brian leonard

[Bleu Star]

oh...........and witten and terrell owens will be unleashed the likes the nfl has ever seen.

Although the potential Norv signing leaves me severely underwhelmed, this I am very excited about.

 

[SteamedSoup]

Expecting another Moose is about as unfair as expecting Romo to magically turn into Aikman. He can't just reproduce those results. If he could, he'd still be coaching in DC and they'd have statues of him erected.

Where was Norv's Aikman in Washington? In Oakland? Where was his Moose?

You see my point.

 

[BigDFan5]

So the best part about hiring a bad head coach is that he may draft a FB that's to small to be a Fb because he wants to be a RB?

This is good news?

 

[diehard2294]

I like him,he has good hands is a solid runner,and blocks pretty good. He is kidding himself though if he thinks he is going to play at HB. I wouldn't mind him,just dont know what round he is projected to go

 

[marchetta]

Brian Leonard RB/FB Rutgers​

STRENGTHS
Brian has excellent size, speed and talent to play multiple positions at the next level. He is a very smart player and an excellent team player. He is playing multiple positions for his college team and has been solid in executing all phases of those positions. Brian has played Tailback, Fullback, H-back and I have even seen him line up in the slot as a receiver. This kid has the athletic talent to be a weapon at the next level. He can block like a fullback and picks up the blitz in the passing game like a RB. He still has not scratched the surface of his RB talents. He reminds me a lot of John Riggins (former RB - Washington Commanders).

NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Brian has the same problem as Brian Urlacher when he came out in the draft. They both are so talented and athletic and have great character that it is too good to be true. Most scouts will try to nitpick this kid to death in the hope that he will drop to them in the draft. Of course I’m not sure how well the “Leonard Leap” will work in the NFL, but I’ll let Brian decide that for himself.

TALENT BOARD ROUND: 1
If someone tells you that Brian reminds them of Mike Alstott (FB - Tampa Bay Bucs), you know right away that they are listening to a scout who is trying to downgrade Brian and praying he is there for his team to pick late in the draft. Brian has more athletic talent in his left butt cheek than Mike Alstott ever thought of having. Brian has the same athletic talent that Brian Urlacher has. As I stated earlier - he reminds me a lot of John Riggins (former RB Washington Commanders) and I believe he will have the same impact on the NFL as Riggins did in his career. I personally consider Brian a top ten pick in this draft, but I’m sure he will not be picked in the top ten. The scouts know that a player who is a Fullback/ H-Back in college is not going to be picked in the top ten; however, I would if I was picking in these slots. Brian can play any position he wants and in a system you need him to play in. Tackling him on a sweep in the NFL is going to scare the living crap out of those itsy bitsy CB’s and safeties. To them, he is going to look like Jason in one of those Friday the 13th movies. I can just see him playing for the Denver Broncos and becoming the feature back in their system. I can see him becoming the featured back in any system for any team in the NFL. I’m going to call him Brian (Jason) Leonard because if you put a hockey mask on him and tell him to run, he is just going to scare the living crap out of you just like Jason did in all those Friday the 13th movies.

- Drew Boylhart (thehuddlereport.com)

 

[StanleySpadowski]

I'm sorry but that's one of the stupidiest draft player reviews I've ever read. Sounds like it was written by a 13 year old girl with a crush.

If Leonard is a top ten worthy player, then Rice, the back who beat him out, must be the greatest prospect since Jim Brown.

 

[cobra]

I would certainly take Leonard in the 2nd round.

I wouldn't be devastated if we drafted him in the 1st round because I think he will be a excellent NFL player, but I would feel like we reached a bit. That is, assuming he doesn't destroy the combine.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I would certainly take Leonard in the 2nd round.

I wouldn't be devastated if we drafted him in the 1st round because I think he will be a excellent NFL player, but I would feel like we reached a bit. That is, assuming he doesn't destroy the combine.

a jack of all trades guy who isn't exceptional at anything, you think that's a wise choice early in the draft?

 

[joseephuss]

a jack of all trades guy who isn't exceptional at anything, you think that's a wise choice early in the draft?

Dallas does need a more all around FB. Hoyte showed some good stuff as a lead blocker, but that was all he did. He was truly one dimensional. Defenses did not have to pay attention to him in the passing game and I don't think he was too adept at picking up blitzes. He was only playing fullback for the first time in his life, so maybe he will learn to do other things. He needs to because the full back should be able to provide a little more than just blocking.

A few seasons ago, Dallas had Richie Anderson. He was almost an all around full back. Could run, could catch, but his weakness was blocking. That doesn't work too well either.

The primary skill the full back needs to bring is blocking. Then you work out from that. A jack of all trades would be welcome as long as his best trade is blocking.

Edit:
I don't know anything about this particular full back. I don't know if he meets my criteria.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

A jack of all trades would be welcome as long as his best trade is blocking.

which isn't Leonard, he's just a pumped-up RB

I like the guy, but I wouldn't spend a high pick on him

 

[cobra]

a jack of all trades guy who isn't exceptional at anything, you think that's a wise choice early in the draft?

Well, I wouldn't characterize him as that to begin with, but I know what you are getting at.

To answer your question: yes, I'd be fine with such a player in the 2nd round.

If for some reason he destroyed the combine and some of the other guys really fall, I would entertain the idea of him earlier.

The reason? I think he is a gamer. Maybe he isn't exceptional at any one thing, but in the totality of things, I think he is the kind of guy who helps you win. There will come a point, early in the draft, where he is the best player available. And it just so happens, he is the kind of player who would fill a need on this team.

Odds are that whoever we draft is not going to start right away, especially if we go OL or WR. Brian Leonard would start, so he is likely to have a bigger impact out of the game. I think there might also be a couple safety prospects who would start right away and have an impact.

Picking players is really a crap shoot anyhow. The only real indicators for me for success is guys who have good motors and performed well at the college level. So anyone we take isn't a sure thing. But if you could tell me that I could secure a valuable addition at FB/H-back for the next 5-10 years by taking Leonard in the first, then I would do that in the heart beat.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Dallas does need a more all around FB. Hoyte showed some good stuff as a lead blocker, but that was all he did. He was truly one dimensional. Defenses did not have to pay attention to him in the passing game and I don't think he was too adept at picking up blitzes. He was only playing fullback for the first time in his life, so maybe he will learn to do other things. He needs to because the full back should be able to provide a little more than just blocking.

A few seasons ago, Dallas had Richie Anderson. He was almost an all around full back. Could run, could catch, but his weakness was blocking. That doesn't work too well either.

The primary skill the full back needs to bring is blocking. Then you work out from that. A jack of all trades would be welcome as long as his best trade is blocking.

Edit:
I don't know anything about this particular full back. I don't know if he meets my criteria.

Richie Anderson is a very good comparision. The question then becomes how highly would you draft Anderson if you knew the career he would have.

 

[cobra]

which isn't Leonard, he's just a pumped-up RB

I think you are underselling his blocking ability.

He certainly isn't a devastating lead blocker. But he isn't like putting Julius Jones at FB. He has as much lead blocking skill as Polite or any of the other spares we have thrown out there.

The thing that makes him such a valuable player is that he is also a very good runner and an even better receiver (a lot like Richie Anderson). Thus he can do a lot more than just a single dimension lead blocker.

But you overstate your case if you suggest he is a poor lead blocker. That is incorrect. He is actually pretty good at it--not great, but pretty good. And he, of course, develop that skill to be better at it with the right instruction.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

I think you are underselling his blocking ability.

in the Senior Bowl workouts, he wasn't very good at holding his ground in blocking, the only thing that really stood out was his pass-receiving ability

and him being 225 isn't conducive to lead-blocking

 

[cobra]

Richie Anderson is a very good comparision. The question then becomes how highly would you draft Anderson if you knew the career he would have.

That was kind of my point earlier.

It's such a crap shoot. If you could guarantee the career he had, it would almost be worth it.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

if we're still going to employ the F-back position, Brian Leonard in the 3rd would be ideal, but if we're going to more 2-back sets, Norv's standard of O, I wouldn't take Leonard very high

 

[StanleySpadowski]

That was kind of my point earlier.

It's such a crap shoot. If you could guarantee the career he had, it would almost be worth it.

So you'd have been willing to give up a first rounder for Anderson at some point in his career?

 

[Woods]

Is he comparable to L. Betts of the Skins as well?

If so, I think spending a 2nd rounder is reasonable.

(I've never had the opportunity to watch Leonard play.)