When the Miami Dolphins inked star running back De'Von Achane to his new four-year, $64 million extension this offseason, fans and the media had mixed reactions. It had nothing to do with the quality of Achane's play or his importance to the offense. Instead, questions surrounding his fit with a team that is firmly in rebuilding mode clouded an otherwise reasonable decision to keep him in Miami.
Those questions aside, the deal was still seen as a good value for one of the NFL's most dynamic playmakers and an overall win for new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Thanks to the Atlanta Falcons, however, that deal is now a certifiable steal.
Star running back Bijan Robinson agreed to a three-year extension worth up to $75 million on Tuesday, with a whopping $51 million in guaranteed money. That guaranteed number dwarfs every other running back deal other than rookie Jeremiah Love's $53 million, but that's only due to his status as the No. 3 pick in this year's draft.
Achane, meanwhile, has just over $27 million guaranteed on his deal. As great as Robinson has been for the Falcons, he hasn't been that much better than the Dolphins' top playmaker.
The Miami Dolphins made the right call to extend De'Von Achane when they did
Achane and Robinson were both drafted in 2023, with Robinson taken at No. 8 overall and Achane taken much later at No. 84 overall. Despite the gap in their draft positioning, the two have put up similar numbers on a per-game basis. Just look at their 17-game averages according to Pro Football Reference.
Rushing Yds | Receiving Yds | Scrimmage Yds | Total TDs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bijan Robinson | 1,303 | 579 | 1,882 | 11 |
De'Von Achane | 1,181 | 493 | 1,674 | 14 |
The slight edge goes to Robinson, but that's due to his higher volume in comparison to Achane. In terms of yards per touch, the Dolphins' speedy back edges out his fellow 2023 draft pick, 6.1 to 5.6. Obviously, Robinson is the bigger and more physical back who (theoretically, at least) can shoulder more of the load offensively than a smaller back like Achane.
Still, it would be hard to make an argument that Robinson is worth nearly twice the amount of guaranteed money, especially when neither team involved is in a clear "win-now" window.
Now, I'm not saying Bijan isn't well deserving of his deal, quite the opposite actually. I think the fact that Achane is earning so much less makes him a true value as the NFL returns to a more run-heavy, defense-oriented era. It's hard to say if the Dolphins will truly be ready to compete before he begins to slow down as he enters his mid-to-late 20s, but someone needs to be the focal point of the offense. If it can be a player as talented as Achane, it's hard to complain.
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