Gore conveys message to Dolphins

Legendary running back Frank Gore this week asked me to relay a simple message to Dolphins general manager Chris Grier:

“I would love if he would bring me back,” Gore said, a year after the Dolphins parted with Gore as part of a youth movement.

Gore, 36, isn’t ready to retire. After averaging 4.6 yards in 14 games (all starts) in his one season for the Dolphins in 2018, he averaged 3.6 yards on 166 carries for the Bills last season in 16 games, including eight starts.

“I want to play,” the former UM star said. “I feel I showed people I can play when I got my opportunities. Just seeing if a team wants me.”

He said he had no hard feelings about the Dolphins moving on from him last offseason.

“Grier talked to my agent [Drew Rosenhaus],” Gore said. “They had younger guys. I understand. He wanted to give his guys a chance. I respect that.”

Gore ranks third all time on the NFL rushing list with 15,347 yards, behind Emmitt Smith (18,355) and Walter Payton

(16,726).

FLORES FEEDBACK

One thing I’ve heard a lot this week walking along Radio Row at the Miami

Beach Convention Center: an appreciation of Dolphins coach Brian Flores and the job he did as a first-year coach, to somehow extract five wins from this team.

NBC’s Chris Simms said there’s no question that Miami had less talent than the Bengals team that won two games.

“That’s why coaching is more important in the NFL than any other sport we have in America,” Simms said. “Because coaching is a great equalizer. When you have a guy that teaches toughness, discipline, how to play situations the right way and infuses some creativity into the game plan, you can be a lesser team and still come out with a win. That’s where I look at Flores. He gives you an advantage in all those things, let alone the things he’s going to give continuing going forward because he’s got an eye for scouting and knows how to build a team with all his experience in New England. I was a huge fan of Brian Flores. I still am, as you can tell. I think the Dolphins knocked it out of the park with him.”

Former Ravens coach

Brian Billick, now working for NFL Network, said Flores did “a really great job. The roster was pretty much devoid of talent and for Coach Flores to hold them together — that’s not easy to do — was fabulous.”

NFL Network analyst and former 49ers coach

Steve Mariucci agreed.

“He rallied the troops, kept them playing hard, which is not easy to do,” he said.

It was reiterated to us this week that the Dolphins know they must address cornerback either early in free agency or the first two days of the draft. Though they’re committed to Xavien Howard in the wake of his Dec. 30 domestic battery arrest, they know they need a starter opposite him, as well as someone who could fill in if he’s suspended.

Though rookie Nik Needham impressed at times, his nine touchdown passes permitted in his coverage area tied with Dallas’ Byron Jones for most allowed in the league, per Pro Football Focus.

Dolphins receiver Mack Hollins was wearing a Dan Marino jersey while doing a bunch of interviews on Radio Row on Thursday. Why?

“I got to pay homage to Marino, who’s helping us out and is a legend,” he said. “Plus, the Super Bowl is in Miami.”

Chiefs and former Dolphins running back Damien Williams told NFL Network’s Jim Trotter that he’s bothered by the fact that former Dolphins coach Adam Gase initially told him the team planned to re-sign him after the 2017 season, but then didn’t answer or return his calls after Williams sustained a shoulder injury that required surgery that season.

“That really hurt,” Williams said. “I was there four years and gave Miami my all. I still have not spoken to him to this day. That hurt me because me and Gase were cool.”

Gase told Trotter that he regrets how Williams’ Dolphins career ended and that he has tried to contact him.

“I’m super happy for the guy. He played his [butt] off for me,” Gase said. “Do I wish I would have handled it better? Yeah. Looking back on it, I wish I would have handled it differently. I hate the fact that I haven’t talked to him.”

Gase said he would call Williams after the Super Bowl.

Don’t mention former Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt around NFL great Anquan Boldin unless you want to get him agitated.

WINZ-940’s Jeff DeForrest asked Boldin about Wannstedt selecting linebacker Eddie Moore 49th overall in the 2003 draft, five spots before Arizona picked Boldin. While Boldin became a three-time Pro Bowler, Moore played in just 18 career games.

“Don’t bring that up,” Boldin scolded DeForrest, good-naturedly. “How smart was that? I talked with one of the coaches there who told me, ‘We were picking you and on draft day, Wannstedt said I’m changing the pick to Eddie Moore.’ The wide receivers coach walked out of the room. He was so [angry]. He wanted to take me.”

In the wake of speculation that Patriots free agent quarterback Tom Brady could sign with the Dolphins, owner Stephen Ross said Friday: “I don’t really know why he’d come to the Dolphins. We’re at a stage where we want to build a team for the future.”

Ross also disputed a Pro Football Talk report that he might sell the team this off-season, insisting he will never sell.

Barry Jackson: 305-376-3491, @flasportsbuzz