Why Lynn Bowden and Malcolm Perry aren’t playing for Dolphins. And Callaway on the way
The Miami Dolphins’ offensive arsenal includes two secret weapons — multiposition, elusive and dynamic playmakers who were responsible for a combined 77 touchdowns in college.
But so far, Lynn Bowden Jr. and Malcolm Perry largely remain afterthoughts in this offense, nearly invisible on game day.
Bowden, as a quarterback/running back/receiver/returner at Kentucky, was involved in 24 college touchdowns — 13 rushing, six receiving, three throwing and two on kickoff returns.
Perry — as an option quarterback and part-time receiver at Navy — was at the epicenter of 53 touchdowns — 40 rushing, 10 throwing and three receiving.
So it might be disappointing to some that Perry — after catching multiple long touchdown passes in preseason practices — has been inactive for Miami’s first three games.
And Bowden, the third-rounder acquired in August from the Las Vegas Raiders, has played in only one game (Week 2 against Buffalo) and logged just four offensive snaps in that game.
Do the Dolphins believe either is ready to help?
“They both look like they’re going to be pretty good football players,” offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said Tuesday. “You would like to get them on the field. But the guys we have on the field right now are being fairly productive. So you would have to force something to make that happen.”
Gailey points out that they are still both learning. Perry is “converting to wide receiver,” and Bowden is learning Miami’s system because he “hasn’t been here very long,” Gailey said. “They both have a lot of things to learn about the game.”
Bowden has not been made available to reporters since the Dolphins acquired him, and Perry has not been made available in a month.
But Gailey said “before we get through the season, we will have to count on one of those guys to have to come in and do something. They have a chance to be good players. But when they get involved, I couldn’t give you a timetable on that.”
Here’s one major issue: Mack Hollins, who is essentially Miami’s fifth receiver on game days, is a vital part of the Dolphins’ special teams.
He’s “very important in three or four phases, critical to what we’re doing,” special teams coordinator Danny Crossman said of Hollins. “When you see guys playing on three or four [coverage units, like Hollins] we have a high degree of trust of them.”
So that seemingly takes Hollins off the table as a player to make inactive on game days.
And the Dolphins’ top four receivers — DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Isaiah Ford and Jakeem Grant — are automatics to be active, with Grant the team’s kickoff and punt returner.
So barring an injury, it’s unclear how Miami will be able to incorporate either Perry or Bowden this season, let alone both.
Carrying a sixth receiver on the active game day roster is an option, and Miami did that in Week 2, when Bowden lost 1 yard on his one reception. But that lessens game-day depth at another position.
But the notion of having both Bowden and Perry active — which likely would require keeping seven receivers active — seems unfathomable from a numbers standpoint on game day.
And another potential conundrum looms when former Cleveland Browns receiver Antonio Callaway comes off NFL suspension after four more games.
The Dolphins signed him to their practice squad, believing the Browns’ 2018 fourth-round pick (via Miami’s Booker T. Washington High and UF) could possibly help them later this season.
Callaway had 51 catches for 675 yards and five touchdowns in his first 20 NFL games, all for the Cleveland, before a 2019 suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He has not played in the league since but is said to be in good shape. He can participate in classwork but can’t practice until his suspension ends before the Dolphins’ Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams.
And here’s another issue that could prevent Perry or Bowden from playing a lot, barring injuries:
Miami is playing a lot of multi tight end sets. The Dolphins’ tight ends accounted for 96 snaps on 61 offensive plays on Thursday.
Against Jacksonville, the Dolphins essentially opted to use more of Mike Gesicki (30 snaps), Durham Smythe (42) and Adam Shaheen (24) than their No. 4 receiver, Grant, who played just eight offensive snaps.
Gesicki is a pseudo slot receiver, ranking among the most productive tight ends in the league when operating out of that part on the field.
So while the Dolphins were smart to draft Perry in the seventh round and to acquire Bowden and a sixth-rounder for a fourth-rounder from the Raiders, there appears no viable way to use them both without hurting the team’s coverage units or lessening the number of players available at another position..
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 11:41 AM.
