RB competition

[Fade]

I think if things continue how they are going. We will see Rawls as the starter, but he will be sharing carries w/C-Mike to start the year. The 3rd down back will be Alex Collins. He can catch, block, short yardage, every 3rd down situation which is unique to the role. Usually you see scat backs on 3rd down.

Prosise can factor back in eventually as the traditional 3rd down scat back, but he has to get sustained reps first.

 

[Fade]

so who starts Saturday?

I anticipate C-Mike. Unless he is sick again, or hurt, then it will be Alex Collins.

 

[kearly]

Maybe Collins could prove to be a better pass blocker than Michael, but he wasn't utilized in that kind of role very often in college. As a receiver, he's only had 16 catches the past two college seasons combined. If Collins ends up being our 3rd down back that probably means something went horribly wrong.

 

[Hawks46]

Rawls is #1, Christine is #2, and poor AC, despite all his skills and accolades, winds up as the 3rd back again.

Prosise will spend a lot of time inactive, only becoming active later in the season when someone gets hurt.

Zac Brooks will go to the Practice Squad, and the team will convert a huge DT to FB, or pick one up somewhere.

I read that George Farmer is the fill-in for the "Prosise Project" and is playing well replacing CJ.


Sirius radio believe CJ will have great fantasy value:

http://blog.siriusxm.com/2016/05/04/nfl ... t-in-2016/

I'm trying to figure what this article is about, I thought it was about Prosise

http://blog.siriusxm.com/2016/05/04/nfl ... t-in-2016/

I almost think that Prosise will end up being IR'd if he can't get back on the field. Brooks brings mostly the same skill set, he's just not as big but he's faster.

I also see them having Brandin Bryant going both ways. Its a good way to give him a spot on the team, and they've really liked what they've seen so far from him at DT from all reports. Great roster value being able to play two positions.

 

[Hawks46]

Love the topic and trust me, I want to talk football as much as anybody, but what are we really comparing? We have had barely over a week of what is essentially body conditioning and catch-and-release football. Our top draft choice at the position hasn't really been on the field yet, we don't know if our O-line can block anyone, and the scrimmage was great if you're a big fan of flag football. Every year we hear the "man, so-and-so really looks good," "this guy is a wrecking crew," blah-blah-blah and then the real season hits and reality sets in. For every Thomas Rawls there are a bazillion guys who looked great in training camp but can't cut it in a real game situation.

I guess I'm a real show-me type of guy but you won't see much to at least the third game of the preseason because the first two games are so cluttered w/future cuts and practice squad deportees. I am like someone else said: I can't wait for preseason to start so I can't wait for it to be over.

Having said all that, I am really excited to see what this talented group of young running backs can do, LOL!

Honestly Preseason is really only good for watching how the roster shakes out and young player development. If you can't get excited about those, preseason is mostly worthless. That's all I'm trying to do.

Also, I do think we're going RBBC this year, but was just starting a discussion about how we think the roster will shake out, and Michael's surprising resurgence. I knew he'd be solid, but I thought Collins might make him expendable. Now it's looking like Michael is in the serious running for the top spot in week 1.

 

[DJrmb]

I hope Michael really has turned things around and matured however we have heard this staff praise him in camps before. Didn't they call him the most improved player last year or the year before in camp? Only to have him not even be activated on most game days. As I said, I do hope the best for Michael but I won't believe any reports on him in camp until we see the staff put their money where their mouth is, ie he makes the 53 man roster and he is active on Sundays to even be eligible to play...

 

[dogorama]

I hope Michael really has turned things around and matured however we have heard this staff praise him in camps before. Didn't they call him the most improved player last year or the year before in camp? Only to have him not even be activated on most game days. As I said, I do hope the best for Michael but I won't believe any reports on him in camp until we see the staff put their money where their mouth is, ie he makes the 53 man roster and he is active on Sundays to even be eligible to play...

It's a good point and reinforces my position that I will believe it when I see it. I was getting pretty hyped on the O-line after listening to Cable's press conference until I looked up his preseason press conference from last year where he said "this is the best group we've had." Sound familiar?

 

[Fade]

Maybe Collins could prove to be a better pass blocker than Michael, but he wasn't utilized in that kind of role very often in college. As a receiver, he's only had 16 catches the past two college seasons combined. If Collins ends up being our 3rd down back that probably means something went horribly wrong.

I'm curious kearly who is your candidate to be the 3rd down back if Prosise is not ready?

 

[vin.couve12]

I know the question wasn't directed at me, but in theory, you don't really want to have to have a 3rd down back. You generally might need one because of deficiency in either pass blocking or pass receiving or both, but it's not a given that you need it per se. I'd even say that it tips your hand to defenses that watch tape and know what you like to do in personnel groupings, which....is basically every NFL defense.

That said, all reports, whether by fans, writers, etc, are saying that Michael is doing really well in the receiving department and even pulling in one handers (I saw one of these and it seemed perfectly natural). Pass catching is really sort of a lesser part of that job though, IMO. If you can't block a LB or DB on a blitz on 3rd down, you're more than likely not going to get a 1st and your 22M investment might be laying on the turf. I though Michael did a pretty good job of pass pro last year, but we'll see.

At this point, my guess would be that Michael is going to be a larger part of the offense than some will like.

 

[Ozzy]

I always thought Michael's skill set is almost ideal in the passing game. His quickness in space and ability to hit top speed so quickly plus his size in pass protection are great for that role. I know he was killed for his pass protection stuff early on but last year I thought he was fantastic in that role. He absolutely trucked a couple of guys in pass protection. I'm really excited about Prosise though so tough to see anyone supplanting him in that role.

 

[Fade]

Remember when they used Robert Turbin as a 3rd down back in 2013 & 2014. If he can do it, Alex Collins can do it. That is all I'm saying.

 

[ACFan]

I respect how Rawls must have excited the fanbase here, I'm looking forward to seeing more of him myself.

The reality is he hasn't planted on that foot yet and has had zero contact to date.

I think you need to know who your starter is after week 3 of preseason, and week 1 is just days away.

Michael and Collins have been the guys in camp, one will start saturday, I expect both will play a lot early.

If Rawls can get back up to speed in the next 2-3 weeks, he's my day 1 starter.

If not, then it should be who ever looks the best between Michael and Collins.

Especially good if one or both do well with their opportunities, lessening the pressure to rush Rawls back.

 

[ACFan]

I'm not the biggest fan of Collins' choppy feet coupled with his lack of speed at the NFL level, but I think he's got a role here as a GL back and could have the most TDs of all the backs on the team.

Yep, Collins ran a 4.6 at the combine, then a 4.48 at pro day, which is about the best he can run.

He doesn't have that last gear over the last 20 yards the way the others do, to shave off that .2 seconds.But he is as fast as anyone those first 20 yards, hits his top gear quick. he can take a pitch at the 10 and get it to the corner I believe at the pro level.

I think his route running, pass blocking and receiving skills will be the biggest surprise to people.

 

[MizzouHawkGal]

@ACFan, obviously he's a favorite of your's so for you I hope he's a surprise homerun. For now without further evidence I see him as goal line type but that could change, so let's see what he has in some games to see where he's actually at.

 

[ACFan]

@ACFan, obviously he's a favorite of your's so for you I hope he's a surprise homerun. For now without further evidence I see him as goal line type but that could change, so let's see what he has in some games to see where he's actually at.

thanks MHG, I'm anxious for some games too, everything is just talk until then.

 

[kearly]

Maybe Collins could prove to be a better pass blocker than Michael, but he wasn't utilized in that kind of role very often in college. As a receiver, he's only had 16 catches the past two college seasons combined. If Collins ends up being our 3rd down back that probably means something went horribly wrong.

I'm curious kearly who is your candidate to be the 3rd down back if Prosise is not ready?

It kind of depends on the situation, but if Procise ends up missing a lot of time, I could see Brooks making the team on a temporary basis to fill out the role.

All I know is, Collins is essentially the antithesis of a 3rd down back. If he plays there, its because a lot of things had to break a certain way first. It's definitely not what they drafted him for.

Remember when they used Robert Turbin as a 3rd down back in 2013 & 2014. If he can do it, Alex Collins can do it. That is all I'm saying.

Turbin was a competent blocker, a good receiver, good speed (4.50 at combine, did not run at pro-day). Michael was pretty bad as a blocker, and hit and miss as a receiver. So even though Michael was the better runner, Turbin was the natural choice as a 3rd down back.

Collins has below average speed with very little blocking or receiving experience. I don't expect Michael to be our 3rd down back but his experience in the offense would make me lean towards him more than Collins. I don't think either one will be in that role unless something goes very wrong and both Procise and Brooks are unavailable.

 

[Hawks46]

I'm actually not too worried about Collins' speed. I've seen plenty of highlights of him running away from SEC secondaries. You don't get to start in the SEC and be slow. He also has good vision and hits the hole fast.

I'd have to disagree with Kearly on Michael being bad in pass pro. The few times I've seen him, he's stoned his guy in the hole. He gets low and rarely gets pushed back. I'm not sure how assignment correct he is 100% of the time (I'd have to watch more film) but I remember a good half dozen times when he knocked his man to the ground. Hell, on one play he knocked a DE out of the game and made it look easy.

 

[chris98251]

I don't know where the idea of 4.5 is considered slow for a RB, 4.4 is receiver speed, how many 40 plus yard runs do RB's do in a game, quick feet and balance and leg drive is what gets them most the yards and ability to stop and start quickly, after the first line if they can get another 15 and carry DB's another 5 that's a hell of a run. If they do break out then 4.5 with a few yards separation is going to get a lot into the end zone anyway.

 

[ACFan]

I'm actually not too worried about Collins' speed. I've seen plenty of highlights of him running away from SEC secondaries.

I don't know where the idea of 4.5 is considered slow for a RB,

Agreed. I think 4.5 is close to the average speed of a starting NFL back.

The "find something wrong with you" combine crowd just seems to go overboard on Alex.

As in Arkansas only threw it to him 16 times, doesn't matter he caught all 16, he must not be able to catch.

Choppy steps, too slow, can't catch, all will prove to be completely wrong or irrelevant, IMO. I think we are just days away from solid evidence of that.

 

[ACFan]

I believe the initial evaluations AC got as a JR in college, (being a 2-3 round pick), were a lot closer to the truth than what the nit-picking draft crowd ultimately produced.

They follow formulas that ensure a certain level of success, but sometimes they miss nuggets.

In Collins' case, they over emphasised measurables that may not have a bearing on anything, while ignoring some pretty impressive accomplishments.

The biggest of which being that by age 21, he was a 3 year veteran of the SEC, having rushed for over 3,700 yards at a 5.6 ypc average. Without missing a single game due to injury!

That's impressive no matter how you slice it. That screams star quality.

But then again, he doesn't have a basketball like vertical jump.