Christine Michael (and RB position in general)

[seedhawk]

Could CMike be our next Ahman Green?

 

[bjornanderson21]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good.

People can try to add a 3rd or 4th option but seriously it boils down to the two i listed. Either he is as good as advertised but the coaches are holding him back (and quite possibly hurting the team) or he really isnt good enough to be on the field and they made a mistake drafting him.

I am 99% positive this situation will come to a head within 12 months. Either he starts getting playing time or we start hearing about disgruntled players and trade demands.

At this point i dont think Michael will have much of a career with the hawks. He's either a bust and they dont want to admit it or he will be playing for someone else soon enough.

I kinda wish the Hawks would make better use of their early picks and draft players that are likely to contribute and aren't projects. Schneider said you can't pass on talents like Michael in the draft but so far it looks like passing on him would have been better for the team.

 

[chris98251]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good.

People can try to add a 3rd or 4th option but seriously it boils down to the two i listed. Either he is as good as advertised but the coaches are holding him back (and quite possibly hurting the team) or he really isnt good enough to be on the field and they made a mistake drafting him.

I am 99% positive this situation will come to a head within 12 months. Either he starts getting playing time or we start hearing about disgruntled players and trade demands.

At this point i dont think Michael will have much of a career with the hawks. He's either a bust and they dont want to admit it or he will be playing for someone else soon enough.

I kinda wish the Hawks would make better use of their early picks and draft players that are likely to contribute and aren't projects. Schneider said you can't pass on talents like Michael in the draft but so far it looks like passing on him would have been better for the team.

Well Neal Anderson had to wait a while to get his job as well, or do you think that he should have been put in right away also and that it hurt the Bears with him on the bench.

 

[Tech Worlds]

Michael is not good enough to wrestle the job away from Turbin. Turbin simply is the better football player. Michael is overrated and has yet to justify his draft status or his adulation he receives on this message board.

 

[Basis4day]

Except hes been hurt this year, so we're really talking about last year. And last year Pete consistently said Michael struggled in pass protection where Turbin was better. Whether that is still true this year is yet to be seen due to the hamstring injury.

I understand that and I still think Tom Cable is playing favorites.

How is it playing favorites?

 

[Smellyman]

Michael is not good enough to wrestle the job away from Turbin. Turbin simply is the better football player. Michael is overrated and has yet to justify his draft status or his adulation he receives on this message board.

I would like to see him play first.

many people thought he was the best back in the draft.

two fumbles this preseason, but overall the past two preseasons > Turbin

 

[RiverDog]

Michael is not good enough to wrestle the job away from Turbin. Turbin simply is the better football player. Michael is overrated and has yet to justify his draft status or his adulation he receives on this message board.

Agreed.

I've heard some people compare Michael's first two seasons with Golden Tate's career path, who like Michael was a 2nd round pick that didn't see a lot of PT in his first couple seasons. But Tate contributed a lot more in his early years, particularly on special teams, than Michael has to date. Even when healthy, Michael seldom even suits up. Plus running back is a low value position. I'd much rather have some depth at a position like wide receiver or on the O-line than carry a 3rd string running back on my 53 man roster.

Pete and John aren't perfect. They blew it on this one.

 

[SalishHawkFan]

Can CMike pass block? Cuz we need guys who can pass block. If he can't do that, then everytime he takes the field he's telegraphing it's going to be a run, not a pass, cuz we can't afford to put the guy in the backfield when we're passing if he can't pass block.

So CAN he pass block?

Despite the electric runs I've seen him make, I haven't been all that impressed with his "throw my head at their ankles" pass blocking skills.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good..

It is #1, minus the coaches being foolish. Starting a Hall of Fame RB in his prime over Michael is not foolish.

 

[StoneCold]

My goodness what a mish mash of speculation based on so little real information. This whole thread reminds me of all the Percy Harvin threads. If CM can get and stay healthy he's probably going to be a pretty good back. If not he will be a bust. Not every pick, no matter whether first or seventh is going to work out. Patience people.

SC

 

[Tech Worlds]

Michael is not good enough to wrestle the job away from Turbin. Turbin simply is the better football player. Michael is overrated and has yet to justify his draft status or his adulation he receives on this message board.

I would like to see him play first.

many people thought he was the best back in the draft.

two fumbles this preseason, but overall the past two preseasons > Turbin

But he is simply not good enough to beat out turbin so that you can see him play. Don't know why this is so hard for you guys to understand.

He is third on the depth chart for a reason.

 

[Basis4day]

Pete has said that Michael is now healthy enough to play. Zach Miller's spot on the 46 man roster appears to be going to Gilliam.

I'm more interested in seeing Michael play solely for new information on him than i am in seeing Richardson. Sitting him seems to be the only way we'll see Michael without another injury.

 

[bjornanderson21]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good..

It is #1, minus the coaches being foolish. Starting a Hall of Fame RB in his prime over Michael is not foolish.

1. Lynch is not a HOF rb.

2. You don't have to bench Lynch in order to put Michael on the field.

There's this weird concept that exists where teams choose to use multiple RBs. Every team with 2 good RBs chooses to use both. Which brings me back to my point, either the coaches are foolishly wasting a good rb OR he just isnt that good...

 

[Basis4day]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good..

It is #1, minus the coaches being foolish. Starting a Hall of Fame RB in his prime over Michael is not foolish.

1. Lynch is not a HOF rb.

2. You don't have to bench Lynch in order to put Michael on the field.

There's this weird concept that exists where teams choose to use multiple RBs. Every team with 2 good RBs chooses to use both. Which brings me back to my point, either the coaches are foolishly wasting a good rb OR he just isnt that good...

Michael has been hurt this year and the coaching staff said consistently that he struggled on pass protection last year. They currently like turbin's knowledge of the blocking schemes. The team is limited by the 46 man roster. It's not as simple as the staff is stubborn or Michael sucks.

Every thing the staff has said about his playing time has made sense.

 

[Atradees]

He was my rookie pick and he didnt play.

I liken it to the Ahman Greene situation; The football hit the carpet too often. Michael is a bust risk and maybe he blossoms......its a toss up. we have Lynch who runs out of his minds and a real bulldozer with no speed and finesse. Its certainly unseahawk like in the decades I have been a fan. But you gotta like his raw power (Lynch)

No back is worth 10 million.

 

[Vetamur]

Here is my problem:

He was drafted in the second round, at the position that is probably the easy to transition from college to the pros. Pass protection is not neuro surgery. Its not organic chem. If he hasnt learned the pass pro in 18 months then we have a problem, and his learning rate should have been discovered before the draft. You assume anyone taken in the first 2 rounds would be able to step in day 1 and play, except some QBs.

If the plan is to "stash", then we never needed to take him. RBs are not that rare. We could have taken a contributor last year, and picked up a RB this coming draft if we are just going to "stash" him as he takes longer to learn pass protection than most people take to earn an MBA.

Based on whats shaken out this season, it almost looks like we should have gone with Lynch, Turbin, Forsett plus whoever we could have gotten in the second round last year.. more depth at CB? D-line help?

 

[LawlessHawk]

There's this weird concept that exists where teams choose to use multiple RBs. Every team with 2 good RBs chooses to use both. Which brings me back to my point, either the coaches are foolishly wasting a good rb OR he just isnt that good...

Uh huh. And there's this other concept where you keep plowing your one-of-a-kind, unlike-any-other RB into the defense over and over again until you crush their will and win the game.... That concept actually won a Super Bowl last season... might just win another one this season.

 

[hawksfansinceday1]

..........If the plan is to "stash", then we never needed to take him. RBs are not that rare. We could have taken a contributor last year, and picked up a RB this coming draft............

Unless Pete and John really believe he's so special he is a rare talent. Possible IMO.

..........1. Lynch is not a HOF rb.

2. You don't have to bench Lynch in order to put Michael on the field.......

1. Not yet, but he's not far away.

2. Agree. If he's healthy, it's time to rotate him in 5 -7 plays a game, unless.............

Michael is not good enough to wrestle the job away from Turbin. Turbin simply is the better football player. Michael is overrated and has yet to justify his draft status or his adulation he receives on this message board.

Unfortunately, I suspect this is closest to the truth. If we see Michael a healthy inactive most of the rest of the year, my feeling that this is the case will increase each week. As has been mentioned, P-Rich could easily be inactive in his place. Hawks could also go with 2 active TEs as the o-line improves (I believe they will).

 

[Sgt. Largent]

In the grand scheme of things there seems to be only 2 real options:

1. Christine Michael is a talented RB who would help us win games but the coaches are foolishly holding him back.

2. They drafted a bust and he simply isnt very good..

It is #1, minus the coaches being foolish. Starting a Hall of Fame RB in his prime over Michael is not foolish.

1. Lynch is not a HOF rb.

2. You don't have to bench Lynch in order to put Michael on the field.

There's this weird concept that exists where teams choose to use multiple RBs. Every team with 2 good RBs chooses to use both. Which brings me back to my point, either the coaches are foolishly wasting a good rb OR he just isnt that good...

Lynch already has almost 8,000 yards and 4 Pro Bowls. 12,000 yards is about the HOF mason dixon line for RB's, so not sure why you don't think he has 4,000 more yards in him at age 28. He ABSOLUTELY is on track to get into the hall.

.....and we do use multiple RB's, but Michael isn't one not because of his talent, but because of his injuries + less dependable blocking. You might even throw in propensity of putting the ball on the ground, which he's done the past couple of pre seasons.

Now if you want to categorize all this as "simply isn't very good?" Go for it, but IMO it's a far more gray area with Michael than your two black and white choices.