Running back 2009 Draft Preview
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Those two pics kind of look alike. But if you found the right pics, you could put a picture of the just barely 200 pound guy we drafted in '06 next to the 205-210 pound running back on our roster and say, "Look, Jerome Harrison is much bigger than Jerome Harrison. I don't get why you're comparing Jerome Harrison to Jerome Harrison."
DeAngelo Williams is a tad thicker, but I'd hope that Brown would put on at least a little bulk once he gets in an NFL weight room.
Plus, I was focusing more on running style than height/weight measurements. Williams and Brown both lack elite long speed, but they make up for it with great cutting ability and the strength to gain yardage after contact. Both of them are more physical runners than Harrison; I love that Harrison is a fall-forward kind of back, but he doesn't have the same bowling ball & stiff arm ability that Brown has.
The comparison also extends to intangibles: both Williams and Brown are intelligent, charismatic guys who work well in front of the camera. There's a
of some of Brown's teammates trying to mess him up during an interview on media day. When Williams was coming out in the draft, it seemed like he was on ESPN every other day. And because neither are big ego types, that intelligence only raises their value to teams, as well as the likelihood that they'll succeed in the NFL.To be sure, the comparison isn't one to one. Brown isn't as patient a runner as Williams - then again, some people criticized Williams for not being aggressive enough early in his career. And as you noted, Williams is a little bit stockier.
But I think the comparison holds true. When I first watched Cedric Peerman play, I thought to myself, "This guy's a poor man's Tiki Barber." DeAngelo Williams was the first name that came to mind when I watched Connecticut's bowl game, and the more I've watched of him, the more convinced I've become that the "poor man's" disclaimer isn't necessary. Brown may not be as good a pro as Williams, but he could come pretty close.
Anyway, Chic John's the guy who should be telling all of us about Brown. He's seen a lot more of him than we have, and he likes the Williams comparison. Zombo's Curtis Martin comparison is also interesting.
If we end up drafting Donald Brown, I think I'd be cool with anything within the Williams-Martin range
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Brown is intriguing, but he will surely go in the late first round in a weak class of rb's.
Moreno will probably go about mid-first round.
I believe Terry Pluto said on Bruce Brennan's show tonight... that the Browns
can probably get two second round picks for DA.
Then you would be in great shape. Pluto also said they need two lb's, a db with their first three picks.
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This is a great thread. Good job Cal providing the list of RB's. I am going to try my best to decide which of those RB's is worthy of our one pick. I will make the recommendation later. Like I said in the "Question for Rich Thread" right now I have Wells on my list but that can change.
And yes Inspecta we agree to disagree about drafting a RB. The Browns have stank since the eighties for the most part and have never had a threat at running back since the dynamic duo. Lero Hoard had his moments be fumbles and Willie Green did the dupa dance well and Droughns was well pedestrian as indicated by Rich from the gitgo and Jamal Lewis should be on Dancing with the Stars in a feature tap dance.
A team with only one serviceable back and unproven at that and zero offense needs to look hard at getting a feature running back.
Lewis should be traded for a draft pick or released paying him 6 million as his career winds down is not smart football
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Those two pics kind of look alike. But if you found the right pics, you could put a picture of the just barely 200 pound guy we drafted in '06 next to the 205-210 pound running back on our roster and say, "Look, Jerome Harrison is much bigger than Jerome Harrison. I don't get why you're comparing Jerome Harrison to Jerome Harrison."
DeAngelo Williams is a tad thicker, but I'd hope that Brown would put on at least a little bulk once he gets in an NFL weight room.
Plus, I was focusing more on running style than height/weight measurements. Williams and Brown both lack elite long speed, but they make up for it with great cutting ability and the strength to gain yardage after contact. Both of them are more physical runners than Harrison; I love that Harrison is a fall-forward kind of back, but he doesn't have the same bowling ball & stiff arm ability that Brown has.
The comparison also extends to intangibles: both Williams and Brown are intelligent, charismatic guys who work well in front of the camera. There's a
of some of Brown's teammates trying to mess him up during an interview on media day. When Williams was coming out in the draft, it seemed like he was on ESPN every other day. And because neither are big ego types, that intelligence only raises their value to teams, as well as the likelihood that they'll succeed in the NFL.To be sure, the comparison isn't one to one. Brown isn't as patient a runner as Williams - then again, some people criticized Williams for not being aggressive enough early in his career. And as you noted, Williams is a little bit stockier.
But I think the comparison holds true. When I first watched Cedric Peerman play, I thought to myself, "This guy's a poor man's Tiki Barber." DeAngelo Williams was the first name that came to mind when I watched Connecticut's bowl game, and the more I've watched of him, the more convinced I've become that the "poor man's" disclaimer isn't necessary. Brown may not be as good a pro as Williams, but he could come pretty close.
Anyway, Chic John's the guy who should be telling all of us about Brown. He's seen a lot more of him than we have, and he likes the Williams comparison. Zombo's Curtis Martin comparison is also interesting.
If we end up drafting Donald Brown, I think I'd be cool with anything within the Williams-Martin range
Aloysius said:
DeAngelo Williams is a tad thicker, but I'd hope that Brown would put on at least a little bulk once he gets in an NFL weight room.I think this is the concern for him. That his frame will not allow him to gain much bulk. He's a big as he's going to get.
I stll don't think the value you'd get with Brown at #36 could be compared to the defensive players available at #36. Especially when you consider that we just don't know what we have in Harrison as the main ball carrier. Harrison has shown flashes of briliance and deserves the chance to be the main guy. I think most would agree with that. That being the case, why would we want to burn a high #2 on yet another back?
I've stated before that with this being a rebuilding year, wouldn't it make more sense to wait and see what we have with Harrison? If he isn't the guy that is going to carry the load for the Browns then go after a back in the 2010 draft which is deeper. Two guys that may be available in round two in 2010 is Legarrette Blount and the Scott kid from LSU. Both of whom I like better than Brown.
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Well, my hope was that Andre Brown or Cedric Peerman would slide to us in Round 4, but that doesn't seem likely after both of them lit up the Combine. Whether or not I'd be happy with Donald Brown at #36 would depend on which defensive players were available at that spot. Either way, I don't expect him to get out of Round 1.
And I'm not sure about Harrison being the "main guy" - yes, he should get more touches, but would bringing in a RB in the 2nd Round to split time with him be such a bad thing? If Lewis is cut and/or Harrison gets hurt, would you be satisfied with Jason Wright toting the rock 25 times a game? Or a Day 2 guy like P.J. Hill or Arian Foster? We really need to find out whether Jamal's sticking around before we reject the idea of taking a RB at #36.
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Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.
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Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.
Aloysius said:
Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.I don't see any reason to even risk harrison as the feature back. We need a bruiser / slasher tandem. Just frickin keep jamal. We can talk about drafting a big back to groom, or wait till next year and just replace jamal. But its not like the guy can't play football anymore.
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Aloysius said:
Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.I don't see any reason to even risk harrison as the feature back. We need a bruiser / slasher tandem. Just frickin keep jamal. We can talk about drafting a big back to groom, or wait till next year and just replace jamal. But its not like the guy can't play football anymore.
AdaM said:
I don't see any reason to even risk harrison as the feature back. We need a bruiser / slasher tandem. Just frickin keep jamal. We can talk about drafting a big back to groom, or wait till next year and just replace jamal. But its not like the guy can't play football anymore.This is what I'd like to see happen as well. Give Harrison 180 to 200 carries. If he ends up being a solid #1 back he could get a few more. Lewis could get 100 to 150 carries depending on Harrison's success.
Speaking of big brusing type of backs, it's why I like the Scott kid from LSU. Or Blount out of Oregon. He's a monster.
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Well, my hope was that Andre Brown or Cedric Peerman would slide to us in Round 4, but that doesn't seem likely after both of them lit up the Combine. Whether or not I'd be happy with Donald Brown at #36 would depend on which defensive players were available at that spot. Either way, I don't expect him to get out of Round 1.
And I'm not sure about Harrison being the "main guy" - yes, he should get more touches, but would bringing in a RB in the 2nd Round to split time with him be such a bad thing? If Lewis is cut and/or Harrison gets hurt, would you be satisfied with Jason Wright toting the rock 25 times a game? Or a Day 2 guy like P.J. Hill or Arian Foster? We really need to find out whether Jamal's sticking around before we reject the idea of taking a RB at #36.
Aloysius said:
Well, my hope was that Andre Brown or Cedric Peerman would slide to us in Round 4, but that doesn't seem likely after both of them lit up the Combine. Whether or not I'd be happy with Donald Brown at #36 would depend on which defensive players were available at that spot. Either way, I don't expect him to get out of Round 1.And I'm not sure about Harrison being the "main guy" - yes, he should get more touches, but would bringing in a RB in the 2nd Round to split time with him be such a bad thing? If Lewis is cut and/or Harrison gets hurt, would you be satisfied with Jason Wright toting the rock 25 times a game? Or a Day 2 guy like P.J. Hill or Arian Foster? We really need to find out whether Jamal's sticking around before we reject the idea of taking a RB at #36.
I really do think it would be a bad thing considering the huge holes we have on defense and considering some of the really good defensive players that will be there at #36a nd at #50
I'm not a huge fan of an elite tailback being necessary for taking you to the promised land. Neither of these two teams in this year's super bowl had an elite type back. The Patriot teams were solid but never elite with the likes of an aging Corey Dillon or Kevin Faulk. Defense, defense, defense.
As I have said, I'd look for the second tailback in 2010.
Ther are any number of guys I like there. Kruger, Barwin, Maybin, Hood, Laurinaitis, English, Chung.
Actually a combination of any of these two would thrill me at #36 and #50. Barwin at #36 and Hood at #50?
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Hey, you don't need to convince me to go all out building our defense. As you can probably tell from all the Curry fandom, it's the side of the ball I get really excited about. I'm just saying that Brown, a late Round 1 guy, might be too good to pass up if he's available at #36, especially if we end up dumping Lewis.
I like English and Hood. Kruger's 4.8 40 doesn't excite me much, especially since I haven't seen him show much explosiveness (though I haven't seen a lot of him). Also, he only has one kidney, which is considered by some to be a medical red flag.
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Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.
Aloysius said:
Yes, I know; I was assuming that if Lewis were cut or one of the backs got hurt, he might be a guy we'd turn to.i don't understand why we haven't resigned him already. despite his shortcomings, wright's a decent 3rd down back. i wouldn't want him getting 15 carries in a game, but he picks up blitzers well and can catch the ball better than any other back on the team.
as far as lewis goes, we can better spend the money we'd save by cutting him. while i agree with the bruiser/slasher combo, lewis isn't bruising anyone anymore. he can't generate the momentum to be a punishing back and has essentially turned into ron dayne. it would leave us thin at RB, but even nick goings is a comparable back to late-career jamal lewis, and he's on the market right now.
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Hey, you don't need to convince me to go all out building our defense. As you can probably tell from all the Curry fandom, it's the side of the ball I get really excited about. I'm just saying that Brown, a late Round 1 guy, might be too good to pass up if he's available at #36, especially if we end up dumping Lewis.
I like English and Hood. Kruger's 4.8 40 doesn't excite me much, especially since I haven't seen him show much explosiveness (though I haven't seen a lot of him). Also, he only has one kidney, which is considered by some to be a medical red flag.
Aloysius said:
Hey, you don't need to convince me to go all out building our defense. As you can probably tell from all the Curry fandom, it's the side of the ball I get really excited about. I'm just saying that Brown, a late Round 1 guy, might be too good to pass up if he's available at #36, especially if we end up dumping Lewis.I like English and Hood. Kruger's 4.8 40 doesn't excite me much, especially since I haven't seen him show much explosiveness (though I haven't seen a lot of him). Also, he only has one kidney, which is considered by some to be a medical red flag.
I guess my thinking is that there are so many big time, high quality guys on defense in the first 50 picks that this is the year you can't draft anything but defense. I think Connor Barwin would be a much bigger steal at #36. When I watch highlights of this kid I just love his athleticism. Between his speed on the rush and even his abilty to block kicks the kid could be a great one. If he and Brown would both be there at #36 I'd be all over Barwin.
I like Hood a lot too. It'll be interesting to see where he goes. I've seen him in mocks go as high as 32 to the Steelers and as low as late 2nd round.
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Unfortunately, Tyrell Sutton wasn't able to improve upon his Combine numbers at his pro day. He ran two 40's timed at 4.66 and 4.68 seconds. He also posted a 30" vertical, three inches lower than he jumped at the Combine.
He's probably locked in as a 7th Round/UDFA type.
EDIT: A different source has Sutton running 4.57 and 4.67 40's.
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According to TFY Draft, Shonn Greene had a very good pro day. He ran his 40 between 4.53 and 4.56 seconds, posted a 39" vertical and a 10'6" broad jump.
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TheJokersWILD said:
I completely agree. What we have at RB now is unproven and we still have the veteran Lewis to guide Harrison and Allen Patrick along. I would like to see CJ Spiller in a Browns uniI like Spiller a lot too. He reminds me so much of the Titan's Chris Johnson.
The little stutter step he can make to get players to miss is really special.
He's so interesting to watch because I think he looks stiff in the hips but yet he's great at making players miss.
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