How will Dolphins compensate for receiver injuries? Achane explains one option. And notes

A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Tuesday:

▪ How do the Dolphins compensate for having just three experienced, healthy receivers on their 53-man roster to begin the season?

In part, by turning to their tight ends.

And in part, by turning to their explosive second-year running back.

De’Von Achane — who led all running backs in average yards per carry (7.8) as a rookie tailback — confirmed last week that he has been working some at wide receiver in recent weeks. And he said he’s completely comfortable doing it.

“I’ve been playing this my whole life,” he said. “If it was the first time I was doing it, I would be a little hesitant. But it’s something I’ve been doing. [At Texas A&M], it was quite a bit. I lined up a lot [at receiver] when I was in high school.”

Last season, Achane ran 48.3 percent of his routes from the slot or out wide (as opposed to from the backfield). That was easily the highest percentage for any NFL running back, per Scott Barrett. Teammate Raheem Mostert was second at 39.3 percent, and the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey was third at 35.1 percent.

In preseason, Achane ran 36.4 percent of his routes from the slot or out wide, per Pro Football Focus.

And though none of Achane’s touches as a receiver went longer than 23 yards last season, his receiving numbers were pretty good: 27 receptions for 197 yards (a 7.3 average) and three touchdowns. He did not drop any of the 37 passes thrown to him. Of the 27 completions, 10 went for first downs; the goal would be a higher percentage than that.

Achane said playing receiver can exploit holes in opposing defenses: “Most definitely. When me and Raheem [Mostert] are on the field at the same time, that’s good for this offense. Defenses can’t just focus on one person. Coach knows what he’s doing. He’s got a lot of good pieces and knows how to use them.”

▪ As a rookie, Achane ran for 800 yards on just 103 carries in 11 games and four starts.

The goal this season?

“Most definitely have to have 1,000 yards [rushing] this season because I was short of that last year because I missed a lot of games,” he said. “And try to get my first Pro Bowl.”

Before Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry last season, the last time a running back averaged more yards per attempt (with a minimum of 100 attempts) was Bears rookie Beattie Feathers, who averaged 8.4 yards per carry on 119 rushes in 1934.

Quarterbacks Michael Vick and Randall Cunningham also surpassed 7.5 yards per carry in a season with at least 100 carries.

▪ Defensive tackle Brandon Pili said defensive line coach Austin Clark told his room last week that “only 160 people get this job” — a defensive line job on a 53-man roster — and Pili is “grateful” for his chance.

Clark’s message to Pili in January certainly resonated.

According to Pili, Clark told him after the 2023 season that he made some “good plays” in practice “but there are plays I need to clean up. He said I had to focus on consistency... Last season [as a rookie], there was a feeling out. This year, I expected more of myself. I’ve learned a lot from Zach Sieler.”

▪ Right guard Lester Cotton said he takes “huge pride” in exiting preseason as a starter. He said he has always considered himself a starter and that his improved communication skills have benefited him. He started eight games filling in last season after starting just once earlier in his career.

PFF said he was Miami’s best offensive lineman in preseason.

The question is whether Cotton will start the opener if center Aaron Brewer’s injured hand is healthy enough for him to play on Sunday. In that scenario, the Dolphins could turn to Cotton or fill-in center Liam Eichenberg at right guard.

The Dolphins’ depth chart released Tuesday lists Brewer as the starting center and Eichenberg as the starting right guard, but that doesn’t mean Eichenberg will definitely start at guard on Sunday.

▪ Calais Campbell revealed that he thought the Dolphins would select him 32nd overall in the 2008 Draft. Instead, Phillip Merling went to Miami, and Campbell dropped all the way to the 50th spot to Arizona.

Miami would forever regret the decision. Campbell went on to be named to six Pro Bowls and make a case for the Hall of Fame. Merling started only five NFL games and appeared in 53.

Incidentally, Campbell said that tight end Jonnu Smith “has an influence in me coming here.” They forged a friendship last season in Atlanta.

▪ Tua Tagovailoa’s improvement on deep throws has been well chronicled, and Warren Sharp of Sharp Football noted this on social media on Tuesday:

On passes that traveled at least 30 air yards the past two seasons, Tagovailoa was second among 34 quarterbacks in yards per attempt, third in accuracy and fifth in completion rate.

And as noted here earlier this offseason, among quarterbacks that threw at least 40 passes that traveled 20 air yards last season, Tagovailoa completed the fourth-highest percentage of them (50.8), behind only the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (63.8), Houston’s C.J. Stroud (56.1) and the Rams’ Matt Stafford (51.9).

Tagovailoa’s 11 TDs on such passes tied with the Saints’ Derek Carr and the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott for second most in the league, behind Purdy and the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence (11 each).

NEWS NOTE

From the ex-Dolphins file: The Eagles signed guard Jack Driscoll to their practice squad. And the Packers signed running back Chris Brooks to their practice squad. Brooks wasn’t eligible to return to the Dolphins anytime soon after agreeing to an injury settlement with the team in recent days.

Here’s my Tuesday piece with results of my study about what happens historically to NFL teams who lose wild card games in consecutive seasons, as the Dolphins have done.