By Jordan Long
The Miami Dolphins added a wide receiver to their core. They needed to add depth after Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson decided to opt-out this year because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. They agreed to a 1-year deal with Chester Rogers. The financial terms of the deal weren’t announced.
Rogers is entering his 5th season in the NFL. His previous 4 were with the Indianapolis Colts. In his time with the Colts, he caught 111 passes for 1,221 yards and 5 touchdowns. His average yards per catch was 11. Rogers held onto the ball and didn’t allow a defender to knock it out of his hands with only 1 fumble.
Last season Rogers appeared in 12 games for the Colts. He wasn’t that productive with a career low 179 receiving yards. Rogers was still able to gain yards after the catch with an average of 11.2 yards. Those catches helped move the chains for the Colts. Rogers missed the final 4 games of the year after he fractured his knee. The Colts decided not to renew his contract, allowing him to become a free agent.
The Dolphins needed to add another backup wide receiver to the roster. They know the starters will be DeVante Parker and Preston Williams who will be large targets for either Ryan Fitzpatrick or 1st-round pick Tua Tagovailoa. After them, the core isn’t as strong with Gary Jennings, Jakeem Grant, Isaiah Ford, Mack Hollins, and Malcolm Perry.
Rogers isn’t expected to be the starter or even the third wide receiver on the depth chart. He is projected to compete for the backup position behind Parker and Williams. He will have his chance during training camp.
Rogers will need to show that he can still play. A knee injury isn’t the easiest injury to come back from. If he shows he is back to 100%, Rogers will have his chance to earn a spot. The worst case is the Dolphins decide to move on from him before week 1 of the NFL season assuming it starts on time. This is a low-risk move for Miami and hopefully it works out.
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