If there’s one thing the Miami Dolphins have loved to do under coach Tony Sparano, it’s run the ball. They did it successfully in 2009 with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams but they decided to balance the offense with more passing last season. If they decide to shift back to a running focus, they may have their new featured back.
The Dolphins traded three picks (a 3rd, 5th, and 7th) to the Washington Redskins to move up in the second round where they selected running back Daniel Thomas 62nd overall. All my UCLA friends should recall Thomas well; he was the guy in a purple #8 jersey running up and down the field all game in the season opener.
Thomas ran for 1,585 yards on 298 carries (3rd most in the country) last season for Kansas State, so there is little doubt he is a workhorse. He also is adept at running the Wildcat offense which should be perfect for Miami.
Though it’s too early to start doing mock fantasy football drafts — especially with the lockout — we wouldn’t be doing our duty if we didn’t share this nugget on Thomas. As Rotoworld pointed out, Thomas is expected to be Miami’s featured back with Williams, Brown, and Patrick Cobbs all free agents. The Dolphins could bring one of them back, but the job will likely be Thomas’ to lose.
