Finding Help For DeMarco Murray - Storm Johnson Scouting Report

[NeonDeion21]

I love DeMarco Murray. I do. But he’s a back who is about to hit his second contract and is often banged up. So in effort to keep Murray healthy and productive, we are going to continue our search for a late-round running back that can contribute in year one for the Dallas Cowboys. Last week, we took a look at super-athlete Jerick McKinnon from Georgia Southern and how he could provide some “juice” to the Dallas Cowboys offense. Today, we are going to look at a back that you wouldn’t want to see in the fourth quarter of a close game, Storm Johnson from Central Florida.

I don’t know about you, but I miss the days when we had a running back that could grind out the tough yards late in games. Remember Marion Barber at the peak of his career? If the Cowboys had to close out a game, there was no running back in the league I would rather have had on my team than Barber. There’s no better example of that than when the Cowboys played the Atlanta Falcons on a Saturday night in Week 15 of the 2006 season. The Cowboys had the ball, up three points, with 8:50 seconds on the clock. And on the back of Marion Barber, they ran more than 6 minutes off the clock and eventually scored on a three-yard Barber run. That was smash-mouth football. I miss that. And I think Jason Garrett and company do as well.

Read the rest at: http://all22breakdown.com/?p=1019

 

[NeonDeion21]

Here's a GIF from the article in which Storm Johnson shows off his soft hands and his balance in the open field:

 

[Gaede]

Admittedly, haven't studied him. But wow, that GIF is amazing.

 

[manster4ever]

Here's a GIF from the article in which Storm Johnson shows off his soft hands and his balance in the open field:

Seen him play a few times....VERY impressive.

 

[WhizKid]

Storm is def a pet cat of mine. Dude has good all around game.

 

[bodi]

look at Glasco Martin, RB, 6-1 #220, Baylor

Glasco is the back that people should really take heed of and watch," Seastrunk said at Big 12 media days. "He's the (person) that they should fear

Martin scored 15 rushing touchdowns last season, with nine coming in the final six games after Seastrunk became a bigger part of the offense. The two combined for 1,409 yards on the ground during that stretch

 

[TheFinisher]

Storm's been the guy I want in the middle rounds for some time now, almost want to say he's got some Fred Taylor to him.

 

[TheFinisher]

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I like Storm, I really do. He sees his holes and hits them fast. His biggest knock in my eyes is that he has some potential fumbling issues that came to light late last season. He was pulled a few times in favor of Stanback and even benched one game because of it. Otherwise, good all around player. Not spectacular, but very good.

 

[TheCount]

I don't think Murray needs a compliment, he needs a backup. The only thing I worry about is the injuries - Murray should rarely be off the field otherwise.

Even worse, the team has shown they won't even let a guy sniff the field unless he can block, so that's priority #1 for anyone coming in.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Okay, so I just read the article and that is a terrible analysis to compare Storm Johnson to Barber. Johnson can get low, but does not run with anywhere near the power or determination of Barber. Heck, he would not be anywhere close to DeMarco Murray in his ability to push the pile. This article sounds like the person only watched highlights of Storm and took them as gospel on how he plays every game.

Johnson is at his best in the open field or on stretch plays. If he has a hole at the line, he will hit it fast. very fast. If the hole is not there, he can end up indecisive and even dance in the backfield instead of putting his head down and getting whatever he can. Also, his pass protection can be inconsistent. He looked all world some games and simply terrible others. He got more consistent as 2013 went on, but he will need to keep improving to warrant protecting Romo on passing downs. The deficiencies listed above are just a few of the reasons he could not supplant Latavius Murray in 2012.

The article points out that he does not have any attributes that stand out. I would counter that by saying that he hits his top speed incredibly fast. So, while he may end up being run down eventually, he will create a gap between himself and defenders because of his quick acceleration. He also catches the ball extremely well. Certainly worth the pick if he does in fact last until the 6th, but people that have only watched his Youtube clips need to know that he is currently inferior to DeMarco Murray in every phase of the game.

 

[tm1119]

I don't think Murray needs a compliment, he needs a backup. The only thing I worry about is the injuries - Murray should rarely be off the field otherwise.

Even worse, the team has shown they won't even let a guy sniff the field unless he can block, so that's priority #1 for anyone coming in.

I think our new O coordinator might disagree. His offense excelled when he had Bush and Bell both going at the same time. Plus we can't be naive enough to think that Murray isn't going to miss at least 3-4 games.

 

[bodi]

this just my opinion - I say draft a new running back every 2 to 3 years - and don't extend them unless you find another quality rb

or even M Barber but just keep him for more than 3 years

like every one says on here RB'S are dime a dozen

 

[TheCount]

I think our new O coordinator might disagree. His offense excelled when he had Bush and Bell both going at the same time. Plus we can't be naive enough to think that Murray isn't going to miss at least 3-4 games.

I don't know that Bush is the guy to bring up to counter my argument. My entire point is that Murray is a complete back, Reggie isn't. Everywhere he goes, the team will always want a guy to compliment him and take over in short yardage.

 

[Alexander]

this just my opinion - I say draft a new running back every 2 to 3 years - and don't extend them unless you find another quality rb

or even M Barber but just keep him for more than 3 years

like every one says on here RB'S are dime a dozen

Only a fool gives a second contract to a RB that cannot stay healthy.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

I think he is a very good fit in a zone blocking offense. With his quick feet and acceleration, he is good at finding the crease and hitting that hole hard. He isn't going to outrun many folks in the NFL, but there is a lot to be said for the guy that can get positive yards all the time. His pass catching ability is a plus but I think he has to work in pass blocking.

 

[tm1119]

I don't know that Bush is the guy to bring up to counter my argument. My entire point is that Murray is a complete back, Reggie isn't. Everywhere he goes, the team will always want a guy to compliment him and take over in short yardage.

Bell had 166 carries and 53 catches. I think that's a little more than just a short yardage back.

 

[TheCount]

Bell had 166 carries and 53 catches. I think that's a little more than just a short yardage back.

Everywhere he goes, the team will always want a guy to compliment him and take over in short yardage.

Reggie has always existed in a tandem AND never been trusted in short yardage or goal line. Murray can block, he can break the long run, he can run short yardage, he can catch and he can sniff out the endzone in the redzone. Obviously you want a guy to spell him, but my entire point was that you're not taking him off the field because of something he CAN'T do.

 

[Hardline]

I want a RB that is capable of starting and getting 20-30 carries a game if Murray goes down. I am not interested in a change of pace or a complementary back.

 

[Cowboy06]

I want a RB that is capable of starting and getting 20-30 carries a game if Murray goes down. I am not interested in a change of pace or a complementary back.

Exactly. With Murray's history, he will not play 16 games completely healthy. I hope I'm wrong though. However, I am not a HUGE Murray fan. I don't like that he often gets caught behind the line of scrimmage or tripped up early in his run. He doesn't pick up his feet and drive through tacklers until he picks up steam. So get me a back that can make him a luxury or even push DeMarco to up his game. If he can't you let him go before the second contract which may end up costing the team a boatload of dead money.

So I'm hoping they don't try to do this on the cheap, but find good value in the middle rounds. This team needs a back that can do exactly what Hardline said...20-30 carries if necessary.