Will

Fuller

The only team linked to Fuller at any point this offseason has been the Browns, and that was seemingly just dot-connecting him to Deshaun Watson. Fuller missed most of the 2021 season with a finger injury and has been off the grid ever since. Wilson’s reports came an hour after news of Cowboys receiver James Washington suffering a Jones fracture dropped. With Dallas trading Amari Cooper and likely missing Michael Gallup for the start of the year, they would be an ideal fit for Fuller. The Packers, who are currently without second-round rookie Christian Watson, should also keep tabs on Fuller.

With no receiver depth behind No. 1 wideout Rashod Bateman, Baltimore will probably make a move for one of the remaining free agent receivers in the next month. Julio Jones, 33, would be a sensible addition to a receiver-hungry roster even after another injury-marred season in Tennessee last year. Jones has played 19 of a possible 33 games over the past two seasons while battling a never-ending string of soft tissue injuries. He managed one touchdown on 31 regular season receptions in the Titans’ run-heavy offense. Free agent wideouts include Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton, Cole Beasley, DeSean Jackson, Odell Beckham, Emmanuel Sanders, and Dede Westbrook.

It is notable because of the Browns’ acute need at receiver and Fuller’s history with new Browns starter Deshaun Watson. Watson’s public market has been almost nonexistent this offseason. It has been months since there was a real update on his mangled finger. Fuller is going to get a 2022 shot somewhere, but he might need to wait for a camp injury or two to get something closer to the contract he is pursuing.

“We lost a guy that was pretty good at doing that,” LaFleur said, referencing Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Packers could be in play for Alabama wideout Jameson Williams, who is considered the best field-stretching prospect in the class, in the first round. They also have previously been connected to former Dolphins wideout Will Fuller, who they tried to acquire at the trade deadline in 2020. It’s rare to see a team acknowledge that they need more speed this transparently.

“We need a legit guy that can take the top off the coverage,” LaFleur told reporters Tuesday. Free agent WR Will Fuller, with whom the Packers flirted in 2020, would make sense for Green Bay after the team lost Marques Valdes-Scantling to Kansas City last week. Fuller’s 2021 season in Miami was a wash due to a personal issue and a lingering finger injury. At his best, he’s a downfield burner who was highly productive as Deshaun Watson’s main deep threat in Houston. Fuller would have plenty of fantasy appeal in Aaron Rodgers’ offense.

Schultz added that Fuller and new Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson have been friends since their time together in Houston. Fuller signed with the Dolphins on a one-year deal and things quickly fell apart. He opened the year by finishing his suspension from 2020 and then a personal issue sidelined him even longer. Fuller only made it two games before a hand injury knocked him out for the year. He would eventually undergo surgery to fix the issue. Pairing up with Watson again would be an ideal outcome for Fuller, whose star is beginning to fade because of his disastrous 2021 campaign. Fuller would immediately step in as the team’s No. 2 receiver opposite Amari Cooper.

This felt inevitable as Flores has been unable to set a return date for Fuller all year. At some point, the team has to move on assuming Fuller is done for the year. The free-agent signing played just two games for Miami. He signed a one-year deal with them in the offseason and it’s unlikely that the team brings him back after his nonexistent 2021 campaign. Fuller ends his sixth NFL season with four catches for 26 yards. He’ll look to sign a prove-it deal with a new team once free agency opens next year.

Fuller was placed on injured reserve at the beginning of October and has never gotten a formal timeline for a return. The only note from Flores came a month after Fuller landed on injured reserve. All Flores could say is that he expected the speedster back on the field at some point this year. Even that would be a win at this point as Fuller has appeared in just two games for the Dolphins. DeVante Parker and Jaylen Waddle will close out the year as Miami’s starters.

The NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reports that Fuller’s finger was bad enough that at one point it was described as almost “shattered.” The severity of Fuller’s injury helps explain why there has been no concrete update on when he will return to action. Fuller appears unlikely to provide fantasy value at any point this season.

Fuller hasn’t played since injuring his finger in Week 4. Flores and Miami coaches have been coy about Fuller’s situation throughout his lost 2021 season. Fuller, who has four catches for 28 yards after signing a one-year, $10.5 million deal with Miami, can safely be dropped in 12-team leagues.