The Running Back position will doom us or not thread...

[townsend]

We were real low on Romo in 2004. I distinctly remember Jerry scoffing at him starting instead of Henson when Testaverde was dinged up.

 

[townsend]

It seems to me McFadden/Randle could be a Jacobs/Bradshaw style RBBC. Lot of parallels between us and the 2007 Giants. Loaded at pass rusher DE, Clutch QB, Big receivers, just lost bell cow RB.

 

[Clay_Allison]

For whatever reason, the organization does not seem to like Williams. He is almost always the last guy mentioned when they talk about the position.

They are waiting to see if his blitz pickup skills are there, IMO. They liked what they saw in him as a runner enough to keep him all season and sign him to a two year deal. He's a second round talent with tread on his tires that ran very well in preseason last year.

 

[ravidubey]

San Diego since 2005 drafted 8 2 in the first round no other before the 4th and most after the 4th.

NE since 2005 drafted 6, 1 in the 1st (2006) and a 2nd and 3rd the sane year no other before the 4th.

Pitt since 2005 drafted 9 1 in the 1st 6 after the 4th and the others a 2nd and 3rd.

Dallas since 2005 7 1 in the 1st 1 in the 3rd 2 in the 4th.

So it looks like we're missing a 2nd round pick.

 

[ravidubey]

But let's not forget this will only be his 3rd year. I'm not saying he's going to be great, just that with his limited touches, no one knows yet.

Barring injury you can usually tell what a RB will be by the end of his rookie season. Demarco Murray, a 3rd round pick, immediately demonstrated unlimited potential.

It's true no one can project what Randle would be with more touches, but I strongly believe it will be run of the mill, "rounded up" because of a strong OL and balanced offense.

 

[ravidubey]

It's how Jerry shows he's 'committed' to winning. Like when he hired Gailey, Campo, Wade, Garrett...

I think he'll respond properly (eventually) when he sees how the lack of juice from the running game this year affects Romo. Sure we'll have burned away one more year with a great OL and QB learning the lesson, but that's the way it seems to go with this team.

No, he wasn't 'basically out of football last year'. That would imply he wasn't doing anything. You know... if he was actually OUT of football. He wasn't playing, but he was practicing with the team every week.

Who was the last practice squad player you can recall that ever ended up a perennial starting RB?

Where is all this Williams love coming from anyways? A couple of preseason games? At least Randle belongs on an NFL roster. I have a feeling at least one of Williams and Dunbar won't be on the team come September.

 

[NoDak]

Who was the last practice squad player you can recall that ever ended up a perennial starting RB?

Where is all this Williams love coming from anyways? A couple of preseason games? At least Randle belongs on an NFL roster. I have a feeling at least one of Williams and Dunbar won't be on the team come September.

What Williams love? I haven't seen anybody express any such thing. Was my disagreeing with the statement he was 'basically out of football last year' somehow interpreted as an endorsement of him? Yikes.

If anything, people aren't endorsing Williams. Only disagreeing with all of these retarded "guarantees" of the running game being the ruination of our season.

 

[NoDak]

Murray had unlimited potential now? And it was immediately demonstrated, no less.

 

[Cotton]

Murray had unlimited potential now? And it was immediately demonstrated, no less.

The only thing that was immediately demonstrated with Murray was that he couldn't stay on the field.

 

[townsend]

So last year the median rushing yards per team was 1728. Do we go over or under that?

Is there any doubt we could do well with a RBBC that earns over 1700 yards?

Or do we need more than an average rushing game to succeed when we also have a stellar passing offense?

 

[boozeman]

So last year the median rushing yards per team was 1728. Do we go over or under that?

Is there any doubt we could do well with a RBBC that earns over 1700 yards?

Or do we need more than an average rushing game to succeed when we also have a stellar passing offense?

Our passing offense is so much better when there is a run game. I don't get why people just don't understand that.

It might have been able to get gaudy numbers before last year, but 2015 is the first time I can say during Garrett's tenure that it was efficient and kept teams on their toes.

 

[NoDak]

Our passing offense is so much better when there is a run game. I don't get why people just don't understand that.

Who's not understanding that? Because people aren't automatically writing off the running game, they don't understand how the passing game plays off the running game?

 

[boozeman]

Who's not understanding that? Because people aren't automatically writing off the running game, they don't understand how the passing game plays off the running game?

Because a lot of people still think that if McFadden/Randle suck ass that we still have a kick ass passing game and will be fine.

It is simply not true. We tried that. Got us 8-8 every effing time.

 

[Genghis Khan]

Lamar Miller is now my pet cat trade target. I think he'd be a superstar here. Hopefully he's available for a 4th or less. I might even go 3rd for him.

 

[NoDak]

Because a lot of people still think that if McFadden/Randle suck ass that we still have a kick ass passing game and will be fine.

It is simply not true. We tried that. Got us 8-8 every effing time.

Yeah, I don't agree with that. It's not that easy. Our Oline is immensely improved over those 8-8 lines. Unless you consider the likes of Costa, Bernadeau and Livings as equal to what we have now. And our defense is also immensely improved.

I get it. You're pissed we didn't come away with some RB savior. I wish we had found somebody, too. But to carry on like the season is already a wash is ignorant.

 

[townsend]

Our passing offense is so much better when there is a run game. I don't get why people just don't understand that.

It might have been able to get gaudy numbers before last year, but 2015 is the first time I can say during Garrett's tenure that it was efficient and kept teams on their toes.

We were bottom of the league in 2012-2013 in rushing stats, despite Murray's presence. So it's kind of obvious our change in play calling is more a drastic alteration in philosophy than a dependence on Murray. He had zero trust the previous year, otherwise we wouldn't have so frequently abandoned the run. I highly doubt he earned enough trust in the offseason to force us to change our entire playcalling dynamic.

So obviously almost any team will fall apart when you have no rushing attack to speak of. I remember Peyton's last season with the Colts being pretty ugly for the same reason. However an average rushing attack, like the one the Browns fielded last year with a JAG rbbc, is way different from the pitiful 31st and 24th rushing offense we boasted previously. Our passing game is good enough to thrive with that.

 

[boozeman]

Yeah, I don't agree with that. It's not that easy. Our Oline is immensely improved over those 8-8 lines. Unless you consider the likes of Costa, Bernadeau and Livings as equal to what we have now. And our defense is also immensely improved.

I get it. You're pissed we didn't come away with some RB savior. I wish we had found somebody, too. But to carry on like the season is already a wash is ignorant.

I didn't say it was a wash.

I do think if we can't establish the run to a credible degree, we are nip and tuck, 8-8 territory again.

Lookit, I am just frustrated that we did not build on what was a proven strength last year. The OL and a good RB. We allowed risk in there because we let Murray go and attacked other need areas on the roster.

 

[boozeman]

We were bottom of the league in 2012-2013 in rushing stats, despite Murray's presence. So it's kind of obvious our change in play calling is more a drastic alteration in philosophy than a dependence on Murray. He had zero trust the previous year, otherwise we wouldn't have so frequently abandoned the run. I highly doubt he earned enough trust in the offseason to force us to change our entire playcalling dynamic.

I wish I could trust that, but I can't.

I think as soon as the run game falters, we bail.

Part of the success of last year is that they did trust Murray. I can't say Randle and McFadden have that level of trust, nor should they.

 

[NoDak]

we let Murray go and attacked other need areas on the roster.

And there you have it. Everyone applauded not going stupid and overpaying Murray. And rightfully so. And when the draft came, as fortune had it, it didn't fall for us where we could get a good RB. I wish it would have worked out, just like everyone else. But like you said, we indeed did attack other need areas on the roster. About the only place we could have still came away with a step right in difference maker would have been to trade up in the 2nd. But then we wouldn't have ended up with Gregory. I'd say that he is a pretty damn good consolation prize.

 

[boozeman]

And there you have it. Everyone applauded not going stupid and overpaying Murray. And rightfully so. And when the draft came, as fortune had it, it didn't fall for us where we could get a good RB. I wish it would have worked out, just like everyone else. But like you said, we indeed did attack other need areas on the roster. About the only place we could have still came away with a step right in difference maker would have been to trade up in the 2nd. But then we wouldn't have ended up with Gregory. I'd say that he is a pretty damn good consolation prize.

I still would have taken Ajayi before a backup LBer. Knees be damned.