The Miami Dolphins had a streaky first season under head coach Mike McDaniel. They ended up sneaking into the playoffs as a Wild Card team but were undermanned once getting there. Without Tua Tagovailoa in the lineup, they were given little chance to beat the Buffalo Bills but did end up giving them a game with Skylar Thompson as the starting quarterback.
Heading into the 2023 offseason, getting Tagovailoa healthy and ready to go is of the utmost importance. With him in the lineup and healthy, the Dolphins were one of the best teams in the NFL. Without him, they struggled as you would expect.
While the passing game hummed with Tagovailoa targeting Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, the running offense was messy. Miami ranked 31st in rushing attempts and 25th in rushing yards. In 2023, McDaniel has to go back to his roots and get the ground game on track.
Who will lead the backfield in 2023? That is something we will find out in the coming weeks as the depth chart is going to be overhauled. There isn’t a single running back that carried the ball for the Dolphins in 2022 signed to a contract for 2023.
The salary cap situation isn’t ideal to make a splash, but luckily for the Dolphins, the free agent running back class is deep. One player that should be on their radar is Kareem Hunt.
Hunt has spent the last four seasons as the complementary pass catcher to Nick Chubb in the backfield of the Cleveland Browns. When given the chance at an expanded role, Hunt has shown that he can still handle a three-down role as the lead back.
2022 was a tough season for Hunt as his trade request was denied by the team. It resulted in the least productive season statistically in his career and he will almost certainly be seeking a change of scenery this offseason.
With no running backs currently on the roster, Hunt could receive the expanded role he has been seeking in South Beach. His pass-catching ability is something that the Dolphins should like as well.
In 2022, Miami running backs caught only 58 passes combined. Improving not only their ground attack but the versatility of their running back group is a must this offseason. Signing Hunt would kill two birds with one stone for the Dolphins.
