Miami Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville has his deepest room yet

Miami Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville has a problem heading into the 2024 season that he may not have had this time last year. His backroom has plenty of options ready and waiting to carry the ball. The problem? There’s only one ball to go around.

The Dolphins running back corps returns 1,000-yard rusher Raheem Mostert, versatile second-year back De’Von Achane (who recorded 800 yards and eight touchdowns on 112 carries last season), rotation options competent Chris Brooks and Jeff Wilson Jr., and for good measure, added 2024 fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright.

Studesville is the Dolphins’ longest-tenured coaching position, arriving in 2018 and being the only one to work under the team’s last three head coaches – Adam Gase, Brian Flores and Mike McDaniel. This is probably the deepest running room he’s had with the Dolphins.

Studesville says his group “performed very well” last season. The Dolphins finished sixth in rushing yards per game with 135.8 and rushing yards per game with 5.06. The addition of Wright gives the Dolphins another running back to “continue to push the limits,” which Studesville says is the goal.

Despite an intensified competitive atmosphere, the room is meshing together.

“Jaylen was immediately taken into the room. And all these guys, whether it was Jeff Wilson, whether it was Raheem, whether it was (guard Alec Ingold) talking to him,” Studesville said. “This room, a running backs room, is a very unique place, because, and I was just saying this to someone today, a running backs room is full of some of the most selfish people who are by nature. Because they all want to be the guy who has the ball. And the reality is there’s only one ball in every game. Not everyone can get it.

“So taking a group of individuals who inherently have those feelings within them, and being so selfless in a group, helping the person sitting next to you want the team to be better, I think that says a lot about the quality of the people we have in this room.

While the Dolphins have a well-rounded arsenal at the position, there is currently no prediction on exactly how they will use their running backs this season, whether the question is who or how.

“I think we have to wait and see, you know, and come back to camp, see how camp goes,” Studesville said. “And we have to see, you know… it’s a long marathon that we’re running here. So you never know how it starts. Whether it might start one way and adjust halfway, it doesn’t may not be the case.” , I do not know. We won’t know until we get in there and go. »