The Miami Dolphins turned to Jeff Wilson Jr. when they needed help finding cap space this offseason, but a new report suggests a pay cut may not be enough to save the veteran running back’s spot on the roster. Wilson agreed to a contract restructure in March that slashed his base salary, helping the team save $3.67 million in cap space. Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon still pegged Wilson as the “best player” on the Dolphins likely to miss the final roster cut this summer, noting that the team’s upgrades at running back may leave him on the outside of the bubble. “Miami leaned on Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane last year, which limited Jeff Wilson Jr. to 41 carries,” Kenyon wrote. “Plus, the Dolphins just drafted speedy Tennessee back Jaylen Wright. The offseason probably marks the end of Wilson’s time in South Florida.” Jeff Wilson Jr.’s Shrinking Role Wilson joined the Dolphins in a trade-deadline deal in November 2022, taking on an important role that season as he took 84 carries for 392 yards with three touchdowns. Wilson finished the 2022 season, split between the Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, with a career-best 860 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with 22 receptions for 185 yards and one receiving touchdown. But Wilson saw his role shrink after the Dolphins drafted Achane in 2023, appearing in 10 games and taking 41 carries for 188 total yards. As Mike Masala of USA Today’s Dolphins Wire noted, Wilson was in danger of being cut earlier this offseason before agreeing to a restructured contract. “With the original $3.67 million cap hit, there was a chance that the Dolphins would’ve cut him to save some money, as they’re already returning Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks for the upcoming season,” Masala wrote. Dolphins Add More Competition to the Backfield While Masala noted that Wilson could still make the roster if the Dolphins choose to keep five running backs, he will have some tougher competition. The Dolphins used a fourth-round draft pick to select Tennessee running back Wright, a speedster who ran 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Wright said he saw how much faith the team’s coaching staff put in Achane during his rookie season in 2023 and believes he can make a similar contribution to the team. “It tells me he has a lot of trust in his guys,” Wright said, via NFL.com. “It tells me when he’s drafting somebody, he’s doing it for a reason. I feel like I’m somebody that he trusts. I’m ready to prove my point on the field and gain that trust not only from the coaches, but my teammates as well. I’m really excited to make big plays.” Wright added that he’s no stranger to splitting carries, which he did during his time at Tennessee. “I like to see my other guys eat and get the ball,” Wright said. “We’re all eating, and I feel like that’s going to be the same way here. I feel like whoever gets on the field is going to make big plays. I like it. … Three backs, three great backs, I feel like that’s really good to have.”
He's talented enough to be an RB2 in the right scheme. The depth on this roster, combined with the young legs, has to put him on the roster bubble. I'd rather we trade him for IOL help instead of cutting him.
Wilson may very well be the odd man out, but after he redid his deal to give the team more cap space, I expect that he'll at least be given a chance in camp to earn a roster spot. Mostert, Achane and Wright might be the safest 1-2-3 RB combination to project in the league, but there will be a fight for number four. Wilson has proven to be a good player in the past and was never really healthy last season, so we'll see what happens.
I like the hand placement and footwork, but her arm length seems to be a bit on the shorter side. Give her some individual coaching and time against the first string and she might be a good backup.
I don't see how or why we keep Ahmed over Wilson. Wilson is a McDaniel guy and a very good depth piece. He's the tough runner and change of pace/attitude guy. Brooks can potentially provide some of that but the staff went with Wilson over Brooks last season. If we can trade him for something of value, OK. But I don't think we release him or do some low level draft pick.
I have to think that Ahmed is nothing more than an insurance policy in case something happens to multiple other guys before September. Wilson and Chris Books should clearly be ahead of him for #4.
I think Wilson has a few more years left on his legs and this is probably Mosterts last season. Achane, Wright, and Wilson, after this season, sounds good to me. Hopefully they find a way to keep him.
Oh I certainly hope that Wilson isn't in that position in 2025. The free agent class looks really good next year so we might find a good deal on a power back (my dream is Javonte Williams) or draft a guy in the 3rd or 4th rounds.
A third straight year drafting a RB in rounds 3-4 and the anti-Grier folks might explode. I think in an ideal world, Achane and Wright are good enough to preclude the need to sign a free agent and we can dedicate that money elsewhere. The one thing about both Mostert and Wilson is that neither have excessive tread even at their ages. We could see both again next year (and Mostert is signed through next year iirc).
I think and hope that Achane and Wright should and will both be good at what they do, but they're both home run hitters and not guys who can run the ball through traffic inside or get the tough yards to run out the clock and close out ball games. We absolutely have to have someone like that who we can depend on, and it can't be a UDFA rookie or dirt cheap veteran that no one else wanted, or its going to come back and bite us in the butt in an important situation. There will, without doubt, be games where the opposition is able to slow down our passing game but will be vulnerable to the run, and we have to be able to take advantage of that when its there without the long developing, gimmick plays as well. Nothing will help Tua and the defense more than the ability to do that.
Some guys don’t need bulk and weight to run up the middle. No one would ever suggest that Barry Sanders, even with his small-ish size, couldn’t run up the middle. (No, I’m not comparing Wright to Barry). Wright is able to split the smallest gaps because he’s so quick and powerful. I believe he led the SEC in run yards after contact last year. And his pass pro is top notch. The guy can do it all… including getting those yards on 3rd and short.
