Miami's running game

Umix10 wrote:Henry (2nd Rd 45th pick)
Cook (2nd Rd 41st Pick)
Chubb (2nd Rd 35th pick)
Jones (5th Rd 182nd pick)
Taylor (2nd Rd 41st pick)
Robinson (UDFA)
McCaffrey (1st RD 8th pick)
Sanders (2nd Rd 51st pick)
Mixon (2nd Rd 48th pick)
Montgomery (3rd Rd 73rd pick)

This is last years top ten. McCaffrey is the only first rounder. The consensus seems to be that you dont need a 1st round running back to be a good back. Although in Hindsight you could have drafted Henry in the 1st.

If you look at the next 10 the draft position will be even lower. I think the Dolphins realized that with better up front blocking and better playmakers on the outside the running game will right itself. I like the thinking. On paper it should free it up.

I think they stopped investing in running backs because of the short careers. What's a typical running back NFL lifespan? 4 years vs an NFL lineman that can fill a roster for 10 years. I would look at longevity as an aspect of draft status. A running back is more likely to get injured and cost dead money than a lineman.

I think Gaskin will be an inspiration to Doakes. If that 7th round pick can be a starter then with hard work Doakes can be a starter. I like competition at positions. I think it will create a better team.

Umix10 wrote:In a passing league your priority probably isn't a RB.  As a matter of fact, I think nowadays it seems that Kickers and Punters are given the same priority as running backs.  Guys like Dion Lewis, Darren Sproles, and James White all seem to epitomize what running backs in this league are typically asked to do.  Granted these guys aren't bell cows but the fact of the matter is simple.  Running backs can be found anywhere, any round, and asked to do more in the passing game.  If you look at the top 10 Running backs of my previous post.  Can you identify one of those backs whose been to a Super Bowl in the last 3 or 4 years?

I'd also add that last season the Bucs' running game was almost identical to the Phins, statistically. And the Chiefs weren't much better. I think today, what's most important is being able to consistently run well situationally (short yardage, goal-line, etc.) The top rushing teams overall, like the Ravens, Titans and Browns, might be playoff-caliber but aren't going to be legit Super Bowl contenders until their passing games improve.

I think the AVERAGE NFL Career is 3 yrs. RBs is down to 2.57 yrs.

I was definitely not sure that Grier wanted a RB and apparently he did not. I am hearing that the attempted trade up into the lower 1st round was to get Holland!

It seems obvious that Grier had his draft board very different than we all thought, and apparently the LATERAL players is where we under-estimated. Players at this position that had equal grades.

If the O-line rookies from last year improve... And I think they will... and the Eichenberg to RT pick works out, allowing Hunt to become the Pro Bowl Guard he is meant to be.... Whoever the RB is should have plenty of holes to run through.

i love the direction of this team. Running backs can be found anywhere and anyplace. i think Gaskin will take it to the next level. I think that Tua has the weapons that will move the chains and still be able to manage the game

If Flores and Grier actually produce a credible running game with two 7th rounders and a journeyman who went undrafted himself, it might start such a paradigm shift at RB that from now on no team will ever draft one higher than the 5th round.

I mean, it's not as if this team's leading rusher hasn't been undrafted (Higgs, Parmalee) or some random journeyman (Lamar Smith) before. Just sayin'.

Or Gerrid Doaks might just play about as well as Joe Doakes* and prove exactly why he was a 7th rounder to begin with.

*I'll give out likes to every post for a week to whoever gets that reference first BTW.

I'm out...no idea...

I am still hoping they Get Jake Funk somehow?

I'm a firm believer our problem in the running game was two fold, outside of the talent at running back:

1. Our offensive line, while showing glimpses last season, simply was not very good. For proof, witness the Fins sending Flowers back to Washington carrying a suitcase full of money. That's not what you do if you are happy with a player.

2. Our receiver group, especially late, scared no one and allowed opposing defenses to stack the box vs the run.

I believe we have addressed both problems by adding multiple players, through both free agency and the draft.

We didn't stop there, though. We also added a short yardage hammer in Brown, and a similar skill set with Doaks. Both are good complements to the fast and shifty Gaskin and Ahmed.

If our running game is effective this season - and I think it will be - it will be because our offensive line shows a lot of improvement, and our receivers are legitimate deep threats forcing defenses to dedicate less against the run and more against the pass.

I have a gut feeling that Gaskin is going to have a really strong season. He surprised me last season - certainly not great, but much better than I expected. He is apparently in much better shape now, and with an improved OL (hopefully) and deep passing game (hopefully), I think he's going to be an 1100+ yard rusher. He's my pick for the "Most Improved Dolphins Player Not Named Tua" award that I just made up.

Don't underestimate the addition of Brown - I think he's going to be a huge factor as a situational runner.

Let's hope the last couple of free agent or trade RBs are not indicative of Brown's performance?

Gaskin and Ahmed need to bulk up some IMO. But if they bulk up too much, they ain't gonna be the same RB. Like Ronnie Brown. When he was training for the draft, he ran like the wind. When he got bulked back up and in pads, he just was not that fast. Definitely not #2 overall fast.

Found this interesting. Just as some of you suspected, Miami had the league's smallest RB room last season.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2021/steelers-em-big-and-other-data-snap-weighted-size-position

The Dolphins were at the other end of the scale. Unlike Tennessee, they used a committee backfield, with four running backs getting at least 200 snaps … and unlike Tennessee, they didn't have any power backs of note. The biggest of those four runners was Patrick Laird (6-foot-0, 205 pounds). The Dolphins had the league's smallest running backs by both SWW and SWBMI.

Still wish they'd have drafted Javonte Williams BTW. Curse you, Broncos!!!

DolFan 316 wrote:Still wish they'd have drafted Javonte Williams BTW. Curse you, Broncos!!!      

I doubt Grier was gonna draft Williams (he probably SHOULD HAVE) , but....

I did read that the Broncos were considering attempting to trade up into the lower 1st for Jalen Phillips if he had dropped a few more spots, but the Phins spoiled that plan!!

So maybe the trade up for Williams was sort of an "FU" to the Phins for drafting Phillips?

I just really Hope Malcolm Brown turns out to be a better free agent signing than Howard. I KNEW Howard was on his last leg and probably not gonna produce for Miami, but even I have to admit, he stunk worse than I thought he was going to!! And I was suspecting him to be fairly malodorous.