Despite a massive offseason overhaul, the Miami Dolphins continue to insist they will not ship out running back De'Von Achane.
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan reiterated during Wednesday's pre-draft press conference that the club's preference is get Achane a contract extension.
"He is not available for trade," Sullivan said. "Things are going good. We've have some positive conversations over the last couple days. Trending in the right direction. He's obviously very important to what we're doing. It's all part of it. It's part of professional sports. We'll get where we need to be one way or another, but yeah, things are trending in the right direction."
Achane, who did not report to Miami's voluntary offseason program ahead of the final season of his rookie contract, rushed for 1,350 yards with eight touchdowns on 238 carries over 16 games last season, leading the NFL with 5.7 yards per rush. The dual-threat back added 67 catches for 488 yards and four additional scores.
The 2023 third-round pick is a game-breaker who can hit the hole and blast past defenders. His speed allows the offense to be versatile and consistently bring defenses headaches. Miami views Achane as the ideal pairing with quarterback Malik Willis in Bobby Slowik's offense.
While the Dolphins parted ways with many veterans this offseason, including trading top receiver Jaylen Waddle for a first-round pick, Miami has made it clear it plans to build around Achane. The next step is a new contract.
