Five Miami Dolphins storylines to follow through preseason

The running game

This is still a passing league, but being able to run the ball efficiently can be a huge advantage to an offense. It helps you to keep the defense off balance and it can be a source of easy, low risk yards. There are still situations in a game where it is important to be able to run the ball.

Myles Gaskin was a really nice surprise last season and the team had games where they showed an ability to run the ball effectively. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the norm and they struggled with consistently moving the ball on the ground in most games.

"2020 Dolphins Value Rank Rush yards 1,700 22 Rush TD’s 15 20 Yds/Attempt 4.0 28 Yds/Game 106.3 22 Hit at LOS% 38.9 21 Lost fumbles 4 26 WAR 0.1 20"

By all accounts, they were a bottom third rushing offense. That isn’t necessarily a problem, as some of the best offenses in the NFL had similar rushing statistics. But there’s no question that being able to run the ball effectively matters to Brian Flores. It’s something that has been important to New England throughout Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach, where Flores learned the ins and outs of coaching in the NFL. Flores also hired Eric Studesville-one of the leagues most accomplished running backs coaches-to the position of co-offensive coordinator.

There are several things that play into having a successful rushing attack. Having effective backs matters and Miami should be heading into the season with some combination of four out of Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed, Malcolm Brown, Gerrid Doaks, Patrick Laird, and Jordan Scarlett. If there was a gun to my head, I would bet on Gaskin, Ahmed, Brown, and Doaks to be on the roster week one. Not exactly a murderers row, but they’re talented backs with varying skill sets.

Of course, the offensive line is just as important as who carries the ball. It’s too early to say definitively that the line will be better this season, but Eichenberg and Hunt should be upgrades on the interior. Outside of that… we’ll have to wait and see. There is one other factor that should open things up on the ground. Adding speedy receivers like Will Fuller and Jaylen Waddle, will lighten the boxes that Miami faces. Teams would be foolish to bring a safety into the box and leave their corners in such a compromised position.

"“When you have guys on the perimeter and guys who demand some attention — that kind of attention — then there could be more space and there may not be. And if that’s the case, then we’ve got to take advantage of those matchups on the perimeter. It’s a chess game, as you all know, and obviously the run game and how you attack the run game, that’s part of it.” -Brian Flores via Barry Jackson @TheMiamiHerald"