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The Miami Dolphins have a gaping void in their wide receiving corps following the trade of Jarvis Landry to Cleveland two months ago. Miami will have to find a way to replace the staggering production of Landry, who amassed 400 receptions in his four seasons with the Dolphins, including an NFL-leading 112 in 2017.
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The obvious leading candidate to fill the shoes of Landry is former first-round pick DeVante Parker, who has had a pair of solid but unspectacular seasons in 2016 and 2017.
The expectations remain high for Parker, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft who had a career-best 57 receptions last season after hauling in 56 catches in 2016.
If the offseason workouts are any indication, Dolphins head coach Adam Gase believes the 25-year-old Parker is on his way to taking over the mantle of a No. 1 wideout.
"He's done a great job so far this offseason," Gase said on a team podcast, per the Palm Beach Post. "He's really been one of the guys that has tried to do things on his own. He doesn't need someone to hold his hand and take him here and say eat like this and do this. He's doing things on his own. And that comes with maturity, too. He was drafted young. And he's been doing it now."
Miami had similar hopes that Parker would have a breakout season in 2017 but his yards per catch (11.8) went down and he found the end zone only once after scoring four times in 2016.
Gase said Parker was held back by injuries, noting that the 6-foot-3, 215-pounder was ascending until a high-ankle sprain caused him to level off.
"You're not working in a phone booth. You have to be able to move," said Gase. "You have to be able to defend yourself. You have to be able to jump. Accelerate. And it's a tough one to come back from. And I'll say this, he proved it to me the year before when he had the back [injury]. He'll play through pain."
Miami signed former New England wide receiver Danny Amendola as a slot replacement for Landry and Kenny Stills remains on the roster, who is entering his sixth NFL season overall and fourth with the Dolphins.
Gase expects the veteran leadership of that tandem to provide a boost for Parker both on and off the field.
"Kenny has done a good job of guiding himself in the right direction, without holding his hand. He's been trying to show him the right things to do," said Gase. "And then adding a guy like Danny, who has done it, and played in big-time games and made big-time plays in big moments, and those guys watch him at 32 and he runs every route like this might be the last one. And when guys see that it just picks up the whole environment of that wide receiver group."
Parker had a pair of 100-yard games in his sophomore season but he failed to reach 90 yards in a game in 2017 -- the crucial third year when receivers are expected to take a dramatic jump.
"This is his fourth season. Sometimes it takes a second to say, 'OK, I know how to do this. And I've been doing it. And I don't need someone to tell me I need to do this,'" said Gase. "He is doing things on his own. And trying to find ways to get better on the field. I think he has more of a purpose when he comes out on the field."
