Dolphins have been looking high and low for a running back.
Running back, running back – is Miami running from the Draft?
Running back, running backs – is Miami running from drafting one early? We know of the failed attempts to get a running back in FA. We all know about the multiple reports that Miami is actively pursuing a trading partner in order to acquire a running back to pair with Jay Ajayi. Why the seeming distaste to get one in the 2016 Draft?
The Dolphins aren’t comfortable with Ajayi and Williams to carry their running game. But why are the Dolphins willing to trade away valuable draft picks? Miami is more than one player away from a playoff team, which means they need to be stock piling draft picks in order to give themselves a higher probability of selecting young talent in the draft.
Any wise sports betting fan will tell you that a perennial playoff team is built through the draft.
Miami’s 2012 draft class was a good example of this with them drafting Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller, Olivier Vernon, Rishard Matthews, and undrafted free agent Derrick Shelby. All those players are starters or contributors. However, the Dolphins decided that everyone besides Tannehill was too expensive to keep on the roster, so they allowed other teams to spend their money on these players that they painstakingly helped developed.
There must either be complete incompetence or a real rationale.
Miami put a firm value on these players that walked. And if someone was willing to pay more, they decided to let them walk. And walk they did. In the case of Miller, Miami was willing to pay him no more than $5 million per year, but the Texans were willing to pay him a bit more, which was $6.5 million a year.
Miami definitely had the cap space to afford Miller, however, they decided that the extra $1.5 million a year was seemingly not worth it.
As a result the Dolphins have actively pursued both C.J Anderson and Chris Johnson, but failed to sign either player. So now the Dolphins appear to be in a bit of a panic mode, and even felt the need to trade for a capable back.
My question is why trade for a running back when we can just draft cheap and young in the upcoming draft that many say is one of the deepest drafts for the running back position in the last 10 years?
Miami even traded out of the 8th spot and put Ezekiel Elliot even farther out of reach.
Running back Ezekiel Elliot is ranked by many as the most talented player in the 2016 Draft
I remember when Jimmy Johnson traded back the night before the 1998 Draft so he could avoid the tough decision of “having” to grab Randy Moss. It feels like that this time.
Does Miami want an excuse not to “have to” draft Elliot?
Does “the best player in the draft” not meet their evaluation?
It’s all conjecture, but for a position they are desperate to get and need badly, they are doing everything in there power to avoid picking him up.
Elliot was just in the Miami facility for a close look. Is it simply smoke and mirrors that if he does fall to them they want to appear interested for a trade back? Either they wanted him all along and knew he would make it to 13, or they are appearing to want him as not to diminish trade value, or they simply want no part of him.
This draft has so many subplots for the Miami Dolphins and might be the most exciting draft in years. Go Fins!!!