The Miami Dolphins have a new look at running back with offseason additions Jordan Howard and Matt Breida set to improve the league's worst rushing attack from last year. Those two weren't enough to fill Miami's appetite, though, so the Dolphins added Lynn Bowden to the mix.
Miami acquired Bowden, a 2020 third-round pick, along with a 2021 sixth-round pick from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round pick just prior to the 53-man roster deadline Saturday, a deal that caused a lot of surprise throughout the NFL. Trading away rookie third-round picks is uncommon (Raiders GM Mike Mayock explained why they made the move). It's also worth wondering about Miami's reasoning.
Bowden, who played at Kentucky, was, as Mayock pointed out, "a slot receiver in '18, a quarterback in '19 and (now we're) asking him to play running back in '20." The Dolphins can certainly use Bowden's unique skill-set as a running back, like the Raiders planned, but they list him as a wide receiver on their roster. Miami head coach Brian Flores will release the Week 1 depth chart on Monday, but don't expect Bowden to play in this week's matchup versus the New England Patriots.
"We're excited about having him join our team and once he gets here, there's a lot that he's going to have to – he's not just going to jump out there and start playing. He's got to learn how we do things around here," Flores said on a conference call Monday. "It's obviously a new environment. He doesn't know where our facility is. He's not going to know where the meeting rooms are, the training room, the weight room. So he's got a lot to learn in a little bit of time."
Having a package for Bowden may be too much too ask for Week 1, but Flores has proven he can add some wrinkles to his offense in game preparation. The Dolphins first-team wide receivers are set with DeVante Parker (outside), Preston Williams (outside), and Jakeem Grant (slot), as Bowden will compete with Mack Hollins, and Isaiah Ford for snaps.
If Miami does decide to use Bowden at running back, he'll have to wrestle snaps away from Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskin. There's a lot of work Bowden must accomplish before he can contribute in Miami's offense.
"He's excited. We're excited to have him. Hopefully – but this week obviously we're locked in on the Patriots," Flores said. "We're trying to have laser focus on that, but at the same time getting guys acclimated and trying to develop them is always at the forefront."
