Zach Miller Could Add "WildJag" Wrinkle To Jacksonville's Offense

When Jacksonville drafted Zach Miller in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft, there were some Jaguar fans who let out a collective groan.

They had to be feeling a little bit of deja vu.

It wasn't that long ago that the team drafted a player who was a quarterback with the hopes of using him at another position in the NFL.

And we all know how that turned out.

But Miller, a quarterback from Nebraska-Omaha, seems to be handling the transition to tight end quite nicely.

In a recent story written by jaguars.com Senior Editor Vic Ketchman (http://jaguars.com/news/article.aspx?id=7944), General Manager Gene Smith and Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter gushed about the new weapon.

"Dirk likes to utilize the tight end in the offense," Smith said in Ketchman's article.

"The young guy, Zach Miller, has really progressed. He's shown he can mismatch with a safety. You've got the Owen Daniels, Dallas Clark types. He's faster than both those guys."

"I think Zach Miller is an excellent prospect," Koetter said. "For our scouting department to find that guy; his athleticism jumps out at you, his eagerness to learn and his willingness to compete. I would've never guessed he's as fast as he is."

I would not be surprised to see Miller get on the field immediately as a tight end, especially because Marcedes Lewis hasn't shown the ability to be a consistent threat in the passing game.

But what I (and I'm sure other Jaguar fans) would really like to see is Miller harness that athletic ability and get the ball in his hands as much as possibly.

Namely, I'd like to see Miller run the Wildcat.

Whether the Wildcat is a passing fad (Pete Prisco seems to think so) or a viable offensive option, I can't really say.

What I can say is that it's an interesting wrinkle that even caught Bill Belichick off-guard the first time he saw it.

And Zach Miller seems like he would be a perfect candidate to run the offense.

You've already heard Smith and Koetter gush about Miller's speed, which is a critical component to running this particular offense.

In college, he proved that he was just as dangerous running the ball as he was throwing.

During his senior year, he threw for 1,508 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 64.2 percent of his passes.

He also led the team in rushing with 1,061 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in three games in 2008.

His ability to pass adds an entirely new dimension to the Wildcat, a dimension that a bright offensive mind like Koetter could have a lot of fun with.

Hopefully he'll have the foresight to use Miller accordingly.