A look at Dolphins’ WR options if they can’t strike a deal with Beckham. And safety visits

With the re-signing of Kendall Lamm and the earlier addition of tight end Jonnu Smith, the Dolphins have only two clear needs on offense: a certifiable No. 3 receiver and an offensive linemen with the skill set to be a high-quality right guard.

The Dolphins have taken a divergent approach with those positions.

With the No. 3 receiver job, they have made an offer to Odell Beckham Jr., called about Tyler Boyd and made inquiries on others.

With the open guard spot, they have had very preliminary talks with the representatives for several veterans while remaining noncommittal about whether there will be an offer.

What’s clear is this: The need for a No. 3 receiver or a starting guard will diminish, or disappear altogether, if either is addressed with the 21st pick in the first round of the NFL Draft on April 25.

In meantime, here’s a look at what’s available at guard and here’s a look what’s left in free agency at wide receiver:

▪ Beckham Jr. and Boyd: Beckham remains Miami’s top choice, but it remains to be seen if the sides will bridge their financial gap.

Beckham, understandably, isn’t jumping at an enormous pay cut after making $15 million last season.

Same goes with Boyd, who also is seeking far closer to his $10.3 million salary with the Bengals last season.

A league source who has spoken to the Dolphins emerged from that conversation believing they want to spend only a few million on a No. 3 receiver.

Boyd caught 67 passes for 677 yards last season and has attracted interest from a handful of teams, according to The Athletic.

▪ Michael Thomas: The two-time Pro Bowler and 2019 Offensive Player of the Year was lost for the season with a Week 11 knee injury in 2023 and finished with 39 receptions for 448 yards for New Orleans.

At 6-3 and only 30, he still has the skills to be an effective possession receiver, health permitting.

Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill has publicly advocated a pursuit, but Thomas has played only 20 games combined during the past four seasons. The Dolphins, during the past month, have been more mindful of avoiding players with significant injury histories.

▪ Michael Gallup: He signed a five-year, $62.5 million extension with the Cowboys in 2022 but didn’t live up to the contract and was released last month. He had 39 catches for 424 yards in 2022 and 38 for 419 last season. He started 24 games during the past two seasons.

Among his best games was his last one for Dallas: He caught six passes for 103 yards in Dallas’ 48-32 wild card playoff loss to Green Bay.

▪ DJ Chark: He caught 35 passes for 525 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games and 11 starts for Carolina last season. But he also had six drops.

Chark has 23 TDs in six years for Jacksonville, Detroit and Carolina and had a 1,000-yard receiving season for the Jaguars in 2019. He has the requisite speed and size and has 51 NFL starts (and 69 total appearances) under his belt.

▪ Marquez Valdez-Scantling: After catching 42 passes for 687 yards in 2022, he struggled in 2023 and caught a career-low 21 passes for 315 yards, had three dropped passes and just one touchdown.

And he has had only 16 touchdowns in 92 NFL games, including 60 starts.

He had a big 32-yard catch in January’s AFC Championship Game against Baltimore to help the Chiefs run out the clock, then had three catches for 32 yards in the Super Bowl win against the 49ers. He was released 2 ½ weeks after the Super Bowl.

▪ Allen Robinson: Caught 34 passes for 280 yards in 17 starts for Pittsburgh last season. He’s four years removed from his last great season (102 receptions for 1,250 yards in 2020 with the Bears).

▪ Hunter Renfrow: Caught 25 passes for 255 yards in 17 games and three starts for the Raiders. His last big season was in 2021, with 103 catches for 1,038 yards. He’s primarily a slot receiver and also can return punts and kickoffs, a job already accounted for with Braxton Berrios.

▪ Mecole Hardman: Hill’s former teammate was virtually given away by the Jets to the Chiefs before last season’s trade deadline, when Kansas City needed receiving help. Then he scored the game-winning overtime touchdown in the Super Bowl after catching 15 passes for 124 yards during the season.

▪ Equanimeous St. Brown: Caught 21 passes for 323 yards in 16 starts two years ago for the Bears, before injuries limited him to seven games and five receptions last season.

▪ Jarvis Landry: The five-time Pro Bowl receiver, now 31, hasn’t played since catching 25 passes for 272 yards for the Saints in 2022; his season ended with an ankle injury that year and he was out of the league last year. He had 72 and 52 catches for Cleveland in 2020 and 2021.

▪ Other options, with none of these players representing an upgrade as a No. 3 receiver: Alex Erickson (16 for 232 last season), Byron Pringle (14 for 161), Russell Gage (244 career catches but missed last season with a torn patellar tendon), Jamal Agnew (14 for 225), Deonte Hardy (15 for 150), Marquise Goodwin (4 for 67 last year, 27 for 387 in 2022), Jalen Guyton (10 for 89), DeAndre Carter (4 for 39 last year, 46 for 538 in 2022), Sterling Shepard (10 for 57), Richie James (10 for 114 for Chiefs last season, 57 for 569 for Giants in 2022) and Scott Miller (11 for 161).

Chase Claypool, who is negotiating with a CFL team, and Robbie Chosen remain free agents from Miami’s 2023 roster.

USC SAFETY VISITS

Southern Cal safety Calen Bullock, rated by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. as the No. 7 safety in this draft class, took a visit to Dolphins headquarters on Thursday, per his social media account.

NFL teams can bring in as many as 30 non-local players for meetings and medical checks at their team headquarters. Bullock and Iowa tight end Erick All are among the Dolphins’ 30 visits, which are never announced by the team.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein says Bullock is “long and athletic with a series of feast-or-famine plays all over the tape. Bullock can be scary good in coverage and scary bad as a run defender. He has the range to play single-high safety, the athleticism to line up over the slot and the ball skills to chalk up impressive on-ball production.

“As a run defender, Bullock’s poor recognition, missed run fits and bad angles to the football cost his team chunk plays and touchdowns. He won’t always see or process the game clearly, but the athleticism and playmaking talent are hard to overlook. He’s young and talented, and if he runs well enough, there might be a team more interested in his skill set as a cornerback than as a boom/bust safety.”

Bullock, who was first-team All Pac 12 last season, had nine interceptions in three years at USC, including two last season. He finished his college career with 151 tackles, 15 passes defended and two interceptions returned for touchdowns.