Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, the Baltimore Ravens lost another member of last season’s Super Bowl team when they released fullback Vonta Leach. The Ravens wanted Leach to take a pay cut, as has been the story of the Ravens’ offseason. When an agreement could not be reached, they cut ties.
Now Leach has hit the free market, and the Miami Dolphins are among the teams vying for his services.
When you look at his stat line, Leach does not seem like such a powerhouse. But his skill comes as a blocking back, a trait that Ravens’ Ray Rice can surely attest to. Not only was Leach nominated to the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons, but he was also rated the number-one fullback in both seasons by Pro Football Focus.
The Dolphins already have fullback Javorskie Lane in place, and they snagged the troubled Evan Rodriguez off of waiver wires after the Chicago Bears released him last week. Lane played well last year, and while Rodriguez has had off-field issues this offseason, he is extremely athletic and has big play potential.
If the Dolphins succeed in bringing in Leach, it is doubtful that the 31-year-old would simply be handed the starting job. Head coach Joe Philbin has made it clear that every player will earn his place on the team’s final roster, and Leach would be no different.
With the high number of teams looking to sign Leach, Miami could end up shortchanging themselves by trying to get him at their price, but with the questions surrounding the Dolphins’ running game, Leach would be worth the money.
General Manager Jeff Ireland has spent over $200 million this year in free-agent signings, and Leach could be the icing on the cake.
Jeff Everette covers the NFL, specifically the Miami Dolphins, for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jeverettesports, “like” his page on Facebook, “Trust” him on Sulia, or join his circles on Google+.
