will be the Dolphins' third quarterback.

From the quarterback situation's standpoint, this makes a lot of sense. As I called for the Dolphins to do in my pre-draft positional breakdown, the Dolphins dropped John Beck and replaced him since they were convinced he wasn't going to work out here (for his sake, let's hope that Cam Cameron didn't permanently break him). They added somebody with more upside (and unique roster flexibility) to replace him, and the quarterback position is even stronger today than it was a week ago today.

Moreover, as for the receivers, the Dolphins got two players who seem to fit in very well and who they obviously really like. Turner is a big red-zone target, they type of player Parcells has coveted, and Hartline is a polished, versitile Ohio State receiver who will also contribute on special teams.

Interestingly, Turner and Hartline, along with Ginn, Camarillo, and Bess, add up to five receivers who are very likely to make the Dolphins final roster. At the most, I could see them keeping only one more, which puts the jobs of Ernest Wilford and Brandon London in jeopardy. Turner figures to fill the niche that Wilford never did, being the big touchdown machine, so I'd put good money on a quick exit for Ernest from the roster. Hartline, likewise, fills London's special teams role, but I wouldn't be so sure that he is on his way out. You can never have too many good special teamers, and London established himself as a valuable member of the team last year. Still, six receivers is a lot to carry.

All side-chatter aside, the most important thing is that the Dolphins added some playmakers. Pat White, from the Wildcat role, has a chance to further revolutionize the league. With him at the helm, the Dolphins are going to take a shot at incorportating a legitimate spread scheme into their NFL offense. At wide receiver, the hope is that one of Hartline and Turner becomes a game-changing player, and suddenly depth at the position is a strength. Quarterback and wide receiver are both sufficiently upgraded, and it will be interesting to see how the rookies fare in their first season.