The Miami Dolphins offense transformed during the 2022 season in the first year under head coach Mike McDaniel. The passing offense took off as Tua Tagovailoa excelled with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as his go-to weapons. But, the rushing offense left something to be desired.
Miami ranked 31st in rushing attempts and 25th in rushing yards, putting a ton of pressure on Tagovailoa and the passing offense to get the job done. While they answered the call more often than not, it wouldn’t hurt to add some more weapons into the backfield mix.
The Dolphins surprisingly brought back their entire backfield from last season. All four of Raheem Mostert, Jeff Wilson Jr., Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin were free agents and all four re-signed. A third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was also used on Devon Achane out of Texas A&M.
Achane certainly has a skill set that will help make the Dolphins’ backfield more explosive, but their pursuit of Dalvin Cook shows that they will add to the position if the opportunity presents itself. Should Cook not end up in South Beach, the team can look to the trade market for an impact addition.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has suggested that the team pursue Cordarrelle Patterson from the Atlanta Falcons. Patterson’s unique skill set was a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s offensive game plan and he has been excellent the last two seasons with the team.
However, he looks like he could lose out on the number game. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft was used on Bijan Robinson, who joins Tyler Algeier and Caleb Huntley in the backfield. With Mack Hollins being signed in free agency, touches could be limited for Patterson.
Patterson would add a dynamic piece to the Dolphins’ offense. He can chip in as a running back while possessing the skill set to also play wide receiver. Last season, Miami lacked a third option in the passing game, and the Tennessee product could help fill that void as well.
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