There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Miami Dolphins this offseason. They were one of the best teams in the NFL last season before injuries crippled their quarterback depth as starter Tua Tagovailoa and his backup, Teddy Bridgewater, missed time during the season. More often than not, it was at the same time, leaving seventh-round rookie Sylar Thompson to take over as the starter.
The results were as mixed as you would expect them to be. Despite that, the Dolphins were still able to lock up a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. This offseason, they made some upgrades to ensure they are in the mix once again in 2023.
Defense is where most of their attention was put. David Long Jr. was signed in free agency to bolster the linebacker group and Jalen Ramsey was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade. Those two should help turn around a defense that ranked 24th in points allowed and 18th in yardage.
Another area of the team that needed improving was the running game on offense. Miami ranked 25th in rushing yards last season and 31st in attempts. That was shocking, given head coach Mike McDaniel’s background coming from the San Francisco 49ers. But, to take pressure off of Tagovailoa, that is something that needs to change.
If rookie running back Devon Achane continues looking like he has thus far this season, he will provide that change. The third-round pick out of Texas A&M has stood out during team practices thus far and is someone to keep an eye on in the opinion of ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
“The rookie third-round pick has already looked like one of the Dolphins’ more explosive offensive players — although his practice production should be taken with a grain of salt until the pads go on. Even in non-padded team drills, Achane showed prowess as a pass-catcher and home run ability after the catch. It’s a crowded running back room in Miami, but it may not be long before the rookie has a prominent role.”
The Dolphins brought back their entire backfield from the 2022 season. Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin were re-signed despite their underwhelming performances last season. This was a unit that lacked explosiveness and that is something Achane can provide in bunches.
The only thing that will put a damper on Achane’s outlook is if the Dolphins end up signing Dalvin Cook in free agency. But, if Cook ends up elsewhere, this is a backfield the former Aggie could quickly jump to the top of the pecking order in.
