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Dallas Cowboys Rumors: Lamar Miller Could Be Signing With The Cowboys

By Phillip Dengler
Published on: 06:14 PST, Mar 8, 2016

After finishing with a 4-12 record in the awful NFC East last year, the Dallas Cowboys are looking to bounce back in a big way for the 2016 season. With free agency officially set to begin at 4 p.m. on March 9, rumors are swirling regarding the Cowboys and potential moves that they have in store. The latest reports are claiming that former Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller could be signing with Dallas.

While Cowboys running back Darren McFadden had a surprisingly solid season last year, the team is still looking to upgrade the position. At 28-years-old, McFadden is not exactly an old man, but he is reaching the age where running backs start to decline.

Miller will turn 25-years-old in April, and he was severely underutilized by the Dolphins over the course of his career. Despite showing flashes of brilliance when given the football, the Dolphins refused to make Miller a big part of their game plan. Instead, they opted to try to win games with Ryan Tannehill’s arm, which proved to be a disaster.

As reported by the Sun Sentinel, the Cowboys are currently one of two front-runners for Miller’s services, along with the Houston Texans.

“According to multiple sources, the former University of Miami standout will not be returning to the Miami Dolphins, leaving his hometown team for a more lucrative offer. The Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys appear to be the front-runners for Miller, who contributed 1,269 total yards and led the Dolphins with 10 touchdowns last season. However, the negotiations are on-going, and his landing spot could change before Wednesday, which is the first day NFL teams can sign players to contracts. But it appears that Miami has thrown in the towel on retaining the 24-year-old, and is shifted its efforts towards pursuing other tailbacks.”

With Miller not returning to the Dolphins, the Cowboys are probably the most desirable destination for the young running back. While the Cowboys finished in last place in the NFC East last season, they are expected to be a much better team moving forward. Injuries to quarterback Tony Romo and Dez Bryant were too much for the Cowboys to overcome, but both players are expected to be back at 100 percent for the 2016 season.

While Miller is a much different runner than former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, he would still fit in extremely well. After rushing for 1,099 yards and eight touchdowns in 2014, the Dolphins went away from Miller last year. Regardless, his 872 yards rushing and eight touchdowns were still solid, despite the limited play. He was also more involved in the passing game last year. He caught 47 balls for 397 yards and two touchdowns.

Miller’s solid numbers came despite poor quarterback play from Tannehill and no real receiving threats on the outside. If Miller joins the Cowboys, he would have one of the top quarterback and wide receiver duos in the league in Romo and Bryant to open things up. The Cowboys offensive line is also one of the best in the league, which is something that Miller did not have in Miami.

The running back position has been devalued in recent years, but being able to run the football remains one of the most important aspects for a championship team’s success. As seen last year, the Philadelphia Eagles got burned when they signed DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews. There are countless other examples of team’s throwing big money at aging running backs, but the situation with Miller is different. As NFL Spin Zone notes, Miller has the potential for greatness with more carries.

While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes that Tony Romo has another five years left of football, it is vital that they surround him with the most amount of talent possible this season. When healthy, Romo is still an elite quarterback, but injuries are starting to catch up to the Cowboys signal caller. As reported by the Inquisitr, Doug Martin and Arian Foster are other options, but Lamar Miller provides the highest upside out of the group.

Rumors will continue to come out linking the Dallas Cowboys to free agent running back Lamar Miller. While Darren McFadden had a solid year for the Cowboys at running back last season, do not be surprised if Miller is brought in to give the Cowboys the potential for a truly elite running game.

[Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]

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