Omar Kelly: Crowded backfield reinforces Miami’s commitment to the run

There’s a cause the knife set in our kitchens has a variety of slicing utensils.

It’s as a result of each knife serves a particular goal, and their use ought to be catered to these wants.

Consider the Miami Dolphins’ crowded backfield the identical means.

Raheem Mostert ought to be the speedster to takes an out of doors run the space. Sony Michel is the within working specialist who can transfer the chains, and Chase Edmonds is the pass-catching weapon who routinely goes into movement, getting moved all around the area.

All serve their goal, and all are wanted as a result of new Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hopes to make use of his secure of backs to construct one of many NFL’s most effective dashing assaults, a floor recreation that’s probably a throwback to the ground-and-pound period of soccer that he grew up in within the late 90′s.

No less than that’s what it sounds just like the Dolphins goal to do, and it hasn’t simply been discuss contemplating the crew’s acquisitions have backed up Miami’s aim of beefing up the dashing assault.

Earlier this week Miami added Michel, a former American Heritage standout who has began 35 NFL video games in 4 seasons with the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, to an already crowded backfield.

Michel turns into the third veteran working again added this offseason, becoming a member of Edmonds, who signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal throughout the first day of free company, and Mostert, who signed a one-year, $3.1 million deal to reunite with McDaniel, who coached him with the 49ers.

These three be a part of a unit that already featured Myles Gaskin, who began 17 video games the previous two seasons, Salvon Ahmed, who began 4 video games in 2020, and Gerrid Doaks, a 2021 seventh-round choose, because the holdovers from the 2021 season, the place Miami completed thirtieth in dashing yards per recreation (92.2), and thirty first in yards per carry (3.5).

Contemplating final 12 months was the third straight season the Dolphins have had a bottom-five dashing assault in yards per try, perhaps an enormous overhaul, which included the addition of Professional Bowl left deal with Terron Armstead and veteran guard Connor Williams to beef up the offensive line, was wanted.

“We’ve added a whole lot of pace to that room,” stated tailback coach Eric Studesville, who's teaching for his third Dolphins coach, contemplating his profession in Miami started with Adam Gase, carried over to Brian Flores. “We’ve received guys that may run. Myles is quick and Salvon is quick. These guys could also be quicker.”

Studesville is referring to Mostert, who missed all however one recreation final season due to a knee damage he suffered within the 49ers season opener, and Edmonds, who produced a career-high 903 dashing and receiving yards final season for the Arizona Cardinals, which primarily used him as a third-down, change-of-pace again to enhance James Connor.

“Chase brings pace, he brings expertise,” Studesville stated. “He brings a toughness.”

If wholesome, Mostert probably brings all three to the Dolphins offense.

The Dolphins offensive line has been watching outdated 49ers movie to check the run recreation ideas McDaniel hopes to make the most of, and offensive guard Robert Hunt claims he’s by no means seen a tailback hit a gap quicker than Mostert, who has been clocked as one of many NFL’s quickest gamers in precise recreation pace throughout his tenure because the 49ers starter.

So how will the rotation, and roles shake out?

“You create a aggressive surroundings and also you let these guys go kind it out,” Studesville stated. “They’re going to kind it out as to who contributes, the place, and the way, and the way a lot.”

It might be a mistake to miss Gaskin, who gained a career-high 612 dashing yards and scored three dashing touchdowns on 173 carries, contemplating the 2019 seventh-round choose beat out Kenyan Drake, Jordan Howard and Matt Breida — the 49ers’ main rusher in 2018 — to win the beginning spot within the 2020 season.

That season Gaskin was one of many high yardage producers per recreation within the NFL, averaging 97.2 yards a contest, which ranked him tenth amongst NFL tailbacks. If he hadn’t been sidelined by a knee damage that season there was potential for him to do extra.

Gaskin has at all times had a grinder’s strategy to his job, persistently doing all of the little issues that result in success. So casting him apart can be a mistake.

“He’s going to attempt to under-promise and over-deliver,” Studesvile stated.

Then there’s Michel, probably the most achieved of all of the tailbacks contemplating he’s accounted for 3,137 dashing yards on 743 carries, caught 47 receptions for 386 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in his NFL profession.

Michel fills an necessary void for the Dolphins contemplating he’s an efficient inside runner, who combines imaginative and prescient, burst, and physicality to create a no-nonsense, north-south working fashion. These forms of gamers turn out to be useful throughout third-and-short alternatives and working within the crimson zone and on the aim line.

“The best factor about being in Miami is gamers wish to come right here and be part of it,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith stated about discussing Michel’s signing. “We’ve been actually lucky by way of the method about what number of guys envision themselves right here, and match with us.”

Let’s hope the newcomers, and the holdovers mesh effectively collectively, and are in a position to perk up the Dolphins’ once-stagnant dashing assault, bringing stability to Miami’s offense.

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