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2012 saw Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline go north of 1,000 receiving yards. Plus, the offseason, that followed, saw the team add a big-time WR in Mike Wallace, and Brandon Gibson, whom a lot of people don’t like but I see potential for production from (article on Gibson and how he can contribute to the 2013 Dolphins is HERE … article on Wallace is HERE). Those names are surely bigger than Armon Binns, but the 23 year old has impressed the coaches (especially in practice) to the point where we can expect offensive coordinator Mike Sherman to involve Binns in the game plan more and more.
Coming in to 2013, Binns has just 24 catches on 40 targets (six catches on 11 targets with Miami as Binns played most of 2012 with the Cincinnati Bengals) and he has just 277 receiving yards (67 as a ‘Phin) with just one career touchdown (came as a Bengal). Not a whole lot there to get excited about, but the team seems enamored with what they see in practice (including his play in their recent OTA’s) from the former University of Cincinnati star.
What I like about Binns is that in college, he showed he can be a versatile producer. He contributed when he was the main wide receiver, and he was also very good when he was a second or third option. It is true that he showed very little on the field for Miami in 2012, but he hardly had time to get up to speed with the offense and to develop with Ryan Tannehill. Fast-forward to where we are now and it seems like his arrow is pointed upwards.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, I would like to see Binns develop as a red-zone threat, and the improved WR group in Miami should allow Binns to have favorable match-ups on the field as guys like Wallace, Hartline and even Gibson will draw the oppositions top defensive backs. At $480,000, Binns will have a chance to be super valuable as a low-cost contributor.
Most of Binns skills are good, not great. That said, the team really seems to like this young man and they seem to be projecting that he will improve and be a legit contributor for the 2013 Dolphins (and going forward).
Craig Ballard is a NFL/NBA/MLB writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @craigballard77, and you can find all of his articles HERE
