Dolphins camp battles to come: Running back

The Miami Dolphins are off for the rest of the off-season but in late July they will return back to Miami where they will begin training camp in forward preparation for the 2016 season.

More from Dolphins News

• Tua Tagovailoa practicing with teammates is everything a leader does
• 4 offensive tackles Miami Dolphins could draft at 51
• Miami Dolphins don’t need CB help but these 5 could be available at 51
• 4 players that could replace Wilkins if Miami Dolphins don’t re-sign him
• Miami Dolphins have a starting point with Wilkins after Simmons deal

Every position unit will have a battle of some kind. Whether to determine who will be the starter or the primary back-up or perhaps even just a roster spot. In the next month, our staff will be wrapping up individual player previews ahead of camp but over the next week we will be looking at some of the best position battles with in each unit, starting with the running backs.

The starter will be Jay Ajayi and there is little doubt despite coaches saying he needs to work on his pass catching consistency. Where this position gets interesting is behind Ajayi.

Damien Williams is supposed to be the back-up but Miami coaches may not believe that Williams can or will handle the job. Williams’ top competition is 3rd round draft pick Kenyan Drake and Drake was the healthier of the two during off-season OTA’s and mini-camps.

What we do know for certain is that the Dolphins do not believe completely in Ajayi being able to handle a full season and Williams ready to become a more full-time contributor. If they had their would not have been a major interest in C.J. Anderson or talk of Ezekiel Elliot, or pursuit of any of the running backs on the market outside of depth players. And Miami would not have traded up to get Drake in last April’s draft.

While the coaches may not know Ajayi or Williams, Mike Tannenbaum and Chris Grier do. The impressions on Ajayi are positive but the concerns over his health are real. Ajayi missed the first month of the season in 2015 with a rib injury and he missed a good portion of his final collegiate season due to a knee injury. The Dolphins lack depth behind him and their searches to find someone to play with Ajayi is not because of a lack of belief in Ajayi’s talent, it’s a lack of 100% confidence in Ajayi’s future health and a serious lack of depth behind him. In now way is this a knock on Ajayi who has shown flashes of being extremely good.

The additions of Isaiah Pead and Daniel Thomas do not speak towards success within the unit. Drake will get plenty of playing time and if Williams can get healthy, which he should be ready for camp 100%, the Dolphins biggest battle, again will be between Williams and Drake for the number two spot while Thomas and Pead will likely battle for the final roster spot at the position.

With Ajayi ready to prove he can handle his first full season in two years, including college, and Williams and Drake ready for a camp battle to be the rotating back with Ajayi, the Dolphins running back group should get better as training camp progresses.