No, the Dolphins didn’t make mistake in re-sigining RB De’Von Achane. Here’s why
The Miami Dolphins made a mistake.
According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Dolphins should have never re-signed star running back De’Von Achane to a four-year extension worth $68 million. Instead, they should have traded him — second-rounder wouldn’t have been bad — and find the “next” Achane in the 2027 NFL Draft.
The only issue, to paraphrase the popular adage, is the following: why opt for the bird in the bush rather than the one in hand?
In the midst of a rebuild, talent comes at a premium. To even remotely suggest that players of Achane’s caliber grow on trees is not only a little disrespectful to the one-time Pro Bowler but also what he was able to do in 2025. The suggestion also misses the mark on an integral piece of professional sports: regardless of how they might go about it, every team wants to win games — and a trade that involved Achane would be antithetical to that very premise.
“He’s dynamic,” coach Jeff Hafley said of Achane. “I mean there are plays that you’re not even blocked right for, and he gets 6 or 7 yards. His vision, his acceleration, the way he can catch the ball out of the backfield, he’s so hard to defend.”
In addition to recording a league-leading 5.7 yards per carry, the former Texas A&M standout rushed for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025. He also added another 488 yards and three touchdowns through the air off of a team-high 67 receptions. Achane’s 1,838 yards from scrimmage ranked second in franchise history behind Ricky Williams in 2002.
“Achane is a very, very important piece of what we want to do moving forward,” general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan said. “He’s a building block for us.”
In fact, contrary to popular belief, Achane was in Hafley and Sullivan’s plans from Day 1.
“I talked to both of them one-on-one when they first got here,” Achane said on the latest episode of “The Set with Terron Armstead.” “They laid out the whole little stuff like ‘We’re not trading you.’ That was set from the get-go.”
Sure, as Barnwell suggests, Achane might not be able to immediately replicate his 2025 success. Coach Mike McDaniel, arguably one of the best run-game designers in the NFL, is gone. Outside of Patrick Paul and Aaron Brewer, the rest of the offensive line remains a question mark — not to mention availability concerns for Austin Jackson, who has played just 33 total games since 2022. And the lack of options at receiver could result in opposing defenses just stacking the box.
All that might be true.
What’s also true, however, is that the Dolphins will spend the next several months constructing the offense around Achane rather than the midseason shift that happened in 2025. From the selection of offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor to Jonah Savaiinaea’s move back to the right side, his more natural position, the Dolphins have made it clear that they intend to be a run-first team.
Hafley’s reported conversations with Achane somewhat attest to that, as well.
“He was like ‘I know you ain’t the vocal type of guy, but sometimes I might need you to speak up and say something,’” Achane told Armstead. “I’m like ‘Bet, I’m cool with that.’”
Added Achane: “It’s just all about me getting more comfortable being more vocal.”
Regardless of how the Dolphins do in 2026, Achane’s retention was a smart move. Not only does he become the unquestioned catalyst of the Dolphins’ offense, he will now take on a new leadership role, something that forces him a bit outside his comfort zone.
That sort of pressure, however, is how diamonds are made.
