Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen has talked about the improvement he’s seen from running back Jay Ajayi on the field on more than one occasion this offseason.
Head coach Adam Gase has also noticed a difference in Ajayi when it comes to his mental approach to the game. He said that he thinks things have “slowed down” for the running back, which has been illustrated by asking “really quarterbackish questions” about the offense and his role in it.
That role is set to be a leading one when the Dolphins are running the ball and Gase said that Ajayi wants it to remain that way even when they aren’t trying to grind out yards on the ground.
“He wants to be a guy that can be counted on for second and third down,” Gase said, via the Miami Herald. “He does not want to come off the field. Everyone gets concerned with the amount of carries and his physical style of running and we’ll handle that as we go. But I love the mentality that he has right now. He wants to be a guy that’s relied on right now. He’s our bell cow running back. At the same time he’s our top third-down guy and red area and two-minute guy. He wants to be the guy that no matter what the situation is we’ll have him in the game.”
Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake are the next backs on the depth chart in Miami and both play a lot on special teams, which may be their surest route to the field if the offseason talk about Ajayi’s increased versatility pays off come September.