As the elder statesman of Miami's running backs room, Raheem Mostert knows the importance of the upcoming season.
He's also heard the criticisms. The Dolphins are an explosive team, but they can't get it done in the postseason. To Mostert, 2024 is all about changing that narrative.
"We're an outstanding team, and it has to just click at the end of the year," Mostert told NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero during an upcoming Tuesday appearance on The Insiders, which airs on NFL Network and streams NFL+ at 7 p.m. ET. "I was telling the reporters, man, I'd take an 0-8 start to make it deep into the playoffs, right, and trying to get to that championship round. One of our biggest Kryptonites has always been that first round. That's gonna be harped on this year. People are gonna say all these different types of things, but we can't make excuses.
"We've got to go out here and finish the season and finish strong, the same way we started, and just go out here and handle business. Everybody has to be on the same page. We have to be as one, right? That's all it takes. Nothing bigger, nothing smaller. Just go out there and stay healthy and finish."
Miami has attempted to reload accordingly in the 2024 offseason, spending their top pick on Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson, who should replace Jaelan Phillips, who is still on the road back from a season-ending Achilles injury suffered late in 2023. They followed that pick by choosing offensive tackle Patrick Paul, providing some depth for a unit tasked with protecting Tua Tagovailoa and opening running lanes for their many running backs.
Speaking of backs, Tennessee product Jaylen Wright joined that group via a fourth-round pick, marking consecutive years in which Miami added a running back in the draft. Like last year, Mostert is focused on being a good teammate and a leader when working with Wright.
"All in all, I'm happy for him to be in the room," Mostert said of Wright. "I treat every rookie, [like] with [De'Von Achane] last year, I'm always going to try to show them the ropes first and give them my little pointers and help them out as best as I can. Like you said, I'm going on the tail end of my career and I want to be able to make an impact somehow. That means just bringing along somebody and helping them out. …
"We just got off the field and … he was beating up on himself so hard. I said, 'Don't worry about it. It's a marathon. It's OTAs, we're alright, you're going to be good. One thing I will tell you is, 'Hey, you help me feed my family, I'll help you feed yours.' … Once I said that to him, he was locked in."
It's clear it's not about individual competition with these Dolphins, especially not after they've learned how it feels to have their season end on Super Wild Card Weekend two years in a row. There is a greater goal in mind: Make a deep run and fulfill expectations.
