Dolphins Sign Phillips To Bolster Running Game

Lawrence Phillips will have two assignments as the Miami Dolphins’ new running back: Get into the end zone and stay out of trouble.

It’s hard to say which challenge will be greater for the unpredictable, underachieving Phillips.

Coach Jimmy Johnson and the Dolphins gave Phillips a second chance Tuesday when they signed him through 1998.

Phillips, 22, was leading the St. Louis Rams in rushing when they released him Nov. 20 for disciplinary reasons. He was the No. 6 pick in the 1996 draft but was plagued by legal problems while with St. Louis.

Johnson doesn’t expect Phillips to contribute immediately. If Phillips’ behavior is satisfactory, he could provide the solution to Miami’s moribund ground game. With Karim Abdul-Jabbar at running back, the Dolphins rank next-to-last in the NFL in rushing.