The Tennessee Titans revamped their wide receiver room this offseason. One of the outgoings was Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who signed a two-year, $5.99 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. It was a team-friendly deal considering Westbrook-Ikhine recorded nine touchdowns for the Titans last season. Only seven receivers in the entire league made more end-zone visits.
Despite that, new general manager Mike Borgonzi refused to buy into an outlier season, opting to let a fan-favorite like Westbrook-Ikhine walk. Instead of retaining him, the Titans drafted two wide receivers, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who they expect to be immediate contributors. They also landed Xavier Restrepo in undrafted free agency. Restrepo's built-in chemistry with rookie quarterback Cam Ward was a recurring factor at OTAs and minicamp. Veterans Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett were signed in free agency.
The Titans are excited about the potential of their ascending, new-look receiver room. That doesn't mean they won't miss Westbrook-Ikhine's reliability. According to one Dolphins beat writer, Miami got the usual Westbrook-Ikhine experience during minicamp, and that's great.
Former Titans receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine makes plays at Dolphins minicamp
David Furones of the Sun Sentinel wrote that Westbrook-Ikhine was a standout during one Dolphins minicamp practice. The former undrafted free agent caught multiple touchdowns after a string of quiet practices. It was only so long before Westbrook-Ikhine started making his usual impact in the red zone.
“I’ve seen a guy that has already found a really cool role within the team in that this is dog competitor that brings it each and every day," head coach Mike McDaniel said about his new receiver.
The Dolphins will appreciate Westbrook-Ikhine's consistency. With so much controversy surrounding Tyreek Hill, and occasionally Jaylen Waddle, Miami will love NWI's quiet, calm demeanor and business-first approach. The Dolphins are getting the best of Westbrook-Ikihine, for now at least.
Meanwhile the Titans had no qualms about moving on.