Fourth-rounder’s versatility could be asset for Dolphins
DAVIE — Kalen Ballage checks every box on Adam Gase’s list of necessities for a running back. He’s fast, he’s driven by a perceived snub in the recent NFL draft and he’s got the versatility to do whatever the Dolphins dream up for him.
“That’s why I’m valuable,” he said Friday at rookie minicamp. “Whatever you can come up with, whatever you want to do, I feel like I can fifit into that system.”
Ballage, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, has played a variety of positions throughout his football career. He’s mainly a running back, but he can catch and throw and even played some defense before he reached college.
He’s thought to be a decent threat at quarterback and had a game against Oregon in 2016 in which he ran for a touchdown, then completed a pass for the two-point conversion. He also had a 3-yard touchdown pass in that game.
Does he think the Dolphins will start working him as a Wildcat quarterback?
“Uh,” he said, knowing this is a question he’s not supposed to answer. “I don’t know.”
Ballage threw his hands up and kept shaking his head, unwilling to give away anything the coaches have talked about with him. Gase can mark that down as another plus.
The most likely role for Ballage will be working as Kenyan Drake’s understudy, which puts him third on the depth chart behind Frank Gore. He’ll also get a shot at special teams.
In college, Ballage averaged 4.4 yards per carry, but felt he didn’t get a full opportu- nity to showcase his skills. He carried the ball 450 times in four years, which averaged out to 9.8 rushing attempts per game. That’s part of why he thinks he fell to the fourth round in the draft despite his 4.46 40-yard dash time and potentially overwhelming athleticism.
Even in his memorable eight-touchdown performance against Texas Tech in 2016, Ballage put up those numbers on 13 rushes and two receptions. “That’s kind of how it was throughout my college career,” he said.