Subscribe
Follow Us
The Miami Dolphins managed to get through the part of training camp that every NFL team wishes to avoid: roster cuts. Every team wishes they could keep every player they bring into camp, and all these players wish they could stay on the roster and help their team out in some way, shape, or form. The good thing for the Dolphins and every other NFL team is that there are always guys who do manage to sneak onto the roster and help their teams win games. One player who made the Dolphins' 53-man roster and could make an impact right away is fourth-year running back Salvon Ahmed.
Who is Salvon Ahmed?
Salvon Ahmed has hung around the Dolphins' roster for years now. Ahmed went undrafted out of the University of Washington in the 2020 NFL Draft, despite running for over 1,000 yards in his final collegiate campaign as a junior. After failing to get drafted in 2020, Ahmed eventually managed to latch onto the Dolphins roster.
Ahmed made some noise as a rookie, appearing in six games and picking up 4.3 yards per carry during his limited action on the field. His breakout game came against the New England Patriots, when he ran for 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries while filling in for an injured Myles Gaskin, who also played with Ahmed at the University of Washington. His 122 yard game was the first time the Dolphins had a rusher gain 100+ yards on the ground in a span of 31 games.
Salvon Ahmed told his grandmother who is in the hospital that he'd rush for 100 yards for her.
No @MiamiDolphins player had done that in two years.
He finished with 122 yards and a TD. 🙏 (via @thecheckdown) pic.twitter.com/CTxX5cQlD7— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2020
Ahmed hasn't done that much since then, though. He had 75 carries for 319 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie, but has registered a total of 66 carries for 213 yards and just one touchdown in the two seasons since then. He was on the roster bubble last year but was able to make the Dolphins' 53-man unit last year. He was once again on the bubble this year, but a strong preseason ensured him a spot on the 2023 roster. On just 16 preseason carries, Ahmed racked 142 yards, which is good for an astonishing 8.9 yards per carry.
Article Continues Below
All of Salvon Ahmed's touches against the Texans (week 2-preseason).
The quintessential do it all scat-back (with 4.3 speed). He can get you 4 or 5 yards with the smallest crease. Plus receiver that is dangerous in the open field. Could have an expanded role in 2023 #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/YMabhWTKwJ
— George Forder (@GeorgeForder3) August 23, 2023
Gaskin, who was competing with Ahmed for a roster spot, has done more in his NFL career than Ahmed has; Gaskin has 1,355 career yards rushing and 701 yards receiving, while Ahmed has just 718 career yards total. Gaskin was no slouch in the preseason either, as he was averaging a robust 6.2 yards per carry himself. But Ahmed was the former Washington Husky who managed to hang onto a spot on the Dolphins' 53-man roster.
Making an impact
The state of the Dolphins running back room is in flux. Jeff Wilson Jr. was placed on the injured reserve on Thursday morning, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season, and Miami's rookie third-round pick Devon Achane injured his shoulder in their second preseason game. Ahmed himself is injured right now as well, which means the only healthy running backs on the Dolphins roster at the moment are Raheem Mostert (who is no stranger to injury himself) and Chris Brooks, an undrafted rookie out of BYU.
There's a chance Ahmed could walk into a meaningful role to start the season if he can return to the field before Achane. If he can, then there's no reason to think he couldn't have a prominent role with the Dolphins and excel in it. If that happens, then maybe he keeps some kind of role for the entire season. Who knows? But Ahmed grinded his way to a roster spot and could see himself thrive and help the Dolphins win football games as a result of his hard work when it came to earning a spot with Miami.
