Miami Dolphins: Davone Bess will be new #1 target

By Craig Ballard

Questions may continue as to who the Miami Dolphins will have at Quarterback in 2012, but we do know the #1 target for that QB is likely 5th Year man, Davone Bess.

Bess was a stud in College. 1,000+ Receiving Yards annually. In the NFL he has appeared in all 16 Regular Season games every year, but just 20 games as a starter. As a Pro Bess averages 65 Catches for 667 Yards. Surely the departure of Brandon Marshall allows Bess a legit chance at a starter spot. New regime, we will see how they feel about Davone, but still Bess is a guy that has been targeted 100+ times 2 of the past 3 seasons. In the new West Coast offense that Miami will run Bess is a guy you can turn to right away for heavy workload.

Bess checks in at 5’10” and is a tad under 200 pounds. Good speed. Very good pass catching ability, even making one-handed grabs often. This guy is proficient with short, and underneath routes. The fact that he averages 10 Yards Per Catch every single year is testament to that. This 26 year old has Yards-After-Catch (YAC) ability too. Each of the past 2 seasons he has 8 catches of 20+ yards.

Catch the quick pass. In open space, one-on-one, beat your defender to make a play. West Coast offense could suit Davone Bess’ skill-set.

He will now be targeted by defenses more. With no Brandon Marshall to scheme for, that leaves defenses turning their attention to a guy like Bess. Top Cornerbacks, plus double-teams will be in store for Bess in 2012. Bess will likely make a pair of trips to Revis Island. Having Derrelle Revis (New York Jets) in his pocket will be a new experience. 2011 Interception leaders Kyle Arrington (New England PatriotsCarlos Rogers (San Francisco 49ers) and Brandon Browner (Seattle Seahawks) are all likely to line-up against Bess in ’12. That has not happened before, so clearly Davone needs to raise his game to the next level. This undrafted product from the University of Hawai’i has faced uphill battles all of his life, so the challenge of stepping up to be a #1 guy is a task that Bess will not find daunting.

Regardless of who wins the Miami Dolphins QB job (currently looking like David Garrard) he will be targeting #15 on the regular.  Dolphins fans saw 1,000+ Yards go out the door with the Marshall trade, but Bess has become a significant fixture for fans on and off the field. His charity work in the community is ever-growing, and ‘Phins fans will have an easy time backing Bess as their #1 WR.

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