Seahawks RB Corps ranked #2

[Giedi]

Christine Michael is the sexy new kid in town with top-end potential that is tantalizing, but I have a hunch Turbin feels the squeeze between Marshawn and the newcomer and turns his opportunities into valuable contributions this year.

Michael will be a n excellent back this year.

 

[SalishHawkFan]

RB's don't, as a rule, have sophomore slumps. That's more a QB thing.

 

[Cartire]

RB's don't, as a rule, have sophomore slumps. That's more a QB thing.

Heres a good article on the myth of the Sophomore Slump. http://12thmanrising.com/2013/07/02/the ... ore-slump/

An image from the article. These are second year stats in comparison to first year stats.



Rookie QB's dont have sophomore slumps. Only ESPN and NFL Network have sophomore slumps.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

After that Cleveland Browns game a couple years ago that Seattle would have won with Marshawn Lynch playing (or with a referee not calling a phantom block-in-the-back on that Leon Washington PR TD), I am so happy that if he is scratched now due to back spasms or knocking the mirror off a parked car while driving buzzed, we have guys that can split carries and keep the team heavily running the ball.

This system is so run-heavy that taking a potential feature back every couple of years is probably a good idea.

 

[Subzero717]

Its great we are number 2 and all that but how on earth is Frisco 1? If Houston was 1 okay. Frisco not so much.

 

[bestfightstory]

Christine Michael is the sexy new kid in town with top-end potential that is tantalizing, but I have a hunch Turbin feels the squeeze between Marshawn and the newcomer and turns his opportunities into valuable contributions this year.

Michael will be a n excellent back this year.

Good. Nobody suggested he wouldn't be.

 

[kearly]

The 49ers shouldn't be #1. Frank Gore is 30 years old with a ton of wear on the tires. LaMichael James and Kendall Hunter are 3rd down backs. Lattimore was never an explosive runner in college even when healthy, has major health concerns going forward, and won't play until 2014. Last season the 49ers had an elite run blocking line with a solid group of running backs. They also ran read option with a QB who is an elite runner, which keeps defenses more honest and results in a huge boost to RB stats.

My top 5:

#1 Houston: Arian Foster has been extremely productive, Ben Tate is hands down the league's best #2 RB and might be a top 10 starter if asked to be. They got Cierre Wood this year too, who's under-rated.

#2 Seattle: Marshawn Lynch has a shot at the rushing title in 2013. Christine Michael has similar size, power, and athleticism to Ben Tate and Ahman Green. Turbin is a very good #3 RB that is starter capable. Michael Robinson is a pro-bowl fullback.

#3 Philly: Not sure what happened to LeSean McCoy, a couple years ago he looked like a budding superstar. Maybe he gets back on track. Bryce Brown is an athletic freak and might end up the #1 at some point. Chris Polk should be starting in the NFL, but is stuck at #3. Also, Chip Kelly has a knack for getting the most out of his RBs.

#4 Washington: Alfred Morris massively over-achieved last season. In terms of his athleticism and tools he's an average at best runner. Still, 1613 yards is 1613 yards. Roy Helu had a very nice season in 2011 and I honestly think Washington made a mistake benching him for Morris. Helu is the better talent.

#5 San Francisco: This is where I'd put the 49ers, as Frank Gore is probably at the end of the line and I think Marcus Lattimore's NFL trajectory is Willis McGahee if things work out. I liked Kendall Hunter in 2011, but he took a big step back last season. I thought LaMichael James had the strength and toughness to be more than a 3rd down back, but he has proved me wrong at least so far.

 

[DavidSeven]

Its great we are number 2 and all that but how on earth is Frisco 1? If Houston was 1 okay. Frisco not so much.

Yup, my automatic assumption upon seeing the thread title was that Houston would be #1. Foster/Tate is the best two-headed RB in the league.

For SF, Hunter and James are promising and are really good depth pieces for now, but Gore is not an elite feature back anymore. Turbin/Michael provide at least the same depth at RB that SF has, and Marshawn is far and away better than Gore at this point. Add Percy Harvin in as your change-of-pace back, and it's not even close.

 

[Sarlacc83]

I can't argue with that list, though they're obviously looking at offensive lines and not just running backs. However, that's the way it should be. Offensive lines are hugely important to the run game. More than most people realize.

This is one of the weirdest assumptions I think I've read on this board. 50% (?) of the people on this board think Alexander sucked and he was only good because of the O-line.

 

[RolandDeschain]

I can't argue with that list, though they're obviously looking at offensive lines and not just running backs. However, that's the way it should be. Offensive lines are hugely important to the run game. More than most people realize.

This is one of the weirdest assumptions I think I've read on this board. 50% (?) of the people on this board think Alexander sucked and he was only good because of the O-line.

Well, I'm of the opinion that Alexander was overrated, but that's a far cry from "he sucked", or "he was only good because of the O-line". I've been beating the "let's draft a bunch of O-line and D-line" drum for years, though. Nothing new from my corner, in any case.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

I can't agree with the 49ers RB > Seahawks RB

Lynch > Gore (Since 2nd half of 2011, and lets not forget the fact that Gore is going to be 30, Lynch is the best workhorse in league because he's not reliant on explosive plays to lift his rush production)

Turbin = Hunter (Hunter is coming off an injury, hindering his off-season growth, while reports have said Turbin has vastly improved this off-season and looks like a better runner from his rookie year)

I'd would say, Michael = James. James seems more like a complimentary back than a workhorse type. I have a feeling that even though Lynch and Turbin will get the bulk of the carries, Michael will have better production than James did in 2012, who only played more snaps because Hunter got hurt.

Kaepernick = Wilson. I could give the edge to Kaepernick. But Wilson has tremendous athletic ability but he prefers to be a Quarterback first and foremost rath than relying on his athletic ability as a Runner.

Wilson is more Roger Staubach, Steve Young, and Frank Tarketon while Kaepernick is more Donovon McNabb, Randall Cunningham, and Michael Vick.

Marcus Lattimore won't even train or suit up this year. So I don't even know why he's listed as a backup. It should be Anthony Dixon and he hasn't done anything worth noting since 2010.

Bruce Miller = Michael Robinson. Miller is a beast of a blocker but Michael Robinson isn't that far behind in that aspect, as he made a Pro Bowl in that regard in 2011 but I grade Robinson as a better all around player as a rusher and a receiver over Miller.

Expectations for the Seahawks running game is high, Carroll emphasized that adding Harvin nor a more comfortable Wilson will diminish the Seahawks goal to become the best and most dominant running game in the NFL. #1 Overall.

If anyone has watched the Real Rob Report, pre-Draft with the players working out with Wilson in Cali, Robinson is jokingly talking to Turbin, he's telling Turbin that Seahawks rushing goal is 3000 yards, and that Lynch is aiming for 2,000 and that Turbin needs to get 1,000... After drafting Michael and Ware, I think the Seahawks are seriously aiming for 3000.

If this article was about RB corps + Offensive Line, I could see where San Fran would make sense at No.1 but just imagine Lynch and Co. running behind San Fran's line or pretty much the Seahawks Line of 2005 with Breno Giacomini at RT instead of Locklear. It wouldn't be pretty.

 

[kearly]

Alexander was good, I just think he was one of those players who benefited from blocking more than most. Outside of the redzone, Alexander was notorious for lacking resiliency. Marshawn Lynch broke his first tackle at the LOS before completing his epic beastquake run. Shaun was never a guy who could do something like that. But that said, Shaun had an elite ability to locate lanes and get through them quickly. He was a legit 1st round talent as a runner, he just needed some help for it to show.

 

[rideaducati]

Its great we are number 2 and all that but how on earth is Frisco 1? If Houston was 1 okay. Frisco not so much.

I don't see how they are even in the top 5 at all.

 

[themunn]

Alexander was good, I just think he was one of those players who benefited from blocking more than most. Outside of the redzone, Alexander was notorious for lacking resiliency. Marshawn Lynch broke his first tackle at the LOS before completing his epic beastquake run. Shaun was never a guy who could do something like that. But that said, Shaun had an elite ability to locate lanes and get through them quickly. He was a legit 1st round talent as a runner, he just needed some help for it to show.

It's a discussion that comes up a lot, but what most people don't really think about is the fact that perhaps Alexander ran softer because the O-Line ALLOWED him too - he never had to fight for 3-4 yards because the line did that for him. That's what allowed him to carry the ball 295+ times 5 years in a row without missing a game. That's insane for a running back, and far important than a yard or two here and there to the team.

For comparison - only 5 backs ran more than 295 times last year, 2 in 2011, 8 in 2010, 6 in 2009, and 5 in 2008. Not a single player is on that list in all 5 years.
But here's the amazing thing, in 2004 and 2005 Alexander had more than 350 carries. Only Michael Turner and Adrian Peterson in 2008, Chris Johnson in 2009, and Arian Foster last year have managed that - and just once each.

Alexander being "soft" made him "reliable".

Which do you prefer?

Not that I'm trying to force yet another Alexander/Lynch debate. I'm just suggesting that maybe he ran that way because he COULD.
I'm fairly certain Lynch would never run that way behind the 2005 O-Line, but if he did he'd probably be even more effective.

 

[bestfightstory]

Its great we are number 2 and all that but how on earth is Frisco 1? If Houston was 1 okay. Frisco not so much.

I don't see how they are even in the top 5 at all.

It's their OLine. Pure and simple. Kind of like a QB gets credit for passes made after an exemplary OLine allows them to go through ALL of their reads twice. San Fran RBs benefit from taking advantage of stellar ground and pound football-both upfront and in the gameplan.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

I don't know... Alexander was great power back Goal to Go and statistically great in Short Yardage but I don't think his running style of folding to the ground before being hit was a factor of a dominant O-line. Its either soft, smart, or both.

But we also saw what type of runner Alexander was with bad O-lines and he wasn't quite as good.

Lynch just brings the physicality, sure Lynch had games where he's stonewalled, but you still see the effort fighting off multiple tacklers to only get one or two yards in stead of 3 or 4 yard loss.

 

[themunn]

I don't know... Alexander was great power back Goal to Go and statistically great in Short Yardage but I don't think his running style of folding to the ground before being hit was a factor of a dominant O-line. Its either soft, smart, or both.

But we also saw what type of runner Alexander was with bad O-lines and he wasn't quite as good.

No, we saw what type of runner Alexander was when he was 30 and injured, and that wasn't quite as good.
Alexander played in 2006 behind 4 of the 5 players that were in front of him in 2005.

I know Hutchinson was a good guard, but let's be honest, to suggest that he alone was the reason Alexander was successful is complete lunacy. Yes consistency and the understanding between him, Jones and Tobeck is important, but to suggest that without him the Seahawks O-Line was "bad" is complete hyperbole.

2007 is a slightly different case as then we lost Tobeck as well, but there was no dropoff between 2006 and 2007 other than the number of carries.

 

[Pandion Haliaetus]

I think Alexander was 27 in 2005. So 28 in 2006. 29 in 2007. 30 in 2008...his last year playing but it wasn't with the Seahawks, it was with the Redskins. I guess a broken foot does make a difference for running backs, but also remember Lynch has an iffy back and still brings the consistent thunder.

And you can say about the O-line, 4 of the 5 guys starting, but a 32 year old Jones was the only starter to finish 16 games. A 36 year old Chris Gray played 15 games.

Robbie Tobeck, I think 35, missed 8 games.

LG Floyd Womack missed 7 games.

Sean Locklear missed 5 games.

Also even missing one key player can make a difference to success, in regards to Hutchison, we still haven't replaced him with someone long-term, and take look at the Cardinals game in 2012 with J.R. Sweezy. One obvious weakness can derail an offensive game-plan.

With that said, I'm not saying Lynch is the better RB only that he is a tougher and more physical football player. Just imagine what Lynch could accomplish behind the Seahawks 2004-2005 O-line. Do you feel Alexander in his prime would do as good with the Seahawks 2011-2012 O-line?

 

[Subzero717]

Its great we are number 2 and all that but how on earth is Frisco 1? If Houston was 1 okay. Frisco not so much.

I don't see how they are even in the top 5 at all.

It's their OLine. Pure and simple. Kind of like a QB gets credit for passes made after an exemplary OLine allows them to go through ALL of their reads twice. San Fran RBs benefit from taking advantage of stellar ground and pound football-both upfront and in the gameplan.

Yup. Their line is constantly get praise and rightfully so. I get them being in the top ten/five. Outside of Unger and Okung ours get dogged, even on this board, yet they get the job done and then some.

 

[Smelly McUgly]

Shaun Alexander would be pretty explosive behind a ZBS. Marshawn Lynch is great, but sometimes he runs to contact instead of finding the lanes the ZBS sets up. I think this blocking style actually is more fit to Shaun Alexander than Lynch, right?

I ended that sentence in a question mark because I'm not sure if I have the conviction behind my understanding of their strengths/the strengths of the ZBS to be right about this.