Is Rawls currently the best Rookie back in the NFL?

[DavidSeven]

Rawls has been in the most favorable situation of all the rookie backs. His team emphasizes run-blocking over everything, and his QB can put a defense on its heels. I'm quite high on him now, but you cannot compare his situation to some of these other RBs (like Gurley) who have the deck stacked against them.

I've been saying David Johnson is more talented than Ellington and Chris Johnson since preseason. That dude can play and has a missile nose for the endzone. He'd be a beast here. Arians is old school and doesn't like to play rookies, and that's the only reason Johnson hasn't gotten the opportunity until now.

I think it's TBD at this point.

 

[Hasselbeck]

Gurley is the best rookie RB and it's really not close IMO.

Not a knock against Rawls, just speaking on how talented Gurley is. The Rams are a dumpster fire on offense outside of him. If Gurley and Rawls were swapped.. I don't see Rawls being that great in STL, but I see Gurley lighting it up here.

As mentioned before too.. David Johnson is really good as well.

 

[JPatera76]

Ill take rawls over gurley. Alot of you keep saying gurleybhas a bad line etc etc.. Lol so does rawls. Just because the crap site PFF rates it "okay" doesnt mean squat. I won't even bother to try and give an explanation into it because alot of you here have PFF as the end all be all for stat site. No thanks. The eye test for me says Rawls is better.

 

[Cartire]

David Johnson has 10 TD's.

Doesn't make him a better back, just a different set of chances and a different philosophy on the goal line, we pass more then we run or did.

He has 5 receiving and 5 rushing. I'm not saying hes better, but he's been overlooked by everyone here because he gets basically no media coverage.

I think a lot of that is he hasn't had a lot of playing time. He has 76 carries, and 13 receptions.
He was stuck behind Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington. He's really only had a legitimate shot out of a few plays in the last two games when he's been the starter. Getting 99, and 92 yards respectively

Which is what makes his 10 TD's pretty crazy. That was my point.

 

[Ambrose83]

You guys are nuts.. Rawls has 5 starts and is top 5 in the god damn league in yards. . Leads the NFL in ypc.... what exactly has Gurley done better?

 

[hawknation2015]

You guys are nuts.. Rawls has 5 starts and is top 5 in the god damn league in yards. . Leads the NFL in ypc.... what exactly has Gurley done better?

Right now, I see Rawls is 10th in rushing yards:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/playe ... shingYards

 

[ClutchDJ]

Gurley is the best rookie RB and it's really not close IMO.

Not a knock against Rawls, just speaking on how talented Gurley is. The Rams are a dumpster fire on offense outside of him. If Gurley and Rawls were swapped.. I don't see Rawls being that great in STL, but I see Gurley lighting it up here.

As mentioned before too.. David Johnson is really good as well.

Pretty much this.

 

[Hasselbeck]

You guys are nuts.. Rawls has 5 starts and is top 5 in the god damn league in yards. . Leads the NFL in ypc.... what exactly has Gurley done better?

Todd Gurley would put up 100+ a game with ease here. Thomas Rawls would be struggling to get out of the backfield there.

Watch a Rams game, that team may not win another game this year. They are really, really bad on offense.

 

[bjornanderson21]

I love guys like Rawls and am ready for us to ride him as long as he can perform. Should we ignore the RB position next year and just hand him the job? No. But we should be able to run a cheap backfield next year with Lynch likely leaving so maybe we use some of that money on OL....

I would take Rawls over Gurley, so yes imo Rawls is the best rookie RB

 

[captSE]

Big Bawls Rawls has done better than any back on the Seahawks Roster (and a couple who are not anymore) to date. He is second (already) in the most yards per single game in the history of the Hawks.
This is the Seattle Seahawks - Beast mode country. Rawls has had a very tall order and has aced it.
Another thing. Seattle has been been recognized as a team with a lousy O-line..?

Who's Gurly?

 

[Ambrose83]

You guys are nuts.. Rawls has 5 starts and is top 5 in the god damn league in yards. . Leads the NFL in ypc.... what exactly has Gurley done better?

Todd Gurley would put up 100+ a game with ease here. Thomas Rawls would be struggling to get out of the backfield there.

Watch a Rams game, that team may not win another game this year. They are really, really bad on offense.

Of course, let's not forget that your entire statement is opinion .. but let's not that get in the way of actual facts.

 

[jammerhawk]

Draft position doesn't mean anything. Gurley undoubtedly is a talented RB but Rawls fits his team better and makes more from less than Gurley has so far.

Who's the best as a rookie? Check the numbers, Rawls is leading.

 

[sam1313]

I will take Rawls. I love the way he plays. I also like Rawls' shorter, more compact body type. someone said earlier that Gurley at 6'1 and 231 is more freakish than 5'9 215, but like RW, i think the shorter stature means less injuries, and to be honest a shorter RB is usually harder to bring down than a taller one and has a greater tendency to fall forward since they are hard to get under. They are also harder to see sliding through small holes in the line.

 

[Popeyejones]

David Johnson has 10 TD's.

Doesn't make him a better back, just a different set of chances and a different philosophy on the goal line, we pass more then we run or did.

I'm not saying hes better, but he's been overlooked by everyone here because he gets basically no media coverage.

TBF the same could be said for TJ Yeldon, who is also a rookie back who is putting together a really nice rookie season for himself which is just totally ignored.

Hard to really rank them as if you're looking for a "complete" back I'd put Gurley, Johnson, and Yeldon all over Rawls, but for what the Seahawks want from their RB, I think Rawls is a damn good fit, and right up there with Gurley if not even a little higher so far (within their scheme).

 

[Hasselbeck]

You guys are nuts.. Rawls has 5 starts and is top 5 in the god damn league in yards. . Leads the NFL in ypc.... what exactly has Gurley done better?

Todd Gurley would put up 100+ a game with ease here. Thomas Rawls would be struggling to get out of the backfield there.

Watch a Rams game, that team may not win another game this year. They are really, really bad on offense.

Of course, let's not forget that your entire statement is opinion .. but let's not that get in the way of actual facts.

Yeah I mean it's not like Gurley was putting up monster numbers before their OL fell apart and they had a semblance of a passing game.

I forgot though, on Seahawks.NET no Seahawk player is inferior to someone else. Rawls > all.

Oh and the Top 5 guy in rushing yards is actually the guy you're asking "what has he done better?"

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/playe ... asontype/2

I LOVE Rawls.. don't get me wrong. I was banging the drum for him to make the team in August. But to slight Gurley because of that situation is wrong. The Rams are a dumpster fire, Gurley is literally the only positive thing they have going right now

 

[Mick063]

David Johnson has 10 TD's.

Doesn't make him a better back, just a different set of chances and a different philosophy on the goal line, we pass more then we run or did.

I'm not saying hes better, but he's been overlooked by everyone here because he gets basically no media coverage.

TBF the same could be said for TJ Yeldon, who is also a rookie back who is putting together a really nice rookie season for himself which is just totally ignored.

Hard to really rank them as if you're looking for a "complete" back I'd put Gurley, Johnson, and Yeldon all over Rawls, but for what the Seahawks want from their RB, I think Rawls is a damn good fit, and right up there with Gurley if not even a little higher so far (within their scheme).

In a "do over" draft, it would be interesting to see where Rawls and Gordon would be selected. If I'm a GM, my board would read Gurley, Rawls, Johnson. In that order.

 

[Popeyejones]

^^^ Yeah, agreed in a redraft Gurley still goes first, but from there I just think it really depends on the team we're talking about which is drafting.

For the Seahawks for instance I think Rawls second makes a lot of sense, whereas for other teams David Johnson and maybe even TJ Yeldon line up before Rawls.

It's all pretty academic, though. So far it looks like the Seahawks got a really great back for their system and needs, and literally didn't give up any draft capital to do so.

That's just a huge win. As Hasselbeck was saying, it's a win so big that there's really no need to guild the lily by trying to diminish Gurley in the process.

 

[Jville]

^^^^ Nicely put

But frankly, I just don't get the preoccupation with ranking position players and debating who is better. Tennis players compete and volley back and forth. But opposing running backs do not compete on the same field of play at the same time. I just do not see the value in football debates about who is the best at a labeled position. But as a matter of full disclosure, I am not a Madden Gamester or a Fantasy Junkie.

What I do see are unique individuals assembled together as members of a unique team. And, what really matters is how well they all fit together as an orchestra and how sweet their music becomes.

 

[Popeyejones]

^^^ And nicely put by you too. :lol:

Totally agreed.

I think the Cowboys and DeMarco Murray are a great example of what you're talking about.

Last year when Murray was running wild on the Cowboys people said it was mostly just the great blocking he was getting.

If you look at him on the Eagles it was ENTIRELY the great blocking he was getting.

But if you look at the Cowboys running game without Murray it looks like it was actually Murray and not the blocking.

But then maybe you say that Romo has been hurt, and for Murray it wasn't the blocking, but it was Romo. But then what about the blocking.

Much easier is just to conclude that Murray, the blocking, and Romo made for a really great combination. Who the heck knows if Murray as an individual was better than some other back as an individual last year. On the Cowboys there was a special sauce of greatness.

Maybe Thomas Rawls wouldn't have that special sauce of greatness if he was on the Cowboys, and maybe he would. Maybe his special sauce of greatness is just the Seahawks, and what of it? That he'd suck on the Bills is neither here nor there, because in the real world he's really effective, which is what counts.


(FWIW it's this logic you're talking about which is why I've always said that as individuals all of the 9ers "greats" from the 80s and 90s are overrated. I love 'em to death, but Montana ain't Montana without Jerry Rice, and Jerry Rice ain't Jerry Rice without Montana and Young, and none of them are "them" without Bill Walsh, and Bill Walsh ain't Bill Walsh without them, etc.).

 

[Mick063]

^^^ And nicely put by you too. :lol:

Totally agreed.

I think the Cowboys and DeMarco Murray are a great example of what you're talking about.

Last year when Murray was running wild on the Cowboys people said it was mostly just the great blocking he was getting.

If you look at him on the Eagles it was ENTIRELY the great blocking he was getting.

But if you look at the Cowboys running game without Murray it looks like it was actually Murray and not the blocking.

But then maybe you say that Romo has been hurt, and for Murray it wasn't the blocking, but it was Romo. But then what about the blocking.

Much easier is just to conclude that Murray, the blocking, and Romo made for a really great combination. Who the heck knows if Murray as an individual was better than some other back as an individual last year. On the Cowboys there was a special sauce of greatness.

Maybe Thomas Rawls wouldn't have that special sauce of greatness if he was on the Cowboys, and maybe he would. Maybe his special sauce of greatness is just the Seahawks, and what of it? That he'd suck on the Bills is neither here nor there, because in the real world he's really effective, which is what counts.


(FWIW it's this logic you're talking about which is why I've always said that as individuals all of the 9ers "greats" from the 80s and 90s are overrated. I love 'em to death, but Montana ain't Montana without Jerry Rice, and Jerry Rice ain't Jerry Rice without Montana and Young, and none of them are "them" without Bill Walsh, and Bill Walsh ain't Bill Walsh without them, etc.).

I see your angle. Brandon Browner is a co-founder of the Legion of Boom, won a second Super Bowl in New England, redirecting a receiver in one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history, directly impacting the victory, and he is about to get run out of town in New Orleans. Only Belichek and Carroll seem to know how to use him well.