Pondering the running backs...

[silverbear]

I'm torn on the running back situation...

On the one hand, I remember being very, very excited by JJ's play his rookie year; he had moves that just made defenders look silly... in that stretch of games at the end of the season, I thought the Boys had a star in the making...

Of course, it hasn't turned out that way, and I mostly blame Parcells for that, for robbing him of his creativity, of his instinctive style of running... I have hopes that a new coaching staff will let Julius relax, and run more like he did that first year, but I don't know if that elusiveness was a bit of magic that once lost, can never be retrieved...

I could see the guy becoming a 1250 yards a season back, on 300 carries or less... but I could also see him being a sub-4.0 average back, something eminently mediocre, eminently forgettable...

This brings us to the current rumors, about the Boys trading up for Adrian Peterson... again, I have mixed emotions about that prospect; first off, I kinda hate giving up the multiple picks it would require to move up high enough to draft him, and I have long worried that his upright running style make him an injury risk in the NFL... but at the same time, the guy's an absolute stud of a running back, a rare blend of power and speed...

Perhaps if the Boys went that way, they could get a decent pick for Julius, because clearly there wouldn't be room on the team for both of them... you'd surely want to hold on to Barber, though, with Peterson's injury history in college you're gonna need a good, solid backup who might be able to step in an carry the whole load for a game or two or three...

 

[Chuck 54]

Here's how I'd like to see the draft and the RB situation unfold, with a little luck.

We move down towards the bottom of the first round and use our first pick on Houston, CB...Ark.

WE then package JJ and a draft pick to move into the early 2nd round, and we use that pick on Sydney Rice, WR...SC.

We then use our own 2nd round pick on Arron Sears, OG...Tenn.

We then use our 3rd round pick on Michael Bush, RB...Louisville.

It would take a little bit of luck with Rice and Bush not being taken a little before our picks, but not much. I'd be happy to add those 4 guys on day 1. I do think we'll trade down in round 1 because I think we will want 4 first day selections.

Nothing against JJ, who's been a mediocre option at RB, but I'd like to give the ball to Barber full time this year to see what he can do and to have that pass receiving threat in the game on first and second downs, use Tyson Thompson as the change of pace, and develop Michael Bush into the power back....once he's fully recovered, Bush is a better power back and a better back overall than Barber or JJ. Let's not forget that he was a Heisman contender before his injury....huge beast with some shiftiness and speed for his size.

 

[Wrangler87]

I think Jones is all but traded at this point.

Our best bet would be trading for Turner. He has shown he can be a very good NFL back, Phillips knows him from San Diego, and he probably won't take much more than a second round pick this year, and maybe next. Maybe the Chargers would take Jones (along with a second) in the deal, to back up Tomlinson and be a third down threat, to take some of the wear off Tomlinson.

Any way you slice it, Turner would be out best bet. Peterson has too many injury concerns to give up all it would take. In the end, even if Turner did not work out, we still have Barber.

So, if we could find a way to keep our first round pick, and trade for Turner, we would be big winners.

 

[montgod]

I'm torn on the running back situation...

On the one hand, I remember being very, very excited by JJ's play his rookie year; he had moves that just made defenders look silly... in that stretch of games at the end of the season, I thought the Boys had a star in the making...

Of course, it hasn't turned out that way, and I mostly blame Parcells for that, for robbing him of his creativity, of his instinctive style of running... I have hopes that a new coaching staff will let Julius relax, and run more like he did that first year, but I don't know if that elusiveness was a bit of magic that once lost, can never be retrieved...

I could see the guy becoming a 1250 yards a season back, on 300 carries or less... but I could also see him being a sub-4.0 average back, something eminently mediocre, eminently forgettable...

This brings us to the current rumors, about the Boys trading up for Adrian Peterson... again, I have mixed emotions about that prospect; first off, I kinda hate giving up the multiple picks it would require to move up high enough to draft him, and I have long worried that his upright running style make him an injury risk in the NFL... but at the same time, the guy's an absolute stud of a running back, a rare blend of power and speed...

Perhaps if the Boys went that way, they could get a decent pick for Julius, because clearly there wouldn't be room on the team for both of them... you'd surely want to hold on to Barber, though, with Peterson's injury history in college you're gonna need a good, solid backup who might be able to step in an carry the whole load for a game or two or three...

Don't forget that when JJones came into the league, the Boys had a better Oline as well. What happens if JJones actually has some room to run? Hmmm...

 

[dbair1967]

I think Jones is all but traded at this point.

Our best bet would be trading for Turner. He has shown he can be a very good NFL back, Phillips knows him from San Diego, and he probably won't take much more than a second round pick this year, and maybe next. Maybe the Chargers would take Jones (along with a second) in the deal, to back up Tomlinson and be a third down threat, to take some of the wear off Tomlinson.

Any way you slice it, Turner would be out best bet. Peterson has too many injury concerns to give up all it would take. In the end, even if Turner did not work out, we still have Barber.

So, if we could find a way to keep our first round pick, and trade for Turner, we would be big winners.

I dont see how trading premium picks for a backup who runs in garbage time makes us "big winners"

David

 

[DeaconMoss]

Mr Motley Your board is similar to mine. We can keep Jones if Da Bears will talk. And I also Like Sears if Blalock is gone.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

So, if we could find a way to keep our first round pick, and trade for Turner, we would be big winners.

I haven't given up on that, either. If, say, Buffalo gets Peterson, that's one other team that doesn't need a RB anymore. At some point, Smith is going to realize that he either gets something for Turner now, or he has a replay of the Drew Brees situation where he gets nothing for a good player.

And just for the record, I'm not in the GROJ camp.

Like Wayne said, I'd look at getting Bush somehow, let him heal and train for a year, then if we had to, at the worst, we might get a decent compensatory pick if we don't want to keep Julius and he leaves in FA.

 

[Future]

I dont see how trading premium picks for a backup who runs in garbage time makes us "big winners"

David

Agreed, Julius has at least proven that he CAN handle 20 carries per game. Niether Turner nor MBIII have done that. I'm very skeptical about not going into the season with a runner who has proven he can carry a starter's load.

 

[superpunk]

Infierno santo. ¿Cuándo es la gente que va a despertar y a parar el culpar del personal que entrena para los failings de un jugador? Usted desea saber porqué Julio parecido tan espectacular en 2004 - jugamos el la mayoría aspiramos defensas del asno en el NFL. Ése es por qué. Porque cada de vez en cuando, si nosotros jugamos una defensa pobre, y la derecha de bloqueo, y la luna es llena, su secundario-igualdad detrás puede juntar un juego agradable. Robado lo de su creatividad mi asno. Los perdedores se sientan alrededor en las esquinas y culparon cada uno pero ellos mismos, *****ing sobre el personal que entrena y el esquema. Tan enfermo de oír hablar él de que hice este poste en español.

 

[burmafrd]

no speaka da ehnglish?