The Houston Texans inked running back Lamar Miller to a four-year, $26 million deal, as first reported by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. A Miami native and former University of Miami Hurricanes star, Miller also spent his first four seasons in south Florida after being selected with a fourth-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 draft.
Lamar Miller to sign a 4-year, $26 million deal with the Texans
Miller has a lot to prove, and he’ll get the opportunity as Houston’s feature back.
Andrew Innerarity-USA TODAY Sports
After signing his new contract on Thursday, Miller said he was was excited to be a member of the Texans:
Lamar Miller with a special message for Texans fans. #WeAreTexans #HTownPride pic.twitter.com/nnBSjWlqJF
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) March 10, 2016
In need of a replacement for the recently released Arian Foster, Houston swooped in on Miller after contract talks broke down with the Dolphins. Miller immediately becomes the top back in the team's arsenal, which also features Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard.
Although Miller has been a three-year starter in Miami, he doesn’t have the gaudy stats of a feature back. He’s gone over 1,000 rushing yards and 200 carries in a season just once (both in 2014), benchmarks that most No. 1 guys reach on a consistent basis. Miller is one of six running backs with at least 40 starts since 2013, but his 2,680 rushing yards are by far the fewest in that group.
He’s also coming off a down season in which he rushed for 872 yards (227 fewer than the previous year) and saw his efficiency decline from 5.1 to 4.5 yards per rush. His inconsistency in 2015 was disappointing as well. While he ran for 100-plus yards in three games, he also failed to reach 50 yards in 10 of 16 contests. He averaged just 2.5 yards per rush or fewer five times last year, while eclipsing 5.0 yards per carry in six different games.
Whether you chalk up his erratic production to questionable play-calling, an underwhelming offensive line or something else, there’s little debate that Miller still has a lot to prove on the gridiron. The good news is that he has youth on his side -- he doesn’t turn 25 until April -- and plenty of talent in his legs. However, the extent to which a team can rely upon him to carry their run game is a huge question mark going forward.
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