Should Dolphins keep Miller or Vernon?
By Sean Denison
The Miami Dolphins have a difficult question. Keep Lamar Miller or Olivier Vernon? Do you take your top running back the last two seasons, or do you invest in an up-and-coming defensive end with tremendous upside?
Besides both being born and bred in the Sunshine State and starring at the University of Miami, Lamar Miller and Olivier Vernon are quite different: one is underutilized and the other hasn’t lived up to expectations. With both Vernon and Miller set to be free agents, the Dolphins may have to face the harsh reality of keeping only one of these talented players on their roster moving forward.
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Like any team in the offseason, the Dolphins are faced with the difficult task of putting together a group of players that they think gives their team the best chance to win in 2016. During this process, they’re faced with the grueling task of deciding what players to cut, trade, let flirt with free agency, or what contracts need to be restructured.
Despite coming off a down year, Lamar Miller has been the rock in the Dolphins’ backfield the past two seasons. During this period, he’s ranked fifth or higher in yards per attempt, and more impressively, has the most combined rushing yards in the AFC.
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Olivier Vernon, on the other hand, is a different story. Exploding on the scene in his second season in the NFL, Vernon recorded 11.5 sacks and was deemed an important piece for the Dolphins defense’s future. However, Vernon’s last two seasons haven’t lived up to the hype he created in his second year, recording only 14 total sacks in that time span. Despite this, in Vernon’s last seven games of the 2015 season, his stock rose significantly as he recorded 5.5 sacks and routinely harassed opposing QB’s, ranking as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL per Pro Football Focus.
So, the question remains for the Dolphins: who is more important, and who’s worth the money?
The fact that Miami has underutilized Miller is a concern. In fact, Miller has been begging for more carries the last two seasons. Despite being one of the most productive players in the league out of the backfield, Miller has only carried the ball 20 or more times two times in his entire career as a member of the Miami Dolphins; for a player as talented as Miller, that doesn’t sit well. Certainly, you can’t blame a guy looking for a situation to maximize his talent and personal brand.
Vernon will also garner attention from around the NFL. With his size, speed, and young age, Vernon will be a hot commodity in a market starving for a pass-rusher.
The Dolphins may have to wait and see how the market dictates Miller and Vernon’s value before they make a decision, but they may be stuck in a situation where they need to pull the trigger on one before they lose both.