Can Achane Be The Next Warrick Dunn?

I had to go all the way back to '97 (the year Dunn was drafted) for the last time a RB weighing 185 or less had any sort of significant impact. The really depressing part? Only one other such RB since then has more than 670 CAREER rushing yards!

https://stathead.com/tiny/CVaLa

But just to play devil's advocate (or would that be optimist's advocate?) now that I know that yes, a RB that size can have a successful career even if it hasn't been done in 15 years, will Achane be the one to finally break the mold and be the weapon some here think he will? And why?

As usual, opinions and thoughts welcome

I want him to be the next Tyreek Hill.

I see Achane as a change of pace RB. He should not get 20-30 carries a game IMO.

Every time Achane is on the field, it is another speed threat that the defense has to account for. You have Hill, Waddle, and Achane all on the field together, and I think the opposing D is going to have some severe problems.

I hope we see him utilized in the passing game because no way a LB covers him out of the backfield.

McD is going to have to scheme to use Achane right. Expecting him to be a Ricky Williams type RB... I think that is probably expecting way too much of him in the NFL. He's just a piece of the RB by committee for the Phins, not the entire committee!

Well said, FF!

I kinda figured this thread would go in the direction it did. So how about total yards from scrimmage, then? Same time frame for RBs 185 or under.

https://stathead.com/tiny/qUVaO

Still not good. Just one such player whose career began this century with even 1000 such yards.

Achane will need to do some SERIOUS mold breaking.

NOW...all that having been said I did discover a glitch in the PFR matrix. The glitch's name is Dexter McCluster. Drafted as a RB but moved to WR and had a decentish career.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/McClDe00.htm

This IMO is the absolute ceiling of what Achane will be doing in the NFL. But hey, I could be wrong. It's surely happened before, right?  

given the split numbers of carries over the total RB committee and the focus on passing with Hill and Waddle, i'm not convinced any single back for Miami can even get close to a 1,000 yards, but my hope for Achane would be Darren Sproles (5'6", 187) circa 2011.

mercury22nathan wrote:given the split numbers of carries over the total RB committee and the focus on passing with Hill and Waddle, i'm not convinced any single back for Miami can even get close to a 1,000 yards, but my hope for Achane would be Darren Sproles (5'6", 187) circa 2011.

I was thinking about Sproles as well, and he just missed the 185 lb cutoff. Bu even Sproles only reached 1000-plus yards from scrimmage once in his 14-year career.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SproDa00.htm

Sproles and McCluster also returned kicks--and scored multiple times that way. Would McDaniel have the cajones to even think about using Achane in that role? Perhaps he should.

I don't really understand the size criticism. Achane is not going to be a starting RB that gets 300+ carries a year. He's going to be a committee back and a slot receiver, as well as a returner. Don't be surprised if he also sees action as a short-yardage and goal-line back, because despite his size he is a tackle-breaker.

Basically, Achane is going to be a multi-role player, and there are no expectations whatsoever that he's going to be a starter that gets 1000 yards a season.

I think Sproles is a pretty good comparison.

Achane brings a dynamic back who can take draws and screens. He is the perfect back for a RPO offense because at the mesh point he will certainly make it even more difficult for the defense to see. His shiftiness is a bonus at the point of attack. He will be able to read and react quicker than Ahmed or Gaskin. Depending on what happens with Cook I think that one or both if cook is acquired are gone

I do think Cook is coming here once he gets cut. That makes us legitimately 4-deep at RB, which is insane! Last year, we were 2-deep - and those two got hurt. I like Ahmed and think he's a prefect practice squad player, but Gaskin is the odd man out for sure.

Last 4 Years Cook has had at least 249 Carries a Year, Wonder if he will want to be a Rotation Type of Back Now.

finskev wrote:Last 4 Years Cook has had at least 249 Carries a Year, Wonder if he will want to be a Rotation Type of Back Now.

I think if Cook signs he will get most of the carries, with Mostert as his primary backup and Achane coming in for specific packages and lined up as a receiver. Actually, we could see Cook get a lot of snaps as a receiver too, and there could be packages with Cook/Mostert, Cook/Achane, and Mostert/Achane on the field together...and maybe even all 3 at one time. There's a lot of possibilities with both Cook and Achane being good receivers.

I think Wilson will be inactive on most gamedays in this scenario, but maybe he sees the field early in the season if Achane isn't ready for whatever reason.

One thing I do know: if we add Cook, it will be a sign that McD is serious about running the ball more.