New Dolphin Wilson heads back to San Francisco, turns introspective. And personnel notes

Dolphins running back Jeff Wilson returns to San Francisco for a game on Sunday (4:05 p.m., Fox) as something of a revelation, a player who has transformed himself from a solid NFL back to something more in the fifth year of his career.

Even after a pedestrian Sunday against Houston (13 carries for 39 yards), Wilson is averaging 5.4 yards per carry in three games for the Dolphins (and 5.2 for the season) after averaging 4.2 in the first four years of his career.

Wilson, who has scored touchdowns in all three games as a Dolphin, said he has “most definitely” taken his game to a higher level.

So how has he improved midway through an NFL career?

“My patience and film study,” he said. “That’s the main two things. And I’m maturing more and more.”

And then Wilson became particularly introspective.

“I’m at the point now in my career that I want respect,” he said. “Not in a selfish manner but I got kids. I’ve got a [charitable] foundation. Every time I run, every time I get the ball, I think of that because I don’t want to be somebody in this league that’s forgotten. I want to remembered.

“That’s really the only reason I’m playing. I’m not playing to get a check or so everyone can see me on TV or so the girls see me on the sideline. I want to be remembered. I want my son as he gets older, someone says, ‘that’s your dad.’”

Fullback Alec Ingold said Wilson runs like his feet are on fire.

“I like that,” Wilson said, smiling. “I guess you can say that.”

Ingold succinctly summarizes how Wilson is viewed in the building: “He brings juice. He brings energy. It’s cool to work with that dude and go to work with him and then see him play on Sundays. He gets into an alter ego, like you just kind of get out of his way, let him explode when he makes a good run play.”

Wilson was a free agent in March and thought the Dolphins might call him because he had worked for four years with Mike McDaniel in San Francisco. That call never came.

“There was interest from me, but when Chase [Edmonds] and Raheem [Mostert] came here, I turned my mind off it,” he said. “So it never dawned on me I would be reunited with him” at the trade deadline, with Miami sending San Francisco a fifth-round pick shortly after dealing Edmonds and draft picks to Denver for edge player Bradley Chubb.

“It’s a blessing,” Wilson said. “God works in mysterious ways.”

Before he was traded from San Francisco, he bought a scooter primarily to move around the 49ers’ sprawling Santa Clara facility. He had it shipped to South Florida, and Dolphins teammates have taken it on a ride.

He plans to take the scooter home.

“I’m staying in a nice little neighborhood, and I want to cruise around downtown,” he said.

Only one problem: “I don’t know how the battery works yet. I’m going to pack the battery in my back pack one day and take off. And if it dies, I’ll pull up to a little store and say, ‘Can I borrow your charger?’ and go back home.”

Wilson said he already has been recognized a couple of times in South Florida.

“They’re hesitant; they say, ‘Are you Jeff Wilson?’ I’ll say, ‘that’s me.’ If they [only] ask if I play football, I say, ‘nah.” But if they say, ‘you sure?’, that’s how you know that they know who I am. So I tell them.”

Teammates are fond of his colorful personality. Jaylen Waddle told CBS that Wilson talks to himself during games and practices.

SNAP DECISIONS

Some notable snap counts from Sunday’s game:

▪ Running back: With fellow former 49ers running back Raheem Mostert sidelined against Houston due to a knee injury (his status is in question for next Sunday), Wilson logged 46 of Miami’s 76 offensive snaps, leaving briefly with an injury before returning. Myles Gaskin logged 26 snaps; Salvon Ahmed was the only active Dolphin who didn’t play.

▪ Wide receiver: Before Sunday, River Cracraft’s only two catches this season both were touchdowns. He caught two non-TD passes for 33 passes on Sunday, in a season-high 25 offensive snaps. Cedrick Wilson Jr. played a season-high 33 snaps on offense.

▪ Tight end: Mike Gesicki wasn’t targeted a single time in the passing game but played a bit more than Durham Smythe, 41 snaps to 37. Smythe caught a touchdown.

▪ With defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah out for the season, the Dolphins gave a bit more playing time to outside linebacker Melvin Ingram (36 snaps), inside linebacker Duke Riley (31 snaps) and two defensive tackles: John Jenkins (16) and newcomer Justin Zimmer (13).

Christian Wilkins, Zach Sieler and Jaelan Phillips had high snap counts before Ogbah’s injury, and that continued. Outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel — who had his first career interception — played in the mid-20s in snaps (23) for the fourth time in the past five games.

▪ At cornerback, Xavien Howard and Kader Kohou logged all 61 snaps on defense, and Keion Crossen 36. Noah Igbinoghene was inactive and Justin Bethel wasn’t used on defense.

▪ At safety, Jevon Holland played all 61 defensive snaps, with Eric Rowe logging 55, Verone McKinley III 22, Clayton Fejedelem 2 and Elijah Campbell 1.

Please check back later for an update on the Dolphins’ offensive line situation and more.