The Dolphins will likely return with the same running back room they had last season with Raheem Mostert, Devon Ashen, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed and Chris Brooks. All are under contract, but Ahmed needs a few more months to recover from a foot injury sustained last year.
But that stability hasn't stopped Miami from exploring potential additions.
Dolphins officials have expressed interest in the skill set of Marshall running back Rasheen Ali, according to league sources, and will fly Marshall to team headquarters to meet with Dolphins officials over the next 10 days. He says he plans to take him with him.
Ali counts as one of the Dolphins' maximum 30 allowed visits to South Florida with prospects without previous ties to the tri-county area. (Players who attended high schools or colleges in South Florida can audition for the Dolphins, and dozens auditioned last Friday.)
The 5-11, 206-pound Ali appeared in 34 games during his four years at Marshall, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and scoring 39 touchdowns on 514 rushing attempts. As a receiver, he caught 75 passes for 557 yards (7.4 average) and three touchdowns.
As a returner, he averaged 34.6 yards on five kickoff returns and resulted in one return for a touchdown.
In 2021, he led the FBS in rushing touchdowns (23) and total touchdowns (25).
Ali, a Cleveland native, ran for 1,401 yards on 5.6 yards per carry in his breakout sophomore season in 2021 and ran for 1,135 yards on 5.4 yards per carry in 2023. He medically redshirted in 2022.
Bowl senior executive director Jim Nagy raved about Ali on social platform X last week:
“While we don't have any verification of Rasheen Ali's 40, the in-game speed data from the teams we spoke to is around 32 miles per hour, which is pretty fast!” of his “explosive run” cut up @PFF Ultimate has a lot of long runs that mess up the angles. I could have chosen 20 other clips… [Ali] It just gathers dust on people. Ali's instant acceleration and hard downhill cuts are perfect for wide zone teams. ”
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said, “Ali's tape is a fun watch. He's a loose-limbed runner with a blend of instinct and agility, compared to the instability of the blocks in front of him. He creates incredible consistency. He does a great job of reading blocks and changing speeds to get to his destination, but his wiggle and running speed are average by NFL standards.
“Ali doesn't seem to have the acceleration or speed to rush away from speedy defenders, but the one-cutback is a natural. His touchdown production and third-down ability make him a great RB3. It can increase your chances of finding a job.”
The Dolphins have never announced the 30-man visit, but they will be bringing in Ali, Southern California safety Karen Bullock, Iowa tight end Eric Orr, Northern Iowa defensive tackle Christian Boyd and cornerback Quantez. Five Stigers have been independently confirmed.
If the Dolphins weren't interested in him, they would never have a player visit 30 times. But they often draft players who don't play in 30 games.
