The Miami Dolphins Spiraling Season Continues with Ajayi Trade

The Miami Dolphins Spiraling Season

It all started in the preseason with the non-contact to quarterback Ryan Tannehill who went down after scrambling out of bounds. It was later reported that he would be out for the season, undergoing surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament. The following series of events would dictate the direction of this organization despite holding a 4-3 record:

1. September 19th– Dolphins suspend Lawrence Timmons indefinitely after linebacker went AWOL the Saturday before Sunday’s opening game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Apparently, he couldn’t let go of the emotions and love he had for his Steelers teammates, so he went back spectate a practice at their facility
2. September 24th- Dolphins lose to a rebuilding and depleted New York Jets 20-6. This was a complete embarrassment for the Dolphins who played a strong all-around game on the road. Ajayi dominated on the ground for 122 yards and Cutler was efficient, completing 24 of 33 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. SO HOW DO YOU LOSE TO THE LOWLY JETS?
3.  October 9th- Dolphins offensive line coach Chris Foerster resigned after a video surfaced on social media of him appearing to snort lines of a white powder at his desk. This type of innocent looks terrible upon the upper management and staff of an organization and had the Dolphins locker room. To make matters worse, the offensive line was underperforming and inconsistent. The first week, Ajayi rushes for over 100+ yards, the next week he rushed for a bleak 16 yards. This is a unit with three former first-round draft picks, but have not lived up to the organization’s expectations. They need to step up and improve their blocking skills.

4. 

   October 31st- Running Back Jay Ajayi gets traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a FOURTH-ROUND DRAFT PICK. I do understand that Ajayi was putting up underwhelming stats and had failed to score a touchdown, but he was a young talent that this team could surround. At 24 years old, Ajayi’s future could only get better after a breakout season last year in which he rushed for 1,272 yards and eight touchdowns in 15 games. This year’s struggles are to be partly blamed on his inefficient offensive line that is struggling to gain a push up front and allow him to get to the second level. With these struggles, Ajayi’s motivation did seem to slowly deteriorate and we could notice stints where he wouldn’t find for the extra yards that he would have last year. Despite all of this, he is DEFINITELY worth more than a 4th round pick. The Dolphins organization could have easily got a third-round pick and even a second rounder depending on negotiations. The question now lies, “What will the Dolphins do with their new fourth-round pick”? Fans can only patiently wait and watch to see if that draft pick can transform into the next Devonta Freeman.

As we enter week nine, it’s time to move to the era of running back duo Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake, who hope to currently build off their previous experience in limited action.

The Dolphins are up against the Oakland Raiders, who just got dismantled by the Buffalo Bills on the road. Will the return of Marshawn Lynch aid the Raiders and how much effect will the departure of Ajayi affect the Dolphins running game?