RADIO
You know what can save your fantasy team? Getting an extra receiver. How do you get an extra receiver? Killing your tight end pick. Time for a new case for another sleeper. Jordan Cameron broke the hearts of fantasy owners about halfway through the season when it became abundantly clear that he was going to fall short of the expectations bestowed on him during the preseason. That's the cold reality of fantasy sports; a player who can single handedly swing any week with a decent game, can also become a dud after just one tough hit. So what's that mean? It means that we have another player that can be considered an underachiever from 2014 that has a high potential to rebound this year. Welcome to the Jordan Cameron Hour.
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The Miami Dolphins, sick of mediocrity after three consecutive seasons hovering around the .500 mark, decided to make big splashes this offseason. The biggest move was the signing of Ndamukong Suh to shore up a front four that landed in the bottom third in terms of rushing defense last year. They also were able to pull off one of the more underrated move of trading for Kenny Stills of the Saints, adding another offensive weapon to a unit that will look continuing on last year's trend upward.
But it was the signing of Cameron that might prove to be the most dynamic when the season begins. The big, athletic tight end came over from the Browns on a 2-year, $15 million contract in the hopes of providing Ryan Tannehill with the safety net that he has been searching for during the past few seasons. There are few safety nets as talented as the 6'5'' 260 pound veteran out of USC. The big man's ability to stretch the field down the middle will shift defenses in a way that will help the offensive corps to develop a level of lethal that many other teams cannot emulate. The Dolphins were one of the league's top teams at getting into the Red Zone last year (4.2 trips into the two-yard line, second in the league) while also being of the worst at actually coming away with six points (51.46%, 21st in the league). The addition of Cameron will add a new wrinkle to high potential offense. Plus, Tannehill is only one year removed from sending over 100 targets into the direction of former Dolphin tight end Charles Clay, a player who doesn't hold a light to the football prowess of Cameron. Even last year, despite missing two games, Clay still was 11 targets from reaching triple digits. Throw in the uptick of targets that backup tight end Dion Sims saw in his second NFL season last year and fantasy owners have should have no worries about Tannehill's relationship with his tight ends. The former Texas A&M signal caller understands how valuable targeting the position can be in keeping an offence rolling and producing,
And while Cameron has potential to be great in his own, it's his fit within the offense that'll undoubtedly be one the key contributors to reaching his numbers potential. It starts with Ryan Tannehill, the fourth-year quarterback who has done a great job in trying to prove that he belongs in the conversation when discussing the fantastic crop of field generals from the 2012 Draft. The cannon attached to his shoulder is going to find the rewards of having a large tight end streaking up the field past an overwhelmed linebacker to be great, especially on short quick throws in the redzone. Jarvis Landry, the second year wide receiver who gets lost in the discussion of great receivers from the 2014 Draft, returns and, barring a sophomore slump, should benefit greatly from the addition of Cameron. Primarily a slot receiver, every time the ball targets Cameron, the pressure on Landry is going to lessen. Landry, Cameron, Tannehill, and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor all know this and will take full advantage of it. Throw in Stills, a speedster who has the ability to get above safeties on any given play and the offense has the right pieces to be one of the best in the league.
Of course, with the spoils of being toward the top of the league, there are always going to be some drawbacks. The biggest one will the be the amount of balls that will be available to go around once DeVante Parker becomes assimilated into the mix. Parker, a highly talented first round receiver out of Louisville, has the talent that can make him a very dangerous playmaker in the league for years to come. Personally, I see that as a future that is still pretty far off though. Playing under an old school head coach like Joe Philbin, Parker will have underwhelming opportunities to showcase his talents and even less opportunities to screw up. Landry, the undoubted number one receiver following Mike Wallace's offseason trade to Minnesota, saw only 4.22 targets a game through Week 9 and caught 3.75 of those balls. Philbin understands the long game that Miami has been playing during the last few years and will not rush his newest receiver into any situation he doesn't feel comfortable with, especially considering the other weapons he will have at his disposal.
Back to Cameron. You can disregard the 24 catch, 424 yard performance of 2014, where the tight end was limited to only ten games due to the effects of a concussion. In those games, he had no Josh Gordon to pull pressure off of him and he had to act as one of the only viable options in the Cleveland passing game. Instead, consider his 2013 season of 80 catches, 917 yards, and seven touchdowns as a true model for what can happen in Cameron's 2015 campaign. A former basketball player who was handpicked by Pete Carroll when he was at USC, Cameron has done nothing but impress during initial practices with his new team. Philbin is already salivating over the Fins' ability to attack the middle of the field and is very impressed with the newcomer's ability to fit in. Cameron himself has been talking about a return to the Pro Bowl and his opportunities in the Red Zone, just the kind of things you want to hear from a playmaker with his capabilities.
