Lamar needs open run lanes. It's that simple. We schemed him open for most of his big runs and his 4.5 ypc was a function of those schemed wins, not OL dominance or RB dominance. With Houston asking him to carry the ball that much, he will need OL dominance because scheme can only get you open runs about 10 or 12 times a game. When you have 30 touches, you need the OL to open those run lanes. He is the same runner he used to be. Put him into a secondary and watch him outrun people. But, if you require him to break through arm tackles, he isn't that type of back.
Vernon was the case of a good and ascending DL being the recipient of being on a DL with Suh and Wake. He rarely saw double-teams, and often had the blind side solo. He was going to put up numbers in a contract year ... and he did, and we thank him for that. But, he came out in the perfect year, with no real pass rushers coming out, so we simply couldn't afford him. He knew it, we knew it, so either we sign him a year earlier, or we let him walk. With the offers he saw, we were never going to stand a chance. He isn't worth that kind of money, and all parties concerned realize this. I wish him luck, but it's time to move on.
We are building a team. If these guys are going to be cornerstones, re-sign them with a year or more left. If not, we need to be at peace with letting them find greener pastures. Honestly, if we had both players today they wouldn't make much difference. Miller would have the same issues that all of our RB's are having ... no holes through which to run. Vernon hasn't performed as well as Mario Williams, so he would be an expensive rotational guy who starts in front of Wake and shifts to the weak side (with Williams shifting inside next to Suh) for obvious passing downs.
