Tag: devon achane

Mike McDaniel: De’Von Achane can be comfortable or ‘starved for more’

Mike McDaniel says it’s up to De’Von Achane to decide if he’s ready to work to avoid a sophomore slump.

De’Von Achane made the most of his opportunities as a rookie. The Miami Dolphins’ third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft averaged a ridiculous 7.8 yards per carry on his 103 rushing attempts and added 197 receiving yards to boot.

Can he sustain that level of success in his second season?

“A lot of times if you have success as a rookie, you go one of two ways: you’re either starved for more or you can get kind of comfortable,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said in a press conference Tuesday. “I know each and every year there are examples for both and that’s something that we were talking with De’Von in our exit interviews when he was exiting the building.

“Whatever you did this year, are you expecting more or less? Well, if you’re expecting more, you definitely can’t do less. You get out what you put in, and I think he’s aware of that because nobody wants to have the climax of their career be the first year.”

It seems Achane got the message. The 22-year-old running back showed up to the Dolphins’ offseason program looking noticeably bigger and warned the rest of the league that they “better be worried about who I’m becoming, not who I was.”

“Seeing some strength gains and you can tell by his body he’s put some work into it,” McDaniel said. “Just understanding everything about our offense so he can be as big a part of it as possible. That’s his goal.”

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Raheem Mostert on Dolphins adding Jaylen Wright: ‘The more the merrier’

Jaylen Wright may end up being Raheem Mostert’s replacement, but the veteran says another speedy running back will be “very beneficial.”

When the Miami Dolphins selected Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft, it seemed they were picking Raheem Mostert’s replacement.

Mostert turned 32 last month, which makes him one of the NFL’s oldest active running backs. And at 5’11, 210 pounds with 4.38 speed, Wright is awfully similar to Mostert, a 5’10, 205-pound former track star.

But Mostert says he isn’t pressed by the Dolphins’ decision to take his successor.

“My reaction at the time, I was just like, ‘yeah, whatever, it is what it is,’” Mostert told reporters Tuesday. “It’s the same typical thing, the draft drama pretty much all the time regardless of the position. But no, I’m honestly excited to have Jaylen come in. … . Just excited to have him here and try to coach him up, try to help him out within this offense and let’s see what we can do.

“The more the merrier. That’s what I would say. Especially in this offense. We can utilize a lot of different attributes and speed is definitely an attribute that we like to maximize to the most of our abilities. So to be able to have another guy come into the mix and bring his attributes and his contributions into the offense and his speed is definitely going to be very beneficial on our part.”

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel hopes so too. Shortly after the team picked Wright, he told reporters that he sees the crowded backfield creating a “supreme urgency to do right with the ball.”

Mostert led the Dolphins with 234 touches during the 2023 season, over 100 more than any other player on the team. De’Von Achane, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, finished with 130 touches.

With another mouth to feed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Mostert’s touches decrease in 2024. But the veteran also said he isn’t concerned about age catching up to him.

“At age 30 and above, [running backs] typically start to have that decline,” Mostert said. “Well, I didn’t have any wear and tear early on in my career, so it’s a little bit easier for me to go ahead and discredit that narrative altogether. Just continue to just do what I do at the highest level and help this team out and try to bring home a championship.”

Mostert, a former undrafted free agent who bounced around several rosters early in his career, didn’t make his first NFL start until 2020 when he was 28. He had 320 career touches when he signed with the Dolphins in 2022 and had 446 touches in his first two years in Miami.

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Mike McDaniel: Crowded Dolphins backfield will create ‘supreme urgency’

The Dolphins have a lot of mouths to feed in the backfield, but Mike McDaniel only sees positives coming out of the situation.

The Miami Dolphins have a lot of mouths to feed in their backfield.

There’s Raheem Mostert, who led the NFL in rushing touchdowns last season, De’Von Achane, who averaged 7.8 yards per carry during an electric first season, and Jaylen Wright, a rookie taken with a pick that was acquired for a 2025 third-rounder.

Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed, and Chris Brooks are also set to compete for a roster spot and Pro Bowl fullback Alec Ingold can’t be forgotten either.

While too much talent at a position is a good problem to have, it still presents Mike McDaniel and his coaching staff with the challenge of giving those players opportunities to make an impact. But the coach only sees positives coming out of the situation.

“I think all players benefit,” McDaniel said. “There’s supreme urgency to do right with the ball if you deserve to have it. Yeah, the competition is fierce. I’m fired up because we have a group of competitors that will satisfy the thirst for them. It will be fierce.”

Last season, Mostert got more than double the carries of any other player on the team, finishing with 1,012 yards on 209 attempts. Achane had 103 carries and Wilson was third with 41. Ahmed and Brooks combined for another 41.

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Other teams reportedly have Texas WR Xavier Worthy ‘circled for Miami’

Mike McDaniel loves speed, so it’s no mystery why other NFL teams think the Dolphins will go after Xavier Worthy.

It’s no secret that speed has been coveted by the Miami Dolphins since the team hired head coach Mike McDaniel in 2022. Last season, six of the 10 fastest speeds recorded by an NFL ball-carrier were achieved by Dolphins players with Tyreek Hill appearing three times, De’Von Achane twice, and Raheem Mostert once.

So it’s not hard to understand why other NFL teams expect the Dolphins to go after Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, owner of the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Scouting Combine history.

“One name I’ve heard circled for Miami from other teams is Texas WR Xavier Worthy, who would add even more speed to the offense, and perhaps give the team an off-ramp with Tyreek Hill over the next year or two,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wrote Monday.

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Worthy put down a blazing, record-breaking 4.21 40-yard dash in March, along with an impressive 41-inch vertical. The three-time All-Big 12 selection was productive on the field too with 2,755 receiving yards and 26 touchdown receptions in three seasons with the Longhorns.

At his pro day, Worthy ramped up speculation that he’d become a member of the Dolphins when he posted a photo with McDaniel on his Instagram:

But after measuring in at a slight 5’11, 165 pounds, a spot in the first round looks iffy for Worthy. According to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com, the Texas receiver appears in the first round of 44.2 percent of mocks and an average of No. 34 overall. That puts him squarely in the middle of the Dolphins’ No. 21 and No. 55 selections.

While it would be a surprise if the Dolphins opted to take Worthy with their first selection, it might be even more surprising if the Texas receiver is still on the board after the top 50 picks are called. Perhaps a trade or two could put Miami in better position to add Worthy.

For now, though, the Dolphins don’t stand out as a particular logical landing spot for the receiver, even if his otherworldly speed has McDaniel written all over it.

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De’Von Achane issues warning to NFL: ‘Better be worried’

After a stellar rookie year, De’Von Achane says bigger things are ahead.

De’Von Achane put up gaudy numbers as a rookie, but he says that’s old news. According to the Miami Dolphins running back, bigger things are ahead and the rest of the NFL better get ready.

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Achane wrote in the caption, “They better be worried about who I’m becoming, not who I was.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C6CBlqnuzjI/

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Achane, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, finished his first season in Miami with 997 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on only 130 touches. His 7.8 yards per rush were easily the most in the NFL among players with at least 50 attempts.

When Dolphins players arrived for the first day of the team’s 2024 offseason program last week, Achane turned heads as he showed up looking noticeably bulked up.

During his time at Texas A&M, Achane spent time on both the football and track teams. With his competitive sprinting days now finally behind him and his NFL career now his sole focus, it looks like Achane is prepping for a bigger workload in his second season.

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Raheem Mostert makes his case that he’s the fastest Dolphins player

Tyreek Hill’s speed is legendary, but Raheem Mostert says he’s faster.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s electric speed has made him one of the biggest stars of the NFL and earned him the nickname “Cheetah.” But Raheem Mostert says Hill isn’t even the fastest player on the Dolphins’ roster.

“You’re looking at him,” Mostert said on a podcast with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead. “That’s me. I’m taking that title. I’m the fastest.”

It’s a bold claim on a team with not only Hill, but wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane too.

“We argue all the time,” Mostert said. “Everybody goes back off of track, but I’ve got that too. I’m a three-time Big Ten champ, I made national championships twice.”

It’s true. Before the former Purdue running back put down a 4.34 40-yard dash at the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine, Mostert won Big Ten titles in the 60m, 100m, and 200m with the Boilermakers.

But Hill reportedly ran a 4.29 40 at his pro day before the 2016 NFL draft and Achane ran a 4.32 at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. And even Mostert can’t help but admit that Hill does things on the football field that are hard to explain.

“When we traded for him and he gets on the team, like the first day, this man hit like a slant and go and the way he ran, bro, out of there. I’m like ‘Oh yeah, no he’s a glitch,'” Mostert said. “Like, he has his back turned against the defender, he catches the ball and instantly he’s already ready to do a double up move. … It makes no sense.”

Evidently, seeing Hill’s speed in person didn’t settle the debate and a friendly competition started instead.

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3 Dolphins who should have bigger roles in 2024

A few young Dolphins should have larger roles in 2024.

Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has put together a talented roster loaded with superstar veterans and rising youngsters that was good enough to make the postseason in 2023.

While Grier will have his work cut out for him over the next several months through free agency and draft season, there are some players on the roster who should see their playing time go up next year.

Let’s take a look at three Dolphins who should get more opportunities in 2024.

Five Aggies that deserve to be on the cover of EA Sports’ NCAA Football game

Ahead of the new NCAA Football video game release this summer, here are five Texas A&M players that deserve to grace the cover.

Thursday morning’s announcement that EA Sports will release the new NCAA Football video game this coming summer led to every college football fan in the country going absolutely bizark on social media.

Why the widespread excitement? EA Sports was forced to stop production on the game after their last released installment in 2013 due to issues stemming from early NIL-related issues, specifically player likeness for players who were reprinted in the name, despite being nameless on each roster.

Since then, Texas A&M has won 86 games game in the last 10 seasons, and while legendary quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman-winning campaign came after the 2012 season, he was still highly productive during his final 2013 campaign, while star wide receiver Mike Evans had his best season as an Aggie yet.

While Manziel and Evans stand out as the Aggie studs of the last decade, several players on offense and defense have placed their names in the Texas A&M record books, and if the game had been released every year since then, several deserved a shot to be on the cover.

With that, here are five Aggies who should be in the running for the newest NCAA Football cover.

PFF names De’Von Achane an early breakout candidate for Dolphins in 2024

Miami’s rookie running back is being picked to breakout in his second season.

The Miami Dolphins 2023 rookie class was pretty quiet with two of their four draft picks not making the team and second-round selection Cam Smith not playing much at all.

However, running back De’Von Achane, Miami’s third-round pick out of Texas A&M shined in his rookie season, as the former Aggie totaled 800 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on an incredible 7.8 yards per carry. He also added another 197 yards and three scores on 27 receptions.

The most impressive aspect of Achane’s first year in the NFL is that he did all of that in just 11 games.

Heading into his second season, Achane has been selected by Pro Football Focus as the Dolphins’ breakout candidate for 2024.

Here’s what PFF’s Jonathon Macri had to say about Achane:

“There’s an argument to be made that Achane’s rookie season was a breakout after posting over 800 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. However, Achane did this on just 119 offensive snaps (49th) across 11 games in the regular season while also playing behind Raheem Mostert. Mostert is still scheduled to be with the team in 2023 but will be 32 years old and could handle a lighter workload, especially considering how efficient Achane was with his touches. A larger workload and a full season could equal a true breakout season for the 2023 third-round pick, even if he doesn’t maintain his historic 7.9 yards per carry.”

As Macri said, Achane’s rookie season could be called a breakout, and it’s certainly worthy of that title. However, if he can stay healthy in 2024, he can be a game-changer for Miami’s already potent offense. After watching his work in just 11 games, it’s not unrealistic to say that if he plays close to a full season, Achane could be in the conversation for Offensive Player of the Year.

If you believe that Achane has already broken out, there are certainly other candidates. Smith could be one after playing just 20 defensive snaps as a rookie. Channing Tindall and Erik Ezukanma, two picks from their 2022 class, could be others, as they enter their third seasons in the NFL which is when many show signs of improvement.

Aggies alumni duo of De’Von Achane and Antonio Johnson headline NFL All-Rookie Team

Last month, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks selected his NFL All-Rookie Team and two former Aggies and current Florida residents made the list.

Last month, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks selected his All-Rookie Team and two former Texas A&M football players made the list.

Both alumni are current Florida men, with one residing up in the north while the other is deep down south. Those two players are Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane and Jacksonville Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson.

Achane was picked in the third round at No. 84 overall.

“Despite playing behind a prolific point scorer (Raheem Mostert, who led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns), Achane made his mark as a home run hitter in the lineup,” Brooks wrote. “The rookie averaged almost eight yards per carry (7.8) and scored 11 total touchdowns as a gadget/reverse playmaker with speed to burn.”

Johnson was a fifth-round pick at No. 160 overall.

“Like Brian Branch, Johnson spent a lot of time defending the slot, but I had to squeeze him onto this roster. Sue me,” Brooks wrote. “After taking over as the nickel defender in Jacksonville’s sub-packages, Johnson flashed the instincts, awareness and ball skills that had some scouts smitten with his potential during the pre-draft process. With a pair of interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble in a part-time role, the lengthy defensive back could flourish with more opportunities in 2024.”

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

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