Don't think hes as good as Sanders - I think the Reggie Bush comparisons are more accurate. The things Sanders could do to a defender were just obscene, like MJ playing basketball, a litany of WTF how did that happen moments. I think Spiller will get about 10-15 touches a game. I was a fan of his coming out, and am interested to see how he will do - personally I think we can handle him alright. I'm envisioning something like where he will destroy a team one week then vanish for 2-3 weeks before resurfacing. He will play hell with any team that plays him undisciplined and doesn't tackle well though.
The only player in the draft who would've had more value than Odrick, Misi, and Dobbins combined is Sam Bradford..... and we already have a franchise QB. These kids are still pups, but they're in new positions battling it out against grown men. To think they should be showing Pro-Bowl play before the season begins is unrealistic to say the least. Earl Thomas has the luxury of playing in space (and not up with the big boys on every snap), while Spiller still gets to do what comes naturally- carry the ball. How long did it take Starks to emerge?..... or Soliai? I think some of us are taking for granted our recent run of contributing, rookie starters to the point it's skewing our expectations.
I didn't think they were equal. There's a reason that Thomas was considered a top 15 player and Odrick was considered a late first rounder. And as the game has become more about passing and less about running that old axiom isn't as true as it used to be. IMO it is now 'all things being equal, you take the impact player.' In today's game there are few if any defensive positions that have as much impact as S. Again, I'm not saying Odrick was a bad pick or has been disappointing. I had him rated very highly pre-draft and he's lived up to it. I also think the impact of getting Misi and Dobbins is huge. I just feel that 'special' players are so hard to find that passing on them is usually a mistake.
It was more a comparison of texan's description of Spiller. CJ does have that homerun ability that Sanders had although I do not think Spiller will ever live to be as good as Sanders...there will never be another Barry Sanders.