Examining the Dolphins’ running backs and tight ends, where they stand and their futures

These past few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at every Dolphins player, with revealing metrics, how they compared to others in the league, their contract status and whether they’re worth keeping.

Today, in part 7 of a 7-part series, we examine running backs and tight ends.

RUNNING BACKS

JORDAN HOWARD

▪ Contract status: Signing a two-year deal for close to $10 million.

▪ How he played: Well for Philadelphia last season, averaging 4.4 yards per carry (119 attempts for 525 yards) and catching 10 passes for 69 yards. He ran for six touchdowns and caught one, appearing in nine games and starting four.

He missed the final seven games last season - and Philadelphia’s playoff game - with a shoulder injury.... The 4.4 per carry average tied for 23rd among 47 qualifying backs last season...

Pro Football Focus rated him 31st of 58 running backs last season... This was significant: He averaged 2.93 yards after initial contact, with ranked 24th among 44 running backs with at least 100 carries and far, far better than Kalen Ballage and Patrick Laird (see below for more on those two)...

He’s a powerful runner who has been effective in the red zone throughout his career... He was solid in 54 chances as a blocker - rating 17th in that category among all NFL running backs with at least 50 snaps..

▪ The future: Will be Dolphins starter or a heavily-used 1A (which would come into play if the Dolphins draft a running back in the first round and he beats out Howard in camp). Either way, Miami has landed an accomplished player who has the third- most rushing yards (3,895) and the seventh-most rushing touchdowns (30) since he entered the league in 2016. He has averaged 4.3 yards per carry in his career, despite averaging just 3.7 in his final year in Chicago (2018).

PATRICK LAIRD

▪ Contract status: Two years left on contract; due $585,000 this coming season.

▪ How he played: Pro Football Focus rated him just 55th of 57 qualifying backs, partly because he averaged only 2.7 yards per carry (62 for 168) and partly because of his poor yards-after-first-contact average (1.80), which ranked 117th of 132 backs and was second-worst (ahead of only teammate Kalen Ballage) among backs with at least 50 carries. So Laird didn’t show a consistent ability to break tackles.

But he was solid in the passing game, catching 23 of 28 targets for 204 yards, with three drops. His 7.7 yards after catch average on receptions was good - tied with Melvin Gordon and better than Kareem Hunt, James White, Ezekiel Elliott and many others.

▪ The future: Showed enough to have a chance to compete for a backup running back job, though a No. 3 slot might be more likely than No. 2. Clearly an asset as a receiver out of the backfield.

KALEN BALLAGE

▪ Contract status: Two years left on his contract; due $660,000 this coming season.

▪ How he played: As poorly as anybody on the team. His 1.8 per carry average (74 for 135) was the lowest in 70 years among NFL players with a minimum of 70 carries. No running back in the league with at least 50 carries had a lower average in yards gained after initial contact (1.49); in fact, nobody was close, with David Johnson next worst at 2.05.

What’s more, he dropped four of the 19 passes thrown to him; only Chase Edmonds and Sony Michel had as many drops with so few chances (both also had 19 targets).

One positive? Ballage allowed only two pressures in 45 pass-blocking opportunities. And he was decent enough around the goal line to score three touchdowns.

▪ The future: Will need to improve dramatically to make the team.

MYLES GASKIN

▪ Contract status: Three years left on contract; due $585,000 this coming season.

▪ How he played: Decently, before missing the season finale with an ankle injury. His 3.7 per carry average (36 for 133) was best among the Dolphins backs who were on the roster to end the season. He dropped two of the 10 passes thrown to him, catching seven others for 51 yards.

▪ The future: Will compete in camp for a third or fourth running back job.

FULLBACK CHANDLER COX

▪ Contract status: Three years left on deal; will make $585,000 next season.

▪ How he played: Had a couple of good plays, near the goal line but PFF rated him just 19th among 21 fullbacks in his effectiveness on 56 run blocking chances. Plus, he allowed one sack in 10 pass blocking chances.

The staff gave him only 66 offensive snaps all season, which was surprising considering Miami’s league-worst rushing attack and deficient offensive line.

▪ The future: Cox must hope that new coordinator Chan Gailey has use for a fullback in a revamped offense. And this puts Cox at risk more than anything else: Linebacker Elandon Roberts has played fullback in New England and could be used there when needed, thus saving Miami a roster spot.

Also under contract: De’Lance Turner, who got only four carries for six yards and is due $660,000 in the final year of his contract, and Samaje Perine, a former Redskins backup, who had five carries for 16 yards for Miami in the regular season finale.

Bottom line: Look for the Dolphins to add a running back high in the draft to share playing time with Howard. They like the top backs in this draft - Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Ohio State’s JK Dobbins.

TIGHT ENDS

MIKE GESICKI

▪ Contract status: Two years left on contract; will make $1.1 million this coming season.

▪ How he played: Better than anybody expected, with 51 catches for 570 yards and five touchdowns. He had just three drops and 25 of his 51 catches went for first downs....

He lined up in the slot a lot, and caught 35 of 52 targets in the slot for 382 yards and three touchdowns; only Mark Andrews, Jared Cook and Travis Kelce had more slot receiving yards among tight ends, and only Andrews had more receptions in the slot….Gesicki caught 5 of 15 targets on passes thrown at least 20 yards in the air, for 130 yards and two touchdowns….

The Dolphins wisely used him on only 128 running plays, compared with 561 passing plays. PFF ranked him 42nd of 72 tight ends overall and 61st in run blocking…

He averaged 3.6 yards per reception after the catch, 28th of 120 tight ends.

▪ The future: Bright. Should return as the starter this coming season, once again in a psuedo-receiver type role. Look for him to get a lot of work in the slot, with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey exploiting favorable matchups.

DURHAM SMYTHE

▪ Contract status: Two years left on contract; due $660,000 in 2020.

▪ How he played: Decently. PFF rated him 60th of 72 tight ends but 24th as a run blocker. As a receiver, he caught 7 of 14 passes for 65 yards with one drop.

▪ The future: Smythe figures to get competition for the No. 2 tight end job from newcomer Michael Roberts and potentially others.

MICHAEL ROBERTS

▪ Contract status: Signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Dolphins in February.

▪ How he played: Was traded from Detroit to New England last offseason, but was waived by the Patriots last August after failing a physical because of a lingering shoulder injury. In 2017, he played in 15 games for the Lions - starting three games - and had four catches for 46 yards.

In 2018, he played in eight games - starting two - for Detroit and had nine catches for 100 yards, including three touchdowns. Curiously, PFF rated him only 102nd among tight ends in run blocking in 2018; he had 58 chances. He had only three pass-blocking chances that season and didn’t allow a sack.

Roberts has overcome a major tragedy in his life, as explained here.

▪ The future: Roberts will compete with Smythe to be the team’s top blocking tight end and No. 2 tight end overall.

Also under contract: Chris Myarick, who impressed last preseason and spent the year on the practice squad. The Dolphins see something to develop here.

Veteran Clive Walford (four catches, 57 yards, three drops) is an unrestricted free agent.

Bottom line: Gesicki showed last season that he’s an NFL starter and an asset in the passing game. But he’s the only tight end under contract essentially assured of a roster spot in 2020.

Here’s the archives to my series, which were all written BEFORE free agency except for part 7 of the 7-part series, which you just read here:

Here’s part 1 of my series with a breakdown of every Dolphins incumbent offensive lineman.

Here’s part 2 of my series with a breakdown of every Dolphins incumbent wide receiver.

Here’s part 3 of my series with a breakdown of every Dolphins incumbent linebacker.

Here’s part 4 of my series with a breakdown of every Dolphins incumbent safety.

Here’s part 5 of my series with a breakdown of every Dolphins incumbent cornerback.

Here’s part 6 of my series with a breakdown of every incumbent Dolphins defensive lineman.

And please click here to rummage through my stories in the past week, including our blog today with comments from nine new Dolphins and tons of input on all of the Dolphins’ free-agent signings. You can also access all my stories on my Twitter account here.