Heading into his second year as Head Coach, Mike McDaniel will be searching for a new backfield. Miami entered last season with Raheem Mostert, who McDaniel had previously worked with in San Francisco, as the lead back and traded for Jeff Wilson Jr., another former 49er, before the trade deadline. The duo was effective while together and has the potential for a reunion in 2023. Mostert had dealt with numerous injuries prior to arriving in Miami, but in 2022 he was able to play in 16 games while racking up 891 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Wilson played in 8 games and rushed for 392 yards, and added four scores himself. While the pairing was fruitful last season, both backs are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents when the 2023 league year officially opens on March 15th, meaning that McDaniel and Chris Grier will need to reassess the running back position this offseason.

The Dolphins do not own a first-round pick this year, and it seems unlikely that they would spend a second-round selection on an RB, so they will have to turn to the free-agent market to fill their needs. Below are some of their options once free agency begins:

Saquon Barkley (2022 – New York Giants)

Barkley is set to be a free agent for the first time in his career as he has spent his first five seasons with the New York Giants. Barkley, when healthy, has shown the ability to be one of the most effective backs in today’s game, and he will be seeking a payday that reflects that. He had one of his best seasons yet in 2022, as he started 16 games and ran for 1,312 yards and ten touchdowns while adding 57 receptions for almost 338 yards. He is a legitimate threat out of the backfield and would be a perfect fit in McDaniel’s scheme, but money may prohibit this move. Under Chris Grier, the Dolphins have shown a reluctance to commit to running backs or spend highly on them, whether that is financially or in terms of draft capital. Barkley will be entering his age 26 season and likely will seek a deal longer than four years. It is difficult to envision Miami splurging here as it is almost always a bad idea to commit to an RB with injury concerns and heading toward the ever-threatening age of 30.

Tony Pollard (2022 – Dallas Cowboys)

Pollard has emerged as one of the most explosive runners in the league over the past couple of seasons. He has forced the Dallas Cowboys to limit their other high-priced back, Ezekiel Elliot, in favor of him. Over the last two seasons, it has become clear that Pollard is the more effective runner these days, as he put up over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. Pollard will be seeking a strong payday and an RB1 role somewhere else. It is hard to imagine that the Cowboys would be able to carry two large contracts at the RB position, so barring a trade/cut of Elliot, it appears that Pollard will be toting the rock in another uniform. He would be the number 1 option if I were Chris Grier, but again he is going to cost a good chunk of money, and we have yet to see this Dolphins regime make such moves.

Josh Jacobs (2022 – Las Vegas Raiders)

Prior to the 2022 season, the Raiders made the decision to not pick up the 5th-year option on Jacobs, who had been their workhorse for four seasons. Jacobs responded by having the best season of his career in a platform year and will now seek a large payday. He is one of the most talented backs in the league and can transform a team’s run game immediately. The issue with Jacobs is his high usage and all of the miles on him. Since his first season in 2019, he has carried the ball 1,072 times – an average of 268 carries per season. Jacobs will seek a costly multi-year deal, and I am not sure if that would be wise for a team with other holes to plug. He should produce at a high rate for the next season or 2, but the mileage alone will likely lead to a steep decline sooner than later.

Miles Sanders (2022 – Philadelphia Eagles)

Sanders is an intriguing option and potentially the best fit for Mike McDaniel’s offense. He is coming off of a strong 2022 campaign in which he put up career-best numbers in almost every category. Prior to last season, his career-high in carries was 179 in his 2019 rookie season; in 2022, he carried the ball 259 times en route to 1,269 yards and a Super Bowl appearance. Sanders was a key piece in Philly’s hard-nosed offense, and I am sure Nick Sirianni would like to have him back for what will be his age-26 season. I believe Sanders would mesh well with what the Dolphins like to do on offense, and he should warrant strong consideration from Miami’s brass especially considering his low mileage thus far in his career.

Run it back with Mostert and Wilson.

This would be a huge gamble, in my opinion. Mostert had a great year in 2022, but banking on another healthy campaign from him would not be wise. He will be heading into his age 31 seasons with an extremely shaky history of serious injuries. I believe it would be best to thank him for his contributions last year and let him walk. Wilson, however, could be the perfect 1B to whomever Miami decides to add. Wilson is a tough runner and possesses a speed that fits the offense. He should not command a large financial commitment which makes the idea of retaining him very attractive. A Miles Sanders/Jeff Wilson Jr. backfield would take Miami’s run game to the next level, which is exactly what they need to wear down defenses and finish the season strong in 2023.

Other notable free-agent RBs include:

Kareem Hunt (2022 – Cleveland Browns – 123 Carries/468 Yards/3 TDs in ‘22)
Devin Singletary (2022 – Buffalo Bills – 177 Carries/819 Yards/5 TDs in ‘22)
David Montgomery (2022 – Chicago Bears – 201 Carries/801 Yards/5 TDs in ‘22)
Damien Harris (2022 – New England Patriots – 106 Carries/462 Yards/3 TDs in ‘22)