Lamar Miller Working Hard To Succeed In New Offense
DAVIE (CBSMiami) – Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller is looking to put a disappointing 2013 season behind him.
After being named the starting running back, Miller struggled to find success behind a poor offensive line in a vanilla scheme run by former coordinator Mike Sherman.
Now with Bill Lazor calling the shots, there is hope that Miller can have success similar to what Eagles' running back LaSean McCoy was able to accomplish under Lazor and coach Chip Kelly in Philadelphia.
Miller is anxious to try and fill the role in the Dolphins offense that McCoy thrived in with the Eagles. For that, Miami's third year back sought advice from the best possible source.
Before the Dolphins opened training camp last Thursday, Miller went to McCoy for advice on how to flourish in the new system that Lazor brought with him from Philadelphia to Miami, according to CBS4 news partner the Miami Herald.
"He told me that the opportunity is great," Miller said of his conversation with McCoy. "[The Eagles] always keep the defense on their toes. Once you get the ball, you've got to take advantage of the opportunity."
So far Miller has gotten plenty of opportunities to show that he can take the job and run with it.
Following the Dolphins' signing of Knowshon Moreno, it was thought that he was being brought in to replace Miller as the starting running back.
That just hasn't been the case though, as Miller has continued to impress coaches while Moreno has battled an injury that has kept him from practicing during training camp.
Moreno had arthroscopic knee surgery in late June which is expected to keep him off the field for at least a few more days.
In the meantime, Miller is showing promise after his hard work during the offseason led to a gain of six to eight pounds of additional muscle.
"He looks good," said Dolphins coach Joe Philbin. "He looks stronger than he's ever been. I don't think he's sacrificed any speed whatsoever."
The ideal situation would be for Miller to continue to impress until Moreno returns to practice, then the two can push each other and continue improving the overall talent level in the Dolphins backfield.
There hasn't been a good one-two punch of running backs in Miami since the days of Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams and the Wildcat.
As Miller keeps his foot on the gas and eyes on the prize, the excitement level over the Dolphins' revamped offense remains extremely high amongst the players.
"I think Coach Lazor's doing a great job at just getting the playmakers the ball, keeping the chains moving and helping this team win games," said Miller.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)
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