It didn’t take long for rumors to turn into reality. The Miami Dolphins will move forward with signing the former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster after working out with the team on Wednesday, per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Foster was also scheduled to meet with the Detroit Lions later this week.
Outlook heading into training camp
The Foster signing comes at a curious time for the Dolphins, who are scheduled to begin camp on July 29th. The team currently has six backs on the roster, including the presumptive week one starter, Jay Ajayi.
Foster, who only played in four games in 2015, has only started in all 16 games once in his career and will turn 30 in late August. While it’s currently unclear if Foster was brought in to play a leading or supplementary role, his abilities certainly align with the ambitions of new head coach, Adam Gase.
Gase, who performed duties as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator in 2015, should covet Foster’s contributions in the passing game - who amassed 2,268 yards and 249 catches during his career. Further, Foster’s seven years of NFL experience is just three shy of the other five Dolphins running backs on the roster.
A position battle looms
With the departure of Lamar Miller to the Houston Texans in free agency, many assumed the Dolphins would be more aggressive than they were in acquiring a potential heir to Miller’s carries. Ajayi, a fifth-round pick from Boise State in 2015, carried the ball only 49 times in last season to the tune of 3.8 yards per carry. Kenyan Drake was drafted in the third round of this year’s draft from Alabama, but there are skeptics regarding his ability to be a full-time NFL back at 6’1” and 210 lbs.
Ultimately, the Foster signing may be both a move to infuse veteran leadership and ensure production from the backfield in 2016. While Foster’s 2016 campaign was undoubtedly the worst of his career, there have been NFL players who’ve been able to salvage their careers in favorable situations before - like Chris Johnson in 2015. Even if Adam Gase would prefer a full-time feature back in his offense, a cocktail of ripe age and sprightly youth may be the right formula to help get the Dolphins into the playoffs.