The key to having good receivers out of the backfield this year is Henne improving his short distance touch throws. Too many 500mph rockets bounced out of the hands of backs last year, especially at the end of the season with Williams and Polite. Hillard seemed to do well in a "3rd down back" role, caught nine passes against Houston, a handful of them on a 2 minute drive before halftime according to my memory...
I'm hoping to see Ronnie Saturday for the first drive, Ricky the second with a big dose of Cobbs and Hilliard and Davis with mop-up duty...
R&R with Cobbs, Polite and Hilliard is a superbly balanced variation of running backs, teams will be hard pressed to scheme for all of them and as it said Marshall will likely keep teams from stacking the box OR make them pay for it if they do. Good read, thanks for the link DF
Marshall is a great reciever IMHO....with that size he has the best stride and ability to change directions at that size I have ever seen and he has the ability of a 5-9 slot guy when he redirects, very good hands, excellent physically, will catch in traffic, and is far above average after the catch, and he will occassionally get deep ....but.....he is NOT a vertical deep threat....his yards will be occassional deep ball on a angeled route and YAC.....I actually think the way to defend him is to stack the LOS and play him inside out and over the top and let the sideline be your third defender...let him get his 7 catched for 65-75 yards but limit his YAC inside the hash...now in the red zone, i am not sure exactly how I would defend him......
I'm really excited about the potential of this offense. I hope over the next couple weeks they settle in on the offense line so they can gel.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you take away the injuries, Ronnie is the best back in the league.
That is not true at all. He lacks that second gear to be an elite back. We are all still waiting for THAT season from him. So far it hasn't happened. Besides you can't take away his injuries so it is a ridiculous assumption IMO.
Ok...prove it. Thought so. Your opinion of an elite back requires the "second gear". Mine doesn't. Mine requires power, vision, hands, toughness, team first attitude, etc. Ronnie has all those things. Anyway that's my opinion. FTR, I know you can't really take way the injuries, but thank you for the correction. I have other opinions. A big opinion for me, is any fan is who is ALWAYS negative about the team, it players, other fans, the FO, without ever really acknowledging the good, is really no different than the average Jets fan.
You must not read all of my posts..... I live in the real world not some fantasy land where an injury prone back who has split time in college and the pros is considered hypothetically to be the best back in the NFL.
The simple fact is this, We're not going anywhere without Ronnie Brown. We fell apart last season without him. We need him. Ricky can't do it alone, not anymore. When we lost Ronnie, we lost the wildcat and our best offensive player. Ricky went in, had a phenom game against the Panthers and after that it was right back to 'ricky left, ricky right' days of old. Marshall will fix some of this, but Brown may still be the most pivotal part of our team. Is it really surprising to believe that the one season Brown managed to stay healthy, we made the playoffs? As a fan of this team, you have to get on board with Ronnie, otherwise you're rooting for this team to fail.
I expect a breakout season from our Pro Bowl star running back. He is going to prove he is the best running back in this league in fact I'll go as far as saying that someday he will enter the Pro Football Hall Of Fame along with many of his team mates from this era. The Miami Dolphins will win the Super Bowl for the next ten years because we have the best offense, the best defense, the best special teams, the best HC, and the next Dan Marino. I expect sellouts for all the games because the fanbase is the best group of fans ever. The FO is the best group that has ever been put together and they will be together here for a long time because they are so good to the team. The stadium is the best in the NFL too. I love the way the stands are so far away from the field, that gives all the players room to take in the wonderful oxygen and brilliant sunshine beaming down on them at gametime...... Of course you were talking about me.
YOU DAMN STRAIT D!!!!....My dude, tellin like it is. The most versatile power back to man the position, this is a highly skilled athlete, wait til he starts to roll right and left and complete short passes out of the formation.... Hes getting better folks.
It's one thing to be critical and observant, it's another to be downtrodden, miserable, and constantly negative about pretty much everything. Especially any post that isn't lock-step with your opinion.
You say I'm not on board with Ronnie but I didn't say that. I disputed him being hypothetically the best back in the league. Which is not even close and resembles borderline major homerism. There is a difference. I understand we need Ronnie at least this season. I hope he has a great year. I'll say it again I'm not a pessimist just an optimist with experience.
overall Versatility combined with power....not having that elite speed does not discount the rest of his talent...
I agree. Very few of the NFL great RBs over the years aren't speed demons. While it certainly doesn't hurt, it's not the end-all be all. I've heard from many "experts" .. Mike Lombardi, Jon Gruden, etc.. and rival fans, mention that Ronnie is the best overall back in the game...except those darn injuries.
I'm not downtrodden or miserable. I'm just telling you my opinion. If you choose not to read it that is up to you. I'm excited about the season. I can't wait.
Talent-wise I'd rate Brown about 4th behind Chris Johnson, AP and Steven Jackson. I'm not saying he's the 4th best back right now, but I think he has that level of talent.
As well Rafi I would put Gore in that list too, I think Gore and Brown are tied, with Gore having a slight advantage....Gore can legitimately do it all, run, catch out of the backfield, block, he is tough, powerful, and pretty fast as well....
Killah is an aquired taste....and a great fan of the team... Killa, some of us thinking Ronnie brown would be the best all around back in the league without the injuries, is not freakin Homerism, its based on skill level and versatility relative to others... When he is healthy, and rolling, and executing multiple formations, there isn't anyone I would trade for strait up at that position..
I like Brown dont get me wrong....but I wouldnt even blink, and actually drive Brown to Tenn, or Minny for either of those 2....
That's why I thought they may have jumped the gun to trade away Ginn so quickly. Hartline is developing and he's the faster than Cammy, Bess or Turner (assuming Turner is #5 on the list). I'm sure RGM, Johnson and possibly even Wallace is faster than he is...but the bottom line is IF we can't offer some sort of deeper threat opposite Marshall, they can defend him. Of course either way, covering Marshall could also loosen the box and improve the run game to the point that Ds would have tough decisions to make in what coverages to use. I think, for all the grief that Ginn got here (mostly justified), we'll miss his speed on the outside IF Hartline isn't able to step to the plate...
As I've been saying I really like what I'm hearing of Wallace, who is a big burner. In his first interview today (Finsiders/Aquavision) seems really bright too... Let's see what he can bring in the preseason.
I'm excited to see him play. You never know, we could've landed our own Colston...crazy things happen...