All Dolphins

Eagles' Pain is Dolphins' Gain

Running back Jordan Howard should be a big help for the Miami Dolphins running game after a solid season with the Philadelphia Eagles

Alain Poupart

One of the key players the Miami Dolphins acquired in free agency in the offseason was running back Jordan Howard, who has done nothing but produce in the NFL.

It was that way during his three seasons with the Chicago Bears and again in his one year with the Philadelphia Eagles after they acquired him for a sixth-round pick in March 2019.

Howard was a full-time starter for the Bears before he started four of his games with the Eagles last year, and his role in Miami isn't fully determined yet.

What's clear is that he'll play a big role in the offense along with fellow running back Matt Breida, who was acquired from the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth-round pick.

Howard will provide the physical presence in the running game, while Breida is the speed back.

The Dolphins signed Howard to a two-year contract worth $9.75 million with almost $5 million guaranteed, according to overthecap.com, but the deal is structured in a way that the team easily could walk away from the contract next spring.

The price was more than the Eagles were willing to pay, but here's the catch: Seems the Eagles might be having second thoughts about not stepping up to keep Howard.

"Just months after the season ended, however, the wonder is why Philly let him walk away in free agency," EagleMaven publisher Ed Kracz said. "Howard was the thunder in the Eagles’ backfield, the lightning to rookie Miles Sanders. A bull between the tackles who rarely went down on first contact, Howard never topped 100 yards in any of the 10 games he played, but it was a season that was cut short after a shoulder injury kept him sidelined for the final six weeks.

"Still, he was a valuable contributor for the Eagles offense, averaging 4.4 yards per carry on 119 runs. He was also the team’s touchdown leader, finishing with six rushing and one receiving despite missing six games. Howard had 525 yards on the ground and another 69 in the air to go along with those seven touchdowns. He is still just 25 years old, so the future continues to look promising and should benefit the Dolphins’ backfield immensely."

Howard was signed about a month before the Dolphins acquired Breida, and he said back in March he had not been given any kind of assurances as far as role or playing time.

The logic says, though, that Howard will have a significant role.

"I’m just trying to come in here and do whatever role," Howard said. "I’m never scared of competition. Competition makes everyone better, so I embrace competition.”

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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