Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan doubles down on the trade possibility of star running back De'Von Achane.
Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made it clear that star running back De'Von Achane is not available for trade a week ahead of the draft.
When he spoke to reporters on Wednesday, Sullivan doubled down, saying he will not trade the young star running back.
"He [Achane] is not available for trade," Sullivan said. "Things are going good. We had some positive conversations over the last couple of days, trending towards the right direction. He's obviously very important in what we're doing; it's all part of it, it's part of professional sports. Things are trending in the right direction."
Achane is widely regarded as the future of the team as they head into a rebuild year. The 24-year-old has established himself as one of the top backs in the league, and the assumption is he will only get better. He is the face of the offense heading into the season, and by a wide margin.
The former Texas A&M Aggie is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is eager to get a new deal done. The Dolphins want to retain Achane for a long-period of time and will not entertain trading him.
Sullivan has said on multiple occasions that he has a desire to retain him. After the regime change and many changes to the roster, many assumed that Achane would be dealt with Miami rebuilding.
However, that has been far from the case as Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley have stated multiple times that Achane is a key piece in what they are building.
Achane did not make an appearance in last week's voluntary offseason workouts. Hafley mentioned that the Dolphins had perfect attendance for voluntary workouts outside of the absence of Achane. Although the Dolphins are in rebuild mode, they still view the running back as a core in what they are doing in Miami.
Achane has had a dominant start to his NFL career over his first three seasons, producing at an elite level right away and setting multiple league and franchise records.
He posted the highest yards per carry in NFL history for a running back with at least 100 carries (7.8) and became the first player in the Super Bowl era to score seven touchdowns in his first four games.
Miami has undergone a ton of roster changes, from cutting Tua Tagovailoa to trading Jaylen Waddle. However, the Dolphins brass, led by Sullivan, has a plan in place to get Miami into a juggernaut in the near future.
They have a long way to go in that regard, but they have a chance to get on the right track in next week's draft. The Dolphins have two first-round picks, including their highly coveted No. 11 overall pick.
Miami will likely stand pat and use the pick on a dynamic playermaker, likely an offensive player. The Dolphins have a ton of question marks regarding the team, but one thing that is certainly guaranteed is that Achane will run things in the backfield this fall.