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The Pittsburgh Steelers could be in line to sign a new running back.
As noted by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, the Steelers could be the perfect landing spot for Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin, who could be released by the team prior to 53-man roster cut-downs on Tuesday. Gaskin had served as the Dolphins’ starting running back over the past two seasons.
“As a free agent, Gaskin could find a home with the Pittsburgh Steelers, reuniting with his former head coach Brian Flores, who’s the linebackers coach for the AFC North club,” says Moton. “Secondly, according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, the Steelers want to “lighten” Najee Harris’ workload.”
Why Dolphins Will Likely Move on From Gaskin
The 25-year-old has quickly moved down the Dolphins’ pecking order following the hiring of new head coach Mike McDaniel. Shortly after arriving in Miami, McDaniel brought over his former running back with the San Francisco 49ers, Raheem Mostert, and and also signed a dual-threat back in Chase Edmonds from the Arizona Cardinals. To top it all off, the Dolphins also signed veteran back Sony Michel, a two-time Super Bowl champion who is a former first-round pick of the New England Patriots.
Despite the team bringing in three veteran backs to clearly challenge Gaskin, the young running back actually ran for more yards than any other Dolphins player during the preseason. Gaskin averaged 5.6 yards per carry while rushing for 78 yards on 14 carries. However, Gaskin is considered fourth on the depth chart, with Edmonds the starter, Mostert the backup and Michel listed as the third-string back.
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Why the Steelers Should Sign Gaskin
As noted by Moton, the Dolphins could save $2.5 million by releasing Gaskin.
“All three incoming running backs could have a role in Miami’s offense in 2022. If that’s the case, Gaskin may find himself on the free-agent market in the coming days,” says Motono. “Keep in mind the front office inked Edmonds to a two-year, $12.1 million deal ($6.1 million guaranteed), which is a sizeable salary at his position. The Dolphins can save $2.5 million if they cut Gaskins, per Over the Cap.”
The Steelers have a clear need for a viable backup running back to Najee Harris. The two candidates for the backup role — Anthony McFarland and Benny Snell — were less than impressive last season and haven’t exactly set themselves apart during training camp. The Steelers had actually signed veteran back Jeremy McNichols early on in camp, but a shoulder injury landed him on injured reserve just a week after signing.
While Gaskin may have averaged just 3.5 yards per carry last season for a stagnant Dolphins rushing attack — Miami ranked 30th in rushing yards and 31st in yards per attempt — he has seen a decent workload as the team’s starting running back over the past two seasons. Gaskin is also a receiving threat out of the backfield, catching 90 passes over the past two seasons. In other words, Gaskin would be an immediate upgrade over McFarland and Snell.
If Gaskin is released by the Dolphins, the Steelers should not hesitate to scoop up and sign him.
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