Ezukanma Looking for Bounce-Back Year

The 2022 fourth-round pick missed practically the entire season because of a neck injury

The future of wide receiver Erik Ezukanma was one of the mysteries with the Miami Dolphins as they headed into the offseason, but the man himself has made it clear he's on his way back.

On his 24th birthday Thursday, Ezukanma posted a couple of message on Instagram, one of which dealt with his future and how much he's looking forward to bouncing back next season after missing all but two games in 2023 because of a neck issue dating back to his days at Texas Tech.

EZUKANMA COULD PLAY KEY ROLE

While the Dolphins were working their way through an 11-6 regular season and a second consecutive playoff appearance, Ezukanma spent pretty much the whole year on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list.

He ended up playing only the first two games of the season, against the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots.

His stat line included five rushing attempts for 22 yards but no receptions, continuing a trend that began in the preseason when the Dolphins were using in a Deebo-like role to take advantage of his open-field running ability.

The Dolphins had a lot of volume at wide receiver this season, but nobody really stood out beyond Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and perhaps Ezukanma could have made a significant contribution.

And there should be plenty of opportunities for Ezukanma in 2024 if he indeed comes back at 100 percent and picks up where he left off because the wide receiver corps figures to go through an overhaul.

Believe it or don't, Hill and Waddle are the only members of the group under contract for next season. Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., River Cracraft, Robbie Chosen and Chase Claypool all will become unrestricted free agents March 13 unless they're re-signed before then.

Given that the Dolphins need to shed some $50 million before that date just to get to the salary cap limit suggests we shouldn't expect a wave of re-signings and it could be that none of the five returns for next season.

TIME FOR DRAFT PICKS TO COME THROUGH

With their economic situation, the Dolphins need for some of their younger, less expensive players to start making major contributions and that clearly starts with the draft picks.

The Dolphins had only eight combined selections over the past two drafts, but they got alarmingly little out of those this season.

A large factor there was the top pick from the last two drafts — Channing Tindall and Cam Smith — being relegated almost exclusively to special teams. The hope, particularly in Smith's case, is that situation changes with the departure of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Running back De'Von Achane carved himself a big role as a rookie, and it certainly would help — next season and beyond — if Ezukanma could do something similar upon his return.

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