08-19-2019, 07:53 AM
Lamar Miller Will Have Third-Highest Base Salary Of All NFL Running Backs In 2018 There has been an increasing uneasiness among the fanbase and media about the state of the running back position for the Texans. Injuries to D’Onta Foreman and Tyler Ervin devastated the depth of the team last season. Alfred Blue had to step up and become the backup for the second half of the season This led to Lamar Miller carrying the ball 238 times last year. Although the load was plentiful http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authe...ter-jersey , Miller only averaged 3.7 yards per rush and did not eclipse 900 yards rushing. More than two years later, the four-year, $26,000,000 deal Miller signed with the Texans in March of 2016 remains one of the most lucrative contracts for a running back in the entire league. Miller now enters the third year of that contract, due to make $5,750,000.00 according to Spotrac. Although players such as Dion Lewis, Rashaad Penny, and Jerick McKinnon will potentially make more cash this season, only Le’Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy have a larger base salary at the running back position entering 2018.Bell, probably the one of the most valuable offensive assets in the league Jadeveon Clowney Jersey White , ran the ball 321 times for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns last year. That doesn't even include his 655 yards and two touchdowns receiving. McCoy, the other running back to have a higher base salary than Miller, ran the ball for a comparable 287 times yet plowed through opposing teams for 1,138 yards and six touchdowns. Le’Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy are in such a different tier of talent that putting Lamar Miller in the same category is not reasonable. Yet the Texans pay Miller at an elite running back level without receiving elite results. You can point a finger at the putrid offensive line not giving Miller running lanes that result in big runs, but there comes a point when Miller has to create for himself. We have not seen any of that.After releasing RB Arian Foster after the 2015 season, the Texans were in need of a running back to carry the rock. Rick Smith, Bill O’Brien & Co. became mesmerized by Miller’s 2015 performance against Houston, when he rushed for 175 yards and one TD. That single performance and a hungry franchise resulted in Rick Smith overspending on the former Dolphin. Miller is like a plant.You’ve got to give him some air to breathe in order for him to grow. Give him a lane, and he has the speed to bust it. Give him a mosh pit, and he becomes hesitant approaching the line of scrimmage. Without a lane to penetrate, Miller stalls all his momentum http://www.thetexanslockerroom.com/authe...ler-jersey , waiting for a hole to open up. If the Texans don’t incorporate better running plays to match Miller’s skill-set and one-cut playing style, they will again waste his talent and the money they pay himWith the offensive line still in shambles, D’Onta Foreman coming off an Achilles tear and pressing for more carries, and Deshaun Watson looking to air out the ball like never before, Miller’s involvement should continue to dwindle for the Texans—making his contract even more of an eyesore. Let’s take a look at what some arm chair general managers think Brian Gaine should do this off season"Something about the off-season has always fascinated me. Maybe it’s the ripeness-of-potential teams have - the seemingly endless possibilities of roster upgrades; fantasy football in its penultimate incarnation. Maybe it’s a memory of childhood when we used to swap trading cards, dreaming of a perfect team. Or reminiscent of (re)building a roster on Madden football to fill all the depth chart holes that drive fans crazy. Whatever the allure actually is, it’s a thing for sure. This past week has had some head scratchers, thought provokers, promise-makers and a few that actually make a whole lot of sense. So, let’s dig in and discuss:From the Sporting News:23rd pick - Deionte Thompson, S, AlabamaWhile having a player like this certainly wouldn’t hurt Jordan Akins Jersey , with the far more immediate needs at offensive line and cornerback, spending their very first pick on what amounts to a “luxury” selection makes no sense at all - unless the Texans somehow manage to plug those other holes through free agency. Now, if they let Kareem Jackson and Tyrann Mathieu walk in free agency, this suddenly makes a little more sense... Bleacher Report adds one from the “Can’t seem to get this itch off my brain” file:Again, having a player like this would be great, but it’s a luxury Houston can’t afford with their first pick unless free agency is far more kind to them than ever before. ESPN gets in on the insanity: The Texans will sign Le’Veon Bell to a deal that eclipses Todd Gurley’sNothing about Le’Veon Bell speaks to Houston ever signing him. Sure on paper he could be a huge improvement over the Texans current running back options, but a guy willing to sit out an entire year is anything but someone trying to “be the best teammate I can be.” Which translates to a big “NO” from Texans’ brass. And, to round out the “are you out of your mind?!” options, Bleacher Report steps in again:Where is the upside to signing a player clearly on the back end of his career, who would be long odds to play 16+ games, to fill a role that desperately needs stability and chemistry in order to improve? Now, if Penn can be had for a 3rd day pick Tashaun Gipson Jersey White , then this starts to make a little more sense. But, giving up a 2nd rounder to rent a guy clearly ready to ride off into the sunset makes no sense at all. In sifting through all these, there is one unlikely source that brought some common sense to the “silly season” antics. iSportsWeb has some solid options: Signing Brown makes far more sense than giving up a 2nd rounder for Donald Penn.Targeting James as well as Trent Brown makes sense too. Hard to argue with this logic, either... This is the only partially-head scratching idea in the bunch from iSportsWeb, but the argument can be made to pul this trigger... And this one probably isn’t really on anyone’s radar, but really seems solid:Having an extra tackle that’s designated a tight end who can play like both is certainly something the Texans could use in their arsenal. Maybe we should add Sean Christensen to the masthead before he lands at Bleacher Report or some other site spouting crazy ideas and inane trade possibilities that only benefit other teams... What do you think? Agree/disagree with any of these? What’s the most off-the-wall, nonsensical prediction you’ve seen so far? Share it in the comments section so we can all continue to scratch our heads.