Dolphins position review: The Hill-Waddle pairing was an explosive tandem in 2022

Before Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle ever touched the field as teammates in an NFL game, Hill made a bold proclamation.

“If me and him are on the same side, same football field, teammates side by side,” Hill said, “it’d be like a Lambo and a Ferrari.”

The comparison was apropos in 2022. Hill, in his first season in Miami, broke multiple franchise records while Waddle emerged as one of the league’s top big-play threats.

In the third of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s wide receivers situation. Next up is offensive line.

2022 in review

Hill and Waddle were one of the most dynamic tandems in the NFL in 2022.

The Dolphins’ big move to acquire Hill in a trade with the Chiefs and give him a record-breaking contract paid off. Hill, who was named first-team All-Pro, set career-high numbers and broke franchise records for receptions and receiving yards. Meanwhile, Waddle led the NFL in yards per reception.

Though Cedrick Wilson Jr. was brought in as a prized free agent addition, it was Trent Sherfield who emerged as the team’s No. 3 option, a trusted receiver for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and a selfless blocker.

Depth chart

Tyreek Hill

Skinny: Hill was arguably the most electric player in 2022. Any questions about his productivity away from Patrick Mahomes were quickly silenced; his 119 catches and 1,170 receiving yards only trailed the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson.

Contract: Hill, who turns 29 in March, is entering the second year of a four-year extension he signed in 2022. He has a cap hit of $31,450,000, the largest on the team.

Jaylen Waddle

Skinny: The presence of Hill didn’t stop Waddle from improving his rookie-year numbers, including increases in receiving yards (1,356) and touchdown catches (8). His 18.1 yards per reception led the NFL.

Contract: Waddle, who turns 25 in November, is entering the third year of a five-year rookie contract, with a team option for the fifth season. He has a cap hit of $7,387,090.

Trent Sherfield

Skinny: Amid the Dolphins’ free-agency splurge, Sherfield’s signing went a bit unnoticed. But he joined head coach Mike McDaniel from San Francisco and over time became the team’s No. 3 receiver. Sherfield, who played almost 57.1 percent of offensive snaps, set career-high numbers in receptions (30), receiving yards (417) and touchdown catches (2).

Contract: Sherfield, who turns 27 in February, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Cedrick Wilson Jr.

Skinny: Wilson signed a three-year, $22 million with the Dolphins last offseason and was projected to be Miami’s slot receiver. But the trade for Hill knocked him down the depth chart and then Sherfield assumed the role of No. 3 receiver. Wilson played just 15 percent of offensive snaps and caught 12 passes, his fewest receptions since 2019.

Contract: Wilson, who turns 28 in November, is entering the second year of a three-year contract. He has a cap hit of $8,000,000.

River Cracraft

Skinny: Cracraft, who had a stint with the 49ers, was the first player signed after McDaniel was hired as head coach. He began the season on the practice squad but was signed to the 53-man roster in September. Cracraft caught two touchdowns in the first month of the season and finished with nine catches for 102 yards, all career-high numbers.

Contract: Cracraft, who turns 29 in November, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Erik Ezukanma

Skinny: Ezukanma, the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, flashed during training camp and preseason with a combination of physicality and speed. But he was inactive for all but two games, including the playoffs, and finished the season with one catch for three yards. Wide receivers coach Wes Welker said Ezukanma spent much of his rookie season learning the F position after learning the Z position in training camp and preseason, as well as adjusting to lengthy play calls that were different from the signal-based system he had in college.

Contract: Ezukanma, 23, is entering the second year of a four-year rookie contract. He has a cap hit of $1,051,248.

Offseason questions

1. Does Hill restructure his contract?

The Dolphins are in need of cap relief and can get some by restructuring a few contracts with bloated cap hits. According to Over the Cap, the Dolphins can reduce Hill’s $30 million cap hit and free almost $19 million by converting a large portion of his $16 million base salary and additional bonuses into a signing bonus that’s spread out over the remainder of his contract. It seems like a no-brainer solution for a player the Dolphins hope to keep around for the foreseeable future.

2. Is Wilson on the team in 2023?

Though his first season in Miami did not go as he envisioned, Wilson never made any public complaints about his role and said he never considered asking for a trade. But given the emergence of Sherfield — and to a smaller extent, Cracraft — the potential of Ezukanma and the Dolphins’ tight cap situation, offloading Wilson’s contract can’t be discounted.

The problem for the Dolphins is that $5 million of Wilson’s $7 million base salary is guaranteed, which makes a trade the more likely route than simply cutting him. If Miami cuts Wilson, the team will save $2 million at most with a dead money charge of $6 million. If Wilson is traded before June 1, the Dolphins would save $6 million. That figure increases to $7 million with a post-June 1 designation.

3. Does Ezukanma find a role after a quiet rookie season?

In the offseason, Welker warned about the transition that college wide receivers face in the NFL. The hope for the Dolphins is that after essentially a redshirt year, Ezukanma returns with a better knowledge of the playbook and is able to play multiple positions. Welker said that Ezukanma was Hill’s primary backup in 2022, but is it possible he works into a slot role in 2023?

POTENTIAL ADDITIONS

The Dolphins’ wide receiver room was one of the team’s strongest in 2022 and Sherfield especially was a bargain with a league-minimum base salary. It makes the most sense for Miami to bring back Sherfield and Cracraft, who have a strong knowledge of the playbook, with a bump in pay.

DOLPHINS POSITION REVIEWS

RB: Will Miami be in search of another upgrade at running back?

QB: Will Miami invest significant resources into Tagovailoa’s backup?