The Miami Dolphins needed to upgrade their run game this offseason and while the team has made strides in that effort, they are not finished. After saying goodbye to Reggie Bush last offseason, the Dolphins put up one of the worst ground games in the league as their youth project failed to work. Miami barely managed 100 rushing yards per game. Now, with Knowshon Moreno on the roster, what is next?
Moreno was simply the first piece of the puzzle. After putting up a career-high season with the Denver Broncos, Moreno signed a one-year, $3 million deal with Miami during free agency in hopes that he can elevate the struggling run game. Moreno put up over 1,000 yards last season while also having over 60 catches out of the backfield thanks to quarterback Peyton Manning. Already penciled in as the starter over Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas, Moreno is ready to compete.
"[I'm] definitely competing," Moreno said, via the Miami Herald. "Compete and the best man will win. We'll learn from each other. And the same time, we'll go out there and compete and do what we have to to help this team win."
However, Moreno cannot do it all on his own and the Dolphins are aware of that. Now, the team is targeting a running back early in the draft to add to the rotation. The Herald reports that the Dolphins are aiming to draft a running back somewhere in the third or fourth round of the upcoming draft to add fresh legs to the backfield.
This draft is considered deep in the position, so the Dolphins could someone of real quality in a later round. The Dolphins held a private workout for Towson running back Terrance West on Wednesday. He will certainly be around in a later round. The Dolphins could also look towards a player like Jeremy Hill or Isaiah Crowell as an option.
The interest in a rookie running back also means Thomas could likely risk being released in the near future. The Herald reports that Miami really likes what they see in Miller and believe he can develop into something great, but Thomas stalled much of last season and might be a casualty come training camp. The 2011 second-round pick has underwhelmed over the past three years and adding a rookie does not bode well for his status with the team.
