The Miami Dolphins‘ wideout situation is one of the questions some have about the team, even though the upcoming 2026 NFL season is a rebuild. Over the offseason, Miami cut ties with Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle.
Nonetheless, the Dolphins did draft several pass catchers, but they are rookies. As a result, it wouldn’t be wise to put all that pressure on them to produce right out of the gate.
Miami could look at the veteran free-agent market, but it could also explore a potential trade. The Dolphins might not find a No. 1 receiver, but they can acquire a serviceable veteran as a placeholder.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has put the Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs as potential fits for Buffalo Bills wideout Joshua Palmer. As for the potential cost for trading for Palmer, Knox believes a 2027 sixth-round pick should get a deal done.
“The Buffalo Bills appear to have missed when they signed Joshua Palmer to a three-year, $29 million contract last offseason,” Knox wrote in a June 22 article. “Palmer was limited by ankle and knee injuries, and he did have some bright moments, but the 26-year-old’s production never quite matched his price point. Palmer recorded a career-low 303 receiving yards in 2025.
“Now that the Bills have added D.J. Moore and rookie Skyler Bell, they may be willing to get out from under Palmer’s contract. Now that June 1 has passed, Buffalo can save $10.1 million in 2026 cap space by trading him.”
Joshua Palmer Can Still Be Productive Despite Down Year
Despite Palmer not being a fit for the Bills, Knox believes the wideout still has value and can be of service to teams like Miami and Kansas City.
“And while Palmer’s 2025 season with the Bills was underwhelming, he’d still have value to another receiver-needy team,” Knox added in his article. “He averaged more than 500 receiving yards during his four seasons as a complementary target with the Los Angeles Chargers. Teams looking for a young contributor should be interested.”
Palmer’s most productive years came with the Chargers as he recorded 182 receptions for 2,287 receiving yards while registering 10 touchdowns in 58 games over four seasons, per StatMuse.
Should the Dolphins Go the Veteran Route for a WR?
While Knox believes that Miami should go the trade route to add more veteran experience, CBS Sports’ Mike Renner has the team going the free-agent route and targeting Stefon Diggs.
“I think Stefon Diggs, the person, would want to most go to the Miami Dolphins for a couple of reasons: One, obviously, he infamously likes to spend time in Miami, but two, he could still be a number one wide receiver there,” Renner said on the June 17 edition of “CBS Sports HQ.”
“If he goes pretty much anywhere else in the NFL, he’s a two, he’s a three, he’s an afterthought. But you look at this Dolphins receiving corps. There is no one stopping Stefon Diggs from getting the bulk of the targets. You got Jalen Tolbert, you got Tutu Atwell, you got Malik Washington, and then you got three rookies who were drafted in the third round or later.
“It’s basically, he signs there, he is their best option. Now, they’re probably going to run a lot. They may not be a high-volume passing offense, but for Stefon Diggs himself, at nearly 33 years old now, he could still be the guy somewhere in Miami.”
Chiefs, Dolphins Receive Strong Take on Bills’ Joshua Palmer