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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- On an evening when the Miami Dolphins gave up an embarrassing 248 rushing yards in a loss to the Detroit Lions and lost their top two receivers to injury, the biggest splash came on behalf of a player who didn't suit up. After DeVante Parker was a surprise inactive, Parker's agent Jimmy Gould released an explosive statement to ESPN calling coach Adam Gase "incompetent" and saying he wasn't telling the truth in regard to Parker's health. Gase said Parker still isn't "completely healthy" as he deals with a quad injury that cost him two games earlier this year. It honestly doesn't matter who is right, Gase or Gould. This sort of disagreement likely happens more often than we know, but doesn't typically become public. Gase probably won't fire back. But it appears clear that the marriage between the Dolphins and Parker has run its course, and the best scenario for both parties would be an eventual divorce and a fresh start for Parker. There has been some trade interest in Parker and trade talks with other teams, and Miami seemed willing to part with the former 2015 first-round pick for the right price. But there's one big issue: The Dolphins (4-3) are running out of receivers heading into a game against AFC South-leading Houston (4-3). Running back Kenyan Drake had to fill-in as full-time slot receiver at the end of the fourth quarter after Stills left the game. The Dolphins had just two healthy active receivers, so Drake had to switch positions as Miami attempted a comeback. "We had to get creative in the fourth quarter," quarterback Brock Osweiler said. "There was a lot of in the huddle, rather than calling plays, you would point at a guy and say, you line up in the slot, you run this route, you run this route. There was a little backyard football to it." Drake added: "We were just drawing up plays in the sand, so to say." Wilson will be out Thursday at Houston, and he'll likely miss considerable time with a significant hip injury. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said it could be several weeks or it could be the rest of the season. Stills' status is uncertain, but the Thursday turnaround doesn't provide for much recovery time. Together, Stills and Wilson have accounted for 40 percent of the team's receiving yards (672) and 53 percent of the team's receiving touchdowns (eight).  That leaves just Danny Amendola, Jakeem Grant and Parker as healthy receivers on the active roster. Miami will look into promoting Leonte Carroo, Isaiah Ford or Malcolm Lewis from their practice squad this week, but none are likely to make a huge immediate impact.
Signing or trading for a veteran receiver will likely be examined, but none of those players will be ready to contribute for Thursday and it could take a few weeks for them to learn the scheme. So now the Dolphins are faced with a dilemma -- can they afford to ship Parker away to the highest trade bidder or do they need to keep him despite a frustrating, oft-injured 2018 campaign? If they choose option B, can they make up after what has been said? A few Dolphins teammates are still showing support for Parker even after though the receiver's "will he play, won't he play" dance has disrupted their offensive flow and preparation. "DeVante is ready to go and 100 percent," Grant said. "And once he gets going and once he starts playing, he’s going to pick up from where he left off making better plays, more plays." Last season, Parker had 57 catches for 670 yards and he occasionally flashes the brilliance that has made the Dolphins reluctant to give him away. The trade deadline is October 30th, but Miami's receivers issues could linger beyond that. With recent injuries, the Dolphins might not have another choice but to sweep feelings under the rug and hope to get strong play out of Parker on Thursday and possibly beyond.
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