Why so little love for the smaller RBs?

[blumayne38]

Sproles is not a feature back.

Never was never will b...he is a great asset to an offense though cuz he creates matchup problems

 

[Rogerthat12]

Never was never will b...he is a great asset to an offense though cuz he creates matchup problems

Exactly, great as an asset but a bad example of a small RB as a feature back.

 

[blumayne38]

But lets all get real here you never know the great ones u can only hope your scouting department does its job in bringing in the best prospects, that being said seems like dallas has had some good luck in this department for the most part..

 

[WV Cowboy]

If you have payed football your entire life and make it to the nfl and get drafted on draft day the chances are he has been "hit" b4 now if u get steam rolled thats your fault like i said its hard for bigger guys to get lower then a smaller guy generally they hust fall ontop of them

'Nobody' gets hit in college like they get hit in the NFL.

Sometimes they don't even see it coming as they go through the hole. Today's NFL is a whole different monster.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

There is no proof, that I am aware of, that the team has a preference, as to size of a back. I think they just want a back who can do all the things that the offense requires of the position. Now, there may be a profile that they try to stick to in the draft process. Most smart teams do this and have that. However, our Head Coach has seen and played with both bigger backs and smaller backs, while in the NFL. He has played with Emmitt and Tiki Barber, Ron Dayne and many others. He has coached MB3, Felix, Murray and many others of all sizes. I think he's seen both big and small have success and fail.

I am not all that worried about our team making the right decision here. JMO

 

[WV Cowboy]

I am not all that worried about our team making the right decision here. JMO

Right, size won't determine the final decision.

 

[Rogerthat12]

There is no proof, that I am aware of, that the team has a preference, as to size of a back. I think they just want a back who can do all the things that the offense requires of the position. Now, there may be a profile that they try to stick to in the draft process. Most smart teams do this and have that. However, our Head Coach has seen and played with both bigger backs and smaller backs, while in the NFL. He has played with Emmitt and Tiki Barber, Ron Dayne and many others. He has coached MB3, Felix, Murray and many others of all sizes. I think he's seen both big and small have success and fail.

I am not all that worried about our team making the right decision here. JMO

Jerry and company have stated they are looking for a feature back for ball control that can handle the load.

They have not mentioned size specifically but by implication, if it is a small back, he has to be able to run inside with power.

Jerry did say specifically, they do not want a scat back or third down back, what that means is open to interpretation I suppose.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Right, size won't determine the final decision.

Yep, it is ability and fit.

 

[Doomsday101]

Why do they have to be "big" to do that generally if u stay low and keep moving your feet thats all you need to turn a 1 yard loss into a 2 yard gain

I did not say they had to be big there have been some smaller backs who have power to me the ability to have the strength to drive the ball forward in pile matters but size of the RB will not determine that

 

[blumayne38]

'Nobody' gets hit in college like they get hit in the NFL.

Sometimes they don't even see it coming as they go through the hole. Today's NFL is a whole different monster.

Its football

 

[Alexander]

There is no proof, that I am aware of, that the team has a preference, as to size of a back.

I think that is pretty evident that the team has physical prototypes at many positions not just RB. Look at WR. If you are not six foot or above, you are outside their threshold.

 

[Alexander]

Who is overlooking the so-called smaller RB's? The Cowboys organization or the fans?

I may be wrong, but I think the question was about the organization.

They have shied away from smaller backs like Duke Ferguson and Ameer Abdullah in favor of bigger backs, so it seems evident they want runners who can take the pounding.

 

[Gaede]

Abdullah is one of my favorite backs in this draft, but you just can't ignore the fumbling. 1 in35 is just horrendous

I like Duke, just not sure how he fits it in here. I think the team is looking for a plugger, dirty yards type

 

[CATCH17]

I don't care about the height..

I care more about the build.


Emmitt was short but built like a tank.


These 5'9 185lb RB are just specialty players.

 

[Derinyar]

One of my first complaints about a discussion like this is very simple. Don't use hall of fame players to base your argument on. Its not really applicable, first they are likely 15 years from their draft at minimum and they tend to be special players either traits or abilities or something else. Emmitt was smaller for what we think of right now. I'll bet that he wasn't significantly smaller then his average contemporary.

The one real worry about smaller backs is if you're looking for a 3 down back the smaller back frequently has issues in pass protection. If you're looking for rotational guys size isn't as much of an issue.

 

[WV Cowboy]

Its football

LOL, .. surely you aren't suggesting that college football is as physical as the NFL?

I watched Tavon Austin at WVU rush for over 300 yards or something ridiculous like that from the RB position against Oklahoma.
I'm not sure he would survive an entire game from the RB position in the NFL.

 

[Oh_Canada]

Right. Like Sproles.

When's the last time he carried the ball twenty times in a game?

 

[blumayne38]

LOL, .. surely you aren't suggesting that college football is as physical as the NFL?

I watched Tavon Austin at WVU rush for over 300 yards or something ridiculous like that from the RB position against Oklahoma.
I'm not sure he would survive an entire game from the RB position in the NFL.

Guess we will never know ... But i assume to you its a easy question

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Willaims, Dunbar and Randle are small RBs....then there is McFadden who doesn't exactly bring a huge physical style to his game.

Dallas needs a big physical RB. A Goalline 3 yards and a cloud of dust kind of banger. That's why I like the 215lb and over backs in the Draft.

 

[Rogerthat12]

I think the team is looking for a plugger, dirty yards type

I think you nailed it!