The unicorn may be disappearing from South Florida. Well, more than he already has. Miami Dolphins wide receiver Preston Williams has expressed frustration with his apparent lack of opportunities early in the team’s training camp period in 2022. A player who has flashed star potential at times since being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Williams can make big plays. The problem is that he also disappears for long periods of time, whether buried on the depth chart, unable to get open down the field or battling injuries, Williams has yet to consistently put it all together to force the coaching staff to give him more game time
Heading into camp, he’s stuck behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and Cedric Wilson, Jr., while players like Erik Ezukanma, Trent Sherfield, Mahamed Sanu and Braylon Sanders appear to be outpacing him on the depth chart. “I feel like I’m not getting the opportunities that I deserve, just script-wise, not being on the field,” Williams told the media last week.
Now it appears that Williams’ playing time with the Dolphins will not only be reduced, but could be coming to an end. According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Dolphins have reached out to other teams about possibly trading Williams. Miami has also included wide receiver Lynn Bowden, Jr. in talks.
Williams caught 32 passes in eight games for Miami as a rookie, gaining 428 yards with three touchdowns, but a torn ACL ended his season early. In 2020, he played in eight games again, but saw his totals drop to 18 receptions for 288 yards with four touchdowns. A foot injury ended his sophomore season prematurely. Last year, he played in eight games, but only caught six passes for 71 yards.
Bowden was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. He was listed as a running back, but the Kentucky quarterback was seen as a potential utility player, capable of working in multiple roles in an offense. The Dolphins traded for Bowden right after the season started and he appeared in 10 games as a rookie, catching 28 passes for 211 yards while carrying the ball nine times for 32 yards. His sophomore season ended before it began, with the wide receiver landing on injured reserve with a hamstring injury during the Dolphins’ joint training camp practices with the Atlanta Falcons.
With the depth Miami has at wide receiver this summer, it’s likely they’re just looking to see if they can pick up some kind of asset in exchange for a wide receiver on the bubble on their roster. Perhaps the Dolphins are in one situation or another with the team looking to deal one of the players and then keep the other. Maybe both players are coming out of South Florida. Either way, it looks like the Dolphins are making a move early down the field to cut some of the wide receiver backlog they have.