Dolphins re-sign a running back. And an update on Tua’s offseason program

A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Friday:

▪ Running back Salvon Ahmed became the first of the team’s free agents to agree to a contract Friday, when he and the Dolphins formalized terms on a one-year deal that could be worth as much as $1.8 million with incentives, according to a source.

The Dolphins valued Ahmed but did not want to pay him the lowest possible tender, $2.8 million, for a restricted free agent.

Instead, the sides agreed on a deal below that, but above the minimum.

Ahmed ran 12 times for 64 yards last season (a 5.3 average) and played well during the Dec. 17 game at Buffalo, rushing six times for 43 yards in that Saturday night game.

He averaged 3.8 yards on 141 carries in 30 Dolphins appearances during three seasons, including four starts.

The Dolphins have interest in keeping free agent running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson Jr. but also remain open to outside possibilities at the position, according to a source.

The Minnesota Vikings, who are reportedly expected to cut multiple highly paid players, have fielded at least one trade offer for four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook, according to Darren Wolfson of the ABC affiliate in Minneapolis. Cook, a Miami Central High standout, could emerge as an option if Minnesota decides to deal him.

Any trade for Cook would come with an $11 million cap hit for the team acquiring him, but that could be reduced significantly by converting his $10.4 million base salary mostly to a signing bonus; $2 million of that salary becomes guaranteed March 18.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said he expects Cook to remain with the Vikings.

Cook, 27, ran for 1,173 yards (4.4 per carry) last season and 5,993 yards (seventh most in the league among active backs) and 5.7 per carry in six seasons, all with Minnesota. He has 52 touchdowns in those six seasons.

Cook had shoulder surgery in February, and the Vikings have said he’s expected to be fine for the start of the season.

▪ Discussing the Dolphins, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport told Pat McAfee on Friday: “Could they sign a corner? I wouldn’t say they’re going to be huge, huge players, but maybe one splashy signing.. One really good free agent and use the rest on their own guys.”

▪ The Dolphins informed Tua Tagovailoa that they plan to exercise his $23.1 million option for 2024, a source confirmed. Here’s my story on that and the fallout.

Meanwhile, Nick Hicks, Tua Tagovailoa’s trainer, told Orlando Alzugaray that Jiu-Jitsu is going to help Tagovailoa learn how to fall and protect himself, among other things.

“The first thing they teach you is how to land,” Hicks said. “It’s not overly confusing. It’s pretty simple. It’s simple, that once you learn, your body is first nature to it. He’s loving it.”

The Jiu-Jitsu instructors “didn’t know who he was,” Hicks said. But the instructors studied tape of Tagovailoa to determine ways he could improve cushioning his fall.

“It’s a comprehensive plan,” Hicks said. “[They] have seen tape and seen issues that Tua has a problem with when getting hit. It’s what he does naturally; we’re trying to change that. The program is tailored to a football player. We’re falling down, popping up, and it’s exhausting. It’s a different type of physical exertion than we’re used to.”

▪ The Dolphins announced their full coaching staff on Friday, and there were no surprises.

Most of the new additions, including defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, previously had been reported.

The other new assistants with the most significant responsibilities, all previously reported, are offensive line coach Butch Barry, passing game coordinator/secondary coach Renaldo Hill and safeties coach Joe Kasper.

Also new: offensive assistant Max McCaffrey, assistant defensive line coach Kenny Baker and defensive assistant Steve Donatell.

Three of the Dolphins’ returning coaches have new roles: outside linebacker coach Ryan Slowik and offensive assistants Ricardo Allen and Mike Judge.

Slowik was a senior defensive assistant for the Dolphins last season; he coached outside linebackers for Arizona in 2012 and Cleveland in 2016. He replaces Ty McKenzie, who was not retained.

The prominent coaches who were retained from the 2022 staff include offensive coordinator Frank Smith, quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, tight ends coach Jon Embree, running backs coach Eric Studesville, receivers coach Wes Welker, linebackers coach Anthony Campanile, defensive line coach Austin Clark, cornerbacks coach and pass game specialist Sam Madison and special teams coach Danny Crossman.

Besides McKenzie, the Dolphins previously also parted ways with defensive coordinator Josh Boyer, offensive line coach Matt Applebaum and safeties coach Steve Gregory.

Lemuel Jeanpierre, who was Miami’s offensive line coach under Brian Flores in 2021, will be Miami’s assistant offensive line coach for the second year in a row.

▪ Coach Mike McDaniel made clear recently that he wants to improve in the area of clock management: “There are clearly some situations I’d like to have back. There were some situations that I was OK with.”

Miami led the league in pre-snap penalties, as McDaniel noted.

▪ General manager Chris Grier recently included Liam Eichenberg among Miami’s core offensive linemen, another hint that Miami probably isn’t going to spend big money on a new left guard….

The Dolphins are expected to add a veteran safety. But they are eager to see more of Elijah Campbell and Verone McKinley III, too. McDaniel recently praised McKinley’s “football acumen. He came in as an old soul, where if you didn’t have the flip card, you’d think he’d been in the league for 10 years with how he went about his business.”

Here’s my Friday piece updating the Dolphins’ cap situation after restructuring contracts of two of their best players.