There is no doubt that the Miami Dolphins search for a receiver has not exactly come up roses the past few years.  In fact, looking for a speedster, deep threat has been all but difficult considering the lack of production gained from players such as Clyde Gates and every other receiver who has not exactly panned out after camp tryouts. 

While productive speed has largely eluded the Dolphins at the receiver position, it seems that this year, the Dolphins have many options with 5 draft picks in the first three rounds.  Day one could be an awesome draft scene in the war room in Davie as the Dolphins use their first pick to select they ultimate go-to threat for Ryan Tannehill entering his second season.

Here is a look at some draft prospects that deserve a look-see and could certainly wind up donning the aqua and orange with the new logo:

1. Tavon Austin:  There is not a doubt in my mind, that this guy is dynamic.  When he touches the ball he flies, especially on turf.  This statistic is important since the Dolphins have the only grass surface in the division.  Everyone else has turf.  If the Dolphins want to be road warriors, then find a burner who will take it to the house in space.  Grant it, Austin’s measurables are not ideal for a passer like Tannehill who sometimes has trouble throwing to his targets.  Austin’s combine numbers were spectacular in that he ran a 4.34 40 official time, caught the ball well in the gauntlet drill, and showed that he was the best guy at the combine with a 4.01 20 yard shuttle run.  However, Austin might be a reach at this point, but his pro-day is upcoming and he could be moving up the draft board with another big showing in Morgantown.  If there was a can’t miss guy, this is a guy that some draft pundits feel might be better and faster than DeSean Jackson. Afterall, he has Omar Kelly's endorsement and that is a rareity for Omar Kelly.

2. Ryan Swope: A Texas A&M Aggie like Tannehill, Swope could be one of those guys that moves up the boards maybe into the third or second round.  His run time in the 40 was impressive again at a sub 4.4 40 yard dash and claimed to have a great rapport with Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill.  Swope in college caught 72 passes for 913 yards in a new “Air Raid” offense under coach Kevin Sumlin.   Swope could be a possible fit given his comfort with Ryan Tannehill and quite possibly with offensive coordinator Mike Sherman.  His height at 6 feet, make him acandidate for a deep threat if a team chooses to use him that way. 

3. Kenny Stills: At Oklahoma last season, Stills had kind of a down year, but still posted similar numbers to Swope.  Running a 4.38 is still lighting quick and surely deserves mention.  Stills stands at exactly 6 feet tall and has bigger hands for his size at 9 inches.  He could be a deep threat that teams like the Dolphins might be after late in the draft.  Could be a fourth round or even a third round pick.  His pro day at Oklahoma will reveal plenty and I would expect the Dolphins to look at him as a possibility. 

4. Cordarelle Patterson: While only playing one season at Tennesee, Patterson boasted decent numbers, but has the size and speed to compete in the NFL.  Is he worthy of a top 10 or top 15 pick, only time will tell and it will be dependent on any character issues (JUCO player) and his raw ability appearing something that will develop into that big receiver mold.  Patterson ran a 4.42 which is great for a receiver when the industry standard is a 4.5.  However, Patterson’s lack of experience and numbers in college may not seem explosive enough for some GMs with only 46 catches and 778 yards and 5 TDs.  If the Dolphins are looking for a big receiver that can make red-zone catches he might be their guy…unless Buffalo and the Jets pounce on him first.

With an abundance of cap space also comes many questions that must be answered and with free agency looming those questions are becoming much clearer. One of the main uncertainties that surround the Miami Dolphins is whether or not they will use the franchise tag and if so, on who? The name that continues to enter the discussion is cornerback Sean Smith.

Smith who will be entering his fifth NFL season in 2013 signed a four year contract with the Dolphins that will expire in just under one month's time. Entering the past campaign it seemed that re-signing Smith would be a priority given the lack of depth at the position however as the season progressed this was no longer the case.

In the four years he's spent in Miami, it has become evident that Smith does not have the ability to make game changing plays on a consistent basis. His career totals of five interceptions and one recovered fumble are proof of this. While Smith is usually successful in tracking the football, it often falls to the ground harmlessly instead of turning over possession. Another weakness in Smith's game are his struggles in coverage against smaller and quicker wide recievers. This past season, no cornerback surrendered more first downs and touchdowns than Sean Smith. 

Last year, the 2012 offseason proved to show more pessimism than optimism for the Miami Dolphins. When news broke that the Dolphins would pursue future hall of fame and Super Bowl winning quarterback Peyton Manning by various Miami beat reporters, the sighting of Manning near his Miami condo brought a site for sore eyes for all Miami fans.  However, the Dolphins were never given a true chance at his courtship and settled for a small meeting in Indianapolis sans Steven Ross and with Joe Philbin and Jeff Ireland. 

Enter this season’s love interest, wide receiver Greg Jennings of the Green Bay Packers.  Last week Jennings has said repeatedly that he would not mind a reunion with Joe Philbin.  Philbin coached him 5 seasons in Green Bay and Jennings when healthy has been a productive part of the winning tradition in Green Bay.  Jennings is looking for his next big deal and Miami appears to be an incredible landing spot with Miami flush with cash due to Jeff Ireland’s master plan of rebuilding the Dolphins. 

As the Dolphins enter into the offseason, they have decisions to make, whether it is to sign a high priced free agent or pass and re-sign their current set of offensive and defensive free agents.  The time to strike while the iron is hot appears right now.  

On one hand Jennings seems ready to open his arms, his driveway, and let the Brinks truck back up full of cash.

On the other hand, do the Dolphins want to sign another free agent in the offseason that fails to meet expectations due to injury concerns or settle on a guy like Jennings due to a previous familiarity with Joe Philbin?  Remember last offseason how Matt Flynn was basically going to be signed right as the bell rang for free agency?  Philbin and Ireland offered him nothing that was going to prove he’d be the starter in Miami.  Seattle did.  Flynn still didn’t start with the emergence of Russell Wilson. 

As speed dating gets into full swing between the Dolphins and many agents at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, the Dolphins have to make decisions that will benefit them for many years.  Remember, spending money doesn’t necessarily lead to automatic winning in the NFL.   In fact, drafting seems like a more sound strategy, and teams that win draft especially well.  But, if you are going to put butts in the seats and bring an experienced set of weaponry for Ryan Tannehill, then getting the best guy out there may not be one in Greg Jennings, but at least he might be in the conversation.

PFT’S Mike Florio was on the Joe Rose show this morning and said “He will be surprised if Mike Wallace isn’t a Miami Dolphin".

While Florio’s batting average with bold predictions isn’t exactly 100% he is still obviously a very well connected source and his statement is worth listening to.

Mike Wallace obviously brings the much needed speed dimension to the Dolphins offense and finally puts a solid playmaker that can stretch the field on this roster. While Wallace is a very solid fit many are skeptical that he can be a red zone threat and that his biggest asset is as a deep threat which is an aspect of the Dolphins offense that isn’t commonly used.

Wallace is young and has had success early in his career however would obviously garner a fat contract. Something of the 50 million for 5 years variety which is not quite Larry Fitzgerald money but not exactly a team friendly contract either.

Wallace is one of the 3 big name free agent WR’s this year along with Dwayne Bowe and Greg Jennings.

Wallace's role potentially has a huge upside in this offense with his premier speed coupled with Hartline (if resigned) would be a solid match. Wallace’s impact would be different than Brandon Marshall’s so it is important to manage expectations. The addition of Wallace would be a very significant piece however not the final piece of the puzzle.

The NFL is built on playmakers and the Dolphins simply don’t have enough. The move would still require the Dolphins drafting and building a young WR talent in the draft additionally also hopefully adding a seem TE would could really open this offense up.

The objective of this off season is to get Ryan Tannehill some help, Mike Wallace certainly does that. 

The Miami Dolphins wrapped up their regular season finale just over a month ago and since then all the discussion surrounding the team has been about the need for playmakers on offense. While the focus of the offseason is surely to equipt Ryan Tannehill with weapons, the lack of game changers on the defensive side of the ball is also an area of weakness that must be addressed.

One of the main positives that emerged throughout the Dolphins campaign was the stellar play of their defensive front seven which on its own ensured that Miami was competitive in each of the sixteen games. As a result, the Dolphins ranked 13th in the league in run defense at 108.4 yards per game and 7th in points allowed, surrendering only 19.8 points per game. However, on many occasions the front seven was let down by a secondary that was unable to frequently make impact plays. The Dolphins secondary has been a need for several years now and last season was no different. Miami's lackluster coverage was continually picked apart by average to elite players at the quarterback position as they allowed 248.4 pass yards per game ranking them a disappointing 27th in the NFL. 

Not only did the secondary prove to be ineffective in shutting down the deep threat, the unit also failed to force turnovers as they made only 10 interceptions all season. The lack of turnovers meant that the Dolphins defense was staying on the field much longer than it should have, causing the players to be fatigued when games were on the line late in the fourth quarter. The lone bright spot was 24 year old saftety Reshad Jones who accumulated four of the team's 10 interceptions to go along with 95 tackles, two forced fumbles and one sack.