The Miami Dolphins informed veteran running back Kalen Ballage that the team was releasing him last night, the latest roster move that turns the team’s running back room upside down from where it was just a year ago. The news of Ballage’s release came out late last night and his departure is one that won’t necessarily be a hard pill to swallow for Dolphins fans.
Source: The #Dolphins have informed RB Kalen Ballage that they are releasing him. A 2018 fourth round pick, he had 74 rushes and just 135 yards last season.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2020
Ballage, who was a 4th-round pick of the team, was nothing close to what he was advertised to be coming out of Arizona State. The monstrous running back was billed as a powerful runner and a very good receiver out of the backfield — so much so that there were some in the NFL Draft industry who felt he may be well served to convert to wide receiver. Ultimately, Ballage’s lack of vision, instincts and lateral quickness proved to be crippling deficiencies behind Miami’s offensive line.
Between his two seasons in Miami, Ballage carried the ball 110 times in 24 games, managing to rip off one 75-yard touchdown romp against the Minnesota Vikings near the end of his rookie season. His other 109 carries? They produced 251 rushing yards (a 2.30 yards per carry average). The worst feature backs in the NFL typically average 3 to 3.5 — Ballage wasn’t just bad as a runner, he was abysmal. Add in a 14% drop rate on 35 career targets in the passing game and it isn’t hard to see why Miami chose to go a different direction, especially with veteran RB Jordan Howard now in the mix for the Dolphins.
As for Ballage, he’ll likely get looks as a potential short-yardage back. With his size at 231 pounds, he does have the strength to fall forward in gaps and perhaps could find a niche for someone near the goal line. But if anyone is expecting a primary ball carrier role in his future, they must know something that no one else does.