I'm pretty sure the FH consensus is that Daniel Thomas is not good, they are tired of watching him play for the Phins, and he should be cut. This is one of the times I would agree. I believe it is time for the Phins to move on from Daniel Thomas.
But, why is there a lack of criticism for Lamar Miller on FH? What does Lamar Miller do better than Thomas?
Lamar Miller does provide the occasional threat of a big gain. Miller has some decent speed as a RB. The problem is that these carries are few and far between for Miller. It seems that he needs a huge opening in order to advance 4 yards or more beyond the LOS. So Miller has Thomas beaten in the big play threat department. Aside from that, what does Lamar Miller bring to the team that makes him so much better than Thomas?
Daniel Thomas is not great as a pass catcher, but he is decent. Lamar Miller is HORRIBLE as a receiver out of the backfield. Again, he can make a big play on occasion if he catches the ball in space, the problem for Miller seems to be CATCHING it. I can recall a couple of really nice bucket throws by Tannehill to Miller, where a huge play would have been made, only to see Miller drop the ball.
Neither Miller or Thomas could block a pop up ad, much less a blitzer. But, in this area I would say that Thomas again has Miller beaten. Miller is just plain horrible in all aspects of blocking. Thomas is at least almost decent.
Tough running? I saw Miller FINISH a run in the first preseason game. He gained 3 yards as opposed to 1 on the play. In the past, the exact situation would have been a 1 yard carry for Miller. While Thomas is most certainly not Jim Brown, Miller is even worse when it comes to finishing runs and getting tough yardage.
Hasn't Lamar Miller had issues fumbling the ball?
Lamar Miller has some good speed for a RB. That is about the only quality I see when I watch him. His big play ability is limited despite his speed because he does not have great vision for a RB. We saw the one play last year where he actually made a couple of nice, shifty, moves, only to fail to see the lane to the endzone when he got to the open field, and he wound up fumbling the ball when being tackled.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if Daniel Thomas needs to be cut, so does Lamar Miller. If I had to choose between the two, I honestly would prefer Thomas. But, again, I am in favor of cutting Thomas at this point. I just would not keep Miller either. He simply is not good.
Personally, I would roll with Moreno and Williams as my 1-2 punch. Moreno is an excellent blocker and receiver out of the backfield. I would have him in for almost all 3rd downs of any distance 3 yards or greater. But, I would not classify him as a 3rd down back or use him only in those situations. Moreno would be my primary guy to begin the season and he would get the bulk of the snaps. I would however give Williams plenty of opportunities on 1st and 2nd downs.
For a 3rd RB, I would look to the FA market. BenJarvis Green Ellis was recently cut. I know he is not a great player, but he was largely cut for salary reasons. Bring him in on a one year deal. He is a veteran with experience and is a HUGE upgrade over Lamar Miller. Let Williams be the big play threat as a RB and let the two vets handle the rest. If you aren't a huge fan of Green-Ellis, I am sure there will be one or two other guys available by later today who can do a serviceable job as a 3rd option at RB.
But, why is there a lack of criticism for Lamar Miller on FH? What does Lamar Miller do better than Thomas?
Lamar Miller does provide the occasional threat of a big gain. Miller has some decent speed as a RB. The problem is that these carries are few and far between for Miller. It seems that he needs a huge opening in order to advance 4 yards or more beyond the LOS. So Miller has Thomas beaten in the big play threat department. Aside from that, what does Lamar Miller bring to the team that makes him so much better than Thomas?
Daniel Thomas is not great as a pass catcher, but he is decent. Lamar Miller is HORRIBLE as a receiver out of the backfield. Again, he can make a big play on occasion if he catches the ball in space, the problem for Miller seems to be CATCHING it. I can recall a couple of really nice bucket throws by Tannehill to Miller, where a huge play would have been made, only to see Miller drop the ball.
Neither Miller or Thomas could block a pop up ad, much less a blitzer. But, in this area I would say that Thomas again has Miller beaten. Miller is just plain horrible in all aspects of blocking. Thomas is at least almost decent.
Tough running? I saw Miller FINISH a run in the first preseason game. He gained 3 yards as opposed to 1 on the play. In the past, the exact situation would have been a 1 yard carry for Miller. While Thomas is most certainly not Jim Brown, Miller is even worse when it comes to finishing runs and getting tough yardage.
Hasn't Lamar Miller had issues fumbling the ball?
Lamar Miller has some good speed for a RB. That is about the only quality I see when I watch him. His big play ability is limited despite his speed because he does not have great vision for a RB. We saw the one play last year where he actually made a couple of nice, shifty, moves, only to fail to see the lane to the endzone when he got to the open field, and he wound up fumbling the ball when being tackled.
I guess what I am trying to say is that if Daniel Thomas needs to be cut, so does Lamar Miller. If I had to choose between the two, I honestly would prefer Thomas. But, again, I am in favor of cutting Thomas at this point. I just would not keep Miller either. He simply is not good.
Personally, I would roll with Moreno and Williams as my 1-2 punch. Moreno is an excellent blocker and receiver out of the backfield. I would have him in for almost all 3rd downs of any distance 3 yards or greater. But, I would not classify him as a 3rd down back or use him only in those situations. Moreno would be my primary guy to begin the season and he would get the bulk of the snaps. I would however give Williams plenty of opportunities on 1st and 2nd downs.
For a 3rd RB, I would look to the FA market. BenJarvis Green Ellis was recently cut. I know he is not a great player, but he was largely cut for salary reasons. Bring him in on a one year deal. He is a veteran with experience and is a HUGE upgrade over Lamar Miller. Let Williams be the big play threat as a RB and let the two vets handle the rest. If you aren't a huge fan of Green-Ellis, I am sure there will be one or two other guys available by later today who can do a serviceable job as a 3rd option at RB.
