The Miami Dolphins had a rough season rushing the ball last year and now Knowshon Moreno and Maurice Jones-Drew appear to be the best free agent targets at RB, while GM Dennis Hickey will look at the draft for players like De'Anthony Thomas, Bishop Sankey, Carlos Hyde and Tre Mason, as they could add a new element to the stagnant part of the offense in the 2014 draft if the team opts to trade wideout Mike Wallace.
Last season the Dolphins were one of the most inconsistent rushing teams in the league and that also contributed to Ryan Tannehill's stunted development and now the team could be looking to upgrade. According to ESPN.com, the team met with Knowshon Moreno last week and he could be an option as a free agent if the team feels he is not asking for too much money. The Dolphins have cap space, but they won't break the bank for Moreno, as they could turn to Jones-Drew for cheaper along with Andre Brown as veteran options.
Dennis Hickey also has some choices in the draft, as Miami picks at number 50 overall and that could put them in perfect position to take a running back, as this year's class is fairly deep. Carlos Hyde is considered the most rounded of the backs coming out, while other names like Bishop Sankey, Lache Seastrunk, Jeremy Hill, Tre Mason, Ka'Deem Carey and Andre Williams are all solid options as well. The Dolphins ranked near the bottom of the league last season in rushing with Daniel Thomas and Lamar Miller as the feature backs and while both players showed some flashes at times, they were not consistent enough and the team ended up ranking 26th in the league in rushing yards per game.
The Dolphins gained just 90 yards per contest and the fact that offensive line was a mess did not help matters, as the team gave up a league leading 58 sacks and that is why they are overhauling the line this offseason. The team ditched Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito and they brought in one of the best left tackles in the NFL with Branden Albert and that should help both Tannehill and the rushing attack next season no matter who the team brings in. Moreno has not received much interest on the market, but he had a great season in 2013 and while he may return to the Denver Broncos, the Dolphins still are a prime option.
Moreno is coming off of a career year with 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns and he also played in all 16 games for the first time since his rookie season. Moreno also set a career high in catches with 60 for 548 yards and that could be a huge boost for the Dolphins if he can do that again. Jones-Drew was solid with over 800 yards last season and if he can stay healthy he could be a solid backup option. Hyde rushed for over 1,500 yards last season and scored 16 touchdowns and he also was impressive coming out of the backfield. Carey, Sankey and Mason were extremely productive, while Thomas could give the team a spark as one of the fastest players coming out of the draft.
