CFZ Stabs at the 2023 Runningback Rotation

[charron]

Pollard usually gets an injury though.

yea I should have kept Davis in there too help too. I just don't know if we take 4 RB's or leave Davis at home till an injury

 

[Mac_MaloneV1]

Pollard usually gets an injury though.

What? Pollard has missed 5 games in his career, including SF. He's about as healthy as it gets for an RB.

 

[OmerV]

I almost kept Davis as the #2 but in order to keep all 4 either go short somewhere else, maybe TE or WR or Pollard is still not field ready. That's assuming these rooks can play at this level.

Without a doubt they will have some decisions to make, and they could be some pretty tough ones. Maybe one of the newbies could slide to the practice squad?

 

[charron]

Without a doubt they will have some decisions to make, and they could be some pretty tough ones. Maybe one of the newbies could slide to the practice squad?

Maybe. But if Vaughn is what they think he wont last there and Leupke if they actually use him will be really helpful in games. Kinda a fun battle to see what these guys can do and just how MM will use them.

 

[tunahelper]

After seeing both run with the football, Malik Davis looks a little quicker and more agile.

I like the way Davis ran last year in his few attempts. He may not give his spot as easy as some think.

 

[Big_D]

Our RB group and situation suck. PERIOD.
Now that is taking into account we have no idea about Pollard right now, until he is 100%, if he will be.

Even if he is, the RB situation is not all that good. Another stupid blown situation by the FO in Jerry and Son, Inc.

If they are relying on Pollard as the bell cow, I hope they are right. But how many times have we seen them do this before at other position groups.

He's not a bell cow, this is a committee. Something it should've been last year and even the year before that. How do you develop players if they never get a shot?

 

[KDM256]

Pollard
Jones
Davis
Vaughn (Practice Squad)
Luepke (Practice Squad)

 

[Pass2Run]

yea I should have kept Davis in there too help too. I just don't know if we take 4 RB's or leave Davis at home till an injury

My question is how many backs do they keep?

Yes, I like Luepke, and I like Pollard, even Vaughn and Fant as a runner. But I think the team likes Jones more than Davis, else they would have played him at San Fran. He had one decent run, then whiffed on a block, and never got back in the game.

I would actually like to see one more running back in the mix during camp, one not name Zeke Elliot.

 

[Pass2Run]

Pollard
Jones
Davis
Vaughn (Practice Squad)
Luepke (Practice Squad)

It could be. Some of us may be underestimating Malik. It's just hard to tell what they think about him. And we've only seen so much in certain situations, so he's still sort of mysterious. I really wish we had Shampklin; I had a lot of trust that he could do several things.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

Pollard
Jones
Davis
Vaughn (Practice Squad)
Luepke (Practice Squad)

I think this is the proper ranking based on skills. However, I do not think this will be the roster decision.
(see below)

My question is how many backs do they keep?

4, and I think you nailed it in your OP. Both Vaughn and Luepke will be poached if left exposed on the practice squad. They will be #3 and #4. The question is who is #2, Jones or Davis? Management likes Jones experience as a proven vet, and Davis would likely survive exposure on the practice squad. Jones vs. Davis for the #2 spot will be the interesting battle!

 

[CowboyRoy]

No I did not, or you would have got another schooling post from me. Tired of schooling you. You always fail.

Keep on telling yourself that
Zeke got cut and cant find a job. Yep you schooled me buddy.

Pollard made the pro bowl and they reupped for 10 Million = Uh oh you schooled me again!

 

[jazzcat22]

Keep on telling yourself that
Zeke got cut and cant find a job. Yep you schooled me buddy.

Pollard made the pro bowl and they reupped for 10 Million = Uh oh you schooled me again!

Another one I did not read.

 

[charron]

My question is how many backs do they keep?

Yes, I like Luepke, and I like Pollard, even Vaughn and Fant as a runner. But I think the team likes Jones more than Davis, else they would have played him at San Fran. He had one decent run, then whiffed on a block, and never got back in the game.

I would actually like to see one more running back in the mix during camp, one not name Zeke Elliot.

RJ sucks. Not fast, doesn't do well in short yardage or goal line, had 1 good year 2 years ago and is still living off that memory. Zero upside with him. I'd rather use these young guys and Davis who we haven't seen enough but seemed to do ok in a very limited role.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Another one I did not read.

Stop stalking and instigating me.

I have to give you credit how your pulling the wool over all their eyes. Its impressive.

 

[Pass2Run]

What bothers me more is lack of preparation. For example, if Elliott had been willing to take a major paycut (let's say to $2 million), I would have seen no problem with holding on to him instead of signing Ronald Jones II and then trying to find a replacement in the draft. However, the team has problems handling the sentimentality of such a move. You allow Elliott to compete for a spot on the team but be willing to cut him if several backs look like they are better.

When we finally cut ties with Emmitt, we ended up starting his backup because of poor planning. We didn't have another option in place. Not sure we haven't done the same to some extent with Elliott. Pollard is clearly a good player and better player at this point than Elliott, but he's coming off a broken leg and needs someone to share the load anyway. Does a cheap vet, sixth-round pick and some UDFAs provide a sound option for that?

Sure, but I think some would argue that what you do in the running game depends more on your offensive line than your RB. To me, the Cowboys never went all-in on a RB, likely because they have Pollard, and plan on starting him, which is what I thought we should have done last year. He makes things difficult for defenses early on. But we'll see how he fares without Zeke coming in and wearing the defense down some. I think Pollard comes back strong, but that's just my perception of the type of player he is.

Still, Jones is decent, better than people give him credit for, and I'd say a tad bit more proven than Malik Davis, although I do respect Davis' game. They just didn't play him in the playoffs, which to me was just a waste of having him active that day.

Honestly, I would like to see them bring in another back to camp. What happened to Shampklin? Anyone know if he can make a possible return?

Looks like he was waived. I would like to see them bring him in. I think he's better than Dowdle.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/colts-make-roster-cuts-following-nfl-draft/ar-AA1aDOoO

 

[gimmesix]

Sure, but I think some would argue that what you do in the running game depends more on your offensive line than your RB. To me, the Cowboys never went all-in on a RB, likely because they have Pollard, and plan on starting him, which is what I thought we should have done last year. He makes things difficult for defenses early on. But we'll see how he fares without Zeke coming in and wearing the defense down some. I think Pollard comes back strong, but that's just my perception of the type of player he is.

Still, Jones is decent, better than people give him credit for, and I'd say a tad bit more proven than Malik Davis, although I do respect Davis' game. They just didn't play him in the playoffs, which to me was just a waste of having him active that day.

Honestly, I would like to see them bring in another back to camp. What happened to Shampklin? Anyone know if he can make a possible return?

Looks like he was waived. I would like to see them bring him in. I think he's better than Dowdle.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/colts-make-roster-cuts-following-nfl-draft/ar-AA1aDOoO

I don't buy into the it's the offensive line, it's the running back argument. I think it's the same thing with blaming the QB too much. It's a team game so the better you are at both positions, the better you are period.

Years have been spent arguing that Emmitt was as successful as he was because of the offensive line. It's really kind of a silly argument. No back succeeds if his offensive line is bad. No offensive line succeeds at run blocking if the back is bad. Emmitt gained his yardage because he's a great back and most of the time, he had a top-notch offensive line for a lot of his career.

I don't really have much doubt about a healthy Pollard, but the question is how healthy will he be. Could be all the way back to start the season or could be tentative coming off a broken leg. I think based on the type of injury, he'll be healed up physically, but the mental test is a pretty tough to overcome.

On the rest, I just think there are a lot of question marks. Maybe they'll be answered positively, but doing that is harder when you are spending bargain basement and late-round picks for players you want to contribute.

 

[BlindFaith]

Both are slow.

4.6x 40 times.

While faster than me, not elite RB speed. 8)

RJones has good numbers. And was drafted.

Cause everybody loves these mph stats.

Ronald Jones

The NFL’s NextGen stats had Jones running at 21.19 mph at peak speed.

That was from a game against the Panthers late 2020

Back at McKinney North High School, he was a district champion in the 100-meter. In the spring of 2016, he spent some time on the USC track team.

Simply by looking at his 40-yard dash time, you might not think of Jones II as someone with a lot of speed. But his game is driven by a combination of power and elusiveness. His NFL.com draft profile notes his “deadly stop-start” that can “ruin linebackers trying to pace and mirror him.” Acceleration is a big strength for the former Trojan

 

[BlindFaith]

RJ sucks. Not fast, doesn't do well in short yardage or goal line, had 1 good year 2 years ago and is still living off that memory. Zero upside with him. I'd rather use these young guys and Davis who we haven't seen enough but seemed to do ok in a very limited role.

See above

 

[rambo2]

Ronald Jones is not as good as Malik Davis.

I'd wait until after training camp to make a decision on that.

 

[baltcowboy]

Some of the biggest news this offseason for Dallas has been the release of Ezekiel Elliott, who is the latest big player to prove the NFL stands for what have you done for me lately.

With that said, it's exciting to think about the rotation coming up in 2023. I feel like one combination can be Luepke and Pollard. The player I really liked, as an NFL prospect, was Noah Gindorff, simply because he's basically a lineman who can go out for a pass, and might be good on those swing passes. I have to say, the title FB, made my evaluation on him (Luepke), well, non-existent: I just didn't think even McCarthy would add a full-back. But I do have visions of Hunter Luepke and Duece Vaughn in the same backfield, and then 2 TE sets with Pollard when he's in. There's a lot we can do there, especially if Luepke ends up being a good blocker, and at least 2 of our TEs take a step in their blocking game. It can happen.

I think we keep 4RBs. I think it's Pollard, Jones, Luepke, Vaughn. And, Vaughn can also be your 5th, 6th, emergency WR. Yes, he can do that, especially in a WCO. The path for Vaugh is to adapt to being a two-role player. He has it in him.

The other thing is that Schoonmaker is actually better than people think. Yes, he is older. But there's a reason they went up to get him in the 2nd round. They wanted to improve at TE, instead of staying the same, because they already have 2 guys who are on the level of those remaining, aside from guys like Josh Whyle, who I think was under-scouted as a pass-catcher.

So, Jones and Pollard, can both be WRs, and are marginally good at blocking. Meanwhile, the Pollard/Vaughn, and Pollard Luepke combinations could be interesting. For whatever reason, I don't think they like or trust Malik Davis. They pulled him in the San Fran game, and just never gave him another chance all while Zeke blew it, in large part becasue we became so predictable handing it off to Zeke. We shall see. As for Zeke, my kudos go out to him. We all know RBs have short careers, and not many can outrun Zeke. He's a top 5 Cowboys back in my book, and that's among a history of having nothing but the most elite backs in Dallas.

Lots of Pollard and Jones will get the rest of the carries barring injuries early. Don’t expect Duese and the other young guys to get many carries unless they are forced into play.