Knowshon Moreno off to sloppy beginning with Dolphins

Knowshon Moreno needed a career-year in Denver. Otherwise, he was about to wash out in the NFL, given he was in the final season of his rookie contract in 2013.

With the Broncos, Moreno went from third on the depth chart to starter during the offseason and preseason, and wound up finishing last year's regular season with 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns.

As a result, he signed a new deal with Miami this offseason. However, he has reportedly gotten off to a poor start.

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson writes that Moreno has not looked good at the start of OTAs.

"Knowshon Moreno continues to work at least partly with the second team, with Lamar Miller taking a lot of first team snaps," Jackson wrote. "Moreno dropped a pass today and Joe Philbin conceded that his conditioning could be better."

That's a bad sign for someone that played the part of a No. 1 running back well next to Peyton Manning. If Moreno can't beat out Miller then he has issues moving forward in the NFL.

When Moreno puts in the effort, he's a tough back to stop. He has all of the natural athletic ability in the world. It's just a matter of getting his drive in high gear to want to be one of the best in the NFL. If that switch clicks on for Moreno, much like it did last season in Denver, then he'll be fine in Miami.

Otherwise, his time in South Beach will be short lived.

Follow me on twitter: @JasonHButt

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