The Chiefs announced contract extensions for running backs Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware earlier today, signaling that those players remain in the team’s backfield plans beyond 2016. The signings left Knile Davis buried on Kansas City’s depth chart, so it came as no surprise when Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweeted the team was exploring a potential Davis trade. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com added (via Twitter) that Davis requested a trade “weeks ago.”
Since we heard last week that the Dolphins were exploring the trade market for a running back, I speculated that Miami might be talking to the Chiefs about Davis, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald confirms that is indeed the case. According to Salguero, Kansas City is just one team the Dolphins have spoken to, and Miami has shown interest in all four of the Chiefs’ top backs.
Of course, with West and Ware now locked up, that leaves Davis and Jamaal Charles, and a Charles deal appears unlikely. Davis, who has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 232 career rushing attempts, is hardly the most accomplished player of the group, but he’s the most available, so if the Dolphins and Chiefs do work out a deal, he would be the most logical candidate to be on the move. Given his trade request and his lack of a clear role in Kansas City, the 24-year-old likely wouldn’t cost much in terms of trade compensation.
The Dolphins saw Lamar Miller depart in free agency, then had their offer sheet for restricted free agent C.J. Anderson matched by the Broncos. Miami was also in the running for Chris Johnson before he opted to re-sign with the Cardinals, so the team remains in the market for a back.
As Salguero detailed in a piece earlier today, there’s a good chance the Dolphins end up drafting a running back. However, while Salguero makes the case for selecting Derrick Henry in round two, Miami may not address the position until later on, so adding a veteran to complement that rookie and 2015 draftee Jay Ajayi would make sense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
So Jay Ajayi is not worth starting? Draft pundits were right last year and said this guy was a third down back only. To slow to get outside the tackles and too small to go inside. He is a screen back or a last read 3/4 option in an offense when he is on the field. They should try and get sankey from tenn or Ronnie Hilman for. 7th rounder. At least they can run the ball inside and out and have low ware on them. Then draft prosice from the Irish in the 3/4 round. They have no backs coming out and watch out for the backup at Alabama. He is good but injury prone galore. So you have to spot use him when you are up or 3/4 plays a quarter cause he is brittle.
Hillman is a free agent. And Tenn isn’t going to dump their 2nd round pick from a few years ago even after trading for Murray – he’s no sure bet himself. Dolphins can sit and see if Elliott falls to them – which is what I have in my Mock Draft, or draft someone in the 3rd. There will be several guys available at that point – I have Collins, Booker, and Dixon all going after the Dolphin’s pick in the 3rd round.
Hi Luke,
After west and ware proved their worth last season, is a JC trade really all that out of the question? His value is high, he’s getting older, they proved they can win without him last year and they could draft some good defensive replacements with a first and a second rounder for Charless.
I personally think they should consider it, but I also think teams might be reluctant to give up a lot for Charles, for the exact same reasons that the Chiefs should consider moving him — he’s nearing 30, he’s coming off a major injury, and he has a much bigger cap hit than someone like Davis.
I think you’d be looking at Player for Player trade at this stage of free agency. They have a need at corner, Brandon Carr could be an option and they could restructure his deal to make it work.