Who Should I Start? Raheem Mostert or Javonte Williams

Friday, February 14, 5:25 PM

The Miami Dolphins informed former Pro Bowl running back Raheem Mostert of his release on Friday, according to his agent, Brett Tessler. Mostert led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns and had a career-high 1,012 rushing yards on 209 carries for the Dolphins in 2023 as a first-time Pro Bowler, but he predictably came back down to Earth last season and finished with 85 carries, 278 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding 19 catches for 161 additional yards in 13 games (one start). With the release of the 32-year-old veteran, Miami will clear $2.97 million in salary cap space for the 2025 season. De'Von Achane will once again enter the upcoming season as the Dolphins' primary back, but now he'll have Jaylen Wright as his primary backup. Mostert isn't likely to have a strong free-agent market and will most likely be a short-yardage, No. 2 back wherever he ends up.

Monday, January 20, 6:15 PM

The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson writes that the Denver Broncos are not expected to re-sign impending free-agent running back Javonte Williams this offseason. Williams, a former second-round pick in 2021 out of North Carolina, entered the 2024 season as the team's unquestioned lead back, but poor efficiency on the ground led to the Broncos going with a committee approach in the backfield halfway through the year that also involved Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. The 24-year-old came into the NFL as a bruising, tackle-breaking lead-back option for Denver, but since suffering a torn ACL in his sophomore season in 2022, he has not been the same, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry while combining for 1,287 rushing yards and only seven rushing TDs the last two seasons. Despite leading Denver with 513 rushing yards in 2024, Williams will likely struggle to find a lead-back role on the open market.