HOUSTON -- Even if the Houston Texans hadn't released Arian Foster, the best running back in franchise history, last week, they had a need at running back. They're addressing it now, working to sign Dolphins running back Lamar Miller. They can agree to a deal at any time, but the move can't be made official until 4 p.m. ET Wednesday when the new league year begins.
Miller is only 24 and doesn't have much wear and tear from his time in Miami. The Dolphins used Miller in a limited capacity last season.
Texans fans might have an unhappy memory of Miller, if they haven't erased that Week 7 game in South Florida from their brains entirely. In the Dolphins 44-26 win against the Texans, Miller had 236 yards and two touchdowns. Coincidentally, that was also the game in which the Texans lost Foster to a season-ending Achilles injury.
I checked in with NFL Nation Dolphins reporter James Walker about Miller, and he was kind enough to pass along the following scouting report:
The mystery with Miller has always been can he carry the ball 20-25 times a game? Miami's coaching staff determined early in his career -- maybe his first or second year -- that Miller was best at 10-15 carries and often stuck to that throughout his tenure. Miller even gained about 10-12 pounds of muscle last year and things mostly stayed the same.
Miller is at his best once he's past the first level. He has a nice burst in getting to top speed, although running behind Miami's offensive line he wasn't always able to show it. Miller was good at getting chunk plays and capable of huge runs in the open field. I recall he had several big plays against Houston's defense last year, which likely piqued its interest.
Miller also improved on his catching out of the backfield and pass protection, which were major weaknesses when he joined the Dolphins. I would say he's at least adequate in both departments now.