Top 5 Candidates to be the Miami Dolphins Starting RB on Sunday – The Phinsider

We live in a different world than we did a few hours ago. The world we live in now is one where Dolphin’s RB, Matt Breida has been placed on the reserved Covid-19 List.

Also, Salvon Ahmed and DeAndre Washington have been ruled doubtful for the game.

This begs the question; who will be the starting running back for the Dolphins on Sunday as they host the Cincinnati Bengals? There aren’t as many candidates as you might think so I had to think outside the bun on this extremely important question.

1. Myles Gaskin

Gaskin, who is the team’s leading rusher, hasn’t played in weeks due to being put on IR with a knee injury. There was talk that he was going to be ready to go last week but to no avail, he wasn’t activated. Even right now at 5PM on Friday afternoon, Gaskin has still yet to be activated from IR though he practiced all week. You’d think due to the dearth of available running backs that Flores would have no choice but to bring Gaskin back. But Flores does what he wants when he wants and usually goes in the other direction that everyone thinks he’s going to or should do. So, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if he dumbfounds everyone, once again, and kept Gaskin on the IR.

2. Lynn Bowden

Bowden played quarterback at Kentucky but he was more of Slash Stewart type of signal caller. He had 1,530 rushing yards as a quarterback in college and was drafted by the Vegas Raiders to be a running back when the Dolphins traded for him back in August. Since coming to Miami he has been a slot receiver of sorts and has recorded 1 catch for -1 yards while also having four carries for nine whole yards. Bowden has some wiggle to him that would be useful squirming through the narrow holes of the Dolphin’s offensive line. Miami has run some Wildcat with Bowden so has some experience running into the line.

3. Malcolm Perry

A sneaky candidate to be the one touting the rock is the former Navy Midshipmen, Malcolm Perry. This guys is fantastic with the ball in his hands, when he can get open enough to get the ball into his hands. He was limited in practice today due to an injury he suffered last week against the Jets, but if he’s available to go, his ability to also throw the ball might the element that gives him the edge in the battle for the prestigious starting role.

4. Patrick Laird

Easily the most boring of all the potential choices who also looks like Matt Ryan while also being a strong candidate to be uncomfortable watching Richard Pryor or George Carlin, Laird brings some experience to the position since he played it last year. If Gaskin isn’t activated and all the other, actual, running backs are out due to injury, Laird would be the starting guy. But, you can’t forget that Laird would have been near Breida at some point either in the film room where they shared stories about each of fumbling on back to back possessions last week or on the practice field practicing Tike Barber’s high and tight method of ball security.

4. Ryan Fitzpatrick

The reigning team rushing champion would be a stealthy choice to be the team’s starting running back. Is it unconventional, sure. Is it potentially a genius move, you betcha. Not many practice the fine art of expecting the unexpected and with Fitzpatrick in the backfield behind Tua, pending that he plays and in this scenario he is, would be something the Bengals would never see coming. This is the kind of plan that Col. Hannibal Smith would do and it would work so I see no reason why Coach Flores wouldn’t entertain the idea of having a 38 year old journeymen quarterback as his starting running back. We do have recent evidence that Flores was preparing Fitzpatrick for this role.

5. Ricky Williams

Before you click out of this blog, hear me out. Ricky is 43 and hasn’t played in the NFL since 2011. Those are some heavy strikes against him. And I’m sure you’re thinking that even if we wanted to bring Ricky in just to see what he has left in the tank that he’ll never be able to pass a drug test. Well the House of Representin just decriminalized marijuana at the federal level today. Now, does that mean that the NFL have gone ahead and made the sane move of getting rid of their devil’s lettuce tests all together? No, no it doesn’t. But on the off-chance Rog gets with the times in a hurry, then it will be Run Ricky Run all over again.

Who am I kidding, Flores will probably end up going with Chandler Cox because why not?

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