Miami Dolphins

Parker's surgery a minor setback for Dolphins receiving unit

Published Jun. 10, 2015 1:30 p.m. ET

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DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins rookie DeVante Parker made a solid first impression through the first two weeks of organized team activities with an outstanding display of athleticism and raw talent. As the top draft pick at No. 14 overall for the Dolphins last month and their first wide receiver taken in the first round since Ted Ginn Jr. in 2007, Parker certainly looked the part of a playmaker ready to have an outstanding rookie season.

During OTAs, Parker showed off the skills that produced a touchdown for every five catches with Louisville and he quickly established chemistry with quarterback Ryan Tannehill playing among a talented group of veteran receivers. Miami will be counting on him to produce the kind of big numbers he had in college, where he rebounded strongly last year after missing the first half of the season with a broken fifth metatarsal. Despite playing in just six games as a senior, he still recorded 43 receptions for 855 yards -- good for a robust 19.9 yard average -- to go along with five touchdowns.

Unfortunately, that same injury is the reason why he is out for several weeks and likely the rest of the offseason, including training camp, after he underwent surgery last Friday to replace a screw that was inserted last year in his injured foot. The surgery was described as more of a precautionary move made for the future, but it undoubtedly puts his development on hold as Tannehill gets acclimated to Miami's revamped receiving unit.

"It's tough," said Tannehill after Monday's practice. "I think we all built a lot of confidence in him in the few weeks that we were able to work with him. Just his natural ability, his playmaking is off the charts. So we have a ton of confidence in him and it's tough to lose him right now, but he'll be back, ready to go in no time."

Back when the Dolphins drafted Parker, his injury history was described by general manager Dennis Hickey as something that was behind him.

"We rely on our medical staff as they do the orthopedic exams and all those things at the combine and at the re-checks," he said. "We rely on them for that and we were impressed that, one, that he came back for his senior year to play for his college team and also that he came back from an injury and played at a high level. If you watch those games, you know Florida State, Kentucky. If you watch Georgia, the bowl game, you see him after the injury, after the foot injury, you saw how he could perform, you saw the talent, you saw the resilience that DeVante has."

That may be so, but now Parker will need to hit the ground running once the regular season begins in September, as he did when he returned from his foot injury last year. The process of preparing for a rookie's first NFL season already carries with it a steep learning curve but Tannehill is confident that the coaching staff and Parker, who was considered one of the more NFL-ready prospects leading up to the draft, are up to the task.

"I think just missing the training camp reps and (as a) rookie, you're learning the ins and outs of the league and refining your route running, learning from the older guys, so he's going to have to do a lot more mental learning than physical learning," said Tannehill. "But I'm confident in our coaching staff and our leadership in that room that they can get him ready to go."

Parker will have big shoes to fill if he wants to rise above the rest of the competition to be Tannehill's go-to receiver.

Though Mike Wallace never truly panned out in Miami in relation to the high expectations placed on him when he signed as a prized free agent in 2013, he was still a viable No. 1 receiver and a dangerous player that opposing defenses always had to account for. Despite many times not being on the same page with Tannehill or offensive coordinator Bill Lazor which led to visible frustration with his role, Wallace still managed to catch 67 passes for 862 yards and tied a career high with 10 touchdowns in 2014. The team decided to trade him to the Minnesota Vikings in March and retool their receiving corps.

While Parker recuperates, freshly signed veteran receiver Greg Jennings will likely replace him in the lineup alongside second-year player Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills.

Coach Joe Philbin understands that dealing with injuries on his roster are an inescapable part of life as an NFL coach and he's confident that Parker will be back to full strength and quickly making his presence felt with the team.

"Often times, you'd love every player to make every single practice," he said. "When I put a pencil to a practice plan, I'd love it if everybody was there. But the reality is that doesn't happen all of the time. We'll work through it and I'm sure things will work out fine.

"Everything we do is based on what's in the best interest of the player. It was our opinion that this was the best course of action and that's why we did what we did. We're excited about him when he comes back. We expect him to be a great player here for a long time."

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.

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