The background on the former quarterback who’s trying to make Dolphins as a wide receiver
A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Friday:
▪ Here’s the background on the Dolphins’ signing of Kai Locksley, the former UTEP quarterback who is transitioning to receiver:
He had a good workout for the Dolphins this offseason, showing an ability to catch passes and run routes, and the Dolphins then had him throw a dozen passes.
As is the case with Lynn Bowden Jr., the Dolphins envisioned Locksley as another player with the ability to play receiver, serve as an emergency third quarterback and operate the Wildcat.
We’re told that multiple teams drew comparisons between Locksley and Saints quarterback/running back/jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill. Locksley is faster than Hill but not as big.
Locksley has worked with veteran coach Steve Calhoun on the nuances of playing receiver. Calhoun is a well-regarded quarterbacks and receivers coach who has tutored Chargers Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen, among others.
Locksley, in two years at UTEP, completed 186 of 350 passes (53.1 percent), with nine touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He averaged 3.7 yards rushing on 237 carries, with 11 touchdowns, and never caught a pass.
He could make the practice squad if he impresses this summer. But with 13 receivers on the roster, he faces an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster.
▪ Among Dolphins players who can play multiple positions, don’t forget Malcolm Perry, either.
Though he will focus primarily on playing slot receiver this offseason, Perry has the ability to line up at running back or as a Wildcat quarterback. He also is working on his punt return skills.
Perry had nine catches for 92 yards and a touchdown as a rookie and ran three times for 5 yards.
Keep in mind that Perry completed 58 passes for 1,311 yards at Navy, with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He didn’t throw a pass as a Dolphins rookie.
Bowden, who got a lot of work at slot receiver late in the season, threw 38 passes at Kentucky, with three touchdowns and five interceptions. He completed 1 of 2 passes for 32 yards as a Dolphins rookie.
With the logjam at receiver, it’s difficult to envision the Dolphins having room for both Bowden and Perry on the 53 — one, but not both.
Perhaps both could stick if Miami jettisons Albert Wilson, Jakeem Grant and Allen Hurns and keeps seven receivers.
▪ According to a source in direct contact with the team, the Dolphins believe Robert Hunt can be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard, and that’s one reason they’re moving him from right tackle to right guard, even though he graded out well at right tackle during the final six weeks of the season.
Hunt was fine with his move from right tackle.
▪ The Dolphins now have $13.3 million in cap space with four draft picks still unsigned (Jaelan Phillips, Jevon Holland, Liam Eichenberg, Hunter Long). With Thursday’s addition of offensive tackle Timon Paris, the Dolphins are now at the 90-man roster limit for the first time this offseason.
▪ NFL Network analyst and former Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli picks the Dolphins as the team whose draft will catapult them from a non-playoff team to a playoff team in 2021.
“The Dolphins are going to be the team that last year was on the outside looking in [to make it],” he said. “They won 10 games last year. I look at their draft this year, the job Brian Flores and Chris Grier have done. Drafting Jaylen Waddle and Jaelan Phillips were outstanding additions.
“Liam Eichenberg and Hunter Long; what that Dolphins edge is going to look like with those two players [Phillips and Eichenberg], this is a team that is going to be transformed because they now have so many more players that fit the mold and leadership style of Brian Flores.”
▪ Mike Gesicki is joining 11 other tight ends at the first Tight End Summit, an event organized by three current or former Pro Bowl tight ends: Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, San Francisco’s George Kittle and recently retired former Canes great Greg Olsen, who’s now an NFL analyst for Fox.
It will be held this summer in Nashville.
Also committed to attend: Darren Waller, T.J. Hockenson, Kyle Pitts, Mark Andrews, Robert Tonyan, Noah Fant, Zach Ertz, Cole Kmet, Jonnu Smith, Eric Ebron and former Hurricane David Njoku.
Here’s my Friday Miami Heat 6-pack with historical things Kendrick Nunn has been doing and a bunch of nuggets.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2021 at 3:34 PM.
