Heading into last season, it looked like Rishard Matthews would be the odd man out at wide receiver for the Dolphins.
They drafted DeVante Parker in the first round, traded for Kenny Stills and signed Greg Jennings to go with 2014 second-rounder Jarvis Landry, moves that Matthews responded to with a desire to move to a different team. He eventually reported to OTAs, however, and went on to a productive season.
Matthews had 43 catches for 662 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games before missing the rest of the year with broken ribs. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins are interested in more from Matthews in 2016. Per Beasley, they’ve reached out to Matthews to talk about a deal that would keep the wideout from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
That interest may not be enough to keep Matthews from checking out the open market. Alshon Jeffery is the top receiver eligible for free agency, although the Bears might not let him get there. Beyond Jeffery, Matthews slots in with Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin and Rueben Randle as the next best options and that could lead to a better deal and/or spot on the depth chart than Miami will offer.