I realize that the Eagles 4th round pick will most likely be pretty low, but didn't we draft Ajayi in the 5th?
I'm not saying that he is a RB who can't go between the tackles at all. I just don't think running people over and breaking tackles is his strong point. I think we should continue trying to get him the ball in a multitude of different ways with the hope that he rips a big one off. I think he is best served in space. This is just my hunch, but I think Gase and the rest of us will see that Drake will be at his best with short/screen passes.
Why would anybody assume he was a rental back with 260 carries and almost 1300 yds that included 2 back to back 200 yd games? It's like playing poker, play your cards close to the vest, the Dolphins brass are stupid and they let information out that's detrimental. I don't remember hearing one story about the Dolphins shopping Ajayi. How come that aspect was so incredibly hush hush and didn't get leaked? Oh I know, it's because it basically happened overnight. I can go count the teams that would love to start a back like Ajayi. But I'm willing to bet no other teams were even given an opportunity to bid. Of course I did hear the rumors of him having potential future knee injuries and his attitude problems (which should never leave the locker room from a smart team.) They couldn't get rid of him fast enough so they took the first offer. I get that you homers like to frame the argument with aqua glasses but please get real. What he did the year prior if we played our cards right gets us more than a 4th round pick. The Patriots would have got a 2nd in the same situation.
In other words we may as well as flipped him for nothing. Pretty crazy after that 06-07 performance. I don't know if you were agreeing or disagreeing with me but you make a great point. We basically flipped him for nothing cause we got the same pick we drafted with the Eagles late round 4th. And sorry I don't want to derail the thread, go on about Drake, I've said all I'm going to say on this topic now.
I had no problem with trading him but I was hoping for a little better than a 4th rd pick.Maybe not realistic though.
What's "playing your cards right"? Ajayi turned a corner last year both mentally and through his production. When teams caught up to the tape this year, he wasn't really a huge factor. Now add in his reported me-first, selfish, attitude. What do you think his trade value was? You're basically saying that my opinion that he wasn't as attractive a trade target as everyone thought he was (including myself) is completely ridiculous, but your opinion that the FO shot themselves in the foot by sacrificing a higher pick for expedience is not. "Get real."
I would say mid to late last year, a few of us starting mentioning that the outside run stuff was becoming a bit predictable and that we could see players starting to key on Jay's tendencies.. This game is about players adapating,if they cant, they become exposed.. It all makes sense to me..The play designs were figured out by defensive coordinators, his tendencies didn't change this year, and he and the offense sucked because he couldn't attack a defense with his route running, which sucked, so defenders were keying on everything.. Drake changes the game, Jay ajayi is not lining up wide and running a 9 route, not is he lining up out there and running a hard mid range slant in stride..defenses no longer have tells when he is in the game. pivotal to success in todays game
As good as Drake and Ajayi have looked at times, you have to remember that RB's are a dime a dozen since 150+ starters graduate college every single year and maybe 10-15 of them find their way to a pro roster. Honestly, I don't even think the talent is the rare part these days, it's finding a player who's going to go all-in on the system, work hard daily to get better and have the right attitude. To be honest, I thought we got a steal with a 4th rounder for Ajayi because I guarantee you that there's 100 nobody's out there that's better than him who are desperate to be discovered by an NFL team and give 110% every second. Great running backs just aren't that rare these days. Again, that's not a knock on Drake or Ajayi- just sharing my opinion.
A rental who was basically a malcontent here, acted selfishly towards his teammates and coaches, and to top it off has a chronic knee condition. Glad hes gone.
I agree with your overall sentiment regarding running backs in general. I believe having a good oline and a passing game threat are a lot more important to running game success than having a great running back. If you have those two prerequisites you can pretty much plug in any average RB and still have success. On the other hand you have to admit that Ajayi is a rare talent. I don't believe that there are 100 nobody's out there who can break tackles and burst through for yards after contact like Ajayi can. Drake also is extremely explosive and agile for a RB his size. There are not 100 nobodies out there with their kind of talent.
Definitely- they are both ultra-talented in their own ways and great finds...I didn't mean to imply they weren't. But like you said, the line and the scheme also play their parts. If any running back hits an open hole, they're guaranteed 2-3 yards every single time. If the center hits that linebacker, then the RB is guaranteed 4-5 minimum. It's all RB skill from there but think about it- if you can get 4.0 per carry consistently, there's never a reason to pass. And that's where the big play action comes in. With Ajayi, I never doubted his talent or desire...it was simply his maturity.