Miami Dolphins 90-in-90 roster breakdown 2019: Albert Wilson

On to day ten of our annual 90-in-90 series as we take a look at the eighth player on the Miami Dolphins roster. This annual look at the preseason 90-man roster starts with a randomly selected player and looks at his play from the previous season, his current contract, reasons why he may progress or may regress this season, and his chances for making the regular-season, 53-man roster.

Our first seven players have been Jonathan Woodard, Shaq Calhoun, Kalen Ballage, Eric Rowe, Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Norton, and Maurice Smith. Today, we jump back over to the offense with a look at wide receiver Albert Wilson.

2018 Review

Wilson joined the Dolphins as a free agent last year after four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. He came to Miami, adding to the blazing speed the team has at the wide receiver position, and he showed his ability to be a play-maker with the ball in his hands. He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week after Week 6 when he caught six passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns. He also had one of the highlights of the year for the Dolphins, when he broke free on a 74-yard touchdown, giving Jakeem Grant a high five on the way to the endzone. He had 26 receptions for 391 yards with four touchdowns in seven games before a hip injury ended his season. He also threw a touchdown pass on a 52-yard catch-and-run to Grant.

Contract

Second year of a three-year, $24 million contract; 2019 salary cap number $8.33 million (via OverTheCap.com).

Why he will progress

Wilson only seems to be getting better, and he should fit exactly what the Dolphins want to do on offense this year. He has the speed to be able to take the top off the defense - just as Grant, Kenny Stills, and DeVante Parker have. The Dolphins can attack deep from any receiving position, and that will be a huge benefit for the offense. Wilson can also play underneath, which will add versatility to what the team can do with him. The Dolphins seem intent on building the offense to find mismatches and exploit them - and Wilson’s speed should do exactly that.

Why he might regress

The hip injury and quarterback play could be the top two reasons Wilson does not look as good as he did pre-injury last year. He says he is 100 percent healthy now, but until a player gets on the field in game conditions, and gets hit, any major injury like that is a concern. As for the quarterback, whether the Dolphins are starting Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen, there is the possibility that the level of passer drops this year, which could hold back the receiving corps. Finally, there are a lot of talented receivers on the roster, which could lead to the ball being spread around more, dropping Wilson’s production - so he could have a good year, but have a regression in his stats.

Chances of making the 53-man roster

Wilson, as soon as he starts practicing fully in training camp, should be fighting for a starting role - probably challenging Parker for that role. He should - if the hip is healthy - be a lock for the roster.