Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Running back likely to be addressed in draft
The on-field results have not been ideal for running back Kalen Ballage or the Miami Dolphins rushing attack.
But Ballage hopes more opportunities could lead to greater success for the Dolphins, who are averaging a league-worst 64.4 yards per game heading into Sunday’s home game against the Buffalo Bills.
“I think it was just good for me being in there and getting into a rhythm,” Ballage said. “I think running backs are a similar position to quarterbacks in a sense. You have to get in there and run some plays consistently to feel like you could really do something. It was good to be in there.”
Although Ballage has shown glimpses of his play-making ability, the team likely will select a
dynamic top-tier running back in the 2020 NFL draft.
Players such as Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Clemson’s Travis Etienne are considered some of the top running backs, while Oklahoma State’s Chubba Hubbard, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Boston College’s A.J Dillion, Florida State’s Cam Akers and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire are also in the mix.
The Dolphins may not value using a high draft pick on a running back — based on the team’s recent draft history. Since Ronnie Brown was drafted second overall in 2005, the Dolphins’ highest draft picks at running back have been Daniel Thomas (second round, 2011) and Kenyan Drake (third round, 2016).
But with three first-round picks and two second-round picks in April’s draft, they could reverse that trend.
Before the Dolphins (2-7) can look ahead, they must continue to rely on Ballage and rookies Patrick Laird and Myles
Gaskin. Mark Walton still has two games left on his four-game suspension.
Dolphins coach Brian Flores and offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea haven’t lost faith in Ballage, whose 2.1 yards per attempt is the worst in the NFL among running backs with more than 10 carries.
“Kalen works extremely hard,” Flores said. “He’s done a good job in practice. It hasn’t materialized in games, but I think [if ] we just keep giving it to him, it will turn.
“He’s a good player. He’s shown that through practice. Again, we have a lot of confidence in him. We’ll just keep feeding him and I think he’ll break through at some point.”
Ballage earned the starting job during preseason and the first two weeks of the season. Some early miscues and untimely fumbles led to an early demotion and a reduced role. Now he is Miami’s starter again, hoping to revive the league’s worst rushing offense.
In his first start since his demotion, Ballage rushed for only 43 yards on 20 carries and caught just two passes for 2 yards at Indianapolis last week behind a makeshift offensive line.
The Dolphins’ roster overhaul also has attributed to the team’s struggles in the run game.
Miami, which traded standout left tackle Laremy Tunsil just days before the season opener, used six different starting units through the first eight games.
The Dolphins also traded Drake last month before Walton was suspended.
Now that the offense has settled in with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Dolphins hope Ballage and the offensive line can develop chemistry to get the rushing attack back on track.
“He’s going to try to make the best of those opportunities, and I know that the other members of the offensive unit are also looking to do their job better too so he can do his job better,” O’Shea said of Ballage.
Ballage, who has 55 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns this season, is confident the run game will improve with a total team effort.
“At the end of the day, I just get out there, run the ball and try to be physical,” he said. “I think as a whole offensive unit, it’s going to take all of us to really achieve that.”