The Miami Dolphins have a multitude of speeds across various positional groups; no question there. But where in the Miami Dolphins running back room is the ball carrier with the size that makes those third or fourth and one down an easier punch up with the middle versus running a stretch or weakside run with speed reliant on the defense not sealing the edge?
By no means does this mean the Dolphins could not easily covert these short runs, but how confident are most folks with running backs 200 pounds or less, cramming the ball up the middle into the heart of the opposing defense?
Since the glory days of Ricky Williams and Jay Ajayi, who both were listed between 220-230 pounds, has Miami had a physical type running back? It has been quite some time, I can tell you.
Sometimes, someone who can plow through a line and get that tough yard or two can be handy. This core of Miami running backs has speed all over the place, most notably some of the fastest run times in the NFL when you mention Raheem Mostert or the newly drafted De’Von Achane. Both can hit around 22 MPH, which is obviously incredibly fast.  Jeff Wilson does have some size; Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed run and play bigger than their actual size.
Looking for size and burst with catching ability on top of that? Enter Chris Brooks.
During his three years at Cal, Brooks had a modest 1,700+ yards rushing, with 50 receptions for around 350 yards. These are not eye-popping numbers, but they are certainly solid. After a whirlwind recruiting period, Chris transferred to BYU for his final year to replace recently departed Tyler Allgeier and the 1,700+ yards he had just produced. In 11 games and just over 800 yards on 130 carries is what Brooks produced. Again, solid, yet does not jump off the page-level statistics.
Listed at 6’1 and 235 pounds, he has the size needed to be that ‘guy’ for the Miami Dolphins.
What seems more and more obvious as you watch him play, the kid has a huge heart and a willingness to play hard and fast with a motor that screams potential. Throughout camp, Brooks seemed to get better with each practice, popping a play or two that caught the folks’ eyes. For a running back who had just ten catches in his final year of college, he sure seems fluid with how he catches and runs after. Soft hands for a guy his size is surely a welcome addition to the group.
That short pass was taken into the end zone against the Texans, albeit appearing as a simple play, was just a flash of the potential that he can provide. 11 Carries for 47 physically earned yards showed he belongs with these guys.
If he can keep this up in the final preseason game, I think the Dolphins would be doing this team a disservice by not adding him to the roster and their running back room. He is inching towards earning it with each touch he gets.
I’ve always been a fan of Myles Gaskin; the guy plays his heart out, absolutely no question about that, but the vision to hit the right hole as it’s blocked properly has consistently been his Achilles heel. Miami can immediately improve their running back room, replacing Gaskin with Brooks. He has the vision, the ability, and the drive needed to provide the thunder to the Dolphin’s abundance of lightning.
Miami needs Chris Brooks on the roster. They need a big back. But with Mostert, Wilson, ahmed, Gaskins, and Achane, is there room?
At the minimum, the Fins better place Brooks on the practice squad! Brooks seems to be a beast with major upside. I’d like to see him around that 215 – 225 lb range to get the most out of him. In spite of his impressive pre-season thus far, I am not convinced he is in the best football shape and that could be of a lack of reps in practice. Nonetheless, in my opinion he’s done enough to earn a spot on the team.
To keep Tua on the field for the whole season you need to add padding to the outside back of Tua’s helmet. Then you need to get the ball out of his hands quicker by using the running game, throwing to backs, tight-ends, and slot receivers. This will bring DB’s up, and therefore will open up deep-passing opportunities to Hill and Waddle. But start with the padding on Tua’s helmet.
Miami has some tough decisions coming especially in the RB room. Every player has really looked good in the preseason. I believe every one of them belong on a roster somewhere. I like Brooks a lot. When he gets the handoff, he hits the hole running top speed and reminds me a little of Heresel Walker for some odd reason. I believe its due to his size and the way he cuts and makes contact on the field. Very physical runner with the ability to punish the defender. I believe we need to keep Mostert, Wilson, Achane, Brooks and Ahmed (also shined in preseason. Put Gaskin on the practice squad so New England doesnt swipe him up! FINS UP!