Mike McDaniel is up to something, alright. The Miami Dolphins head coach enters his third year on the job with even greater expectations for his offense. Despite already having one of the best wide receiving corps in football, he is having second-year pro running back De'Von Achane learn from them. If the former Texas A&M star can be even more of a factor in the receiving game, look out, AFC!
Having Achane line up at wide receiver will allow for the Dolphins offense to go even more multiple. While it should be a prerequisite to be able to catch and pass block coming out of college for a high-end running back prospect, that is not always the case. Achane was fun as hell to watch go to work at Texas A&M. The Aggies weren't always good when he was on the team, but he made our heads turn.
Here is some of what Achane told David Furones of the Sun-Sentinel about evolving his game.
“Just me lining up at different positions, as far as like receiver, running routes and stuff. That’s something that we’re doing different this year, so that’s something that I’ve been doing in the offseason.”
Achane has the perfect mindset, as he understands how good of a receiving corps he can learn from.
“I got some of the best receivers in the room here. During OTAs, I was going out there running routes with them when they weren’t here. I did that with them. Basically, why not? Our receiver room is one of the greatest, and if I want to do the stuff they want me to do, might as well take tips and learn from them.”
Miami is pretty much a playoff lock in the AFC already. The Dolphins are my pick to win the AFC East.
De'Von Achane strives to make himself even more valuable for Dolphins
Achane may already be part of a deep running back room in Miami, featuring the likes of Raheem Mostert and former Tennessee star Jaylen Wright. However, he sees what the receiving corps is doing built around Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and others, and wants to be a part of that, too. Achane may end up labeling himself as a gadget player, but man, does McDaniel love himself some gadgets...
As long as Tua Tagovailoa stays somewhat healthy and the Dolphins defense holds up its end of the bargain, Miami is going to be one of the toughest outs in football. While I wouldn't go as far to say that they will push the Kansas City Chiefs in the upper crust of the AFC, we may have the makings of a top-eight or final four team in football down in Miami. The team they are building is on the come-up.
Overall, we are getting a more and more evidence that McDaniel could be an all-time x's and o's guy as a head coach. That was somewhat obvious when he came over from San Francisco. However, what I think we all overlooked is how relatable he is to his players. He may be an undersized, nerdy looking man, but the dude loves ball, and he loves his players. They have responded to that quite marvelously.
If Achane can be even more of a factor in the receiving corps, this team could win around 12 games.