Tracking the Draft Prospects: Running Backs

Super Nomario

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Not the #1 priority, but with Blount a free agent and Ridley and Vereen each entering the last year of his rookie contract, they could make a pick here.
 
Here's the list: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2014/RB
 
Charles Sims from WVU is getting some love down at the Senior Bowl practices, drawing comparisons to Matt Forte with his combination of size (6'0" 215 lbs) and pass-catching ability (45 catches in 2013). He's currently projected as a third-rounder by CBS.
 
Here's a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLDcrS5QrXI
 

Eck'sSneakyCheese

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I like Storm Johnson as a later round pick. Speed, power and pass catching ability. Only one year of productivity though, which is probably why he's ranked so low. A little over 1100 yds rushing averaging over 5 yds per, along with 30 rec for 260 yds and a total of 17 TD's.
 

Super Nomario

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I have to stump for a Rice guy, too.
 
Charles Ross is a big bruising back in the Blount mode. He ran for 1280 yards at 6.1 YPC and 15 TDs this year. He's not a pass-catcher (only 5 receptions), but like Blount he's big (6'1" 235 lbs) and has surprising open-field speed for his size / 40-time. Might be a good late-round pick if they don't re-sign Blount.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJH5nBZ4o1A
 
Not a cut-up video, but you can see some big Ross runs at 0:38, 1:03, 1:11, 1:27, 1:54, 2:13, 2:21, 2:40 (this was his best game of the year, so lots of highlights)
 

Super Nomario

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mascho said:
Lorenzo Taliferro.  Coastal Carolina RB.  Has made himself some money this Senior Bowl week.  Has shown great skills in the passing game, both in pass protection and catching passes out of the backfield.  Big guy (6' 2" 230).  Had a great career at CC.  Here's a decent write up on him:  http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=125401&draftyear=2014&genpos=RB
Mike Loyko of NEPatriotsDraft.com is a fan:
Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB, Coastal Carolina – Highly impressed with him throughout the week. The top pass blocking RB on both teams, caught everything thrown his way in practice today. Has an NFL body, could end up being this year’s Alfred Morris.
Also praises Antonio Andrews' (Western Kentucky) pass blocking and receiving.
 

mascho

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Super Nomario said:
Yeah, the more I read about LT the more I like. A Blount replacement who can also factor in the passing game.
 
EDIT:  Yep, I have my RB binkie.  
 
“As much fun as I’ve had playing football here, this was more of a business trip,” he said. “Most of these guys got a head start by playing against this competition every day. I’m just going to do what I’ve been doing most of my life. I expect to wow some doubters and scouts to let them know that a small-school player can make big-time plays and have a great passion for the game.”
 

mascho

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Thinking about this guy (Taliaferro) some more, with his size and experience at the position, you can run him as a FB in situations. Gives you roster flexibility and scheme flexibility. Imagine him and Vereen on the field. Can go up tempo. Can split Vereen out and go one back with LT. Can go I formation with Vereen the deep back. Can go dual HBs in the gun.
 

bakahump

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A couple guys to keep in mind:
Jeremy Hill LSU  Big back who can catch. Been compared to LGBT  4th round ish
 
Charles Sims WVU-Another 3 down back to add to the mix.  3rd round ish.
 

EL Jeffe

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bakahump said:
A couple guys to keep in mind:
Jeremy Hill LSU  Big back who can catch. Been compared to LGBT  4th round ish
 
Charles Sims WVU-Another 3 down back to add to the mix.  3rd round ish.
I personally think in terms of pure talent, Jeremy Hill is the best back in the draft. However (and this is a huge however)...I'd be surprised if the Pats went near him based on his rap sheet. Suspended the first 5 quarters of the 2013 season for allegedly smashing a dude in the head outside a bar (he was actually caught on cell phone video sucker punching the guy from behind). At the time of the incident, he was already on probation for...pleading guilty in 2012 to a misdemeanor for having carnal knowledge of a 14 year old (he was 18 at the time) in 2011.
 

SMU_Sox

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mascho said:
Thought this was very informative.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6l3URZ6YL0
 
I watched it - fantastic snippets. Pad level and being fundamentally sound are very important to me.
 

Super Nomario

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SMU_Sox said:
 
I watched it - fantastic snippets. Pad level and being fundamentally sound are very important to me.
Isn't that the stuff that might be coachable though? It seems like it would be easier to fix a guy with good abilities and instincts who has some technique issues than a guy with good fundamentals but physical or instinctive deficiencies.
 
Greg Cosell talks sometimes about how, due to limited practice schedules, there is little time for individual instruction at the college level. We've seen the Pats draft some guys like Chandler Jones and Vollmer who came out of college "raw" but were effective pretty much right away in the NFL.
 

Shelterdog

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Super Nomario said:
Isn't that the stuff that might be coachable though? It seems like it would be easier to fix a guy with good abilities and instincts who has some technique issues than a guy with good fundamentals but physical or instinctive deficiencies.
 
At least in Blount's case it looks like they really did help him improve his pad level.
 

SMU_Sox

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In theory, yeah, you can coach it. But not everyone will get it. If everything was correctable this would be an easy process. If we're talking about adding a guy in the 4th round plus do you want to swing for the fences or draft a guy who should be able to contribute week 1? IMHO I think that for RB depth on this team you should get another dependable high floor guy. To me fundamentals are a sufficient condition to having a high floor. YMMV.
 

Super Nomario

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SMU_Sox said:
In theory, yeah, you can coach it. But not everyone will get it. If everything was correctable this would be an easy process. If we're talking about adding a guy in the 4th round plus do you want to swing for the fences or draft a guy who should be able to contribute week 1? IMHO I think that for RB depth on this team you should get another dependable high floor guy. To me fundamentals are a sufficient condition to having a high floor. YMMV.
Definitely you take some risk picking a guy with fundamental issues, and there's more of a chance of a total bust. I think the Pats are in a good position to take a risk, though - they have starters in Ridley and Vereen, so they're not really counting on a rookie to contribute. Is a low-floor / low-ceiling fourth rounder going to be much of an upgrade on Brandon Bolden?
 

SMU_Sox

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No. If you're interested in swinging for the fences I get that. But there are a lot of intriguing high floor guys in this draft who I might take first. 
 
That's a good question SN: high ceiling or high floor for the Pats given their RB situation (not knowing where Blount ends up)?
 
My gut says high floor. But I don't think high ceiling is a bad answer. Part of the reason I say high floor is because Ridley worries me.
 

Julius.R

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What is everyones thoughts on Silas Redd (or Kevin Pierre-Louis from Boston College for that matter, since I don't want to clog up draft threads with these two) from USC (transferred from PSU)? I'm feeling 6th-UDFA but I'd be interested in seeing the Pats take a look at him. Plus he's a Giants fan so it'd be fun to one up him in the regard. I have my own views on them, but I consider them a bit biased. I haven't seen much about them online and I'm rooting for both of them to make an impact of some kind in the next level. 
 
I personally think Silas would be a great pickup and that his injuries are just masking his true talent. He only got injured once in high school and it wasn't that bad either. I think both him and KPL and going to surprise a lot of people.
 

Julius.R

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Is De'Anthony Thomas injured or have a crappy start? Something tells me he will be a lot better and faster in the NFL than the combine showed. I'd love to pick him up if he is still there late in the draft to be a faster version of Woodhead but Chip Kelly will probably snag him far before then.
 

Super Nomario

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The free agent market's pretty much gone, so who do people like here? Mayock's top 5 is:
Running back 
1. Bishop Sankey, Washington 
2. Carlos Hyde, Ohio State 
3. Jeremy Hill, LSU 
4. Andre Williams, Boston College 
5. Tre Mason, Auburn
 
Williams literally didn't catch any balls this year (at least per CFBRef). Hyde, Hill, and Williams are big dudes. Mason didn't catch a lot of balls, but Auburn didn't throw a lot; I've heard Ray Rice comparisons for him. I've also heard good things about Charles Sims (WVU, mentioned in the opening post) and Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona). I'm intrigued by Tyler Gaffney from Stanford as a later option - he ran faster than expected at the Combine (4.49) and seems like a good all-around back.
 
EDIT: Matt Waldman talked up Tim Flanders (SHSU), Marion Grice (ASU), and James Wilder, Jr. (FSU) as a mid-late-round options, and calls Alabama State's Isaiah Crowell "the most talented RB in this 2014 draft class" (though off-field issues may scare teams off). He's not a fan of Sankey or Williams.
 

Super Nomario

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Reading Waldman's chapter on RBs. I think Charles Sims (mentioned in the OP) is a nice fit - he's got size (6'0" 214) and pass-catching ability, Waldman calls him one of the high-IQ guys. He'd be the best-rounded back the Pats have. Marion Grice is another well-rounded back in this vein (He's 6'0" 208 and Waldman also calls him the best receiving back he's studied since Vereen). If they're looking for more of a straight bruiser / Blount replacement, James Wilder is his best bet. Tre Mason probably needs no introduction; he's smaller than the backs Belichick has historically drafted (never anyone under 5'11" or 210 lbs) but he's frequently compared to Ray Rice, a player Belichick greatly respects (on the field).
 
Also, Waldman calls Lorenzo Taliaferro a poor pass-blocker. Above, mascho (and Mike Loyko) mention his success pass-blocking at Senior Bowl practices. If he's really fixed the pass-blocking issues Waldman saw on tape - issues he cited as Taliaferro's biggest weakness - he becomes a compelling option.
 
EDIT: I didn't even talk about either of Waldman's top 2 RBs.
 

Super Nomario

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Also, Zurlon Tipton from Central Michigan is an interesting UDFA-type prospect. He ran for 1497 yards (5.9 YPC) and 19 TDs his junior year, but broke his ankle early in his senior year and only played 5 games. Waldman calls him the best pass-protector in the class and is high on his power (he's 5'11" 223) and balance. The big knock on him is his long speed, but he ran a very good 3-cone (6.89). He's not a total zero in the passing game either (24 catches his junior year).
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvXe9tmgnms
 

knucklecup

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RT @TonyPauline: New England Patriots running back coach Ivan Fears worked out Stephen Houston/Indiana today for almost 60-mins..drills, filmwork, etc..

Always loved Houston at IU. No combine invite but at pro day had a 40 inch vertical. Measured 5'10 and 225 #'s. Ran 4.46-4.49 range 40.

Good hands, not only north-south fast; Edelman-esque quickness in space. Played special teams / ran back kicks and punts. Seems like he has great 3rd down back potential. Solid Belichick player. Reminds you of Kevin Faulk a bit.
 

Super Nomario

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soxhop411 said:
Here's the full story:
http://nfllabor.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/charles-davis-daniel-jeremiah-transcript-4-17-14.pdf
 
Daniel Jeremiah said:
To me Carlos Hyde and Jeremy Hill are two big 
backs that you could make a case. In past years, 
they'd be first-round picks, but now talking about 
the position being devalued, I just wouldn't put it 
past a team. A team I'd keep an eye on is the 
Patriots because the Patriots are always kind of 
one step ahead of the curve and trying to be 
creative.
 
It was in the spirit of, "if anyone would do it, it might be the Patriots, and it wouldn't shock me." I wouldn't have a problem with it from a needs fulfillment standpoint (with Blount gone and Ridley and Vereen both FAs after the season), but a) unless a back is Adrian Peterson 2.0, I want some pass-catching ability in the first round and b) this particular RB class is so deep that I'm not sure you get a better back in the first than you would waiting until the 3rd or 4th, which lets you fill more pressing needs (like pass rush / OL / TE / SS).
 

soxfan121

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A four-year contract takes a 21-year old rookie running back through his 25[SIZE=11.818181991577148px]th[/SIZE] birthday. By the time he reaches the open market, he is essentially at his peak and ready to decline. General managers are aware of this and increasingly reluctant to hand out huge paydays.
Running backs are traditionally football's second-biggest stars. They grace the covers of media guides and spur jersey sales and fan imaginations. They also incur more physical risk than any other player. No one else on the field is subjected to 20 tackles per game by players 50- to 100-pounds heavier than them. But despite the pain and prestige of their jobs, running backs are losing their ability to profit from their fame. Their salaries and negotiating leverage are melting away on both sides.
Running back is rapidly becoming the worst job in professional sports. Johnson and Jones-Drew at least got the opportunity to cash in with their previous contracts. The current generation won't be so lucky.
 
 
Interesting read on the RB position in general, with some VERY interesting links.
 

Super Nomario

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Super Nomario said:
I have to stump for a Rice guy, too.
 
Charles Ross is a big bruising back in the Blount mode. He ran for 1280 yards at 6.1 YPC and 15 TDs this year. He's not a pass-catcher (only 5 receptions), but like Blount he's big (6'1" 235 lbs) and has surprising open-field speed for his size / 40-time. Might be a good late-round pick if they don't re-sign Blount.
 
Not a cut-up video, but you can see some big Ross runs at 0:38, 1:03, 1:11, 1:27, 1:54, 2:13, 2:21, 2:40 (this was his best game of the year, so lots of highlights)
Ross ran a 4.54 40 at his Pro Day, which is excellent given he measured at 6'0" 223 pounds. As expected, he struggled in the agility drills (4.48 20-yard shuttle and 7.24 3-cone - both would have been 4th-worst at the Combine). Waldman identified him as a guy who could contribute on special teams; he'll undoubtedly have to.