Dolphins wide receiver Rishard Matthews, unhappy with his role in Miami, is boycotting the Dolphins’ voluntary workouts in the hopes of forcing a trade or his release, according to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Matthews wanted to be traded or cut by the Dolphins — Beasley’s fellow Herald scribe Armando Salguero reported the same thing back in February. Presumably, as the club moved on from veterans Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Brian Hartline, Matthews became more optimistic about getting an opportunity to see consistent offensive snaps in 2015.
However, the Dolphins actively sought out replacements for their departed wideouts, trading a third-round pick for Kenny Stills, signing Greg Jennings in free agency, and using their first-round pick on DeVante Parker. With Jarvis Landry still in the mix as well, the Dolphins “made clear through their actions” that the club still views Matthews as a No. 5 receiver, writes Beasley.
Matthews, 25, saw 67 targets and caught 41 of them back in 2013, but has otherwise been a little-used weapon on offense during his three years in Miami, seeing more action on special teams. The former seventh-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so his base salary is an affordable $660K, and the Dolphins would only have to carry about $13K on their cap if they dealt him.