Jay Ajayi must stay healthy this season

Jay Ajayi is taking over the starting running back position this year for the Miami Dolphins. If Miami wants to be successful this coming season they need their players to stay healthy, especially Jay Ajayi.

The Miami Dolphins have put their faith in Jay Ajayi this season. With the departure of Lamar Miller, Miami needed a new starting running back and they have chosen second year player Jay Ajayi. With no real competition on the roster for Ajayi, and no quality depth at the position, Miami needs Ajayi to remain healthy at all costs.

Heading into the draft there was much speculation about the running back position. Miami was predicted to be in the running for Ezekiel Elliot, a dynamic runner who could come in and start right away. When Elliot was drafted by Dallas, Miami changed course to select a change of pace back for Jay Ajayi. With no serious competition left in the draft Miami elected to find a compliment to what they already had on the roster.

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Since the draft Miami has not brought in anymore running backs to compete for the starting job. In fact the quality depth at the running back position is paper thin. After Ajayi on the depth chart Miami has an inexperienced Kenyan Drake, an unproven veteran in Damien Williams, and Camp Bodies like Isaiah Pead and Daniel Thomas. If Ajayi were to go down this season Miami would have no real threat at the running back position to turn too.

Kenyan Drake has potential to turn into a quality running back. He has home run speed and great hands out of the backfield, but his game is still raw in a lot of areas. As a rookie he will need to get accustomed to NFL game speed and work on his weak areas. One of Drake’s downsides is his blocking ability.

When you play in running back in the NFL you need to be able to know and execute blocking assignments. Coaches cannot trust a runner who has trouble blocking for the quarterback. One dimensional runners like that leave the offense predictable and those players are limited in playing time. While Drake will be able to learn to block it will take time and Miami needs someone who can

Damien Williams is a young veteran who has shown some promise as a runner but is still unproven. He only had 16 carries last season for 59 yards, but caught 21 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown. He is a good blocker and plays well in the passing game, but hasn’t done enough to stand out. While some may say he needs more opportunities, he needs to play well enough to earn them.

Daniel Thomas and Isaiah Pead are two veterans that the Dolphins brought in but are nothing more than camp bodies. Thomas is a failed second round draft pick from Miami that was plagued with injuries and never produced. Pead had a similar situation with the St. Louis Rams. During his three years in the NFL he only carried the ball 19 times for 78 yards. Both will likely be gone by the end of training camp.

With the lack of quality backups to Jay Ajayi he needs to stay healthy this whole season. Miami’s offense has been unimpressive the last few seasons and if they want their record to improve, the offense must as well. Ajayi needs to show that he is beyond his injury history and can be a bell cow back for the Dolphins. He needs to handle the abuse of a full 16 game season and be able to take pressure off of Tannehill by creating a powerful running game.

Coming into the draft Ajayi’s stock dropped due to concern about his cartilage in his knee and the ability to stay healthy. The Dolphins took a shot on Ajayi in the fifth round of the draft last year. When he was able to play he showed flashes of ability, but his time on the field was limited due to injuries. He spent his first eight weeks on I.R. (Injured Reserve) designated for return list because of a broken rib he suffered in the last preseason game.

Ajayi needs to show critics they are wrong about him. He needs to prove that he can stay healthy and play at a high level consistently. He needs to show why the Dolphins let Lamar Miller walk and put their faith in him. There are a lot of expectations for Jay Ajayi this season, but none of them can be accomplished if he is on the sideline.