Najee says he had nobody to learn from

We agree to disagree, they aren't looking for a bell cow at RB that's why I don't want a RB at #21. This draft is too deep at RB they can find a rotation guy in the 3rd or 4th rd.

 

Assuming you mean last year, I don't know what metric you're using. PFR has Harris 14th in rushing yards. Still, point taken. But they tendered Warren nearly the same ($1.4M less), and he was 39th in rushing yards last year, a contract year of its own for him. Gainwell was 76th.

The two year thing is irrelevant at this point. They intended to keep him for his fourth year. Guaranteeing it wasn't really going to change anything.

As for the underpaid hostage part, that's a speculation I don't necessarily agree with. Of course every player wants that big contract and I'm sure he would have been disappointed not to be offered a long-term deal, but I'm also sure he and his agent knew the parameters of a first-round contract.

Why would he have sloughed off in a contract year? it's not doing him any favors financially. Besides, he was essentially in the same position last year. And the contract he signed with San Diego is only a $5.3M base for one year, with incentives that can take it to $9M. That's not the big payday either.

Now, before I'm labelled a slow to learn simp let me say I'm not upset they chose the path they did, and some of your points are valid. I just think keeping Harris would have offered them a safety net while they tried Warren (and potentially a draftee) in an expanded role. Harris may not have liked it, but that's how these things work. Can they still find a good replacement in the draft? Yes, but it's another box to check on an already sizable list.

 

Well looks like he learned his vision n breakaway speed from my Deceased Dad......

 

14th in rush yards, but 7th in attempts. That's been Harris' problem since Yr1.

 

Find hole.
So many tangents here.

 

See we all saw it.
There’s no Offensive teaching here.

No gameplan, no teachers.

 

Poor Najee all he really needed was a hug and a little love

He’s so misunderstood

 

I agree with Dart

 

I heard his 40 time has gone from 4.7 to 4.39 since he got to LA. That's the power of love!

 

I'd have preferred they tested that before deciding on a course of action, like making him a starter for a game and see how he does as the primary. Right now the sample size is small with very good tape and his approach to the game is what you want just unsure about durability and whether he succeeds when given the opportunity.

 

I don't disagree with Warren's potential, mainly because I agree that he looks like a more dynamic back when he's in there.

I'm just saying I would have preferred they shift him to the feature role while Harris was still here. As for having to wait until Najee was gone, if they can yank Fields after a 4-2 start for a guy with one foot in a retirement home I'd think they could've pulled that off for a few games.

 

A rudderless ship.

 

To bad we can't find another Dick Hoak for our RB's

 

Weak offensive lines and shaky passing games have been part of his problem, too.

 

Not really. They could have started off splitting time and, if Warren showed he could handle it, eventually given him more of the work. The guy hasn't proven he can handle the larger workload and he is coming off a season that was largely ruined by injuries, so that's a dubious risk at best. The team is likely to still spend resources on a running back. They had the cap room to accommodate Harris for one more year at a set cost, but chose to leave yet another hole in the roster.

 

The one time Warren stayed healthy all season, Harris still had over 100 more carries. So yeah, it wasn't an even split.

They still have to give up resources for that replacement, perhaps a third-round pick. The depth of this class of running backs is the best argument for letting Harris go, but they have so many holes to fill. They need at least one defensive lineman. They need another corner. They need to continue to address the offensive line. Now there is a decent chance they might draft a quarterback. They can't draft everything.

That's why the option was perfect. One controllable year at a reasonable price. He can split the workload, which worked well in games when the line didn't suck, and easily take over a heavy workload if Warren breaks down again. Then let him walk after the fifth year, when all that mileage is likely to catch up to him.

 

149/784/5.3

His ypc is almost a full yard over Najee

 

Fumbling the ball more, missing more blocks, and getting the ball in situations that create room for a running back rather than being the one running into stacked boxes all the time, but yes.

 

After 4 years of NFL football and 4 years at a top college running back he should not need anybody to learn from. What he needed was better vision, more speed and hit the hole faster. Along with the coaching being less predicable with the running plays and a more stout offensive line.

 

Not be insulting or obstinate but that is a strange statement. By the end of his career Ben Roethlisberger played in 3 superbowls winning two of them and I'm sure right up until his final play he still could not identify the difference between cover-2 and cover-3 as well as knowing what using motion pre-snap accomplished. By that time he could have used someone teaching him as well not just enabling his wild impulses.

This made me think of Andy Russell telling his story of his 1st meeting with Chuck Noll.

Would we say with all his experience that he didn't need any help learning?

 

I've never cared for Bart Scott's hot takes before I and don't care to indulge him now. He typically bashes the Steelers and shows his Ravens bias more so than Ryan Clark shows his Steelers one. He does have a point though however small.

The thing that gets lost in this conversation about facilities and such is that the Chargers play in a huge new billion dollar stadium and state of the art facilities while the Steelers have started the third decade at theirs with all its inherent challenges. I'm not sure if the Chargers were still in San Diego and aging Qualcomm Field(I think that was what they called it) this story wouldn't be written or he might not have signed there.