Kendre Miller has completed the first and most important step of his rookie season: Get on the field.
After missing all of rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp as he worked back from a knee injury suffered at TCU, he's been a full participant in all seven training camp practices, and he's looked good doing it.
He's looked fast, smooth and athletic, and he's delivered on his promises that his lack of pass-catching at TCU had nothing to do with his ability in that regard. But there's still a long way to go, as Deuce McAllister explained on SportsTalk this week.
Listen to the full interview with Deuce McAllister in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
"From an offensive standpoint, it’s one thing for me to hear a play, but now I’ve got to go in and actually run a play, because I’m on the clock," McAllister said on WWL. "Once the huddle is broke, I’ve got to go get lined up, I’ve got to make sure I understand and know the play, and then I’ve got to make sure I know my responsibilities.”
The learning curve is made even steeper by the potential for a big and necessary role early in the season, should Alvin Kamara land an expected suspension stemming from the assault incident in Las Vegas that was recently pleaded down and concluded in court. Miller could be playing significant snaps behind Jamaal Williams as early as Week 1, so his development will be important to watch.
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“Playing football is the easy part," McAllister continues. "It’s the processing part that he has to get comfortable with. He’s done a good job of it. He’ll still have his moment. We saw him have to run the lap where he had the fumble or maybe he missed a block or something of that nature.”
One area where McAllister sees room for growth is route-running, which could be seen in 1V1 drills. He created space, but it took too long. Speaking with Bobby Hebert, McAllister asked the former Saints QB what he'd do if he saw a running back taking 4-5 seconds to create separation.
Hebert: "I’m going somewhere else. You’re taking too long to get open."
Exactly. The nuances of playing RB in the NFL take time. We'll see over the next several weeks whether the rookie can speed up the process in time for Week 1.
“He’s got to develop things of that nature," McAllister said, "and that’s going to come with experience.”
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