Draft notebook: Are Dolphins better, who’s the starting RB, and what about Jakeem?
Clearing out the notebook following the 2021 NFL Draft:
The point of the draft for every team is what?
Address weaknesses, fill needs and make the roster stronger.
So Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was asked directly after the draft if the Dolphins are now better than they were at the end of the 2020 season.
“It’s hard to say,” Grier said. “We feel good about the moves we’ve made, but at the end of the day, when you go through it, the players have to go and perform and we’re excited.
“We have a very good coaching staff, and we think these players are the right types of kids to come in and develop. And, again, we’re always working through the roster trying to churn it over and work to improve. So we feel we’re in a good place right now, but it’s just getting started.
“The offseason program is here and players will start coming in — the ones that are around — and so for us, we feel good where we are, but it’s a long ways to go before we kick off in September.”
Coach Brian Flores also played down the idea Miami got better with the weekend’s draft.
“I think we like the guys that we added this weekend, but I’ll say this — and hopefully the rookies get hold of this and are listening,” Flores said. “ These guys have a long way to go. They’ve never played in an NFL game. They’ve never stepped foot in an NFL meeting or a walk-through or anything.
“So to put — I wouldn’t call it ‘pressure, but to sit here and .... they’ve got a long way to go. So it’s our jobs as coaches to help these guys get acclimated, learn the system, learn the terminology, learn how we practice, learn how we walk-through, how to become a professional. It’s not like you just jump in and you can do it, so we’ll get them coached up, but we like the talent that we’ve added ...”
Thoughtful answers from both the coach and GM.
But, personally, I kind of want to hear that they think the team is better. Neither could bring himself to saying it after this draft.
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Here is what the Dolphins said about first-round pick Jaylen Waddle and second-round selection Jevon Holland:
Flores on Waddle: “His role is going to be what he makes it. Based off of all the film we’ve seen, we think he’ll fit inside or outside. We think he’ll add a speed element. Obviously he has some value in the return game. I think his versatility is a big part of this. His ability to play inside, play in the slot, play on the perimeter, play in the return game.”
Grier on Holland: “He’s a very smart, instinctive football player that’s been a very productive player. He’s also been a punt returner there, which we talk about, too.”
Where does that leave Jakeem Grant?
Waddle returned punts in 2018 and both punts and kickoffs the past two seasons.
He averaged a whopping 24 yards per punt return in 2019 and an equally impressive 35 yards per kick return. During his career he had two punt return touchdowns and one kickoff return touchdown.
Holland returned punts at Oregon in 2019 and averaged 15.3 yards per return.
The question: With these two high draft picks being return men and the coach and GM pointing out those traits, what do the Dolphins do with Grant?
Grant has five return touchdowns in his five seasons. And he was second-team All-Pro returner in 2020.
So does he keep the job? Or do the Dolphins get one of their rookies into those roles?
There will obviously be a competition and the two rookies will likely be part of it.
Grant is carrying a salary cap number of $4.68 million this season, and if he’s cut post June 1 the team saves $4.08 million of that.
So it will be difficult for the Dolphins to not grab that savings if Grant doesn’t beat out both rookies as Miami’s returner because his role as Miami’s fourth or fifth receiver might not be enough to merit that cap number.
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The Miami Dolphins’ starting running back for the start of training camp?
Myles Gaskin, ladies and gentleman.
The Dolphins drafted 6-foot, 230-pound running back Gerrid Doaks in the seventh round, and they’re happy about that.
“He is a tough, physical runner but plays the game with energy, and passion,” Grier said. “He’s got toughness, he’s got power. So he was someone that we looked at and we started talking about him in the later parts of the draft and Brian, myself — we’re very excited about him.”
But it would take something of a surprise for Doaks to speed past Gaskin as the club’s starter the first day of training camp. And, yes, Malcolm Brown is part of the mix, as well.
But Gaskin knows the offense. Coaches have confidence in him. He’s the guy to start camp.
Gaskin was something of a training camp surprise last season after being drafted in the seventh round in 2019. And he had a solid season, rushing for 584 yards and averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
“I think I saw a lot of growth from Year 1 to Year 2.,” Flores said of Gaskin. “I think we all saw that. When he goes in the game, he’s productive. He missed a number of games last year due to injury, but when he was in there, he was productive in the run game and the pass game and the protection game.
“Same thing with [Salvon] Ahmed. He’s going to have to get his feet wet a little bit, but he got better over the course of the season. And then we add Malcolm Brown.
“But I think as far as specific to Myles, who you mentioned, he’s a hard-working kid. It’s important to him and he’s going to do everything possible to get every bit of production out of himself. Same thing with Salvon, and I think we’ll get the same out of Malcolm Brown also.”
A couple of things:
Doaks looks the part and was productive at Cincinnati.
But was he dominant? No. So we shall see.
And there’s always the back end of free agency. These are some free agent running backs still available should the Dolphins wish to explore that avenue:
Todd Gurley: Still only 26 but has been on the decline for three seasons.
Le’Veon Bell: The Dolphins tried to sign Bell, 29, last season when he was released by the New York Jets, but he opted for Kansas City.
He hasn’t been a force since he left Pittsburgh after the 2017 season but he lives locally, so there’s that.
Duke Johnson: He will turn 28 in time for the season and also is local. He had a good first season with Houston in 2019 but last year was a disappointment in that he averaged 3.1 yards per carry.
There are others, but let me go directly to the crazy option: Adrian Peterson.
He’s 36 and wants to keep playing, although he said recently he’s “looking for a contender.” I don’t know if the Dolphins qualify in his mind.
He averaged 3.9 yards per rush in Detroit last season.
The concern with Peterson, aside from whether he will produce, is whether he’d be something of a progress-stopper for Doaks or someone else.
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
