Late-round draft pick making strong case for Patriots' No. 3 RB role

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Jam Miller is making a strong case for one of the most intriguing roster battles that has emerged throughout training camp, and his performance in the New England Patriots' first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts will only improve his chances. After coming off the non-football injury list, Terrell Jennings immediately stepped back into the third running back spot, but he was placed on season-ending injured reserve ahead of Thursday's game. So, with that, it was Miller who had a prime opportunity in the game and took advantage of it. The rookie running back finished with a team-high 14 carries for 55 yards. Lan Larison, who has also been nabbed as a potential candidate for that third spot, recorded one yard on seven total carries. "It was good to see Jam come out and have some nice runs," head coach Mike Vrabel said after the game. "I felt like he ran with his pads down and had a couple physical runs, and was happy for him. This is a great evaluation. We can start to figure out guys that can and start to figure out guys that can’t, too." Miller also reflected on his first NFL game action, highlighting what he can bring to the team. "I would say aggressive. Aggressive with a little bit of speed in it, but I’m just going to do whatever I can do to help this team win," he said, also talking about his efforts as a teammate. “When I’m at my best, I feel like I have to continue to encourage everyone else to keep going and keep fighting. Somebody might have a bad play in the previous play and probably a little word of encouragement can probably change the whole mindset and make the next big play." Miller isn't blind to the ongoing battle, and while he has created bonds with the other running backs, he is also doing his best to earn a spot. “I feel like every team has a battle, everybody is battling from starting quarterback to starting running back—everybody is just competing," Miller said. "Like I said, everybody is cool, everybody is friends, but at the end of the day, I’m pretty sure everyone knows that this is a business. For me, I’m just trying to earn a spot on this team.” Along with Jennings, the team also put undrafted rookie running back Myles Montgomery on injured reserve and, in corresponding moves, signed Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty. All the backs got opportunities in the first game. So, does Vrabel feel like that third running back is already on the roster? "Yeah, I mean, I think you try to see what you have in the young guys, and then those guys are veterans," he explained. "They’ve played. They’re probably two different style of backs, but I like both of them personally. We’ve had some experience with JaMycal, and then going back to Tennessee with Hassan. I think it’s probably too early to tell for both of them. I know that they’re going to compete, but we just got them yesterday to be able to get them ready for the game. I appreciate Tony Dews’ efforts to be able to do that." Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Late-round draft pick making strong case for Patriots' No. 3 RB role