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During the last four games of the 2017 season, no running back did more than Dolphins’ running back Kenyan Drake. Drake finished the season with 133 carries for 644 yards and 3 touchdowns. Furthermore, he solidified himself as the Dolphins’ starter moving forward. Everyone is excited to see what Drake can do in year three under Adam Gase. His rare skill-set,that includes one-cut breakaway speed, coupled with his ability in the passing game, makes him a one-of-a-kind talent. But during the offseason, things became a bit more unclear.
The addition of free agent running back Frank Gore complicated things. After all, the 13-year veteran has had quite the NFL career, accumulating 14,026 yards and 77 touchdowns on 3,226 carries. Only four times in his professional career did he fail to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. Frank gore is the truth.
If Frank Gore wasn’t enough, the Dolphins drafted Arizona State running back Kalen Ballage in the fourth-round (131st overall) in the 2018 draft. Ballage, like Drake, can be a factor in the run game as well as the pass. In fact, Ballage once scored eight touchdowns in a single game, a feat that is rarely done at any level of competitive sports.
So how will Adam Gase and the Dolphins coaching staff split touches among the three talented running backs? This is how I see things breaking down, although it could fluctuate one way or the other.
It is anyone’s guess as to how things may play out, but there is no denying that Kenyan Drake is the featured back until further notice. I also believe Frank Gore has done enough throughout his NFL career-as well as in training camp- that he will see his fair share of carries. The x-factor remains Kalen Ballage, who will almost certainly earn carries as the season progresses. It might be hard for the team to keep all three running backs happy, but the more they share the workload, the better off this team will be in the long run.
Let’s just hope the offensive line can be a difference maker. After all, we all know Miami has the talent to do big things on the ground in 2018.
Poll
How do you see the Dolphins’ backfield playing out in 2018?
This poll is closed
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18%
Drake 65% Gore 20% Ballage 15%
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32%
Drake 60% Gore 25% Ballage 15%
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34%
Drake 60% Gore 30% Ballage 10%
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13%
OTHER
How do you see the Dolphins backfield playing out in 2018? Let us know in the comments below.