Parmele, Hilliard show potential to fill key roles

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/football/pro/dolphins/sfl-flspdolphins07sbmay07,0,3877368.story

Late-round backs aim for early success

By Harvey Fialkov
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

May 7, 2008

DAVIE - Since drafting Jim Kiick in the fifth round 40 years ago, the Dolphins have had little success with late-round running backs.

The new regime of Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells and General Manager Jeff Ireland is attempting to buck that trend with sixth-round running backs Jalen Parmele (No. 176) and Lex Hilliard (204).

The Dolphins are counting on Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to share most of the workload, but their potential backups looked sharp at last weekend's rookie minicamp, particularly the 5-foot-11, 225-pound Parmele, who displayed a good burst off the line.

"I tried to run like Ricky because he ran with power," said Parmele, who gained 1,511 yards (5.5 per carry) with 14 touchdowns his senior season at Toledo. "I expect to learn from both of them and improve from them."

Ireland issued a challenge to Parmele when he said during his draft recap, "We feel like right now he's going to be the third running back."

"That put pressure on me to prove I could be out there getting things done and to learn the offense as best and as fast as I can," said Parmele, who laughs when asked if he's the son of former Dolphins running back Bernie Parmalee (no relation).

Both rookie backs tend to bowl over defenders instead of running around them.

"Most of the plays I remember of Lex is of him going up on a big safety and just laying him down as he goes by," said Dolphins rookie kicker Dan Carpenter, who played with Hilliard at Montana.

Hilliard, a 5-11, 234-pounder, holds the school record with 52 touchdowns, bouncing back from a torn Achilles' tendon that cost him the 2006 season.

"I was thinking it was all over," said Hilliard, who came back to gain 1,134 yards with 16 touchdowns in 2007 to earn the team MVP award. "It's pretty easy to drop your head when you're injured and can't play. I just surrounded myself with good people who helped me through it."

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano likes Hilliard's versatility as a possible fullback and special teams stalwart.

"When you see guys that do those kinds of things and put those kinds of numbers up in the evaluation process, obviously that's important for you," Sparano said.

Parmele and Hilliard will be competing with running back Patrick Cobbs, as well as fullbacks Reagan Mauia and Boomer Grigsby for roster spots.

Poppinga follows brother's lead

Former BYU linebacker Kelly Poppinga had 113 tackles, including 7.5 for losses last season, but it wasn't enough to get drafted.

Poppinga, the younger brother of Packers linebacker Brady, was thrilled to be signed by the Dolphins and hopes to add depth at inside linebacker along with Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor.

"The one thing [Brady] told me is you have to make plays," said Poppinga, 25, a Mormon who spent two years on a mission in Ecuador. "You have to show the coaches that you're there and you're going to help them win. If you show them that, you're going to be on the team. Hopefully I've done that this weekend."

[YoFuggedaboutit]

This fits Parcell's theory of running backs being a dime a dozen and good ones can be had in the later rounds. 

His goal is probably to find the next Ryan Grant or Marion Barber.  Hopefully one of these two is it (if not both). 

[Dolphin-UK]

Or it's to folow the Denver model, if you have a good O-Line, it doesn't matter what round you draft running backs in, a 3 year old could run through the holes they create!

Then, when you have 4 running backs who all look good, beacuse they're being tackled by thin air at the point of attack, you trade them to a desperate team for draft picks and repeat, steadilly gaining picks year on year until by 2020 we own ALL the draft picks.....

oh sorry got a little carried away there...

[doctord56]

If Hilliard can catch and block, this could mean the end for the wall destroying juggenrnaut.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

If Hilliard can catch and block, this could mean the end for the wall destroying juggenrnaut.

Agreed..... especially because Boomer Grigsby is in the fold as well.