Miami Dolphins running back Kenyan Drake (32) runs in to score in the second quarter as the Buffalo Bills host the Miami Dolphins at New Era Field in Orchard Park, NY on Sat., Dec. 24, 2016. AL DIAZ
adiaz@miamiherald.com
• The Dolphins liked some of what they saw from Kenyan Drake last season, and Adam Gase made clear on Thursday that he wants to see more of him.
“He had some good days and some bad days,” Gase said. “He did a great job when we got him in the game. He made some plays. He’s a guy that we’re looking to lean on a little bit more next year. We’d like to find some ways to get him and Damien Williams in, but at the same time not take away from Jay [Ajayi]. We have three really talented players at the running back position that we’d like to find ways to get in the game. Kenyan’s somebody that we’re really interested in trying to find some good matchups for.”
Drake had just 33 carries for 179 yards last season, a robust 5.4 per carry average. He caught nine passes for 46 yards and averaged 30.5 yards on 13 kickoff returns, including a touchdown.
As for Ajayi: “We do need more snaps on offense, which would entail him getting more carries,” Gase said. “He did a great job off coming along last year. We really felt good with the run scheme we were doing, just sticking his foot in the ground and getting vertical and running through tackles. If he didn’t lead the league, he was up there in yards after contact. It was really a great thing to see, his development throughout the year. Hopefully we can go even further with the passing game. He did a do good job of improving in that area. Hopefully we can take an even bigger step.”
