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http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/91289844.html
Bob McGinn

Green Bay — In the vernacular of pro football, the best linebackers are those who "find the football," "play downhill" and "drive through on contact."

What's sometimes forgotten are the running backs on the receiving end of this brutal equation. Ask any running back. They pay a terrible physical price for carrying a ball under their arm.

A case in point is the class this year.

On draft boards across the National Football League, the big "X" commonly used to denote injury risk is so widespread that decisions on running backs probably will be made more by the medical staff than the football people.

"These guys are all beat up," said Eric DeCosta, director of player personnel for the Baltimore Ravens. "There are about five running backs that are first three-round guys that have failed physicals. It's a concern, and I think a lot of these guys are going to fall."

Anyone who has ever sat down low in an NFL stadium or stood along the sidelines at a padded practice has some feel for the almost unreal punishment that running backs have to absorb as part of their job description.

"Yeah, they do," DeCosta said. "People don't always understand that, either. Running backs really are bull's-eyes."

The fact so many runners will enter the league as damaged goods has left few options for clubs looking for a back.

"None of them will be O.J. Simpson," an NFC personnel executive said. "It's a marginal group of running backs."

The Journal Sentinel asked personnel men with national orientation to rank their favorite backs on a 1-to-5 basis. C.J. Spiller collected 16 of the first-place votes while Ryan Mathews gained the other three.

Spiller's total of 92 points led, followed by Mathews (72), Jahvid Best (51), Toby Gerhart (32), Montario Hardesty (18), Jonathan Dwyer (11), Joe McKnight (six), Dexter McCluster (two) and Anthony Dixon (one).

It's a blend of elusive small backs (Spiller, Best, McCluster, McKnight) and workhorse big backs (Gerhart, Hardesty, Dwyer, Dixon, Charles Scott, LeGarrette Blount). The medium-sized Mathews might have the best shot to emerge as a featured ball carrier.

"There's a solid group of bigger type backs who can crank out the yards and wear down defenses," Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "That's an important type of back in a two-back system."

But first the players have to reach opening day in order to contribute, and given their long medical charts it could be a tall order.

Consider:

•  Spiller missed just one game in four years but played through turf toe most of 2009. Some teams say it's not a factor; others say it is.

"That can be a career-killer for a running back," an AFC personnel man said. "Eddie George had that and it ended his career."

•  Mathews appears to be the "cleanest" physically of the top backs but still had to sit out eight games in his three seasons due to injury.

•  Best also missed eight games, including four to close last season with concussions suffered in back-to-back games. A year ago, he had elbow and foot operations.

"Yeah, he's worried about it," said one scout who has talked to Best about the concussions. "Plus, he has a muscle going down from his neck to his leg that bothers him. That's my reservation on Best. He's coming in all beat up."

•  Gerhart suffered a torn posterior cruciate knee ligament and missed 10 games in 2007 but sat out just one game (concussion) since.

"He's been hurt and he will continue to be hurt . . . I don't think he has that quick twitch to get away from the big hits," an NFC scout said. "I feel bad for the kid. He plays the game the way you like it played but, gosh, it will take its toll on him."

•  Hardesty blew out his knee in 2005, has undergone additional knee procedures and missed 11 games in all, including four with foot and ankle woes.

"He's injury prone," an NFC personnel man said.

• Dwyer didn't miss any time in his three seasons but the doctors for one team didn't like one of his feet.

• McCluster, a 170-pounder, sat out six games in 2006 with a concussion-stinger and four games in '07 with a broken shoulder.

"The realism is 155-to-170-pound running backs don't exist in the National Football League very long," an AFC personnel man said.

•  McKnight "has been hurt most of the time," according to an AFC scout. Most of his problems occurred in spring and summer so he missed only two games.

• Anthony Dixon has had collarbone, ankle and finger problems but played every game.

• Ben Tate also played every game in his four-year career but, like Hardesty, has a style that doesn't portend longevity.

"He runs too hard," one scout said. "He will play until he gets hurt. He ain't going to last."

• Charles Scott was clean until a broken collarbone shelved him for the final four games of 2009.

Summing up the grim picture, DeCosta said, "You talk about medicals . . . this is the walking wounded. It really is remarkable that Emmitt Smith was able to play all those years the way that he played."

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good reasons to sit on who we currently have and maybe get a RB in the 5th or later ,if at all ,and let Davis and Jennings compete for the #3 spot.

Unless something falls in out lap.......

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Meh, I don't buy this crap this close to the draft, it's posturing.

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Quote:

good reasons to sit on who we currently have and maybe get a RB in the 5th or later ,.




5th round picks aren't really adressing a need, by the time the 5th round comes around the players usually don't make the team.

Only a team like the Browns would rely on getting skill positon players from 5th round or later picks year after year.
James Davis was a 5th round pick last year, and you don't feel the Browns would be best to adress that position BEFORE the 5th this year. So 2 years in a row the rb position is not a priority. Who did they bring in other than the draft?
The 5th round and later is effectively not adressing the position, the percentage of 5th rounders who are effective is so low that anyone who produces is a bonus. You have 1st-4th round picks for a reason and if they don't address the offense with these picks, then they are making a decison to not fix the offense.
They have to fix the offense before round 5 if they are going to compete, be competitive in the division or playoffs.
Thats the bottom line!


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I've bought it all along. That's why I feel there's no way Spiller goes top 10 and maybe not even top 15 and why I have Matthews dropping all the way to the Bolts.

People look at draft history as a guideline which in many cases does help.

The thing people seem to neglect to realise or speak of is that as these drafts go on throughout time is that maybe, just maybe these NFL FO's also can look at patterns that have and haven't worked and will adjust accordingly.

jmho


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Rushing leaders for Superbowl winners:

2009: Pierre Thomas - Undrafted
2008: Willie Parker - Undrafted
2007: Ahmad Bradshaw - 7th round
2006: Dominic Rhodes - Undrafted

Don't draft running backs early.

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Just a few stats and a quick question TL......

Mangini sat Harrison for three games. Now that leaves a total of 13 games remaining. In eight of those remaining 13 games, he had a ruhing total of between 2-10 carries.

2,3,3,5,5,7,8 and 10 respectively. That leaves only five games where he carried more than 10 carries.

Yet in that time, he gained 862 yds. rushing and added 220 yards recieving. He had a 4.4 yds. per carry av.

So we saw a RB with very limited playing time give us 1082 net yards. We also added Hillis who has far better hands than Vickers in the reieving department.

So why is it we need to invest in a RB again?



Intoducing for The Cleveland Browns, Quarterback Deshawn "The Predator" Watson. He will also be the one to choose your next head coach.

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Quote:

2007: Ahmad Bradshaw - 7th round




Don't know where you go your stats but Bradshaw only had 190 rushing yards in 2007. Jacobs had 1009 and Ward had 602.

Quote:

2006: Dominic Rhodes - Undrafted




Rhodes had 641 yards that year. Addai had 1081.

Maybe you are talking about the actual Super Bowl game? If that's the case then yes, you are right those guys lead that one game in rushing. But I don't think any team would base the future of a position off of one game.

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I was referencing the statistics from the actual superbowls.

Wonder why all those undrafted had the most yards in the superbowl.

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Because they were the players that played in that game.

One game isn't enough of an argument. Even if it has happened 4 years in a row.

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Quote:

So why is it we need to invest in a RB again?




Because he's sooo freakin' awesome.

Anyways I know Spiller isn't filling a need. He's just super good. BTW I'm already on record saying I doubt the Browns draft him at #7. I do think he is in the discussion of BPA in that area.

This is the only indication of there being some kind of major concern about injury that I've seen.


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Upon further review.. The stats I had is pretty much the only way you can come up with to validate the notion of not drafting early running backs. The top rushers over the course of seasons are almost always first round picks.

That could be countered with players like Michael Turner, Ryan Grant, Brandon Jacobs, Brian Westbrook (3rd round), Priest Holmes.

But its a pretty hard argument to sustain.

Could it be that the leading rushers are only first round draft picks because everyone takes first rounders? What if people stop drafting them so early?

Another stat. By average in 2004 the leading rusher in the NFL was Dexter Coakley OLB Dallas. 33 yards per carry.

Don't draft Runningbacks.
Draft Linebackers to play Runningback

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Quote:


Could it be that the leading rushers are only first round draft picks because everyone takes first rounders? What if people stop drafting them so early?





if noone drafted QBs until the 6th round, then 6th round QBs would be the most successful (on average)

it's just like any position, the best ones (on average) go the earliest. it's just whether or not the dropoff from the best to the next set (or the possibility of breaking into the best) is worth the high selection.


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I also stated "unless something falls into our lap" I'm not opposed to drafting a RB high, just not in this draft b/c we have so many other needs.Harrison is a similar type of back too!as C.J. Spiller

Same with QBs. Just not in this draft.
In fact IMO drafting a QB in this draft will be a wasted pick,at least for anyone other than the Rams.

Last edited by Line Judge; 04/20/10 07:02 AM.
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RB's don't last long.. everyone knows that.. so to draft a RB just to say they may have a longer career is not so smart to me..

The Browns dont need any new HB's.. with the addition of Hillis.. there is no need.

One RB that was not listed on this article is Legarette Blount.. He is a Mack Truck!


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Hey, I bet that Ben Gay and Willie "The Pipe Dream" Grewen are available. Ought to have just about figure it all out by now maybe. Seriously, lean on the defense and secondary in this draft.


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DawgTalkers.net Forums The Archives 2013 NFL Season NFL Draft (2013) These running backs are beaten up [article]

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