The Miami Dolphins’ backfield has mostly stayed intact while the offense around it has been turned over. Quarterback, receiver and the offensive line have all been in flux, but the running back room still starts with De'Von Achane and includes third-year back Jaylen Wright and sophomore Ollie Gordon II.
That makes Gordon II one of the more interesting names in camp. Miami brought him in with the idea that his size could solve the team’s short-yardage issues. At 6'2" and 225 pounds, he brings a different body type than the rest of the group, and his rookie year showed both rough patches and enough promising moments to keep the door open.
The problem is how camp has started. On Day 1, Dolphins in-house reporter Travis Wingfield said Gordon II had the ball knocked loose by EDGE rusher David Ojabo on one of his carries. Then on Day 2, Gordon II put the ball on the ground again, this time after getting ' peanut-punched ' by Dolphins first-round rookie Chris Johnson.
Wingfield also reported that Gordon II answered with the play of the day, a run that looked like it could have gone for 70 yards behind strong blocking. But the message for any NFL back stays the same: the football has to be protected. For a second-year, sixth-round pick, nothing is guaranteed.
And Gordon II isn’t running this race alone. Donovan Edwards has supporters, while Carlos Washington Jr. and undrafted rookie Anthony Hankerson are also in the mix for roster spots, whether that ends up being on the active roster or the practice squad when cutdown day arrives.
For now, the Dolphins are still looking at the version of Gordon II that can pair with Achane and give Miami a bruising contrast to its speed. The idea is easy to picture. The execution gets a lot harder when the ball keeps ending up on the turf.
In Other News...
Caleb Douglas Is Suddenly Changing The Dolphins Conversation
After the Dolphins moved on from Tyreek Hill and traded Jaylen Waddle, the receiver room suddenly looked a lot thinner, and that is why Caleb Douglas has started drawing so much attention in camp. The third-round pick has spent just three days on the field, but he has already flashed the kind of hands and body control Miami needs, coming down with contested catches and finding the end zone in red-zone work.
Douglas has also begun to look like more than just depth, which is the part that could change the conversation in Miami if this keeps going. His early work has been strong enough to put him in the mix for a bigger role, and the Dolphins will be watching closely to see whether the rookie can keep stacking days and stay near the top of the camp performance chart. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Know One Roster Shock Could Be Coming Again
With the Dolphins still sorting through the edges of the roster picture, the conversation around the final 53 has already started to drift toward the kind of surprise moves that tend to surface late in the summer. Fans and media alike are kicking around a familiar mix of names, from Trey Moore to Tyrel Dodson and Matthew Butler, while also weighing how the new coaching staff and a crowded receiver room could shape the decisions ahead.
Malik Washington has become one of the more intriguing names in that discussion, not because anyone is reporting a decision, but because the numbers game at receiver can make even a player with momentum feel vulnerable. Trey Moores status could also ripple through the linebacker and edge groups, which is exactly why this roster watch feels so unsettled right now, with more than one possible cut or trade still hanging out there as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]