Stuck behind Kenyan Drake and Frank Gore, Ballage was basically invisible to begin his rookie season, seeing most of his action on special teams and not playing more than eight offensive snaps in a game until Week 15, when Gore got hurt in the first quarter. Ballage immediately seized his opportunity, erupting for 123 yards and a TD on only 12 carries. The Arizona State product fizzled the final two weeks, but that performance was enough for Miami to let Gore walk in free agency and head into 2019 with Ballage poised for a much larger role. Athletically, he has all the tools you want in a feature back, and his wheels in the open field are elite --- on his 75-yard TD run against Minnesota he topped out at 21.87 mph, the seventh-fastest speed recorded in the league last year. Ballage never really put everything together in college, though, and one good week in the pros does not a career make. With Drake at the top of the depth chart, the second-year back's workload is no sure thing, but new offensive coordinator Chad O'Shea's background under Bill Belichick hints at a backfield committee. The team didn't bring in much competition in the draft or free agency, so Ballage should get every opportunity to demonstrate he can handle more snaps, especially after Drake suffered a foot injury in mid-August. Read Past Outlooks