INDIANAPOLIS — The Dolphins’ search for a wide receiver this offseason has mostly focused on two big-name veterans: Pittsburgh’s Mike Wallace and Green Bay’s Greg Jennings.
But another name popped up Saturday morning, and could be an intriguing, and cost-effective, option for the Dolphins: Cowboys WR Miles Austin. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Cowboys, who are $18 million over the project salary cap, could cut Austin, which would save them $3.6 million.
Austin and the Dolphins go way back — the front office executives who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2006 out of Monmouth (N.J.) were Jeff Ireland and Brian Gaine, now the top two men in Miami.
And Austin could still have prime football years left in him. He’s only 28, and still had 66 catches for 943 yards and six touchdowns for the Cowboys in 2012 despite playing with balky hamstrings that have slowed him the last two years. He reached the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2010, catching 150 passes for 2,361 yards and 18 touchdowns combined int he two seasons.
“I was really proud of him, because he wasn’t healthy,” Garrett said at the Combine. “I saw a really good burst in him about twice, and he still caught 66 or so balls and he was a productive player for us. He did it a little bit differently than we have seen from him in the past, but he was productive.
The Dolphins would have to be careful to make sure Austin is healthy enough to count on him in 2013, but he could be a much more cost-effective option than Wallace or Jennings. The Dolphins or any team would be free to sign Austin as soon as he is cut, and would not have to wait until the start of free agency on March 12.
