Why Brian Flores is optimistic about running game. And a look at 22 available backs
Perhaps you’ve heard: The Miami Dolphins didn’t address the running back position during the weekend until they selected Cincinnati’s Gerrid Doaks in the seventh round.
This decision not to draft a running back (in the first six rounds) to supplement Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed and Malcolm Brown was mentioned a few billion times on social media as the draft unfolded (guilty as charged).
But beyond Doaks, there are two reasons Dolphins coach Brian Flores is optimistic the running game will be better after a year in which Miami averaged 1.4 yards after contact per rushing attempt (worst in the league) and 3.9 per carry (29th):
▪ Reason 1: The Dolphins are bullish on free agent pickup Malcolm Brown, who made only two starts in six seasons for the Rams but has a solid 4.0 career rushing average. He played a career-high 42 percent of the Rams’ offensive snaps last season.
“We really like him,” Flores said Saturday evening. “Played against him this year with the Rams, and did a lot of things for them — short yardage, third down; he’s somebody who was reliable, dependable and was productive for those guys. He’s been productive really throughout the course of his career. He played in a variety of roles: short yardage, third down, goal line, things of that nature; so we thought he’d be a good addition to the room along with Myles, along with Salvon. And obviously we’re adding Doaks to the mix now.”
We did an in-depth evaluation of Brown in this piece in March, including a look at his career success rate on carries when the Rams needed between one and three yards for a first down.
▪ Reason 2: Flores believes the additional speed at receiver (Will Fuller, Jaylen Waddle) will help the running game.
“I think it [helps] a lot,” Flores said. “I think if you’ve got guys who can run on the perimeter, if you load the box, there’s more opportunity for 1-on-1 matchups and opportunities downfield. Defenses have to make that decision when you have those types of players on the field and again, if you don’t load the box and you play for those big plays, then there’s less people in the box and less people to block and I think it really becomes kind of a numbers math game. If you get those guys blocked, there’s more space to run.
“So there’s a lot to this and as you guys know — you guys watch and have seen a lot of football and understand the game — so when you have guys on the perimeter and guys who demand some attention — that kind of attention — then there could be more space and there may not be. And if that’s the case, then we’ve got to take advantage of those matchups on the perimeter. It’s a chess game, as you all know, and obviously the run game and how you attack the run game, that’s part of it.”
There’s also a third reason that Flores might believe the running game will improve but one that he did not articulate on Saturday: As young players, Gaskin and Ahmed should continue to improve.
In his piece on Monday, Armando Salguero noted the four most prominent running backs still available in free agency:
▪ Todd Gurley, who averaged just 3.5 yards on 195 carries in 15 starts for Atlanta in 2020.
▪ Le’Veon Bell, who averaged 4.0 per carry on 63 rushes in nine games and two starts for the Chiefs after picking Kansas City over Miami when the Jets released him last October.
▪ Duke Johnson, who averaged just 3.1 per carry on 77 carries in 11 games and five starts for Houston last season, after averaging 5.0 and 4.9 per carry his previous two seasons.
▪ Former All-Pro Adrian Peterson, who averaged 3.9 per carry on 156 attempts in 15 games and 10 starts for Detroit in 2020.
Here are the other unrestricted free agent running backs, with all stats reflecting 2020 production unless otherwise noted:
▪ Devonta Freeman: The former Miami Central High standout and two-time Pro Bowler (2015 and 2016) is only 29 but has seen his career fizzle. He signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Giants last September but missed time with an ankle injury and spent time on the COVID-19 list and finished averaging 3.2 yards on 54 carries. He spent January on the Bills’ practice squad.
▪ Rex Burkhead: Averaged 4.1 on 67 carries for New England and an effective receiver out of the backfield. Plus there’s the Patriots connection that’s always appealing to this Dolphins regime.
▪ Brian Hill: Averaged 4.7 yards on 100 carries for Atlanta in 2020 and an effective receiver out of the backfield.
▪ T.J. Yeldon: Had 10 carries for 70 yards last season. The former second-rounder out of Alabama boasts a career 4.1 average on 492 carries.
▪ Dion Lewis: Averaged 4.0 on 29 carries for the Giants last season and an accomplished receiver out of the backfield. And there’s that Patriots connection.
▪ Chris Thompson: Averaged 2.9 yards on seven rushes for Jacksonville last season, but has a 4.7 average on 257 career carries, mostly with Washington.
▪ LeSean McCoy: Averaged just 3.1 yards on 10 carries for Tampa last season and is well past his prime at 32. But he averaged 4.6 yards on 101 carries for Kansas City in 2019. Six-time Pro Bowler, most recently in 2017.
▪ Frank Gore: Will turn 38 on May 14 and apparently will play until he’s 90. The former Dolphin and Hurricane standout averaged 3.5 yards on 187 carries for the Jets last season, starting 14 games. He told me 16 months ago that he would love to return to the Dolphins to finish his career.
▪ Alfred Morris: Now 32, the two-time Pro Bowler from FAU averaged 4.3 yards on 55 rushing attempts in nine games for the Giants last season.
▪ Dolphins free agent DeAndre Washington: Last season, when Miami was depleted at running back, the Dolphins acquired Washington, along with a seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft from the Chiefs for a sixth-round pick. He averaged just 3.1 per carry on 28 attempts for the Dolphins.
▪ Kenjon Barner: Has averaged 4.2 yards on 100 career rushing attempts. Appeared in six games for Tampa Bay last season without a touch.
▪ Corey Clement: Averaged 3.6 yards on 21 carries for Philadelphia last season.
▪ Bryce Love: Even after he tore his ACL in his final college game at Stanford, Washington drafted him in the fourth round, but he never appeared in a game and was released last month.
▪ Ito Smith: The former fourth-rounder from Southern Mississippi averaged 4.3 per carry on 63 attempts as a backup for the Falcons last season.
▪ Troymaine Pope: Averaged 5.1 on 15 rushes for the Rams last season.
▪ Wendell Smallwood: Averaged 4.0 yards on 233 career carries, mostly with Philadelphia, but appeared in just one game last season (for Pittsburgh).
▪ Bo Scarbrough: The former Alabama running back, drafted in the seventh round by Dallas, averaged 4.3 yards on 95 carries, mostly for Detroit in 2019. He made only one NFL appearance last season, running the ball six times for 31 yards for Seattle in that game.
▪ D’Onta Foreman: Selected in the third round out of Texas by Houston in 2017, he averaged 4.3 yards on 22 carries for the Titans last season.
It’s likely that some veteran running backs will be cut, potentially after June 1. Others could be traded. Melvin Gordon is one name to keep in the back of your mind.
Even after trading up for Javonte Williams, the Broncos strongly suggested over the weekend that they will keep Gordon, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry last season on 215 attempts in 15 games and 10 starts for Denver. The Broncos also have free agent addition Mike Boone.
“I think they’re different backs, and so I do think they’ll complement each other well,” Broncos general manager George Paton said. “I feel like you need two or three backs in this league to have success.”
Gordon’s $4.5 million base salary in 2021 is guaranteed, so there’s little incentive for Denver to cut him. But if they traded him for a late-round pick, Denver would have just $2 million in dead money and $6.9 million in cap savings.
Gordon would augment the Dolphins’ running back room, but whether Miami would be willing to pay $4.5 million is highly questionable.
Paton made the trade to move up for Williams, a trade the Dolphins could have made but chose not to. Why did Payton do it?
“We just think he’s a special back,” Paton said of Williams. “A three-down back. Really good on first and second down, he can pass protect, he can catch the ball out of the backfield. Just an incredible teammate, incredible off the field. He’s a ‘gift player.’ We call guys ‘gift players’ that are exceptional off the field as well as on.
“You can see the linebacker in his play,” Paton said. “If you’ve watched any clips of him, he’s probably the most physical runner in the last couple of years.... He’s so physical and he breaks so many tackles.”
It will be fascinating to see whether Williams or Oregon safety Jevon Holland — the player the Dolphins took a pick later at 36 — will be the more impactful NFL player.
In the meantime, the Dolphins will try to make it work with Gaskin, Ahmed, Brown, Patrick Laird, Jordan Scarlett, Doaks and perhaps another addition or two. If you missed this, here’s my postseason in-depth look at Gaskin, Brown and Laird, their metrics and what they did well last season.
Here’s my Monday piece with six evaluators - including a former general manager - giving high marks to the Dolphins’ draft.
Here’s my Monday Miami Hurricanes 6-pack, with details on a key looming decision and draft fallout.
This story was originally published May 3, 2021 at 4:50 PM.
