HEADLINES

Lamar Miller

Bears Work Out Lamar Miller

September 30th, 2020 at 3:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Lamar Miller‘s workout tour continues. On Wednesday, the Bears auditioned Miller and a handful of other running backs in the wake of Tarik Cohen’s injury, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 

[RELATED: Bears Lose Tarik Cohen]

Miller inked a one-year deal with the Patriots over the summer, but failed to inch ahead of Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead before the cutdown deadline. The veteran has been itching to return to the field for a while — he tore his ACL in the 2019 preseason with the Texans and hasn’t seen live action in over a year.

Miller is reportedly healthy now, and he could be a great mid-season grab for the Bears. The 29-year-old earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season, rushing for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the Texans. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that 2018 campaign. Those numbers don’t quite match Cohen’s best receiving work, but the Bears would gladly take that sort of production alongside David Montgomery.

Colts Work Out RB Lamar Miller

September 14th, 2020 at 4:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are bringing Lamar Miller in for an audition, per the NFL’s transactions wire. Fellow running backs Darius Jackson and Benny LeMay will also show their stuff as Indy looks to replace Marlon Mack. 

[RELATED: Marlon Mack Done For Year]

Mack tore his Achilles midway through the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Jaguars. It was a tough blow for the Colts, who got a preview of things to come after Mack managed 26 yards off of four carries, plus another 30 yards through the air. On the plus side, the Colts have Nyheim Hines at the ready, plus second-round rookie Jonathan Taylor.

Miller, who offers tons of starting experience, would fortify their RB group even further. In 2018 – his last healthy season – Miller notched 973 rushing yards, averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and five rushing touchdowns. He also added 25 catches, 163 receiving yards, and one TD through the air for good measure en route to a Pro Bowl nod. The Bills recently met with Miller, but the veteran left Buffalo without a deal.

Bills Meet With Lamar Miller

September 7th, 2020 at 10:07am CST by Zachary Links

Lamar Miller will meet with the Bills today, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). For Miller, it’s a chance to reassert himself after a lost season and get some revenge against the Patriots for dropping him over the weekend.

The Patriots opted to forge ahead with Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead as their RBs heading into the season. There was some thought that Miller could return to New England as Bill Belichick does his usual roster shuffling. That’s still a possibility, but no one would be surprised to see Miller land a deal in Buffalo if he’s healthy.

As it stands, the Bills have Devin Singletary as their primary back, followed by third-round pick Zack Moss, T.J. Yeldon, and Taiwan Jones. Miller, meanwhile, offers tons of experience and impressive credentials. In 2018 – his last healthy season – Miller notched 973 rushing yards, averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and five rushing touchdowns. He also added 25 catches, 163 receiving yards, and one TD through the air for good measure en route to a Pro Bowl nod.

Patriots Release RB Lamar Miller

September 5th, 2020 at 10:56am CST by Ben Levine

Lamar Miller‘s stint with the Patriots has come to an end, at least temporarily. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that New England has cut the veteran running back.

However, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com notes on Twitter, the Patriots fully guaranteed $200K of Miller’s base salary. Therefore, it “wouldn’t be a surprise” to see Miller return to New England, especially if the team were to suffer an injury at running back.

Miller signed a one-year deal with the Patriots last month. It was only a year ago that the 29-year-old tore his ACL in a preseason contest while playing for the Texans. Reports at the time of the signing indicated that Miller was fully recovered, and Pelissero notes in his tweet that the veteran is “healthy.”

If that’s true, then Miller could end up being a great grab for an RB-needy team. He earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season, rushing for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) with the Texans. He also added 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown during that 2018 campaign.

The Patriots have a propensity for adding veteran players to see if they’ve got anything left in the tank, but Miller wasn’t necessarily expected to just stick around for camp. Rather, it was thought that he’d play a rotational role with New England. Ultimately, the team seems content to move forward with their current grouping of Damien Harris, Sony Michel, James White, and Rex Burkhead.

Patriots Interested In Leonard Fournette

September 2nd, 2020 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

Leonard Fournette cleared waivers Tuesday and has at least one suitor as a free agent. The Patriots have expressed interest in the former No. 4 overall pick, Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets.

The Pats saw 2018 first-rounder Sony Michel miss time again during training camp, and although recent signing Lamar Miller has been cleared and 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris has impressed, New England’s backfield is somewhat muddled as the regular season approaches.

Despite the Jaguars waiving Fournette, he should garner interest from more than just the Patriots. The LSU product has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. He played a key role in helping a Blake Bortles-quarterbacked team to the 2017 AFC championship game, where the Jags narrowly lost to the Patriots.

Last season, Fournette rushed for a career-high 1,152 yards. However, he has only cleared 4.0 yards per carry once in a season (2019) and slumped through an injury- and suspension-marred 2018 slate. Fournette, 25, does not offer much in the passing game, but the Patriots have a veteran passing-down specialist in James White.

New England returns Michel, Rex Burkhead and White from its 2019 rotation but signed Miller last month. Miller is attempting to return from a torn ACL. Neither he nor Michel is eligible to be stashed on the Pats’ reserve/PUP list.

Thus far, however, the Patriots represent Fournette’s only known suitor. The Bears, who are without David Montgomery currently, are not looking to sign him.

Patriots Notes: QBs, Dugger, Jackson

August 23rd, 2020 at 12:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Patriots did not guarantee Cam Newton the starting quarterback job after they signed him in late June, but assuming Newton is healthy, it would be shocking to see anyone else under center come Week 1. And the 2015 MVP was a “full go” when practices started earlier this month, so all signs are pointing towards Newton serving as New England’s signal-caller when the season opens in a few weeks.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic details how the “competition” has unfolded over the first few practices. Newton has taken the majority of first-team reps, and while he has not been perfect, his accuracy has been impressive. Jarrett Stidham, the second-year pro who was in line to replace Tom Brady before the Newton acquisition, has been dealing with a hip injury, and he has also struggled with interceptions. The team is not concerned about Stidham’s health, but the turnovers aren’t helping his cause.

Brian Hoyer, meanwhile, has had an up-and-down camp thus far, but considering his experience and familiarity with the Patriots’ offense, Howe says the 34-year-old remains an option to start during the early stages of the season.

Now for more notes out of Foxborough:

  • The Patriots’ top draft choice in 2020, safety Kyle Dugger, may struggle to see early playing time on defense because of how much the condensed offseason is impacting rookies’ abilities to learn the pro game. But as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the team is eyeing Dugger as its top return specialist. The Lenoir-Rhyne product returned 67 punts for 929 yards and six TDs during his collegiate career.
  • In the same piece linked above, Reiss says Jermaine Eluemunor is in the mix to replace Marcus Cannon — who opted out of the 2020 season — at right tackle. Though Yodny Cajuste appeared to be the favorite for the job, Reiss writes in a separate post that Cajuste, a 2019 third-rounder, appears to be buried on the depth chart.
  • Reiss adds that J.C. Jackson‘s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has touched base with the Patriots about an extension for his client. As a former UDFA, Jackson is now extension-eligible despite having just two years of service time. He has become a key piece of New England’s secondary and has recorded eight interceptions over his first two professional seasons.
  • Lamar Miller‘s one-year deal with the Pats will feature a $1.05MM base salary with $200K guaranteed, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Miller can earn up to $1.5MM more in achievable incentives.

RB Lamar Miller, Patriots Agree To One-Year Deal

August 10th, 2020 at 4:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Lamar Miller is heading to New England. The veteran running back is signing with the Patriots pending a physical, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’ll be a one-year deal for Miller.

It was just about one year ago that the 29-year-old tore his ACL in a preseason contest while playing for the Texans. As Schefter notes on Twitter, the running back is “said to he fully recovered and ready to play this season.”

Miller had been with the Texans since 2016, and he earned a Pro Bowl nod during his last healthy season. During that 2018 campaign, the veteran rushed for five scores and 973 yards on 210 carries (4.6 yards per carry) while adding 25 receptions for 163 receiving yards and one touchdown. While he only rushed for 18 yards during that season’s playoff loss to the Colts, he did add eight receptions for 63 yards.

Prior to his stint with the Texans, the former fourth-rounder spent the first four seasons of his career with the Dolphins. This included 2014 and 2015 campaigns where he averaged 985.5 rushing yards and eight touchdowns per season.

Miller is joining a very crowded depth chart in New England, and today’s signing makes it even more uncertain. Sony Michel disappointed during his sophomore campaign (and he’s currently sitting on the PUP), but he still managed to finish the 2019 season with 912 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The team is also rostering versatile veterans like James White and Rex Burkhead, and there was some hope that 2019 third-rounder Damien Harris could contribute following a pseudo-redshirt year.

Of course, that running game should also feature plenty of Cam Newton. While Miller’s path to a roster spot is more uncertain than the quarterback’s, the duo could be called on to lead a revamped New England offense in 2020.

Lamar Miller Working Out Following 2019 ACL Tear

July 9th, 2020 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent running back Lamar Miller, who missed the entire 2019 season after suffering a torn ACL during the preseason, appears to be performing well as he attempts to showcase his recovery. Miller posted a Twitter video on Thursday that showed him working through agility drills.

Due to COVID-19 protocols, Miller and other NFL free agents aren’t allowed to visit team facilities, so uploading a video of his workout session is the best Miller can do in order to market himself to clubs. Of course, teams are likely wary of committing to a player coming off a serious injury without first getting a look at him in person, so Miller may need to wait until he can visit a club before landing a new contract.

Selected by the Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, Miller started at least 13 games in every season from 2013 through 2018. After signing a four-year, $26MM deal with the Texans in 2016, Miller proceeded to average 978 rushing yards and roughly four touchdowns over the next three seasons, and posted 30 receptions per year.

While many teams have already solidified their running back depth charts, clubs like the Buccaneers, Eagles, and Chargers could still be in the market for a veteran back. Alongside Devonta Freeman, the 29-year-old Miller is arguably the best free agent available in a crop that also includes LeSean McCoy, Theo Riddick, and Alfred Blue.

Latest On Texans Free Agents

March 11th, 2020 at 6:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans have a number of notable players hitting free agency, but it sounds like the front office has made re-signing Bradley Roby a priority. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that Houston will “do what they can” to keep many of their free agents, a grouping that’s “especially” led by the 28-year-old cornerback.

Roby inked a one-year, $10MM deal with the Texans last offseason, but he was limited to only 10 games (10 starts) during his first season in Houston. Roby finished the campaign having compiled 38 tackles, eight passes defended, two interceptions (including a pick-six), and one forced fumble.

On the other side of the ball, it sounds like the organization is hoping to retain veteran running back Carlos Hyde. However, as Wilson passes along, Hyde declined a contract offer from the organization and is set to hit free agency. The 29-year-old started 14 games and had his first career 1,000-yard season in 2019. Fellow running back Lamar Miller, who was sidelined with a torn ACL last year, will also be heading to free agency.

Wilson passes along updates on a number of other Texans free agents. The organization is hoping to re-sign running back/special teamer Taiwan Jones and linebackers Tyrell Adams, Dylan Cole and Barkevious Mingo. On the flip side, the organization isn’t expected to bring back safety Jahleel Addae.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/19

August 26th, 2019 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

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