Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Gase wants to increase RB Ajayi’s workload
Dolphins coach seeks 22-25 carries per game for running back
Jay Ajayi had better be prepared for a season where he’s handling 350-plus carries for the Miami Dolphins, because that’s the goal according to his head coach.
During a Thursday morning interview on 560-WQAM, Adam Gase said he intends to get Ajayi 22-25 carries per game this year.
“He needs to feel it out a little bit,” Gase said, referring to Ajayi getting into the flow of the game. “If I can get him between 22-25 [carries] that’s ideal, and it’s a good chance we’re winning that ball game.”
That type of workload equates to at least 350 carries if Ajayi plays all 16 games. Last year Ajayi had 260 carries in the 15 games he played, but he didn’t become Miami’s featured back until week five.
He ended up making the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns.
“The problem we ran into is we had too few plays,” Gase said, pointing out Miami’s offensive struggles on third down. They had a 36.7 percent conversion rate that ranked the 25th in the NFL.
Even though the Dolphins averaged 114 rushing yards per game (ranked ninth in the NFL) and 4.5 yards per carry (ranked eighth), the Dolphins only ran for 100 or more yards in six games. The Dolphins averaged 64 rushing yards in their six regularseason losses and 144 rushing yards in their 10 wins.
“He needs to feel it out a little bit.” Adam Gase, Dolphins head coach on Jay Ajayi getting a rhythm going in a game
“You can take any stat and if you multiply it out we were OK. We just didn’t get enough snaps,” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said last week of his unit, which ranked 24th in total yards per game and 17th in points per game. “We broke down on third down and had one of the lowest number of [offensive snaps] in the league. … Our biggest thing is stay on the field and eliminate some of those penalties and minus [yardage] plays.”
Christensen said Ajayi’s pass-catching ability has improved “200 percent,” which hints that he’ll stay on the field for more thirddown plays. That could eat into the playing time of Damien Williams, who signed his original-round tender worth roughly $1.8 million Thursday.
Ajayi has been a regular participant in Miami’s OTAs, and before that he was training with Tony Villani at XPE Sports in Boca Raton.
Ajayi, a former Boise State standout whom the Dolphins’ selected in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, said his goal in 2017 is to pick up where he left off, proving that last season wasn’t a fluke and that he should be viewed as one of the NFL’s top young tailbacks.
Williams back on 1-year deal
Williams, a restricted free agent, signed his tender Thursday afternoon. The contract guarantees the 25-year-old running back $1,797,000 for the 2017 season, but he will be playing on a one-year deal.
Williams had hoped to get a multi-year deal this offseason after scoring six touchdowns in 2016. He visited the New England Patriots but didn’t receive a contract offer. Back with Miami, he’ll compete with Kenyan Drake for time as Ajayi’s top reserve.
Williams’ biggest value comes on third downs and special teams, where he’s viewed as one of the team’s top contributors.
After signing with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2014, he’s rushed for 296 yards on 87 carries and caught 65 passes for 578 yards in three seasons. He’s scored eight career touchdowns.
Ajayi has been a regular participant in Miami’s OTAs, and before that he was training with Tony Villani at XPE Sports in Boca Raton.