Dolphins Potential FA Target: WR Will Fuller

The Miami Dolphins could use some speed at wide receiver and Houston Texans pending free agent Will Fuller would certainly help in that area

Alain Poupart | Mar 13, 2021

The Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans have been connected a lot in recent years, namely because of the massive trade that sent Laremy Tunsil and Kenny Stills to Houston and brought back three premium picks to Miami.

This spring has been about the Deshaun Watson speculation and the Dolphins often being mentioned as a potential landing spot if the Texans eventually decide to grant the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback's desire to be traded.

But there's another current player with Houston who could be of major interest to the Dolphins, and that's pending free agent wide receiver Will Fuller.

We break down Fuller as a potential free agent option for the Dolphins.

CAREER OVERVIEW

Fuller spent the past five seasons with Houston after being a first-round pick out of Notre Dame in the 2016 NFL draft. Fuller was the 21st overall selection in that draft, eight spots after the Dolphins took Tunsil. Injuries have been an issue for Fuller since he got to the NFL, as he has yet to play a full 16-game season. In fact, since starting playing 14 games as a rookie, Fuller hasn't been able to play more than 11 games. He has started 52 of 53 games with 209 catches for 3,110 yards and 24 touchdowns. Fuller has his most productive season in 2020 when he caught 53 passes for 879 yards (16.6 average) and eight touchdowns. Fuller will have to sit out the first game of the 2021 season to complete a six-game NFL suspension for violating the league's policy regarding performance-enhancing drugs.

MARKET VALUE AND PROJECTED CONTRACT

4 years/$67.9 million, $16.9 million annually, per spotrac.com.

NFL DRAFT BIBLE ANALYSIS

Known for being one of the league’s premier deep threats, Fuller’s presence when he is in the Texans lineup shows a significant difference in their offensive numbers. His ability to take the top off defenses has been a key piece in unlocking the Texans' offense. Explosive foot speed allows him to win consistently on a vertical plane. Is a threat to score from any area of the field with excellent speed and impressive yards after the catch abilities to maneuver in the open field. Struggles to beat press coverage against bigger cornerbacks who can use his lack of play strength against him. Inconsistent hands do not win consistently in contested catch situations due to a lack of hand strength and a strong tendency to be a body catcher. Prefers to play on a vertical plane, lacking the ability to be a consistent threat in the intermediate area of the field, showing minimal body control to catch the ball outside of his frame. Fuller is a wide receiver teams can win with as a complementary receiver who adds an elite deep threat element.

POTENTIAL FIT WITH THE DOLPHINS

From this vantage point, Fuller is a much better fit for the Dolphins offense than Kenny Golladay and JuJu Smith-Schuster because what is lacking more than anything is an outside deep threat. So from a pure football standpoint, he just might be the most attractive option at wide receiver in the free agent market for the Dolphins. That said, the projected market value seems a bit ridiculous considering the number of games Fuller has missed.

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Alain Poupart has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 as an editor for Dolphin Digest, write for miamidolphins.com and now publisher of SI All Dolphins. You can follow him on Twitter at @apoupartFins.

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Published Mar 13, 2021

ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.