The Miami Dolphins have very high expectations this season after dishing out some big money to free agents like Mike Wallace and Dannell Ellerbe and after letting Reggie Bush walk, the team is ready for a new starting running back and early on Lamar Miller has the lead.
According to Pro Football Talk, second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill said that Miller is the starter right now as workouts head into training camp and he should have the lead throughout the summer. Head coach Joe Philbin said that the starting job would be wide open after Reggie Bush left to sign with the Detroit Lions and right now the quarterback feels that Miller has the early edge on Daniel Thomas and rookie Mike Gillislee on the depth chart.
Tannehill had a solid season with the Dolphins last year and Miller, who was a fourth round draft pick in 2012, is expected to have a big jump in 2013. Tannehill said that Miller has been excellent in workouts while handling protection, clocking schemes as well as check downs in the passing game and that could give him the starting nod when the season begins. Thomas was taken as a second round pick in 2011 and he got work last year behind Bush, but it appears that Miller is the answer for now at running back.
The team never went at Bush depute proving that he could be an every down back for the team over the past two seasons and now they will give Miller a shot after he rushed for 250 yards and one touchdown while averaging nearly 5.0 yards per carry. He had 73 yards against the Buffalo Bills in Week 16 and he could be a threat out of the backfield as well. The team feels that Miller has a similar skill set to Bush and that he could be a "faster" version of him, which is why the team let Bush leave in free agency.
The Dolphins signed a number of players back in the offseason with Brian Hartline and others and Bush felt slighted that the team did not want to pay him a new contract. The team also let Jake Long leave for the Rams and made a big move in the draft to trade up and get Dion Jordan with the number three pick. The team went just 7-9 last season while ranking 26th in the league in passing yards per game and the team is expecting to improve after adding Wallace to the offense.
