All options are on the table for the Miami Dolphins when it comes to the running back position.
Truly, all options. They’re not tied to any running back that was on the active roster in 2022. The four — Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin — are free agents, with Ahmed a restricted free agent.
The Dolphins could do anything from bring them back to start anew with a clean slate of free agents and draft picks — or some combination in between.
The solution could be as simple as starting off by re-signing Mostert and Wilson.
The two complement each other well — with Mostert’s blazing speed and Wilson’s potent, bashing running style, which Mostert also showed is in his game by consistently breaking tackles. Mostert ran for 891 yards in 16 games, while Wilson netted 392 in eight appearances.
Plus, the two were initially brought together recently in a reunion with coach Mike McDaniel. Mostert was signed last March in free agency, and Wilson was acquired at the trade deadline — both as tailbacks that had worked with McDaniel at his previous coaching stop in San Francisco.
“We’re very open to those guys coming back,” Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said Wednesday at the NFL scouting combine. “We’ve talked about that scenario where they may be back. We may have the same backfield back next year. Obviously, they’re free agents, and that’ll play a part of it, but we’d be very excited to have them back.”
The combination would be an economical choice for a franchise that will have to restructure contracts and cut players to get back under the salary cap from $16 million over it. Mostert made $2.1 million last year, and Wilson $1 million in time split between the Dolphins and 49ers.
Additionally, they produced when they had their rushing opportunities, albeit while Miami didn’t utilize its run game very often.
Miami had the No. 25 rushing offense (99.2 yards per game) in the NFL, but it was 19th in yards per attempt (4.3) as the Dolphins ran the football the second-fewest times in the league (390). Mostert and Wilson were each near 5 yards per carry, with Mostert at 4.9 and Wilson 4.7.
So, when free-agent negotiations begin March 13 and players can sign with new teams beginning March 15, the Dolphins will weigh if they should bring back Mostert and Wilson or take their pick at a batch of backs set for free agency. Among potentials targets could be Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Dallas’ Tony Pollard, Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs, Philadelphia’s Miles Sanders, Chicago’s David Montgomery, Cleveland’s Kareem Hunt and Detroit’s Jamaal Williams, but they would likely come with a higher price tag. That money could be better spent addressing other needs at cornerback, linebacker or on the offensive line.
“There’s a lot of different ways that you can get to the desired result,” McDaniel said Tuesday at the combine. “First and foremost from the running back position on our team, you need a team player that’s willing to do whatever it takes to win. We have good players surrounding the running back position, so you’ve got to be willing to pass-block and do things off the ball.
“I think there are many different types of running backs that can excel in this offense given whatever their skillsets are, so to me, I just want team-oriented guys that enjoy getting the ball, fighting for yardage and trying to win football games as a result.”
Mostert and Wilson could very well fit that mold, especially as longtime McDaniel guys. And McDaniel doesn’t necessarily need one type of back or another.
“I’m very open-minded to all the skillsets across the board and just looking for guys that are completely invested in joining our ongoing process to be as good as we can be,” he said.
Maybe with one of the team’s three Day 2 draft picks in late April — one in the second round and two in the third — the Dolphins could target a top running back in this year’s class, should one drop down draft boards.
Grier hasn’t previously shown willingness to draft a tailback in earlier rounds, but he’s open to it for the right prospect.
“If there’s a really good player, an opportunity to get a really good player, we can’t pass up anything right now,” Grier said. “We need some depth at some spots and at running back — obviously with no one under contract on the roster right now — would be one. And there are some good players in this draft. So we’ll always keep looking, and you guys know how [McDaniel] loves his running backs.”
While that may be true, neither Grier nor McDaniel has shown a recent willingness to either use a high draft pick on one or spend big money for a top veteran. McDaniel’s previous team, the 49ers, did however switch course last season by acquiring Christian McCaffrey at the trade deadline.
Ahmed heads into his restricted free agency also with 49ers ties. Before he ended up with Miami in 2020, he was an undrafted free agent for San Francisco but was ultimately waived.
Gaskin finished the 2022 season on injured reserve as he had a shoulder procedure done.
