Chan Gailey to the Dolphins: A New Look at Running Backs

It was a week ago when I revealed a conversation I had with somebody familiar with the Miami Dolphins’ front office thinking.

In that conversation, I got around to asking about the running back room and was surprised with what was revealed.  The Dolphins believe Ohio State back J.K. Dobbins to be the “best of the RB group.”  This was odd to me in some respects, because Dobbins is a more instinctive runner, and not the north-south type runner better suited to run Chad O’Shea’s designed runs.

Now is as good a time as any to reveal this….spoke with somebody familiar with Miami's Front Office, and after asking about this years' RB class, considers this class best in a while, and believes Miami would have J.K. Dobbins as the best of the group. @Alf_Arteaga

— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) December 29, 2019

Then Chad O’Shea got fired.  Strange.  Then all the whispers started as to why he got let go, and it became much more understandable.  Then 67-year old Chan Gailey got hired to fill the offensive coordinator position, and things began to clear up.

This was/is a 180 degree philosophy change on how to approach the run game.

If you want to understand what the RUN GAME is gonna look like now, this is a staple of a Chan Gailey Play Sheet. This is a very BIG shift in philosophy. They are no longer in the design run business, and are now in on Daylight runners. @Alf_Arteaga
https://t.co/InIEEMYpaZ

— Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) December 31, 2019

So what do these changes to the run game entail?  You have to go back to Chan Gailey’s history to see what his run calls look like, and something is immediately clear.  The man loves Lead ISO runs.  In short, Lead ISO was a way for spread concept teams to gain a bit of that “power” look from more conventional run offenses.  They almost always entail a double team at the point of attack, with the “ISO” part being an emphasis on isolating an opposing LB with a lead block.  The run is either called to the right side of the center (the 2 hole) or the right side of the guard (the 4 hole), or to the left, conversely, the 1 and 3 hole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iUT7-kdSIc&t=87s

This is a change from what the New England Patriots, and what the Miami Dolphins did for this one year.  Miami had a designed run game, built around counters, use of wham blocks, straight lead runs, and “power” run concepts.  This type of run offense is quickly becoming a NFL dinosaur.  What they are switching too now, in theory simplifies the run game, but puts a larger emphasis on the running back position, and a runner with good instincts to find the correct cuts on each play to find the proper run lane, especially to the back side, which lead ISO plays tend to produce.

Having said that, which players fit the bill the best?

The Free Agents

1. Melvin Gordon

Adept at pressing the hole, and sliding past the double team to find the cutback lane is his specialty.  His work at Wisconsin was as impressive as any on lead Iso runs.

2. Derrick Henry

The consummate one cut runner, but figures to be really expensive, while Melvin Gordon has a more “affordable look” to him.

3. Kenyan Drake

Speed.  Drake has shown one cut ability, especially in his great run of 2017 toward season’s end, and his time in Arizona this year.  But has that ship sailed?

Draft Prospects

1. J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State)

Dobbins has been in this type of offense his whole college career, and has a knack for finding the correct cut back lane a remarkable amount of time.

2. Travis Etienne (Clemson)

Classic home run hitter, who finds the cut back and goes.  The distance.  Etienne in many respects is a do-over on Kenyan Drake, although Etienne is a much more accomplished (in college) and cheap option than Drake.

3. Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)

It’s everywhere in his film.  See JT press the hole.  See JT quickly change direction and find the crease.  See JT find 8 yards where there was probably 3 playside.

Alfredo Arteaga (@Alf_Arteaga) is one-third of the trio of the hosts of the Three Yards Per Carry (@3YardsPerCarry) podcast.