The Miami Dolphins have had a little bit of a makeover at the running back position. Gone are Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. Alexander Mattison and Ollie Gordon replaced them. Returning are De’Von Achane and Jaylen Wright. 
Achane is the lead back, but the problem is his size. He’s not even 190 lbs, so he can only carry the ball so much, and on top of that, he catches the ball out of the backfield. Achane is a dynamic player and is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball, and that’s what makes him special. Last year, he led the Dolphins in rushing with 203 carries and just over 900 yards rushing, and he added 78 catches out of the backfield as well. The second leading rusher last year was Mostert with 85 carries for only 285 yards rushing, a down year for him, and it eventually led to his release, with him approaching his mid-30s.
The Dolphins need someone else to step up to ease the workload, so he doesn’t wear down at the end of last year, which he said he did last year. Wright was a rookie last year and had a promising preseason. He also showed some flashes in an early-season game against the New England Patriots, after Achane left the game with a concussion, but after that game, he was nonexistent, and after he had a fumble exchange later in the year, I never saw him again.
Maybe he was adjusting to the longer NFL season and hit a rookie wall? Or maybe he wasn’t getting the offense well? Both things can happen as rookies, but his rookie season is over, and Wright must step up in year 2 and in the same offense. He can’t be a flash player. He must show his worth after the Dolphins traded up to get him in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mattison and Gordon are big physical running backs, and the Dolphins need them to step up in short-yardage situations, which has been a glaring weakness in this offense. They would give it to fullback Alec Ingold or Achane, but would get stuffed most of the time. Achane isn’t that type of running back, which is why I was frustrated with Mike McDaniel last year. He had a big back in Wilson but never used him. They also had Chris Brooks, but for some reason decided to cut him on the final cutdown instead of keeping him to develop.
Mattison is on a one-year prove-it deal, so maybe he will be motivated. Gordon was a 6th-round pick, but he is a talented back who led all of college football in rushing in 2023 with over 1,800 yards. For some reason, his production fell off last year, and there were character concerns with his DUI arrest last June, so he slipped. He is a talent, and I hope he has his head on straight and is motivated to prove the doubters wrong. The thing is, McDaniel doesn’t really go with the rookies unless he must.
In 2023, Mostert and Salvon Ahmed were the top running backs. Wilson was on injured reserve to start the year, but when Ahmed got hurt, it gave Achane an opportunity, and the rest is history. It’s possible it could take something like that for Gordon to get on the field unless he has a good showing in training camp and the preseason.
I’m more concerned about McDaniel and how he used his running backs in situations. I don’t want to see him consistently give the ball in short-yardage situations to Achane or Ingold. If he has a big physical back, use it. He had Wilson and never used him last year.
Would it have mattered?
Probably not, but he was the one who had key short-yardage runs on the final drive in 2023 against the Dallas Cowboys to get into field goal range and milk the clock to get the Dolphins into the playoffs.
The Dolphins need someone to step up and keep Achane fresh as the season progresses. Plus, Achane can be used at receiver on the outside as well as running back. If the Dolphins get good production from multiple running backs in the running game, then this offense could get going and get back to what it was in 2023.
-1749191829-q80.webp "Former Pro Bowler Explains Why Broncos Showed Interest with J.K. Dobbins")
