Could Lamar Miller play a role for New England Patriots in 2020?
Lamar Miller has signed a deal to join the New England Patriots for 2020.
In an offseason that has been filled with multiple moving parts for the New England Patriots, one of the most storied franchises in NFL history added yet another new face to the team on Monday.
On Monday afternoon, ESPN Insider Adam Schefter reported at the Patriots agreed to a one-year contract with veteran running back Lamar Miller, adding him to the mix of an already deep running back group in Foxborough.
At 29 years old, Miller will return to the field for New England nearly a year after he tore his ACL during the preseason in 2019 with the Houston Texans.
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If he is able to get back to the field in 2020, that opportunity could come with the Patriots now with the veteran running back on the verge of joining Bill Belichick and company for the new year ahead. And with some uncertainty surrounding the overall health of the running back group in New England currently, Miller could end up playing a decent role with the Patriots this season.
For the past few years, New England has been led on the ground and oftentimes through the air by running back duo Sony Michel and James White.
Although the two running backs will return to the top of the depth chart again this year, Michel is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which resulted in the Patriots going out and adding some help at the position with Miller available.
What role will Lamar Miller have with the New England Patriots?
Miller, who just turned 29 years old in April, could provide a team — even if it’s not New England by the end of the season — with a solid option to boost the running back unit if he can get back to being healthy. Miller, after all, is a former Pro Bowl running back that was once viewed as one of the more dominant backs in the NFL.
In his most recent season in 2018, which was his seventh year in the league and third with the Texans, Miller finished that season appearing in a total of 14 regular-season games out of the backfield.
During that span, the running back finished with 973 yards on 210 carries, adding five rushing touchdowns, 163 receiving yards on 25 catches and one receiving touchdowns. He also earned his lone Pro Bowl selection during that 2018 campaign.
Throughout his career, Miller has had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons, those coming in 2014 and 2016. He has tallied a total of 5,864 career rushing yards, putting him in the top 100 for all-time career yards on the ground.
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If nothing else, taking a chance on Miller is worth a shot for New England in a season that will be much different in Foxborough with a flurry of new faces on both sides of the field. And who knows, given a chance out of the backfield, Miller could end up finding a role within the Patriots offense that will be led by a new quarterback for the first time in two decades in 2020.