Who would you take today, if the choice was offered? I'd keep Ronnie. Brown has developed into a weapon that is feared by every team. i think Ronnie runs harder, has better vision, and is more punishing than Peterson. On top of that, he can throw the ball, and is able to make QB-like decisions in a split second during a play. His ability to read a defense is what sets him apart. I'd be curious to see how well Peterson would do in the wildcat featuring himself and Chester Taylor. They have the linemen to do it. But I doubt Peterson would do nearly as well as Ronnie. I think we might have the best RB in the NFL.
I was having this exact same discussion with a friend of mine yesterday. We pondered if a trade was offered straight up AP for RB, whether or not we would take the deal. I can honestly and gladly say that I would rather have Ronnie over Peterson, not only because of his decision making and vision as a running back, but also due to his ability as a receiver. AP has never been known for his ability to catch out of the backfield, and I think that the receiving dimension to Ronnie's game makes him a more complete back (and maybe he can run a little bit too =)).
if i was minnesota, i'd be practicing the wildcat. because they cant continue to use the same gameplan against those 8 man fronts. they need to stretch out the defense and gash them with peterson. makes me glad we have pennington. without chad, it all falls apart. with the way our WRs and TEs are playing (amazing), its a perfect offense to run.
i love the fact we put the ball in the hands of our best offensive playmaker and let him decide what to do with it. so far, it has paid off tremendously.
I see it as 2 different situations. Minny has an established line that tends to make either back look good running behind it. Chester Taylor has big games filling in for AP too. Miami is just now starting to develop a line for RB for the first time in his pro career and if this is waht Ronnie can do with a developing line, imagine what he could do with an established line. I'll take RB all day!!!
Sorry guys i love ronnie, and think right now he's a top 4 back in the league, with an outside chance this year to become MVP, but who would i take right now, no question AP.
First off, I could see this turning into a Brady vs. Culpepper EPIC thread. I'll say this, there is no question Ronnie is the better 3rd down back and is more consistent than Peterson, right now. AP is faster, more agile, and can take it the distance on any play. I would take Ronnie right now, mainly because of the consistency factor. AP has some games where he is non-factor. When Ronnie gets carries he usually always makes his presence felt.
That's an interesting choice...Ronnie has the injury history but is probably a better all-around back. That said, he doesn't come anywhere near the explosive ability of AP... As to the strictly the Wildcat, RB is probably the better choice, but Peterson could make a lot more yardage with the same holes as Brown. The ability to read the D is questionable to me...If you are not a QB, you aren't going to be able to make the kinds of reads necessary to make D's defend you as a QB and not a running back...Brown has shown to have a pretty good arm for throwing but then again, we haven't see AP in the wildcat...
I go with Ronnie. Peterson tore it up last year but rookie years are not always a good indicator of what's to come. After Peterson Plays a few years I might think different. No denying Ronnie right now though. He has picked up right where he left off last year. What separates Ronnie from other backs is his Patience. He never seems rushed. He takes the snap or the handoff waits for an opening and then explodes through it. Sometimes I see him behind the line and am convinced he waited to long to make a move and then bam he is 8 yards down field smiling as he sizes up the safety he is about to roll over
I have one comment: It doesn't matter what side you take in this argument. It's just great that Ronnie Brown is seriously in the discussion.
There are a lot of great backs in the NFL. It's just good to know that when healthy, Ronnie Brown is one of them. And I honestly believe that if he is able to stay healthy, he will go down as one of the best backs of his generation.
