The Miami Dolphins made their fans wait about just as long as they possibly could — but the team finally did heed the calls from the fanbase to add a running back to the roster. Miami clearly had their priorities elsewhere in boosting talent to positions of need — but the man they pegged to be Miami’s newest ball carrier should be seen as a potential steal, not dissimilar to Myles Gaskin.
Cincinnati running back Gerrid Doaks doesn’t quite have the same production that Gaskin had coming out, but he’s also a very different style player. At 230 pounds, he a physical bruiser and brings plenty of power to the field — and when asked specifically about Doaks and his resume, the Dolphins offered plenty of enthusiasm.
“Coach (Luke) Fickell and his staff have a done a good job with that program. He is a tough, physical runner but plays the game with energy, passion. He’s got toughness, he’s got power. So he was someone that we looked at and we started talking about him in the later parts of the draft and Brian, myself – we’re very excited about him,” said general manager Chris Grier.
“He plays on special teams as well, so he’s a team guy and just kind of working through that process and talking to the coaching staff there and stuff, this kid was a very high-character player that loves football. He’s smart. Again, we’re excited to get him. He’s a big back that plays hard, he’s tough, he’s team-oriented and he’s a smart player.”
Time will tell if Doaks can press for playing time in Miami’s backfield. But what we can say with confidence already is that the running back position is once again a spot where Miami is going to stand firm and refuse to overpay. That much is very clear after a second consecutive draft without jumping on the position early.