All Dolphins

Who is the Dolphins' Most Underrated Player?

Pro Football Focus selected one player as the most underrated for each team, and the choice for the Miami Dolphins was one of their many newcomers

Alain Poupart

Bob DeChiara-USA Today Sports

The Dolphins' bevy of offseason moves received almost universal praise, with the positive reviews usually saved for free agent pick-ups Byron Jones and Kyle Van Noy or draft picks Tua Tagovailoa, Austin Jackson or Noah Igbinoghene and beyond.

The one move that maybe hasn't received as much attention could turn out to be one of the best, and that's the acquisition of running back Matt Breida in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

Breida brings the kind of speed that will be the perfect complement to the physical style of another offseason acquisition, Jordan Howard.

Breida has averaged 634 rushing yards in his three NFL seasons with a hefty 5.0 average, along with averaging 22 receptions.

He's gotten acknowledged for his speed, with NextGen Stats pointing out he recorded the fastest speed among ball carriers each of the past two seasons.

But does Breida get enough credit for his overall game? Well, not according to Pro Football Focus, which identified him as the Dolphins' most underrated player.

"Ryan Fitzpatrick was the leading rusher for the Dolphins last season," PFF wrote. "Take a minute to digest that — a 37-year-old, journeyman quarterback who wasn't the starter for the entire season led the team in rushing. Needless to say, the additions of Breida and Jordan Howard in free agency are welcome supplements to the Dolphins’ run game. Breida, in particular, should provide a nice injection of speed out of the backfield.

"Breida has some serious wheels, coming in as the NFL's fastest ball carrier during each of the past two seasons, according to NextGen Stats. He also is one of just two qualifying running backs with over 40 percent of his rushing yardage coming on 15-plus yard runs in both 2018 and 2019. The committee approach in San Francisco and injuries have kept down his usage, but that doesn’t make Breida any less of a big-play threat as both a runner and receiver."

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins 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, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). 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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