Davis to play major role picking up steam?

DTBH

I'm not the biggest proponent of Davis. Still think he's a late round back and most of our carries should go to Jamal/Jerome. He just reminded me of ADAP on that play.

Kingphisher

The Browns would do well to pick up Adrian Peterson (CHI) if he's cut. Word is he might not make the team this year with the Bears depth at RB, but he would be a good one to have in the arsenal. The guy has been solid when he played in Chicago, and he was an absolute BEAST at Georgia Southern. I'd take him over Herron. How many RB did we have on the active roster last year anyway? Lewis, Harrison, Wright for sure, but was Ali on the active roster as well?

Sez.EJ

TheJokersWILD said:
I am going to go out on a limb and say start Davis against the Titans. It's only pre-season and it would give Jamal some rest, I think the kid earned it.

This is it on the money.. the word is they ARE resting Jamal for the regular season. He will get limited reps to stay fresh. Jamal does not need the reps like a rookie/Davis does to get ready for the season. We need Jamal fresh for the season. I believe he will do better than all the naysayers who are slamming him at every keystroke. I am not saying he is going to have 12 td's and 1500 yards, as we just are not that good as a team..however I think he will do well, and his success will likely be in relation to how well we do as a team overall (defense included).

That being said.. I am still holding off on making a statement about Davis. I want to see him against Tenn. and Chi.

Running all over Detroit does not carry much weight for me. Let's hope he continues to perform.

playerjdd

As for the comment about him looking like AP hahahahahaha yea right . He does look good but remember that he busted that big run late in the 3rd against 2nd, 3rd and maybe even 4th stringers. I have to admit i like what im seeing from the rook and he can be the future. I still like Lewis starting even though he does his tap dancing he still is a load to take down. He should split carries this season and be more of a short yardage/goaline back. Im still curious to see what harrison can do once he comes back. We will have to see.

? Aloysius

Any criticism of Davis has to be rather mild. He's been a pleasant surprise so far; Peter King was crazy not to include JD on his ten impressive rookies list.

That said, these are the negative aspects of his game I think are worth mentioning:

Blitz pickup - Based on what he's seen in practice, Lane Adkins thinks the blitz pickup criticism is overblown. But when a guy gets knocked back by defensive backs and undersized linebackers, you have to wonder how he'll fare against guys like Troy Polamalu and Lawrence Timmons.
Breaking tackles - As many have noted, Davis gets brought down by arm tackles. Hopefully, he'll improve as he gets stronger and possibly adds some weight next offseason.
Speed through the hole - This isn't a criticism, more an observation. Though he hits the hole quicker than Jamal Lewis, Davis doesn't really explode until he gets to the second level. His ten yard split at the Combine was pretty poor, and I wouldn't be surprised if his fast 40 time at his pro day included an average first split.
When he gets good blocking, his quickness to the hole isn't at all an issue. But it could make the difference between blazing past a penetrating tackle or getting tackled for a loss. I suspect it's part of the reason why he was affected more by Clemson's bad blocking than C.J. Spiller.

And I think this is where the Adrian Peterson comparison truly breaks down, even when focusing on JD's 81 yard run. Peterson constantly plays at the speed Davis finally reached when he got into the open field. Both may be special backs, but Davis isn't that special.

Timugen

@dtbh said:
Call me crazy, but that long TD run reminded me of a certain other #28 we'll be seeing the first week of the season.

You're crazy.

RestinPeace

I think some of the "explosion" through the hole stuff is Davis thinking to much and not reacting.

Riffer X

I noticed on his Youtube highlights the fact he was slow initially until reaching the second level. That was the first thing that originally turned me off from him and the pick, wishing we had taken the bigger back in Jennings or even just gone after Sutton in UDFA.

That said, it's not a horrendous issue, because his vision and cutting ability is excellent when he does get up to speed. I do think you nailed the reason he dropped, that initial explosiveness. Either way, he is still miles ahead of Lewis at this point hitting and committing to a hole before it closes.

The Gipper

@the-gipper said:
Do you mean Chris Beanie Wells? Is he wearing 28 for the Cardinals? Is he upright? I know he had some kind of injury on like his first play in practice. Has that healed or lingered? Inquiring minds want to know!

Here is a link to an update on Wells with the Cardinals, for what it is worth. He is supposed to play in the upcoming exhibition game.:

http://www.azcardinals.com/news/detail.php?PRKey=3138

? Aloysius

@restinpeace said:
I think some of the "explosion" through the hole stuff is Davis thinking to much and not reacting.

Could be part of it. If you look back at the post-draft commentary, you'll see some reports explaining that Davis fell because his lack of toughness was exposed during his senior year, while others said it was a lack of speed & explosion.

My guess is that they all saw the issue we're discussing here; they just had different explanations for it.

? mz.

@riffer-x said:
his vision and cutting ability is excellent when he does get up to speed. I do think you nailed the reason he dropped, that initial explosiveness.

You're probably right, but there are very very few Chris Johnsons out there (man how I wish we had that guy) with that kind of initial explosiveness. None of the guys drafted early (Wells Moreno don't have it...anyone I'm forgetting? McCoy might be the exception to this...) have that IMO either. I don't see Wells as a much better prospect (or better at all) than Davis in any way. I think davis is a very good fit for this team.

But I have liked Davis for awhile, so I may be biased.