If the Price is Right
We’re officially in the off-season for the NFL. This is the time where everyone gets all antsy in their pantsy and throws up all over themselves with mock drafts and rumors. Then, they post those items to whatever social media they choose and proceed to get berated with requests to shut up. That’s the rules of the internet and I can’t change them.
I, however, do my best not to engage in such speculation because it typically gets me nowhere. But, we got out of school today due to inclement weather and I’m down for some Dolphin’s future conversation. That, and there’s been some loose talk that the Dolphins are going to be in the market for a new running back. Plus, blogging goes smoothly with Troegs Nugget Nectar.
The Dolphins finished last in rushing last year. Their leading rusher was Ryan Fitzpatrick. Even though that’s awesome to think about it’s not the way you want things to go. They began the year with Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage as their top backs. Neither played in the final few games. Ballage, who set an NFL record of his own in futility, didn’t play due to injury. Drake was not surprisingly traded. The lover of getting arrested, Mark Walton, once again found himself on the wrong side of the law and was released. The Dolphins finished the season with essentially their rookie backs shouldering the load. Myles Gaskin and Patrick Laird did alright, which is to say they did below average.
Granted the Dolphin’s offensive line was God awful, even with Patrick using the power of Laird (never had a choice but to use this pun) to find daylight. In fact, nobody who ran the ball for Miami could get much of anything going. Regardless of who is in the backfield, the O-line needs to be addressed with better players. Hopefully, the line gets taken seriously, for once, and the Dolphins signing a running back occurs.
The running backs of note that are, currently, on the roster are Kalen Ballage, Patrick Laird, Myles Gaskin, and Samaje Perine. Unless you want a repeat of Fitzmagic being the team rushing leader, the Dolphins will have to bring in another RB.
I think it goes without saying that since Miami has around 300 picks in the upcoming draft that they will draft at least one running back. I have no idea if that will be a late-round pick, middle round or even their final first-round pick. Nothing would surprise me. But, I also believe the Dolphins will be looking to add a veteran RB most likely through free agency but possibly a trade (we’ll get to that possible scenario in a bit).
Dolphins Signing a Running Back… But Who?
The free-agent running backlist for 2020 is a tasty one. There are good names all over. Names such as Derrick Henry, Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler, Kareem Hunt, Matt Breida, Jordan Howard, Carlos Hyde, Lamar Miller, and even Kenyan Drake. These guys are going to get the most attention from suitors. I really don’t think Derrick Henry is going anywhere, so I’m not even entertaining the idea of him in Miami. There is the possibility and the talk that Todd Gurley is available and possibly on the Dolphin’s radar. But as this smart-sounding fellow says, I just don’t think that will happen.
So, which back will the Dolphins pursue? Well, it’s tough to say. Are they looking for a bell cow type guy like Melvin Gordon, or a guy to go along with Laird and Gaskin like Ekeler? I would think, based on how Miami did it last year, that they would want someone to go along with the backs they have. Doing that has a few positive outcomes. First, it keeps everyone fresh and more likely to stay healthy. Secondly, it means if they bring in a guy to be part of a rotation that it will be cheaper and I think the Dolphins are all about getting guys for cheap.
Yes, the Dolphins have the most cap space. Trust me, they aren’t going to throw it around because they can. Past Dolphin’s regimes would have, but I really don’t think this one will. They had the opportunity to do that last year and they didn’t do anything like that. Though a few of the Patriot coaches are gone, the main one, Flores, is still here. He saw in New England that winning free agency meant nothing and that winning with second and third rate is achievable if you’re smart.
That’s what he’s going to try and do here. They’ll eventually give big-time money to a few guys in the years to come. But it will, nearly certainly, not be this year and won’t be on a running back. I don’t have to get into why it’s stupid to pay big money to running backs, but if you somehow aren’t sure, look at the Cowboys and Rams.
The Dolphins signing a running back is going to happen in some capacity. I just won’t ever think it will be for a lot of money or for a 20 carry a game kind of guy. So which guy would I like? I’d love Drake back, but you and me both know that isn’t a possibility. Besides him, if we’re picking this like we would a kickball game, I’d take Austin Ekeler. He catches the ball very well and is quite durable. He’ll also not cost as much as his fellow Charger counterpart and shouldn’t cause any issues in the locker room. Look for a”Dolphins should Sign Ekeler” blog in the near future. It will be contingent on how much Nugget Nectar is left.
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