Why Is Everyone Looking For A Rb?

You're right. I think a lot of it is the fact that our running game has been stagnate for a long time. Now, that is primarily due to not having a running game in 2006 and not having an offensive line in 2007. 2005 was bad.

The Curtis years: I can't dis a great HOF back, but Curtis was not a break away back. He was a reliable 4 to 8 yard guy with some runs of up to 20 yards. His numbers of long runs go down fast after that. Granted the guy was still fantastic, but not Freeman McNeil electrifying in terms of being able to take it to the house from anywhere.

Please understand about Curtis, and I don't want to irritate anyone. Curtis had a far better career than Freeman did - not even close. I am just saying that in terms of the more exciting back - that would be Freeman. However Freeman's glory days only spanned about 3 good years - the rest he was plagued with injuries.

I think a lot of the RB want is coming from the older fans remembering Freeman and what it was like to have breakaway talent on the team. McFadden would be exciting, that's for sure.

Again, let me also say that I would smile on 4/27 if Gholston or McFadden was in Green and White.

 

There was some McFadden man love going on but yeah, I agree. We don't open lanes with our present line. In fact, if you remember, our line pretty much gets shoved backwards off the snap and loses ground. Every good running team in the NFL as always had that one thing in common... an O-line that completely dominates the LOS and pushes people backwards. We're the furthest thing from that right now, which is why it's so important to fix it.

If we can really fix that and fix it well, it'll improve our OFF all the way around.

 

I don't think people necessarily want a RB. It just so happens that at the 6th pick in the draft, there's a good chance that the best player available is a RB (DMC, Mendenhall, or maybe even Stewart).

 

everyone loves to watch those LT and peterson type backs that run 50 yd plays..i like to watch pass rushers hit QB's..i just hope dmc is picked b4 us and gholston is available...the jets dont have a pass rusher

 

Only RBs im looking at are guys in the 3rd around, assuming we address OL/Defense/WR in the FA and first two rounds. so basically, If we have the perfect FA period.

 

Another angle that i feel is not being voiced enough is the fact that TJ is 30 years old. I understand that he has low mileage on his legs but he is still aging. Drafting a new young guy to take the reins in a year or two can be an ideal situation given the depth of this RB class. A Chris Johnson, Ray Rice, Kevin Smith could be our top back in their 2nd year, with Leon as the scat back.

 

We are not going to get a RB. I am not worried about this. Mangini is not stupid enough to take such a gamble on a position that is honestly one of the best filled positions that we have. If anything he would trade the pick if another team wanted dmf bad enough.

For the record I would NOT be happy with dmf. Personally if I HAD TO pick a back in this draft it would be Mendenhall, not McFadden.

 

The funny thing about McNeil is that he had something like a 4.65 40-yard dash time going into the 1981 draft. How would that be viewed now?

 

I'm not really looking for just any RB, I'm looking for a gamebreaker, and at 6 there is a POTENTIAL gamebreaker at RB that I like better than the potential game breaker at pass rusher available at 6.

 

You have to realize that there is almost unprecedented talent available at runningback this year. It only makes sense to look at getting some value in any one of our picks(even the 6th because DMC is the consensus #1 prospect in this years draft).

 

So if we took McFadden and then got Groves with our #2 you would not be in favor of that?