Dolphins position review: Will Miami be in search of another upgrade at running back?

The Dolphins’ running game was expected to see tangible growth in 2022.

Coach Mike McDaniel came to Miami after helping devise intricate rushing offenses with the 49ers. The Dolphins signed running backs Raheem Mostert and Chase Edmonds and fullback Alec Ingold in the offseason.

Miami even traded Edmonds and brought in Jeff Wilson Jr. to provide a midseason boost. But the Dolphins again finished the season with one of the worst rushing games in the NFL.

Now, all of the Dolphins’ top running backs are slated for free agency.

In the second of a series of position reviews, the Miami Herald will examine the team’s running back situation. Next up is wide receiver.

2022 IN REVIEW

The Dolphins opened the season with Mostert and Edmonds as the lead backs, but the rushing offense fell behind a dynamic passing game.

By November, Edmonds, whose playing time had dipped, was traded to the Broncos and Miami acquired Wilson in a separate trade, bringing another familiar face to McDaniel’s scheme. The rushing game showed moments of life, including a season-high 195-yard performance in Week 10 and a 188-yard output in Week 15. But the Dolphins ultimately ranked 31st in attempts (190), 19th in yards per attempt (4.32) and 25th in yards per game (99.2).

DEPTH CHART

Raheem Mostert

Skinny: Mostert joined McDaniel from San Francisco and led the Dolphins with a career-high 891 rushing yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Though he came to Miami with a reputation for being a speed threat, he also brought a level of physicality to his game.

Contract: Mostert, who turns 31 in April, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Jeff Wilson Jr.

Skinny: Wilson arrived in Miami after a trade-deadline-day deal with the 49ers, as the Dolphins sent San Francisco a 2023 fifth-round pick. With his understanding of the offensive scheme and physical style, he served as a better complement to Mostert. In eight games, Wilson ran for 392 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.7 yards per carry.

Contract: Wilson, who turns 28 in November, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Salvon Ahmed

Skinny: Ahmed made the 53-man roster but didn’t log an offensive snap until Week 8. His playing time was sparse in 2023; Ahmed totaled a career-low 12 carries for 64 yards and one touchdown in 12 games.

Contract: Ahmed, who turns 25 in December, is headed for restricted free agency.

Myles Gaskin

Skinny: After leading the Dolphins in rushing in consecutive seasons, Gaskin served in a reserve role in 2023. He appeared in four games, recording 10 carries for 26 yards. The Dolphins placed Gaskin on injured reserve in late December because of a shoulder injury,

Contract: Gaskin, who turns 26 in February, is headed for unrestricted free agency.

Alec Ingold

Skinny: Ingold was a versatile player as a fullback in his first season in Miami. He was on the field for almost 40 percent of offensive snaps and set career-high numbers for receptions (15) and receiving yards (105), while also serving as a key blocker in the run game.

Contract: Ingold, who turns 27 in July, is entering the final year of a two-year contract. He has a cap hit of $3,750,000 but none of his $2.6 million base salary is guaranteed.

Offseason questions

1. Do the Dolphins search for an outside upgrade again?

Miami hasn’t dipped a ton of resources — whether it be cap space or draft capital — into the running back position in recent years. But their moves, whether it be signing Mostert and Edmonds or dealing a mid-round pick for Wilson, showed the front office believed an upgrade was necessary.

Mostert and Wilson both left good impressions in their first season in Miami, and it wouldn’t make sense for the Dolphins to let Wilson walk after a three-month rental, although they could potentially recoup a compensatory pick in 2024. But is running it back with the same group enough after finishing bottom 10 in the league in rushing?

2. Does McDaniel show more commitment to the run?

Though the Dolphins struggled to produce a consistent running game, advanced metrics show a ground game that was better than the raw numbers project. Football Outsiders’ efficiency metrics ranked Miami’s rushing offense No. 16 in the NFL. The Dolphins’ passing offense was one of the most explosive in the NFL, but Miami struggled in short-yardage situations, mainly because McDaniel opted to pass the ball more often in such situations.

3. Do any of the holdovers stick again?

After multiple additions to the backfield in the offseason, Gaskin and Ahmed were on the roster bubble but they eventually beat out Sony Michel for a final spot. Although they played sparingly, Ahmed showed flashes of the dynamic player the Dolphins signed as an undrafted rookie, rushing for a touchdown against the Bills in Week 15. If Miami opts to re-sign any of the backs, it’s likely they prioritize Mostert and Wilson. But running backs coach Eric Studesville praised the professionalism of Gaskin and Ahmed as their playing time decreased, and they could return to a reserve role at a modest cost.

Potential additions

The Dolphins will have to free cap space in the coming weeks but it should not hinder them from re-signing any of their incumbent backs.

Do the Dolphins take a big swing and try to sign one of the top free agents at the position, such as the Giants’ Saquon Barkley or the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs? Recent history suggests they may target a player like the Vikings’ Alexander Mattison or Browns’ D’Ernest Johnson, who have been effective and won’t be top-tier players in free agency.

The Dolphins haven’t drafted a running back in the first three rounds since 2016 when they selected Kenyan Drake. But Auburn’s Tank Bigsby is a powerful runner who could be available on Day 2, while Syracuse’s Sean Tucker would project as a runner with big-play potential every down.