If Bill Lazor sticks around for multiple years and really is running the Kelly system then I could foresee the need to draft a running back high. The reason is because this running style doesn't necessarily afford specialists. You can't just be good at zone or power, because the inside-zone run plays (which are the foundation of the offense) are tied and connected with power run plays which are used as a counter to the inside-zone run plays. You can't just have one guy in to run the inside-zone and another guy to run power. That would defeat the point. Outside-zone is also a big part of this offense, and that can be a different skill set altogether compared with inside-zone or power (think Percy Harvin, De'Anthony Thomas). To be fair, the outside-zone plays could probably be run by a specialist. But inside-zone and power probably need to be the same guy. Add onto that the demands on the position in the passing game, both pass catching and blocking, and then have as an undercurrent of all this the fact that the Chip Kelly offense is probably THE most run-committed offense that you're likely to see in today's NFL on a consistent basis...and it would make sense that you really need to find a high-caliber, "do it all" guy. In that way, Chip was lucky he went to Philadelphia where LeSean McCoy was already stationed. But consider that for all of Bryce Brown's talent, they traded him away because ultimately they didn't feel like he could do EVERYTHING. That's probably an indication of how demanding this system could be on the tailback.
I've really got to do a better dive on him to determine if he's that versatile but he absolutely is dripping with talent.
if its a runner it would be todd gurley for me, the way he runs and breaks tackles reminds me of #28 from the vikings
Jury still out of course but while Todd Gurley looks as versatile and NFL-ready as you say, ultimately I wonder if he's a great yard gainer. I think Ameer Abdullah warrants a strong look. He's impressed me several times. Here, watch this tape of Ameer Abdullah. You see so much of EXACTLY what he would be doing in a Chip Kelly offense. The touchdown around the minute mark was straight up inside zone with exactly the same quarterback-running back alignment you'd see in a Chip Kelly offense. He powered his way for the score. The next play you see him line up as a slot receiver, get open and make a nice catch and run off the out route. [video=youtube;5Xqv58i8Nzk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5Xqv58i8Nzk[/video]
Yeah I think it's a different animal at the pro level. From a 'new wave' of offense perspective, I'm curious to see what we and Philly do this year obviously. But the other team that might have some funky stuff going on is Tampa, oddly enough. Tedford was one of the more intriguing OC candidates this year along with Lazor from the standpoint of doing some new creative stuff. And he has some interesting tools in the kit there, with giant pass catchers (VJackson, MEvans, ASJ, TWright as a slot) and lots of speed in the backfield. I don't know what they'll get from the QB, but from a schematic standpoint they could be really interesting to watch. I'm also interested in seeing which guys get cut from their backfield, lol. They're probably going to cut two out of: Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey, Mike James, Jeff Demps, Javorskie Lane, Lonnie Pryor. Them's some good pickings.
They've been raving about Charles Sims because of the total package he represents. He and Marion Grice were the two tailbacks I had graded as the two guys who differentiated themselves from the all the other tailbacks when it came to pass catching out of the backfield. They have legit wide receiver skills.
Not free, but I'd guess anyone who can afford a computer and internet service can afford to pay for the preseason games on nfl.com. It's only like $20 or so for 4 weeks.
Omar Kelly ✔ @OmarKelly IF I had to rank Dolphins rookies it would go: Landry, James, Johnson, Turner, McCain, D Williams, Hoskins, Aikens, Tripp, Lynch,Fede, Hazel
Dion Jordan is allowed to play preseason games right? I want to see a glimpse of our defense at full strength..
It has to be around 20 years ago at this point...? We hovered around #20 or worse most of my adult life minus 2008 (as far as I recall).
For someone bemoaning straw men arguments you certainly don't hesitate to erect a few of your own with words like "eh out goes half the playbook..and back to the old ways of our past." So...yeah. We could field an entire football league with all the straw men here.
It doesn't surprise me because Omar is proud of the fact he doesn't pay much attention to anything below 2nd string.
Didn't he only start adopting that after the whole "Hey, who here hasn't shot at someone else with the intent to kill them?" fiasco? **EDIT** Nope, he's been doing that forever. The GGATG thing I mean, not shooting at people (he said it was just once).
Wait..is he ranking them by how good he thinks they are...or how much of a chance they have to make the 53?
