Tristan Wirfs Confirms Move To Left Tackle
The Buccaneers are following through with the long-rumored plan to move Tristan Wirfs from right to left tackle. The All-Pro blocker confirmed as much Tuesday.
In Todd Bowles‘ exit meeting with Wirfs conducted a day after the 2022 season ended, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes the second-year Bucs HC said the team would probably go through with the position switch. This, of course, came when eight-year left tackle starter Donovan Smith remained on the Bucs’ roster. Tampa Bay released Smith in March, and the veteran blocker is now expected to become Kansas City’s left tackle starter.
This move comes after Wirfs proved himself to be an elite NFL right tackle. The Bucs traded up one spot for Wirfs in 2020, taking him 13th overall. The Iowa product proved a quick study, helping keep Tom Brady upright during a season that ended with Wirfs playing well in Super Bowl LV. The following year, Wirfs earned first-team All-Pro acclaim at his now-former position. Wirfs received a Pro Bowl nod last year, despite missing four games.
While college left tackles regularly move to other positions as pros, Wirfs spent most of his Big Ten career on the right side. Wirfs began his starter foray at that spot as a freshman in 2017, started all 12 Iowa games there as a sophomore in 2018 and continued that run for nine 2019 games. Wirfs did start three games at left tackle for the 2019 Iowa squad, earning All-American acclaim for his two-position season. That short stint at left tackle suddenly becomes relevant again.
Smith allowed seven sacks last season and led the team in penalties. Pro Football Focus rated Smith outside the top 65 among tackles last season, and the Bucs created some cap space by cutting him. With Wirfs sliding over to the highest-profile O-line post, 2022 second-round pick Luke Goedeke is ticketed to be the Bucs’ first option on the right side. The Bucs attempted to move Goedeke, primarily a college right tackle, to guard last season. They will now try the Central Michigan alum at his more natural spot.
Wirfs, 24, will also have a chance to become one of the NFL’s highest-paid offensive linemen soon. While Wirfs is eligible for an extension now, the Bucs picking up his fifth-year option in April points to the team waiting until 2024 to complete a deal. This move may lead to the Bucs paying a bit more compared to negotiations on a top-tier right tackle extension.
The Chiefs and Eagles raised the right tackle market past $20MM per year in March, via Kansas City’s Jawaan Taylor pickup and Philly’s latest Lane Johnson extension, but left tackles ballooned past that point back in 2020. Although only three LTs (Laremy Tunsil, Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari) are tied to deals north of $20MM AAV, all three earn at least $23MM per annum. Wirfs transitioning smoothly to his new role will put him on track to command a contract in the Tunsil neighborhood ($25MM per year).
With Smith gone, the Bucs only have one higher-end O-lineman pact — the $13MM-per-year accord given to center Ryan Jensen — on their payroll. Wirfs may play the 2023 season on a rookie salary, but the chances of him playing the ’24 slate on the fifth-year option are slim. It will be interesting to see how Wirfs fares on the left side this year, as he may soon be on track to push for a potential record-breaking O-line deal.
Cardinals Re-Sign LS Aaron Brewer
Despite an offseason regime change, the Cardinals look to have firm plans of Aaron Brewer coming back for an eighth season as their long snapper.
The veteran specialist re-signed with Arizona on Tuesday. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals waived long snapper Joe Fortunato. Brewer, an 11-year veteran who has been with the Cards since 2016, will still be expected to compete with rookie UDFA Matt Hembrough. But he is on track to continue his run with the NFC West franchise.
A pectoral injury ended Brewer’s 2022 season early, leading to an IR placement ahead of Arizona’s Week 17 game. Brewer has recovered from that ailment, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com notes. He will join Matt Prater among Cardinals specialists coming back under the Monti Ossenfort–Jonathan Gannon regime. Prater re-signed with the team in March.
This is Brewer’s fourth contract with the Cardinals. After being the long snapper for a Super Bowl-winning Broncos team in 2015, he signed a two-year Cardinals deal. Arizona later gave him a four-year pact. In 2022, Brewer signed a one-year deal. It should not be expected Brewer will see much more money on this agreement, as long snappers’ earnings are capped near the league minimum, but the Cardinals are offering the veteran snapper a chance to continue his career.
Only 2015 first-rounder D.J. Humphries has been with the Cardinals longer than Brewer, who joined the team in September 2016. The former Denver UDFA has snapped in 98 games with Arizona. Fortunato, who has one regular-season game (with the 2021 Packers) on his resume, signed a reserve/futures contract with the Cardinals in January. The team added Hembrough in May.
J.K. Dobbins Extension On Ravens’ Radar
Injuries have defined J.K. Dobbins‘ rookie-contract years. The August 2021 ACL, LCL and meniscus tears the Ravens running back suffered stopped the momentum he had built as a rookie, and the fallout reduced his 2022 participation as well.
Despite the injury troubles the Ravens have experienced at running back over the past two seasons, they have not made a notable addition at the position this year. Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill remain Baltimore’s top three backs. Both Dobbins and Edwards are due for free agency in 2024, the former because his rookie contract is set to expire. But the Ravens appear interested in exploring the possibility of keeping the 2020 second-round pick around beyond this season.
[RELATED: Patrick Queen Eyeing Ravens Extension]
John Harbaugh confirmed that is the case Tuesday, indicating (via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic) the Ravens want Dobbins back for the 2024 season. Although the 16th-year Ravens HC provided a “but nobody knows the future” caveat, it is interesting plans for another Dobbins deal are being considered at this point.
This offseason revealed more hesitancy on teams’ part regarding second contracts for running backs coming off healthy seasons, let alone players who have seen two years hijacked. Dobbins has missed 26 games since the 2021 knee injury. The recovery period delayed his start to the 2022 slate, and another knee issue forced an in-season surgery and IR stint. The ex-Buckeyes back did not look like his rookie-year version upon return from IR in December, but he did rip off two 100-plus-yard games — one of which helped the Ravens to a win without Lamar Jackson.
The injuries to Dobbins and Edwards have forced the Ravens to bring in numerous veteran stopgap options. Le’Veon Bell, Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray, Mike Davis and Kenyan Drake stopped through Maryland over the past two seasons. But none of the outside investments remain on Baltimore’s roster. The likes of Kareem Hunt, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, Darrell Henderson and Mark Ingram are among the best-known backs available. Ingram was part of Baltimore’s backfield before Dobbins’ injury.
The 2023 season will obviously serve as a pivotal year for Dobbins, who went from averaging 6.0 yards per carry as a rookie — during an 805-yard, nine-touchdown season — to a player with substantial health red flags. Barring another backfield addition, Baltimore will count on Dobbins being healthy and leading their first Todd Monken-directed ground attack. While Dobbins is eligible for an extension now, the Ravens will surely want to see how he looks this season before making strong considerations about a second contract.
NFL Investigating Colts CB Isaiah Rodgers For Potential Gambling Violation
8:52pm: Rodgers has admitted wrongdoing, though he did not specify if the recent accusations are entirely accurate. The 25-year-old defender said he has “made mistakes” and wants to rectify them. An NFL ruling may be coming soon.
“Addressing the current reports, I want to take full responsibility for my actions,” Rodgers said (via Twitter). “I know I have made mistakes and I am willing to do whatever it takes repair the situation. I’ve let people down that I care about. I made an error in judgment and I am going to work hard to make sure that those mistakes are rectified through this process.”
Depending on the NFL’s findings, Rodgers will almost certainly face a lengthy suspension. Betting on NFL games led to Cephus, Moore and Toney being banned for at least one full season. Given the scope of Rodgers’ reported violations, he should not be expected to play in 2023. An indefinite suspension would require reinstatement. Should Rodgers receive a full-season ban, the last year of his rookie contract would toll. This is assuming the Colts not cut ties with the 5-foot-10 defender.
6:20pm: Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is believed to the player under investigation, Holder and ESPN’s David Perdum report. A former sixth-round pick, Rodgers started nine games last season and worked as Indianapolis’ primary kick returner. The Colts cleared a bit of a path for Rodgers this offseason, trading Stephon Gilmore and letting Brandon Facyson return to the Raiders in free agency. While the team drafted Julius Brents in the second round, a Rodgers suspension would certainly affect Gus Bradley‘s plans at corner.
A sportsbook account was created under the name of one of Rodgers’ associates, per ESPN, with approximately 100 bets being placed on the account over an undisclosed time span. Most of the bets were worth between $25-$50, though Holder and Perdum note at least one was in the four-digit range.
5:38pm: The NFL’s issues with player betting are spreading beyond Detroit and Washington this offseason. The league is investigating a Colts player for violating the gambling policy, according to Sportshandle.com’s Matt Rybaltowski.
The Colts released a statement indicating awareness of the gambling investigation into this unnamed player, and ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder adds the Indiana Gaming Commission has received “information pertaining to this matter.” No suspension has been handed down, but the Lions precedent set some parameters in the event of violating findings.
While the April development led to two Lions (Jameson Williams and since-cut receiver Stanley Berryhill) being suspended six games for making non-NFL bets on team grounds and two other Lions (since-released special-teamer C.J. Moore and since-waived wideout Quintez Cephus) and Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney banned at least a full season for betting on the NFL, punishment in this Colts matter may be more extreme. The unnamed Colt is alleged to have placed “hundreds” of wagers, with Rybaltowski adding some of those are believed to have been bets on the Colts.
Obviously prohibited from betting on NFL games, players — as the Williams ban reminded — are also barred from making sports wagers at team facilities. The extent of which Cephus, Moore and Toney bet on the NFL is not known, but a report indicating this many possible violations could certainly result in a stiffer suspension for the latest player in the gambling policy crosshairs. The NFL’s investigation into the Lions has expanded to a fifth player as well, though it is unknown if that player is under the microscope for betting on the NFL or on other sports. After seeing players and unnamed staffers commit violations, the Lions have provided further instruction to their players on the policy.
The report of a fifth Lion to be investigated for a potential violation also indicated players on other teams had potentially violated the policy. The league went years without a gambling policy violator, but a 2018 Supreme Court decision that expanded betting to numerous states beyond Nevada and New Jersey has both affected the NFL through partnerships and with players running afoul of the betting policy. Although Ridley and former defensive back Josh Shaw incurred indefinite suspensions prior to this offseason, 2023 has been the league’s most turbulent year on the gambling front in decades.
Colt McCoy Considered Retirement
With Kyler Murray likely to miss the start of the season, a Cardinals team that has shifted focus toward a rebuild may need to rely on a 14th-year veteran to run the show. Colt McCoy is going into his age-37 season, but he represents the most likely candidate to take the snaps for the Cardinals to start the year.
This expected opportunity comes after the longtime backup missed the final games of the 2022 season due to a concussion. Making his third start of last season, McCoy sustained the head injury in Week 15 and did not play again. The Cardinals cleared their backup from concussion protocol in Week 17, but McCoy experienced more symptoms during a practice soon after and finished the season out of action.
“That concussion was not bad physically. I know I was knocked out, I don’t want to [downplay it], but I recovered very quickly,” McCoy said, via AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban. “Then I think there were some decisions made that were out of my hands. I was going to practice and I was going to play if I was allowed to play. It was just that way. I haven’t had any repercussions from the concussion. I feel good.”
McCoy also battled arm and calf issues last year, keying an IR stint, and entered the offseason dealing with an elbow ailment. Jonathan Gannon has confirmed McCoy is back to 100% after an early-offseason ramp-up period. One season remains on McCoy’s two-year, $7.5MM contract. While McCoy is expected to be a Week 1 starter for the first time since 2011, he considered calling it a career this offseason.
“There is always an evaluation process you go through,” McCoy said of his retirement consideration. “Opportunities to play in this league don’t grow on trees. I understand the situation we are in. I still want to play and I still feel confident I can play.
“In my mind, I don’t know if Kyler is going to be healthy or not. We all certainly hope that he is. If he is not, I will 100% be ready to go.”
The Cardinals finished last season with David Blough and Trace McSorley making starts in place of Murray and McCoy. Blough remains on Arizona’s roster, while McSorley signed with the Patriots. Arizona also signed Jeff Driskel and drafted Houston’s Clayton Tune in Round 5. Murray starting the season on the reserve/PUP list opens the door to the Cardinals carrying Tune and either Blough or Driskel on its season-opening roster. Once Murray is activated, a practice squad slot may well be opened for one of these two as well.
Michael Bidwill said earlier this offseason Murray would likely return early in the season. That statement came before free agency, when the likes of Zach Allen, Byron Murphy and Markus Golden moved off the Cards’ roster. DeAndre Hopkins is also now out of the picture. The team’s rebuilding mission — one that could include two high 2024 draft choices, partially due to the Cardinals collecting the Texans’ first-rounder in the Will Anderson Jr. trade — introduces a natural conflict with Murray’s recovery timetable. While it will be interesting to see how the Cardinals manage their well-paid starter this season, McCoy looms as the first option off the bench.
This will be McCoy’s third season with the Cardinals. The Texas alum helped the 2021 team secure a playoff berth, leading that Cards edition to two wins in his three starts for an injured Murray. McCoy completed 74.7% of his passes (at 7.5 yards a clip) in 2021. Those numbers fell to 68.2% and 5.9, respectively, as McCoy went 1-2 as a starter last year. The playoffs will not be an expectation for the ’23 Cards, but McCoy will be expected to play a notable role for Gannon’s first Arizona squad.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/5/23
Here are Monday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: CB Dylan Mabin, CB Bobby Price
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: CB Breon Borders
- Waived: CB Jamal Peters
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Nick Williams
- Waived: RB Damarea Crockett
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Ed Lee
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: RB Darius Hagans, OL Jarrid Williams
- Waived: WR Cody Chrest
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DT Jacob Sykes
- Waived: WR C.J. Johnson, DT Forrest Merrill
Borders worked out for the Falcons on Monday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 tweets. This will be team No. 11 for Borders, who is moving toward Josh Johnson journeyman territory — at least for volume. A former Raiders UDFA, Borders played in one game last season — with the Bears — after a 12-game 2021 (in Chicago and Arizona). Borders’ most notable NFL stint came when he started five games for the eventual AFC South champion Titans in 2020. Borders has also caught on with Buffalo, Houston, Jacksonville, Washington, Pittsburgh and Miami.
A 2019 UDFA, Crockett had been with the Broncos since 2020. He served as backfield depth in Denver, but all of his playing time came in 2021 — mostly on special teams. Crockett’s career encountered a speedbump during training camp last year; the Missouri alum suffered a torn ACL.
Duane Brown Addresses Jets’ Tackle Outlook
Despite being healthy for all of one game over the past two seasons, Mekhi Becton voiced a strong stance against playing right tackle again. The Jets moved Becton from left to right tackle ahead of training camp last year, sliding George Fant to the right side. After Becton’s second major knee injury, the team signed Duane Brown, whose contract runs through 2023.
Although injuries affected the Jets’ tackle situation throughout 2022, Brown started 12 games on the left side. Becton has lost more than 45 pounds this offseason and has not been shy about his push to become Gang Green’s left tackle again. Brown, however, remains on the roster and would be the best bet to stay on the left side. He does not sound too eager to change positions this late in his career.
“It’s not something I’ve practiced over the years,” Brown said of a right tackle role, via ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “Not to say I can’t do it, but I’ve been solidified [at left tackle] for a while.”
Even after the Jets proclaimed Fant their left tackle starter last summer, the team moved him to the right side upon signing Brown. The 37-year-old blocker is tied to a two-year, $20MM deal. Fant is a free agent, but the Jets also signed Billy Turner, who has now followed OC Nathaniel Hackett from Green Bay to Denver to New York. The team was believed to be eyeing Georgia tackle Broderick Jones in Round 1, but the Steelers (via the Patriots) drafted him 14th overall. That development keeps the Brown-Becton situation a front-burner matter in New York.
Brown is also recovering from offseason rotator cuff surgery, with Cimini adding the 16th-year veteran did not confirm he would be ready in time for training camp. (Becton is expected to be ready by the start of camp.) The former Texans and Seahawks blocker is the league’s oldest active O-lineman and has made 215 career starts. That ranks in the top 10 in NFL history. Each of those starts came at left tackle. Pro Football Focus assigned Brown, who was playing through injury last year, his worst grade as a pro in 2022. The former Houston first-rounder ranked just inside the top 70 among tackles, placing him near the bottom among regulars at the position.
The Jets can save just more than $9MM by releasing Brown, though Becton’s injury history and Turner having missed half of last season might prompt Robert Saleh and Co. to insist the veteran stays as Aaron Rodgers begins his New York run. Rodgers’ contract will likely soon be addressed, as his cap number presently sits at a deceiving $1.2MM. Brown and Corey Davis — who respectively are tied to the second- and third-largest Jets cap numbers this year — may still reside as potential cut candidates. Both remain in place, however, and the Jets have insisted Davis — despite cut rumors — is in their 2023 plans.
As Brown continues his shoulder rehab, he is set to re-enter an unusual situation. Becton’s pointed comments at the coaching staff have injected drama into the team’s tackle picture, and Saleh said right tackle may still be in the cards for the irked blocker. This matter will not be resolved until training camp, as neither Brown nor Becton are ready to return to work yet.
Cowboys Sign WR Tyron Johnson, Cut WR Antonio Callaway
Tyron Johnson has now found a home with a ninth NFL team. The fifth-year wide receiver received a Cowboys workout opportunity Monday, and the team announced an agreement is in place.
In a corresponding move, the Cowboys cut wideout Antonio Callaway. The former Browns draftee has joined Johnson in bouncing around the league, but his latest opportunity may be coming to an end because of an off-field matter. Callaway was arrested Saturday in Miami for driving with a suspended license, Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 tweets.
The Cowboys had signed Callaway to a reserve/futures contract in January, doing so despite the Florida alum having not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2020. Callaway, who also spent time in the XFL during the league’s initial relaunch in 2020, emerged with a promising rookie season in Cleveland (43 catches, 586 yards, five touchdowns) but has been unable to come particularly close to replicating that.
Dallas is the fourth team to sign Callaway, who spent time in Miami and Kansas City since the Browns waived him midway through the 2019 season. Callaway received a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy — a harsher standard prior to the 2020 CBA being ratified — and has only played in five games since.
Originally a 2019 Texans UDFA, Johnson has since bounced to the Bills, Panthers, Chargers, Jaguars, Raiders, Bengals and 49ers. The Texans reacquired Johnson, who finished his college career at Oklahoma State, on multiple occasions. The 49ers waived him last month. Johnson, 27, played in four games — with the Chargers and Texans — last season. His most notable NFL work has come as a kick returner. The Cowboys have that role covered, with ex-USFLer-turned-All-Pro KaVontae Turpin going into his second season.
Colts Sign WR Breshad Perriman
JUNE 5: Perriman’s workout has indeed resulted in a contract. The Colts announced on Monday that a deal has been signed with the journeyman, who will look to carve out at least a depth role in the team’s new-look WR room. A successful season could yield some stability for Perriman as he continues to search for a long-term home. In a corresponding move, the Colts have waived undrafted free agent wideout Tyler Adams.
JUNE 2: Already playing for four teams since arriving in the NFL as a 2015 first-round pick, Breshad Perriman may soon have an opportunity to contribute with a fifth.
The Colts brought the veteran wide receiver in for a workout Friday, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes (via Twitter) the sides are in discussions about a deal. Perriman spent the past two years with the Buccaneers, working as a depth piece during the final two seasons of the team’s Tom Brady era.
Although Perriman, 29, did not make much of a statistical impact during the Bucs’ Brady period, he posted 500-plus-yard receiving seasons for the 2019 Bucs and 2020 Jets. The 210-pound wideout amassed a career-high 645 receiving yards with the Bucs in 2019 and added 505 for the ’20 Jets. The Colts have some questions at receiver after No. 1 option Michael Pittman Jr., and Perriman could be in play to become at least a second-string presence for the retooling team.
New Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter was with the Jets — as running backs coach — during Perriman’s Big Apple season. The Colts used a second-round pick on Alec Pierce last year and added multiple slot options — free agent Isaiah McKenzie, third-round pick Josh Downs — this offseason.
One of four first-round receivers the Ravens have chosen since 2015, Perriman did not work out in Baltimore. He missed all of his rookie year due to injury and totaled just 77 yards during an 11-game 2017 audition. A one-year Cleveland stay (2018) revealed some promise, and Jameis Winston‘s final Bucs season included a somewhat memorable finish from Perriman. The Central Florida alum closed the QB’s high-variance year with three straight 100-yard receiving performances. During the 2020 season in New York, Perriman finished second in Jets receiving yardage.
Tampa Bay continued to rely on its Mike Evans–Chris Godwin combination with Brady but also rostered Antonio Brown, Russell Gage and Julio Jones during the all-time great’s stay. While Brady connected with Perriman on a walk-off touchdown to beat the Bills in 2021, the backup receiver totaled just 277 receiving yards over the past two seasons.
The Colts let Zach Pascal walk in 2022 and did not re-sign Parris Campbell in March. Pierce is expected to remain their No. 2 wideout, with McKenzie and Downs in place to follow Campbell as inside presences. The team also employs backup/spot starter Ashton Dulin and third-year player Mike Strachan.
Dolphins Remain On Dalvin Cook Radar
The one team known to have discussed a trade with the Vikings for Dalvin Cook is not believed to be out of the running for the Pro Bowl back. The Dolphins remain interested in bringing the veteran back to South Florida.
No trade is in place between the teams, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, but it is expected the Dolphins will have interest if the Vikings move on via release. A South Florida native who played at Florida State, Cook, 27, is also expected to view Miami as an appealing destination were he to be cut, Jackson adds.
Cook is tied to a five-year, $63MM extension — agreed to just before the 2020 season, during Rick Spielman‘s lengthy tenure as the Vikings’ front office boss — that calls for a $10.4MM 2023 base salary and a $14.1MM cap hit. Both figures are in the top four at running back this year. The Dolphins, understandably, would not be expected to give Cook a salary close to that number, Jackson adds.
Trade talks between the Vikings and Dolphins commenced in March, but with no deal coming to pass, Miami made a steady effort to establish backfield continuity. Ex-Mike McDaniel 49ers charges Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson re-signed, as did Myles Gaskin. Even after those signings, Cook stayed on Miami’s radar. But, after spending extensive time with Texas A&M prospect Devon Achane, the Dolphins drafted him in the third round. Miami did not spend much to retain Mostert and Wilson, signing them both to two-year deals that contain less than $3MM guaranteed apiece. Gaskin did not receive any guaranteed money.
Despite adding Wilson at the trade deadline, the Dolphins ranked 25th in rushing last season. Cook would undoubtedly upgrade Miami’s backfield — for 2023, at least — while giving the Dolphins a much deeper position group compared to the Vikings. Minnesota appears prepared to go with longtime Cook backup Alexander Mattison as its starter. That might represent a downgrade in terms of peak production, but it would come at a steep discount as well. Mattison signed a two-year, $7MM deal that is nearly fully guaranteed.
Just $2MM of Cook’s salary is locked in for this year, but since the former second-round pick is a vested veteran, the entire $10.4MM would become the Vikings’ responsibility if he is on their roster come Week 1. With that unlikely to happen, the question will be whether the Vikings move on via trade or release. (Cook agreeing to a pay cut and likely a role reduction to stay in Minnesota is not entirely off the table, either.) With the Dolphins seemingly the lead suitor, it would make sense for the team to wait for a release and pursue the seventh-year veteran in free agency.
With Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle still tied to rookie-deal salaries, Cook could fit in as a 2023 Dolphins hired gun. Tagovailoa’s pay spikes in 2024, thanks to the fifth-year option the Dolphins quickly exercised this offseason, and the team has Tyreek Hill tied to a receiver-record contract. For now, Hill’s $30MM-per-year deal is the only notable expense at the QB or skill spots in Miami. Though, Cedrick Wilson‘s $8MM-per-year contract remains on the books. The Dolphins are believed to be open to trading the ex-Cowboy, however. The team separated from 2022 franchise tag recipient Mike Gesicki in March.
Cook, who has four 1,100-yard rushing seasons on his resume, would be an interesting addition for one of the many contenders in a loaded AFC. For now, the Dolphins look to be interested observers in the Vikings’ decision-making at running back.