Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns brought a particular truth to the Miami Dolphins roster woes to light once again. This isn’t to say that there aren’t a plethora of pressing needs on this roster — mainly the offensive line, quarterback and edge rusher, just to name a few. But after assessing the Dolphins’ latest performance from this most recent road outing in Cleveland, it’s definitely safe to add running back to the list of high-priority needs.
The teardown of the position all started when Kenyan Drake was shipped to Arizona after the first loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier this season. That contest was the last time that Miami recorded more than 100 rushing yards as a team. Since then, Miami has failed to deliver greater than 100 yards of production on the ground in four consecutive outings. That’s even before the organization released Drake’s heir-apparent at the position, Mark Walton, due to a reported domestic violence incident while serving a 4-game suspension.
The Dolphins did grind up 92 yards rushing against the Browns, although they did so against a defensive line that was missing three of their four starters and the only reason Miami sniffed triple digits was courtesy of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick keeping plays alive with his legs. Fitzpatrick rushed for 45 yards on the day.
With results this poor, the question becomes where should the Dolphins place the importance of fulfilling that need? Assuming that free agency isn’t a factor — and why should it be with all the draft picks they’ve amassed? — The Dolphins need to consult their board and think of what position needs rank ahead of running back.
While conventional wisdom tells us that the future under center for the franchise should be addressed ahead of everything else, protecting that player is also ultra-important. That means quarterback and offensive lineman should be at the top of the list. But compared to a defensive pass rusher, if the Dolphins can get a prospect who can not only carry the ball effectively but catches passes well and competently pick up a blitzing linebacker — providing three down value to the offense and a young quarterback, maybe that’s the pick.
Then again, maybe they draft Ohio State’s defensive end Chase Young and leave the future talent at the running back position to fate in the later rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.
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