Joe Philbin owes his current job, in no small part, to the amazing success of the 2011 Green Bay Packers.

Maybe he believes the best way to stay employed is to replicate that success here in Miami.

He certainly brought the blueprint with him: Get offensive weapons -- the more, the better.

The signings of Mike Wallace, Dustin Keller and Brandon Gibson dominated the headlines in the first week of the offseason. Left unreported: How the Dolphins intend to use Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and all those new toys.

A source familiar with the Dolphins' thinking said the plan is to duplicate the wide-open and diverse offense that Philbin led in Green Bay. And for good reason. The Packers won the Super Bowl in 2010, and Aaron Rodgers was the league's MVP the year after.

By adding Gibson -- he signed a three-year deal after visiting the New York Jets -- some made the logical leap that Bess could be the odd man out.

But he survived Friday without getting cut, and here is a possible reason: Philbin wants five receiving threats, and the Dolphins are willing to spend to ensure he gets them.

"I think that in today's NFL day and age that you got to have more than one or two passing attacks, ways to get people the ball," Gibson said. "I really feel like this is a young and talented group and if we stick together we could be very good."

Assistant receivers coach Phil McGeoghan on Twitter Saturday: "Dolphins WR's currently under contract total 267 rec 3606 yds. and 15 TDs in 2012. Exciting time to be a Phins fan."

Those numbers stack up pretty favorably with the top four wideouts from the 2011 Packers -- except for touchdowns. Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Donald Driver combined for 210 catches for 3,292 yards in 2011.

But Green Bay also led the league with 560 points that year, getting 39 touchdowns from their wide receivers.

A case can be made the Dolphins' group is just as talented, if not as accomplished. Wallace is faster than any of them. Hartline is considered an ascendant player, and Gibson and Bess have a knack for getting open and making the tough catch.

But neither they nor Keller have yet played in a system nearly as pass-happy at Philbin ran in Green Bay. If the Dolphins really do open it up this year, their stats will in turn improve.

"(I) like the group of players," former scout and current NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said Saturday. "Price tag was high but they got better."

So are they the Packers South?

"I guess if you could want to call us that, sure," Gibson said. "But I think we're the Dolphins."

Of course, that all depends on the development of Ryan Tannehill. And none of these best-laid plans will matter if he can't stay upright.

(c)2013 The Miami Herald

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