The Miami Dolphins have upgraded their running back situation from the group that was featured at the end of 2019 — that much is not up for debate. But just how much Miami’s backfield has been improved is still somewhat of a question and — more importantly — the long-term direction of the unit is still very much up in the air. Instead of drafting a running back early in the 2020 NFL Draft, Miami opted to pursue a short-term contract with Jordan Howard and paired him with former 49ers back Matt Breida, who comes to Miami on a one-year contract.
Both backs are still young, but neither is a proven star and neither has a long-term commitment from the team.
If the Dolphins plan to add another influx of talent next offseason, looking at the running back position might be a great place to start.
The deadline for players under the franchise tag to reach long-term extensions is tomorrow — and with the current uncertainty over the salary cap due to coronavirus, there’s not a lot of eagerness to spend from NFL teams. And that leaves Titans RB Derrick Henry looming on the edge of hitting free agency next spring. But Henry isn’t the only back of note that is set to hit the market.
There are a slew of talented backs that would seem to serve as upgrades for the Dolphins — all scheduled to hit the market.
The free agent RB class of 2021 is currently loaded: Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon, Kenyan Drake, Todd Gurley, Leonard Fournette, James Conner, Matt Breida, Philip Lindsay, Kareem Hunt, James White, Tarik Cohen, Marlon Mack and more. https://t.co/dmH8GPnv1F
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 14, 2020
Henry is an obvious attraction for the Dolphins given his powerful running style and ability to create explosive plays in the run game. But if Miami is going to look to upgrade Breida’s spot with a more established player, the likes of Aaron Jones, Alvin Kamara, Philip Lindsay and New England Patriot James White (as a short-term option) are all candidates to draw the Dolphins’ eye.
The challenge for Miami will be finding the right price-point to spend on a “low value” position. Teams seem to be leaning away from paying running backs big money — including the Dolphins. Miami opted for trench players on both instances where they seemed most likely to target a running back in April’s 2020 NFL Draft — skipping over D’Andre Swift, J.K. Dobbins and Cam Akers in favor of Robert Hunt and Raekwon Davis.
Regardless of what direction the Dolphins ultimately choose to take, we know this for certain: they’ll have no shortage of options.