Chase Claypool will get a fresh start with the Miami Dolphins. That could involve trying a new position.
CBS Sports analyst Jonathan Jones said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel tries to utilize the recently acquired wide receiver at tight end.
“The Dolphins love to get creative,” Jones said. “It could be possible.”
Chase Claypool at tight end? @jjones9 thinks it’s a possibility with the Dolphins. pic.twitter.com/9qUDjB9AZP
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 8, 2023
After notching their first win since last October on Thursday night, the Chicago Bears sent Claypool and a seventh-round pick to Miami for a sixth. It’s a vast step down from the No. 32 pick they gave the Pittsburgh Steelers for Claypool last season.
Claypool secured just 18 of 43 targets for 191 yards and a touchdown in 10 games with the Bears. The 25-year-old was a healthy scratch in their last two games after giving a questionable effort on some plays in September.
As Jones noted, the Dolphins hardly need help at wide receiver.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle form the NFL’s speediest duo for the league’s top-ranked passing attack. They also have Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., and Robbie Chosen down the depth chart.
However, the Dolphins haven’t replaced Mike Gesicki with a prolific pass-catching tight end. Durham Smythe has 11 catches for 123 yards through their 4-0 start.
Some scouts considered tight end a more fitting spot for the 6-foot-4 Claypool before entering the NFL. He appeared to silence skeptics who questioned his ability to create outside separation when garnering 873 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie in 2020.
Yet Claypool now needs a career revival in Miami, so perhaps swapping positions (even as more of a wide receiver/tight end hybrid like Gesicki) could spark a turnaround.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Claypool isn’t expected to make his Dolphins debut against the New York Giants on Sunday.