While the Miami Dolphins hoped that Lamar Miller would be their starting running back, speculation suggests that Knowshon Moreno might be that guy. But while Miami has a healthy running back competition, the New York Jets have no such thing at the cornerback position and need some help.
Incumbent starting running back Lamar Miller is listed as the No. 1 back on the Miami Dolphins depth chart, but it's believed that will change by Sunday when the team faces off against the New England Patriots. In Moreno's lone preseason game against the Cowboys on August 23, the former Bronco rushed 10 times for 64 yards in his return from a knee scope in June.
Despite Miller also performing well with the first team offense against Dallas (seven carries for 34 yards), he only recorded 14 yards on seven carries in the team's first two preseason games along with six receptions for 31 yards. Bill Lazor, the offensive coordinator for the Dolphins, told reporters that the team was expecting to have more production out of Miller, especially since he has received more time than Moreno to prove his ability to maintain the starting job.
"I've seen lots on the practice field that tells me where we're headed with Lamar and I feel very good about his ability to be productive," said Lazor, in this Miami Herald article. "But if you're talking about the preseason games his production needs to improve." We'll see who takes the field on Sunday against New England.
The Dolphins AFC East rivals, the New York Jets, are probably wishing they had similar competition amongst their cornerbacks. Instead, their defensive backs are going AWOL, as we've seen with Dmitri Patterson, who was released by the team on Saturday. Patterson was projected to start at cornerback alongside Dee Milliner (whose status is uncertain for Sunday against the Raiders due to a high ankle sprain), but now the Jets might have Kyle Wilson, Darrin Walls, Antonio Allen, or Ellis Lankster starting in their places, which is certainly not a long term solution.
It's possible the Jets will opt to explore a trade for a defensive back. One of the names brought up was Jonathan Joseph of the Houston Texans, but a team reporter for Houston said that a trade was unlikely. New York waited much too long to sign a cornerback via free agency, so now they'll either be stuck with what they have unless they manage to work out a trade for a formidable player. If the Raiders can block for rookie Derek Carr on Sunday, he could have a successful first regular season NFL game against a depleted Jets secondary.
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