Dolphins' Braxton Berrios thrilled to be coached by Wes Welker
Yes, Braxton Berrios once studied Wes Welker.
Berrios is the newest Dolphins receiver and Welker, once a Dolphins receiver, is now Miami's position coach.
"Obviously I'm absolutely thrilled to be in the same room as coach Welker now," Berrios said. "Just being able to pick his brain and to see, you know, hearing what he sees. Learning how they see their offense being run. This is a very detail-oriented league. And if you're not on those details, mistakes happen. So it's really cool to be there with coach Welker and you know, one of the best to ever do it."
Berrios is 5-foot-9, and 186 pounds. And so while Berrios is capable of playing outside wide receiver, his greatest value as a Dolphins' receiver may end up in the slot.
"They're truly one of the best wide receiver duos in the league, and I can't wait to get in that room," Berrios said of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. "Learn from them and hear how they see the game or how they see the route against this coverage. And, you know, all the variations. So, you know, obviously, I'm down to do whatever, whenever, and I've always been that way. And, you know, maybe, you know, if they take the top off, I'll work across the middle and more, I'll work outside. I'll really do whatever it takes to win."
Berrios played the first four years of his NFL career with the Jets. He was drafted by New York in the sixth round out of the University of Miami.
"There's nothing that like that stadium when it gets rockin'," Berrios said of Hard Rock.
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Berrios was raised in North Carolina but dreamed of playing for Miami.
"My dad's from Miami," Berrios said. "My grandfather was originally born in Puerto Rico. So my whole that's kind of the family's from Miami. And so he met my mom in North Carolina. That's why I was born there and raised there. But I grew up a Hurricanes fan and a fan of the Dolphins as well."
Berrios has been one of the top kickoff and punt returners in the NFL and should be the primary returner for Miami. This should ease a burden on Hill, Waddle, Raheem Mostert and/or Jevon Holland.
"I take a lot of pride in it," Berrios said. "You're right, it's absolutely not for everybody. And if you do do it, you have to be fully committed to doing it. I've been one of the best in the league at it and I want to get back to that to that top spot across the board at it. You might have to have maybe a screw loose to do it. It's thrilling. I don't think there's anything like it. And like I said, I had a lot of pride in it because it truly is a third of the game and they can swing a game."
Berrios, 27, noted that in addition to Welker, he's also studied former Dolphins receiver Danny Amendola, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman and Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett.
He's excited to bring his route-running skills to the Dolphins.
"Miami has done a lot recently, even dating back to last year as far as just building a culture and building a team of guys who get the job done and do it the right way," Berrios said. "When this became a became a reality, or an option to be reality, the more I thought about it, the more attractive it got."
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Braxton Berrios of the Miami Dolphins will return to Hard Rock Stadium
