The Miami Dolphins found a lot of success, when healthy, on the offensive side of the ball in Mike McDaniel’s first season as head coach. Tua Tagovailoa had a breakout season, taking full advantage of the star wide receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
For all of the success that the passing game enjoyed, Miami’s running game struggled to get going. They ranked 25th in rushing yards, as the Dolphins were unable to find any consistency on the ground. Raheem Mostert led the team with 891 yards, followed by 392 yards by Jeff Wilson Jr., who was acquired via trade from the San Francisco 49ers.
This offseason is a prime chance for the Dolphins to make a splash. Every running back on their roster from last season was hitting free agency, so the chance to shake things up had presented itself. Thus far, Miami has opted to stay the course.
Mostert, Wilson and Myles Gaskin were all re-signed, giving the impression that McDaniel believes in them to carry the backfield. However, the team has shown this offseason that they are not afraid to make a splash, acquiring Jalen Ramsey from the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a third-round pick via the New England Patriots.
If Miami wants to make another splash, a running back could be their target. One player who would greatly improve their offense is Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans. The Titans could start a full rebuild this offseason, and in that scenario, they could be open to moving their star running back.
Despite bringing back three players from last year’s team, Henry would represent a massive upgrade for the Dolphins. He remains one of the most productive running backs in the NFL and would provide McDaniel a real chance to go back to his roots in the running game.
What would it cost to acquire Henry? A suggested trade package would be the Dolphins sending their third-round pick, No. 84 overall, to the Titans in exchange for the former All-Pro.
It is fun to imagine the damage Henry could do in an offense where all 11 players on defense aren’t focused on him. With the explosive passing game that Miami possesses, he would find holes to run through that have never been present during his tenure in Tennessee.
The Dolphins would attain a truly balanced offense with Henry in the backfield, enabling the team to take things to another level. Taking pressure off of Tagovailoa and the passing game would be ideal as well to help him avoid taking as many hits as he did last season, which led to numerous head injuries.
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