There’s going against the grain, and then there are the Miami Dolphins.
In an era where a vast majority of the league is signaling that running backs are a dime a dozen, the Dolphins apparently see great value.
On the heels of a Miami Herald report Wednesday that they’ve made an offer for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor — and are one of six teams to show interest, per ESPN — The Athletic dropped this bombshell:
Miami also inquired about Las Vegas Raiders star Josh Jacobs, who is unhappily stuck with the franchise tag in 2023.
Report: Miami Dolphins Called About Josh Jacobs
Jacobs is a training camp holdout, protesting the Raiders’ decision to tag him instead of offering him what he believes is a palatable contract extension.
While Jacobs still has not signed the tag, few believe he will actually hold out the season, and the Raiders are apparently not interested in moving him. The Athletic’s report did not stipulate when the Dolphins inquired about his trade availability.
But if that report and others are accurate, that means the Dolphins have at least kicked the tires on four of the league’s biggest names at the position this offseason:
- Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing (1,811 yards) and rushing touchdowns (18) in 2021.
- Jacobs, who led the league in rushing (1,653) and longest rush (96) in 2022.
- Dalvin Cook, the former Minnesota Vikings star who made a public plea to join the Dolphins before ultimately signing with the Jets.
- And Giants standout Saquon Barkley, who, like Jacobs, was slapped with the franchise tag. (Barkley ultimately signed a different one-year deal with the Giants that came with a slight raise.)
The New York Post reported last month that the Dolphins were one of two teams to make a trade offer for Barkley, but former Miami personnel department staffer/current Giants GM Joe Schoen turned them down.
The Dolphins have apparently made all of these inquiries despite running back being a position of strength for the team. Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. both re-signed with the team as free agents after ranking first and second among all Miami rushers in 2022. Plus, the Dolphins brought back solid backups Salvon Ahmed and Myles Gaskin at an affordable price.
And then, in the draft, they used a Day 2 pick on Texas A&M’s speedy De’Von Achane, who impressed in the preseason before suffering a minor shoulder injury.
Head coach Mike McDaniel and his running backs coach, Eric Studesville, have talked at length about the depth and quality of that room.
Dolphins RBs coach Eric Studesville pic.twitter.com/yT9ITV8YZ3
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) August 22, 2023
But none of those players are as good as Jacobs or Taylor.
“I think he’s done a helluva job so far that he’s been in the NFL,” Studesville said of the Colts standout earlier this week. “He’s a really good player. He’s a really good player.”
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And he’s a player the Dolphins apparently covet. But as was the case with Cook, the price must be right.
Not only do they have to agree to the Colts’ trade requirements, but they also need to figure out how to afford Taylor, who wants a long-term contract that pays him in excess of $10 million a year.