Dolphins
Dolphins’ sixth-round RB Ollie Gordon II finished with eight rushing attempts for 33 yards and a touchdown, to go along with one reception for 39 yards in Miami’s 24-24 preseason tie against the Bears. Miami HC Mike McDaniel praised Gordon’s ability as a ball carrier and for being difficult to tackle.
“I thought he did some good things with the ball in his hands,” McDaniel said, via DolphinsWire. “I think the biggest thing for backs, rookie backs in particular, is I recognize a lot of good things in his game. He was a very tough tackle, and he ran super hard. That’s what we really liked when drafting him.”
McDaniel added that it’s important for rookie running backs to also be productive when the ball isn’t in their hands and wants Gordon to always be in the right spot.
“Rookies have to learn how to play when the ball is not in their hands,” McDaniel said. “You can’t just be in the game, and this goes for all rookies, only when you get the ball. That’s the worst tell in America. You have to be able to execute one-eleventh of the necessary responsibilities on every play. He ran some good routes, but the main thing is dependability, his ability to align correctly and do all the things we ask a back to do. That’s what I want to see grow from him.”
McDaniel reiterated that he wants Gordon to improve in the nuances of being a running back.
“It was a good starting point for him,” McDaniel said. “I want to see his play flourish when he doesn’t have the ball as well as when he does.”
Jets
Jets RB Breece Hall left a cryptic message on social media, writing, “Time will tell.” When asked to clarify what he meant, Hall explained that last season didn’t go as expected and understands he gets the brunt of the blame when the offense doesn’t produce.
“Nothing really,” Hall said, via Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News. “I think people try to make a skewed version of the truth of it changing. I’ve always been able to catch the ball. I’ve always been a receiving threat. I just feel like last season, just stuff doesn’t always work out how you expect it to. I’ve said this before, when you’re one of the better players on the team or being one of the faces of the team, when stuff doesn’t go well all the time, you’re at the forefront of not the blame, but stuff falls on you a little bit. I guess, unfortunately, I happen to be one of those players. But for me, nothing’s changed. I’m still the same threat that I’ve always been.”
As for lining up at receiver, Hall said he enjoys mixing things up in the passing game.
“It has been cool,” Hall said. “For me, it has been fun to split out some plays. There have been formations where I’ve been the single receiver on the side and trying to mess with the defense and see how they adjust to it.”
Patriots
Patriots vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said he was quickly convinced that second-round RB TreVeyon Henderson could be a “weapon” for their offense.
“I watched 15 runs and I was like, ‘What am I doing? This is the guy,’” Wolf said, via Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “We have way bigger needs than running back and still do. But it was just an opportunity to get a weapon potentially there in the second round.”
Patriots C Garrett Bradbury thinks Henderson provides their offense with big-play ability.
“Those home run-hitting backs, that’s huge,” Bradbury said. “I think that’s demoralizing for a defense when you can break a 60-yard run, 70-yard run, which he has the capability. Give him a little space and it’s gone.”
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel also feels Henderson can impact how they attack defenses at certain points of the field.
“Teams are going to put the ball in play, and if they don’t and if they’re like, ‘Well, these guys are going to hit an explosive, then we’re just going to give it to ’em at the 35,’” Vrabel said. “So that’s good for us either way if we can make that a weapon.”
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