BY NICK ST. DENIS
Orleans Darkwa was preparing for the Tennessee Titans' rookie minicamp, but the Miami Dolphins swooped in and signed the undrafted free agent running back before he could get away.
According to The Tennessean's Jim Wyatt, the Titans had invited Darkwa to camp on a tryout basis before the Dolphins awarded him a deal Tuesday.
"I talked with my agent and we still had a little bit of hope and optimism but we didn't have anything official so we focused on getting whatever I could get," the former Tulane tailback said, via Nola.com. "And then I got a call this morning and [found out] that I was on the roster."
Darkwa may bring some intrigue to Dolphins camp. The 6-0, 210-pounder amassed 2,953 rushing yards and a school-record 39 touchdowns in his Tulane career, hauling in 77 passes for 595 yards in the process.
His injury history apparently hurt his NFL stock, as Darkwa was hampered by a hamstring his sophomore season, and a nagging ankle ailment his junior year forced him to miss part of the season and see limited action in other games. Darkwa, however, did post a 4.44 40-yard dash at Tulane's pro day and is apparently a formidable blocker.
With Daniel Thomas a potential cut prior to the season, Darkwa could be battling with Mike Gillislee and Marcus Thigpen for depth chart presence behind Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller, depending on how many tailbacks the team decides to go into the season with.
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