Running Backs

I figured since a lot of the posts about certain positions (or players) seem to mainly be LB, OL and S...I'd start one about RBs. It seems a lot of sites, people, etc are predicting the Steelers will take an RB somewhere in rounds 2-4 (approximately). Earlier in the season I was saying no way...especially that high...but as the season wore on and events unfolded...I'm starting to think the other way now.

While I've always said Mendy is (or can be) a very talented back...after things that have happened I think he's as good as gone. Rainey...while not a true RB...is now gone. Redman and Dwyer are both RFAs...and both SHOULD be back...as will Batch. However I'm not 100% seeing any of those guys being THE guy. Filling in while the starter is hurt...sure! Being a #2 or short yardage/goaline/etc...sure! But I'm starting to doubt if Dwyer can be the man or not. Who knows he may come in the preseason in even BETTER shape than this year and blow us all away. But for the sake of a discussion...

Here are some guys I've seem mocked to us

E. Lacy - Alabama
S. Taylor - Stanford
J. Randle - OK State
J. Jamison - Rutgers
M. Ball - Wisc
L. Bell - MI State
M. Gillislee - FL

Most of these guys should fall into that 2-4 range also. Some guys from later rounds:

M. Dyer - Arkansas State
R. Graham - Pitt
K. Barner - Oregon
R. Burkhead - Neb
M. Lattimore - SC

Lattimore could be a steal if he heals 100%...but he COULD end up going higher because of potential.

Now I don't know a TON about most of these guys. But from what I seen I kind of like Lacy, Taylor, Ball and Lattimore (if he regains his form).

Thoughts/etc?

 

i would take a rb in 5 rd and a couple of udfa . ilke jamison and graham , dyer has ethic problems and could be the burfict of this year if he goes undrafted or in the 7 we can take him

 

we just wasted a pick on rainey. we dont need anymore players with off the field issues. no to dyer

 

I look at it like this...if we are going to take a RB, it better be a guy the FO sees as being able to be a#1 or there is no point.

 

Exactly. The Team has enough "role players" and such already.

 

lacy if we go early. staley should be added to the list with michael and franklin. barner,burkhead,graham,bell. any of those would do. we need some speed added, but i'd settle for bell and maybe a fast udfa or two to compliment.

 

A couple other names to throw out there for later picks:

Robbie Rouse-Fresno State
Kerwynn Williams- Utah State
Denard Robinson- Michigan(slash jr)

 

I'm a Wisconsin whacko, so I try to catch as many of their games as possible. Unfortunately they weren't on TV as much this year, or I was just to busy to tune in to college football every Saturday (maybe both!)

Anyway, I really like Ball. He's built solid, has respectable speed, good vision and good feet. He has this nice jump cut that Mendy could only dream about. Best thing is, he's got a lot of miles on his tires by today's draft standards for RB's, but has yet to sustain any kind of significant injury. Usually those guys turn out to be workhorses (Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Steven Jackson, etc). Not saying he'll turn out to be as productive as any of those guys, but there's value in a dependable workhorse back with shifty moves and some good power to boot.

I also like Lat, but wouldn't feel comfortable taking him with our third round pick, which I feel is what we'd have to do to secure the rights to sign him.

I'd take a good look at Ellington from Clemson now that Rainey is gone. He's more beefy, yet just as explosive, maybe even more so because he could actually break a tackle. Round 2 or 3 for him, so RB would have to be pretty high on the priority list for him (same with Ball).

 

I think the Steelers need to get stronger up front on both sides of the ball. I know they have invested in some pick there but they havent really succeeded in my opinion.

But RB I like later in draft or undrafted FA pick up are

Akeem Shavers- Purdue (that dude plays hard, explosive, can catch)

Cameron Marshall- Arizona St. Looked good last couple years- Rodriguez hired and havent heard squat about him. Maybe good value.

Zack Stacy -Vandy Little thick dude ran hard in the bowl game

Stefphon Jefferson- Nevada- I know, one of my typical Nevada MWC picks. Every year I watch MWC football Nevada players stand out. They have some talent there

 

I dont want to draft aRB because if it were up to me we wouldnt run the ball at all but if I had to draft one I like

Giovani Bernard, RB, North Carolina

 

the only problem i have with wisconsin running backs is that they have alot of miles on them by the time they get the nfl. if your a wisc fan maybe you can help me with this. do they not get wore down in college. i remember ron dayne who i think a had a yr or two were he was good but not much of a career. am i wrong?

 

i like the idea of gambling with lattimore. if we can't get him, kniles davis is similair situation.

 

It's a blessing and also a curse that Wisconsin typically has a mauling OL that usually masks the true talent of the RB's. They post gaudy stats mainly due to the gaudy holes that the 6'6" 330-lb behemoths open up for them. That was the case with Dayne, Moss, Calhoun, Clay, etc. I think Ball will break the mold and have a solid NFL career. I think the only thing that the mass of carries that he had in college proves is his injury resilience.

 

Sold!

 

stacey is a good RB. he's gotten lost in the SEC mix at vandy. he needs some cleaner holes then we have been providing our RB's though. they have a WR i'd like too and a qb that ain't to bad.

how about le'veon bell? and then later a guy like barner. we went through 5 backs last year.

 

What round is Bell projected? I like what I see from him. He has pretty good speed for his size and looks like good vision. Lets face it our O line will probably never be able to open big holes to run through,so we need a guy with power and size as well. I'd say if we can get him third or later we should.

 

The tape looks nice, but the question becomes one of...what did they not show you? Having done tapes at a D1AA school for players like this, we always skipped that play where the WR was wide open in the endzone and dropped the ball, or held, or forgot to block guy XYZ.

 

isn't that the same for all players though? stacey has carried the mail for them and has done well. he will fight for yards when he has to and can run between the tackles if that's what you mean.

 

Of course, my point was only to be cautious when watching highlight tapes. They don't always tell the full story...

 

Colbert just said that the results in the running game where indicative of the talent at the position. Ouch! Not a very glowing remark.. The question is what can we do about it? Does this mean we reach for a RB in the first round? I'd say we will look to trade back and/or take best available RB in the second round. What say you?

 

except lacy i don't like the other rbs high ranked

 

Whats the knock on Leveon Bell? I know highlight tapes are what they are.I've watched a bunch of them on some of the highest rated backs coming out and I'd put his up there with anyone's. His quickness and agility is impressive for a guy his size. With the ineffectiveness of our O line we need the best power to speed ratio we can get.

 

we have already two backs similar in dwyer and redmann , big but not enough fast , i don't mind jamison from rutgers , i want a small compact bowling ball power back (ray rice type ) . in later rounds i like graham from pitt