The Miami Dolphins offense was always going to look a lot different this year with Jaff Hafley taking over for Mike McDaniel as the team’s head coach, but it sounds like it might be close to unrecognizable compared to how it’s looked in previous seasons.
Over the past several years, Miami has been known for its high-powered passing attack, highlighted by its duo of speedy receivers, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, with Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball. However, with Hafley taking over and Tagovailoa and Hill both gone from the roster, it sounds like things are going to be changing.
During a recent interview with Rich Eisen, Hafley said that star running back De’Von Achane is going to have to be ready to carry the ball “40-45 times,” warning him that in some games, he’ll be such a workhorse that he’ll hardly be able to walk back to the locker room when it’s over.
“I just gave Achane a heads-up this morning and I told him you better be in good shape,” Hafley said via Pro Football Talk. “I told him there might be some games when I have to pick him up and carry him back to the locker room because he’s going to be so tired. I told him I don’t ever want to see one of these head taps all year, and he looked me right in the eye and he said, ‘You’ll never get that head tap from me.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry buddy. After you touch the ball 40-45 times, I might have to pick you up and carry you back into the locker room.’ I love the guy. You want to talk about a guy with some juice, a guy whose personality is starting to come out, a guy who’s starting to become a leader. I like those guys.”
Achane is expected to be a core part of the team’s offense this season with Hafley leading the way, and the new Dolphins coach had some high praise for his running back.
“He’s one of the smarter players when you talk to him,” Hafley said. “He’s really a smart football player and it’s fun to go back and forth with him and he’s got this fun energy about him. I think he’s a stud.”
It certainly looks like the Dolphins are going to look a lot different this year compared to previous seasons, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
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