Miami Dolphins Should Pursue MJD

With the season nearing end at a very rapid rate, the Miami Dolphins are on the verge of making a playoff appearance. It won’t be easy, however, as they must win at least 3 out of their last five game just to hope to have a chance at the last Wild Card spot. They also need some help as the Ravens must lose some of their games and teams such as Pittsburgh and Tennessee cannot get on a hot streak to close out the season.

Bottom line is the playoffs in Miami are a reality this season. The only problem is the Dolphins are a team that would be very one dimensional if they do make it to the postseason. Outside of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Halloween, Ryan Tannehill has thrown the ball 30 or more times in every game.

There are multiple reasons as to why the Dolphins have transformed into a passing team. Well, the first one is obvious. They decided to let Reggie Bush walk this past offseason. Bush has been tearing it up the season in Detroit and he ranks seventh in the league in rushing yards. The second, the offensive line is not very good. Obviously this plays a huge factor in the running game. If there is no penetration in the trenches, the backs are going to have a tough time finding a hole. Lastly, the Dolphins lack a depth at the running back position. Yes, Lamar Miller has played exceptionally well at times for the situation he has been put in. Even with a bad line, Miller has been able to run for a 4.3 yards per carry average throughout his first two seasons.

Coming into this offseason it is imperative that Miami does something at the back position. Daniel Thomas has struggled for a majority of the season and will be coming back from an ankle injury. Unlike past seasons in which they drafted a back, only for it to turn out to be an unsuccessful pick, the Dolphins need to go out and bring in a proven running back.

One option that I would really love to see the Dolphins try to bring in is Maurice Jones-Drew. Throughout his career, Jones-Drew has been very successful. Barring a major injury in the next game, by seasons end Jones-Drew will reach the 8,000 yard mark. This season, Jones-Drew started off very poorly. The Jaguars were struggling and so was he. But now, the Jaguars have won four out of their last five games and MJD has played a big part in their recent success.

A combination of him and Lamar Miller would really ease up the pressure that has been put onto Ryan Tannehill. For Tannehill’s sake he cannot continue to throw the football over 35 times a game. He needs a running game.

The crazy thing is, Jones-Drew having a bit of a down year in Jacksonville could really end up helping the Dolphins. He isn’t the 1,600 yard rusher he once was. This year, MJD has ran the ball for 719 yards and five touchdowns. Due to his “down year” the price to bring him in will be much cheaper. Even with his “down year”, Jones-Drew still ranks in the top 15 in rushing in the league.

It is nice to have multiple backs that could play a specific position at their levels. Jones-Drew would come into the Dolphins, potentially start while providing great experience at a position in which Miami has tons of youth. There is no doubt about it, Maurice Jones-Drew would add some much needed stability to the running back position.