Raheem Mostert breaks silence on Dolphins' failed Jonathan Taylor trade, addresses ambition for 2023 NFL season
Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is all about the team.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda following a grueling workout in the south Florida sunshine and humidity, Mostert talked about team goals and responsibilities.
“I’m the elder of the running backs room, so it’s my job to be a solid role model for the young guys,” he said. “I try to lead by example. Pro football is a business and I try to teach the young guys to treat it as such.”
So, it should come as no great surprise that despite the published news reports and offseason rumors and rumblings about the Dolphins seemingly every week being on the verge of adding a veteran running back to their roster, Mostert did what he always does when the roster uncertainty waters start churning.
He put his head down and kept working.
Raheem Mostert addresses Dolphins' Jonathan Taylor interest
Local and national sports talk radio blared all summer that hometown hero Dalvin Cook – the four-time Pro Bowl running back who was released in Minnesota – would be donning aqua, orange, blue and white when the 2023 season kicked off.
Cook is now a member of the New York Jets.
The most recent rumor regarding Miami’s backfield involved Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor, however, ended up remaining a member of the Colts after their self-imposed deadline and will begin 2023 on the physically unable to perform list (PUP) with a surgically repaired ankle.
That’s why, when the Dolphins board their chartered flight to travel west to sunny southern California to face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium to begin the 2023 NFL season, Mostert will begin the season as Miami’s starting RB1.
“I focus on the things I can control,” Mostert said. “I’m not worried about another man coming in. I’m worried about perfecting my craft.”
Mostert also told reporters that he is not in the business of asking Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel or GM Chris Grier about potential running back moves, but said McDaniel gave him a heads-up last year on running backs the club brought in and assumes he would do the same this year if things got close.
So, until that time comes, Mostert is ignoring the noise and doing everything in his power to complete his offseason individual preparation for the 2023 season.
Raheem Mostert addresses goals for the 2023 NFL season
Take this past offseason. Mostert, who statistically enjoyed his best NFL season in 2022 when he rushed for 891 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games, spent the majority of the offseason training and strengthening his lower body – the lifeblood for every NFL running back.
“I focused on strengthening my shins and lower extremities,” Mostert said. “I also felt like I needed to get a little bigger and I adjusted my sleep pattern a little bit to make sure I was getting the proper rest. I think it’s helped me because I’m feeling good.”
Mostert, a native of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, also set a personal goal for the 2023 season.
“My personal goal is to be first team All-Pro,” Mostert said. “It’s a standard that I’ve set for myself and it’s a goal that I’m chasing this year. I feel like if I stay healthy and we all perform up to the level that we are all capable of, we can accomplish some great things.”
Mostert – should he play all 17 games and remain healthy – is certainly talented enough to rush for 1,000 yards. Whether he does or not will mostly be determined by McDaniel, whose running back-by-committee approach will be on full display this season.