Texas Longhorns' Jamaal Charles to enter NFL draft

[silverbear]

Dear Lord.

You got a problem with a kid who averaged 6.2 yards per carry while playing at the upper levels of the NCAA?? A player who might be the fastest RB in this draft??

What part of 1600 yards rushing this past season bothers you?? In point of fact, if the Boys are looking for a speed back to complement Barber, the only player in this draft I'd like better would be Chris Johnson out of East Carolina... Steve Slaton would be a close third... the thing that makes Charles more attractive, IMO, is that the other two will probably be drafted earlier than he will... Jamaal would almost certainly still be on the board when the Boys draft in the 2nd round, perhaps even in the 3rd round... Johnson and Slaton are late 1st/early 2nd round types...

 

[silverbear]

He'll be a 4th round RB at best.

You're dreaming...

 

[silverbear]

And he always seems to be slowed by little, nagging injuries.

LOL... he's played 38 games in three years... that sounds pretty durable to me...

 

[silverbear]

it's a shame that we don't draft Longhorns, outside of Wayne McGarrity

Maybe Wane (nope, that's not mis-spelled) killed it for all those Horns who followed...

 

[texbumthelife]

After scouts look at Charles on tape and if he runs at the combine, no way this guy lasts till our pick in the second round. I dont know if he will go first round because this is a deep running back class, he wont be in the bottom of the second though.

 

[TVMan]

You got a problem with a kid who averaged 6.2 yards per carry while playing at the upper levels of the NCAA?? A player who might be the fastest RB in this draft??

What part of 1600 yards rushing this past season bothers you?? In point of fact, if the Boys are looking for a speed back to complement Barber, the only player in this draft I'd like better would be Chris Johnson out of East Carolina... Steve Slaton would be a close third... the thing that makes Charles more attractive, IMO, is that the other two will probably be drafted earlier than he will... Jamaal would almost certainly still be on the board when the Boys draft in the 2nd round, perhaps even in the 3rd round... Johnson and Slaton are late 1st/early 2nd round types...

Steve Slaton isn't tough enough.
Chris Johnson might not be able to sustain a block.
If Jamaal was the next Adrian Petersen, then I'd be jumping for joy. Fact is, he is a track guy who has decided he is a football player.

Speed and stats aren't the question for me. Toughness is my question mark about Jamaal. Can he pick up a blitz?

 

[Oh_Canada]

First off....forget Steve Slaton. The guy will probably have to be picked way too high; he has good wheels, but he seems very slight to me especially those spindly legs..I can't see the guy making it through the preseason let alone a sixteen game NFL schedule.

Chris Johnson is one of the fastest backs I have seen in pads in a very long time and yes even faster than Jamaal Charles. He has adequate size with room to pack on another 5-10 if needed and has decent enough hands. If he can block a lick, he would prove to be a devastating weapon out of the backfield. He can also return kickoffs with the best of them.

Charles is similar to Johnson but might be a better pass catcher and is more proven.

It's real close but if I had to pick...it would be Charles, Johnson and Slaton in that order.

 

[silverbear]

If Jamaal was the next Adrian Petersen, then I'd be jumping for joy. Fact is, he is a track guy who has decided he is a football player.

Fact is, if he can gain 1600 yards and average over 6 yards a carry while playing in the Big XII, he's a football player...

 

[silverbear]

First off....forget Steve Slaton. The guy will probably have to be picked way too high; he has good wheels, but he seems very slight to me especially those spindly legs..I can't see the guy making it through the preseason let alone a sixteen game NFL schedule.

Chris Johnson is one of the fastest backs I have seen in pads in a very long time and yes even faster than Jamaal Charles. He has adequate size with room to pack on another 5-10 if needed and has decent enough hands. If he can block a lick, he would prove to be a devastating weapon out of the backfield. He can also return kickoffs with the best of them.

Charles is similar to Johnson but might be a better pass catcher and is more proven.

It's real close but if I had to pick...it would be Charles, Johnson and Slaton in that order.

I think I'd agree with that, but the scouts will have Charles rated below the other two...

 

[rantanamo]

I think many are fooled by Charles because he is one of the smoothest runners ever. Look at him vs Peterson or Reggie Bush who are pumping hard to get through holes and even the open field. Charles is running as fast or faster and gliding through those spots. I really like his footwork as well. A lot more polished than Bush or Peterson's running back footwork. Great vision as well. Watch how easily he cuts into the right place. I don't know what round he will go in, or who he's better than, but he was certainly better than Julius Jones in college. Much tougher runner, faster, better in the open field and a better pass catcher.

agree, that Charles' 40 time will wow the scouts. Quite possibly the fastest guy in the entire draft.

 

[TVMan]

Fact is, if he can gain 1600 yards and average over 6 yards a carry while playing in the Big XII, he's a football player...

More facts, not from me, but from scouts. Like I said, it's not about the stats or the conference. Can he handle a blitz?



UT's Charles opts for NFL Draft

By JIMMY BURCH
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


Jamaal Charles rushed for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior this season, including 897 in the last five games.

Texas running back Jamaal Charles, the Big 12's leading rusher, said Wednesday he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft.
In a statement released by school officials, Charles said he was "happy with the grade" he received on his assessment form and decided to end his college career after rushing for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior.

In November, Charles said he planned to return for his senior season and Wednesday's announcement caught at least one NFL scout by surprise.

The scout, who requested anonymity, said he projects Charles -- a first-year starter who battled fumbling problems during his college career -- as a third- or fourth-round pick.

Gil Brandt, the Cowboys' former player personnel director, said historically players who stay in school are drafted higher.

"Looking at Charles, he's a guy that needs strength development. He needs to be a better receiver," Brandt said.

"He should be able to run fast enough [to impress NFL scouts at the combine]. That's his forte. But another year in college would have helped him mature and be more ready for the NFL."

In Texas' final five games, capped by a 52-34 victory over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl, Charles rushed for 897 yards and 10 touchdowns.

In addition to losing his starting tailback, coach Mack Brown lost an assistant coach Wednesday.

Linebackers coach Larry Duff, who shared co-defensive coordinator duties with Duane Akina, announced his resignation.

Brown said Mac Duff cited "philosophical differences" as the reason for his departure and a search is under way to find a successor.

 

[silverbear]

More facts, not from me, but from scouts. Like I said, it's not about the stats or the conference. Can he handle a blitz?

The scout, who requested anonymity, said he projects Charles -- a first-year starter who battled fumbling problems during his college career -- as a third- or fourth-round pick.

That's strange, since Charles said the only reason he's coming back is he was happy with where he was told he was likely to be drafted when he put in his paperwork... I rather doubt he would have been all that happy if they'd advised him that he'd probably be a 3rd or 4th round pick...

 

[Tobal]

More facts, not from me, but from scouts. Like I said, it's not about the stats or the conference. Can he handle a blitz?



UT's Charles opts for NFL Draft

By JIMMY BURCH
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


Jamaal Charles rushed for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior this season, including 897 in the last five games.

Texas running back Jamaal Charles, the Big 12's leading rusher, said Wednesday he will forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft.
In a statement released by school officials, Charles said he was "happy with the grade" he received on his assessment form and decided to end his college career after rushing for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior.

In November, Charles said he planned to return for his senior season and Wednesday's announcement caught at least one NFL scout by surprise.

The scout, who requested anonymity, said he projects Charles -- a first-year starter who battled fumbling problems during his college career -- as a third- or fourth-round pick.

Gil Brandt, the Cowboys' former player personnel director, said historically players who stay in school are drafted higher.

"Looking at Charles, he's a guy that needs strength development. He needs to be a better receiver," Brandt said.

"He should be able to run fast enough [to impress NFL scouts at the combine]. That's his forte. But another year in college would have helped him mature and be more ready for the NFL."

In Texas' final five games, capped by a 52-34 victory over Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl, Charles rushed for 897 yards and 10 touchdowns.

In addition to losing his starting tailback, coach Mack Brown lost an assistant coach Wednesday.

Linebackers coach Larry Duff, who shared co-defensive coordinator duties with Duane Akina, announced his resignation.

Brown said Mac Duff cited "philosophical differences" as the reason for his departure and a search is under way to find a successor.

That's dumb, the guy has been starting for more than one yr. He did split time but he started alot of games over the last 3 yrs.

In the first five or six games of the season, I was disappointed in Charles, He just went down to easy and never made yards after contact. Those last 4 games showed what he can be and that's a top tier back.... It's just why did he not produce and run hard in the early season? I saw something about his RB coach having cancer and being gone those first games. Charles picked it up after his return.

Anyway 4th round sounded about right after 6 games, but those last games and his Combine numbers will make him and early 2nd round pick. IMO

 

[Rack]

That's strange, since Charles said the only reason he's coming back is he was happy with where he was told he was likely to be drafted when he put in his paperwork... I rather doubt he would have been all that happy if they'd advised him that he'd probably be a 3rd or 4th round pick...

None of that is definite. And you know not all "scouts" are going to have the same opinion.


I wonder how many players came out early cuz they were "happy with where he was told he was likely to be drafted" only to end up being drafted very late or not at all.