The Miami Dolphins continue to eye offensive upgrades as quarterback Ryan Tannehill enters a very critical season in his improvement. In order to be successful, Tannehill needs talented weapons to work with and right now the Dolphins' offense is lacking in that area. While free agency has been the focus for the wide receiver position, the NFL Draft could bring Miami help at the running back position.
According to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport writes the Dolphins are bringing in leading NFL rusher Melvin Gordon for a visit heading into the draft at the end of the month. Gordon is getting a lot of attention heading into the draft as many speculate he could end up being selected in the first round along with Todd Gurley. If that is the case, Miami will have to seriously consider moving up in order to acquire him.
The interest in Gordon comes after the Dolphins failed to make any moves at the running back position in free agency. Right now, Knowshon Moreno does not look to be returning. According to the Miami Herald, the Dolphins would consider bringing Moreno back, but it likely would be a last-minute decision based on who they acquire in the draft. For now the team is putting their trust in Lamar Miller who is set to enter the prime of his career.
Miller is a quality running back. He set career highs last season with 1,099 yards rushing. He is still a young back with one year left on his rookie contract. The Dolphins are getting a great bargain in him as he continues to trend upwards in his stats. However, Miller cannot do it by himself and if he has another strong year, his contract demands will be high come next season. Getting a rookie in could be beneficial.
The question is where do the Dolphins draft a running back. The team needs a wide receiver and NFL.com's mock draft believes that is their first-round priority. Amari Cooper, Kevin White, DeVante Parker and Phillip Dorsett have all been linked to Miami at some point this offseason and it makes sense considering the team has just Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills highlighting the position. They missed on Michael Crabtree and have yet to bring back Greg Jennings or Wes Welker for another look.
If the Dolphins draft a wide receiver in the first round, the team could look for a running back in the second round, but players like Gordon or Gurley might not be around by then. TJ Yeldon or Ameer Abdullah could be options instead. That would give the Dolphins a better, balanced offensive attack.
