The Miami Dolphins signed former first-round pick Sony Michel this past spring in an attempt to help solidify their running back group under first-year head coach Mike McDaniel.
At least initially, it seemed as if the 27-year-old Michel would slot in at RB1 in South Beach. This is a group that struggled under former head coach Brian Flores a season ago. Miami needed more production out of its backfield to help young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa succeed under center.
Mere months after signing Michel, the Dolphins have ended this experience. Ahead of roster cut-down day, Miami has surprisingly opted to release Michel.
A former first-round pick of the New England Patriots back in 2018, Michael signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with Miami back in May. The Dolphins take a $850,0000 loss by moving off the veteran back.
Again, this has to be seen as somewhat surprising. Last season with the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, Sony Michel gained nearly 1,000 total yards and six touchdowns at a clip of 4.2 yards per touch. He was Los Angeles’ leading rusher.
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Miami Dolphins depth chart following surprise release of Sony Michel
In their cut down to 53, the Dolphins also announced that they have waived fellow running backs Gerrid Doaks and ZaQuandre White. This leaves Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed as the running backs most likely to break camp with Miami. Though, further moves could be coming on this front over the next several days.
Mostert has a built-in relationship with McDaniel dating back to their days together with the San Francisco 49ers. From 2019-20, the former undrafted free agent registered 1,629 total yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per touch under McDaniel.
As for Edmonds, he came over from the Arizona Cardinals in free agency after putting up a combined 1,753 total yards over the past two seasons. These two should see a majority of the touches with Sony Michel no longer in the mix.