Is Alex Collins a lock to make the team? To stay on team?

[chris98251]

Prosise, Lacy, both catch the ball well, new kid Carson on highlights shows he can also and comes from more of a passing offense. Whats left is Pope, Madden, McKissic and then Rawls, throw in a FB in Brown who showed he can also catch the ball and run and Cottom who is listed as FB. Madden, Carson have been taking snaps at FB and. Rawls is one of the few in this group that has had issues as a receiver. We love dual role players so guys that catch run and can play a coupe positions may get the nod over a guy that slightly better at one thing but can't do others. Rawls also has the injury bug history going right now. I really like the style and production we got from him but I would not even say he is a lock.

So to answer the OP question the safest is probably Prosise, if Lacy plays all out yes, everyone else is in a dogfight to show something extra and stand out. FB is the key here as well when we had Reese available is when our Running game took off along with changing the Blocking scheme to a Power one on some plays. Brown, Madden, Carson possibly and don't rule out Reese coming back on friendlier terms based on the date he can sign which I think is the second week of the season where the team gets the big discount.

 

[Hawkstorian]

Congratulations to this thread for being the one that wasn't locked. No hard feelings.

 

[AROS]

Baby steps, eh John?

 

[Madrid Hawk]

I don't know nearly as much about the Hawks as other posters here, although I have been a fan since Day 1. I also rarely post, as you can see by my massive post count. That being said, even I knew that the Original Poster (I'll spell that out, so everyone knows to whom I am referring) was talking about Alex Collins. It was made abundantly clear in the text of his original post. How many other Running Backs (again, spelled out to avoid confusion) are on this team with the initials AC (sorry, can't spell that out, as I am talking about initials)?

In answer to the original question, I don't think he makes the team, unless the rest of the Running Back corps are bitten by the injury bug. Knocking on wood that the bug just leaves us the hell alone this year.

Also, I like sandwiches.

 

[Attyla the Hawk]

It's going to be very tough for AC. Although I thought he showed significant improvement throughout the year.

To me he's a PS kind of guy. Unless Lacy/Rawls/Procise is an unexpected cut or PUP candidate.

His strengths are that he's able to fill either feature back role or 3rd down back. But his weakness is that he offers zero ST value. And I expect if we go 5 backs (one being fullback), that 4th RB is going to have to provide ST value.

The other reason being, that most RBs make it successfully to the PS (not unlike WRs). If it comes down to a calculated gamble -- AC would have a good chance of slipping through waivers at the end TC.

 

[HawkGA]

Is he PS eligible? He played in some games last year.

 

[HawkFan72]

I added Collins' name to the title. Took me a minute to figure out who AC is, and reading the thread I saw I wasn't the only one who had that issue.

 

[Basis4day]

Is he PS eligible? He played in some games last year.

He is eligible, yes. Would need to clear waivers first though.

 

[West TX Hawk]

We could conceivably have Collins, Carson, Pope and the others (Magee, McKinnon, Madden, Farmer even) all in the PS rotation this year. If they're high on Carson through camp and he can play ST, they'll find a spot for him though to avoid being claimed.

 

[hawksincebirth]

I think the staff is high on him. If he makes it he will have earned it for sure, he's a player I'm excited to see in preseason.

 

[IBleedBlueAndGreen]

Don't think anyRB after the top two is absolutely safe.

AC wined to show up early this season to be secure in keeping his job which is a backup position.

And who are the top two you're referring to out of Lacy, Prosise, and Rawls?

Lacy and Rawls. Prosise needs to prove he can stay healthy (not that Lacy and Rawls are the poster childs of health).

Prosise is a 100% lock to make the team. The is no doubt about that.

 

[Hyak]

I think Lacy, Rawls, and Procise are the only locks. Beyond that, versatility and ST likely determines who makes it.

 

[Tusc2000]

We could conceivably have Collins, Carson, Pope and the others (Magee, McKinnon, Madden, Farmer even) all in the PS rotation this year. If they're high on Carson through camp and he can play ST, they'll find a spot for him though to avoid being claimed.

I think Alex Collins is ahead of those guys. And the fact is, Lacy, Rawls and Prosise ALL have had health issues and I'd be surprised if all three made it through 2017 without an injury that put them out for at least a game or two. Not hoping for it, just recognizing the likelihood. And I would LOVE to see Alex Collins succeed, especially seeing how well he played at Arkansas against SEC talent. I'm only surprised he wasn;t able to step up by the end of last season.

 

[Optimus25]

Don't think anyRB after the top two is absolutely safe.

AC wined to show up early this season to be secure in keeping his job which is a backup position.

And who are the top two you're referring to out of Lacy, Prosise, and Rawls?

Lacy and Rawls. Prosise needs to prove he can stay healthy (not that Lacy and Rawls are the poster childs of health).

Prosise is a 100% lock to make the team. The is no doubt about that.

+1

Healthy or not, he out Johnsoned David Johnson in that two game stretch last year, and if we stuck with prich for this long, we will certainly hold out on CJ long enough to breed mini DJ in the NW.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Far from lock. I think at this point he wouldn't even make the roster.

He's going to be in that grouping fighting for a roster spot, and that spot may only be on the practice squad.

 

[Mick063]

He is going to need a monster camp to save his job.

For reference, Robert Turbin was a better back when Seattle let him go.

 

[ACFan]

Due to his durability, AC may be our leading rusher this year.

Everyone else is too old, injury prone, or otherwise lacking in some department to produce consistently week in and week out.

After adjusting to the pro game, AC hit his stride late in the year, proved to be an every down back, never misses practice or games due to injury, and he's the youngest of the bunch.

Safe bet to me he makes the team, and also a logical choice to me be a major contributor for 16 games, if not THE major contributor.

 

[ACFan]

He is going to need a monster camp to save his job.

I think he just needs to pick up where he left off, when he seemed to be as an impressive runner as anyone we had the last 4 games.

 

[hawkfan68]

I believe Lacy is the only one that is a sure lock. Out of the rest, Rawls and Prosise are strong candidates to be on the team (their health will be a huge factor) and then it's a fight amongst the remaining Collins and Carson are going to have a battle on their hands but add McKissic, Pope, Madden, Davis, etc to mix it will be interesting who comes out.

 

[ACFan]

, Rawls and Prosise are strong candidates to be on the team (their health will be a huge factor) .

Two players with big play potential, so I understand their value and potential to really help the team, but a spotty track record for both, particularly Prosise.

In the last 4 years of football, Collins has something like 10 times more carries than Prosise, 10 times the yards, and zero injuries that kept him from games, compared to 5+ for Prosise.

So at some point, history and track record have to outweigh wishful thinking, concerning player's potential chances to consistently help the team. No doubt Prosise could be a valuable role player and help mightily in spots.

The carries/yardage/injury ratio Collins has over Rawls is almost as significant. Rawls can be wildly successful in spurts,because he runs like a crazed dynamo shot out of a cannon, but it's a style prone to injury, as he track record shows,

Whatever caused Collins to be in the wrong shape was fixed by mid-season, and his adaptation to the offense soon followed.

He averaged 7.9 ypc in the season finale, not with huge big play potential, or running wild and out of control, but by doing what he did in college, methodical, running with power and true skill/vision, every down back, who gets stronger as the game goes on.

So I'm playing devil's advocate to many thoughts in this thread, and saying heck yea, my money would be on Collins to not only make the team, but be a steady consistent force the offense will need to thrive.

Worth noting that despite that huge carries/yardage/injury ratio Collins has over those two, he is the youngest.