Chester Taylor

[Royal 88s]

I don't know why everyone is so high on Chester Taylor?

Even with Jamal struggling last year, he still did not do much.

And now he goes to a team that has not had a 10+ td scorer (sans Moe in 2002) since Terry Allen?

Minnesota, since I can remember, has been a throw first team.

Am I missing something?

I just don't see Taylor as a sleeper this year.

What do you guys think?

[Doc Holliday]

I don't know why everyone is so high on Chester Taylor?

Even with Jamal struggling last year, he still did not do much.

And now he goes to a team that has not had a 10+ td scorer (sans Moe in 2002) since Terry Allen?

Minnesota, since I can remember, has been a throw first team.

Am I missing something?

I just don't see Taylor as a sleeper this year.

What do you guys think?

 

 

 

I think whoever is the starting RB in Minne is gonna put up some numbers. since that guy is Chester Taylor I think he merits being a 2nd round pick.

 

I do agree that he is not a sleeper though. but for different reasons. I think to many people know about him for him to be a sleeper.

[tonorator]

well let's see ... they have improved the offensive line ... stated that they will try to get him 20 or 30 touches a game ... he has demonstrated the ability to catch the ball ... he now has a shot to be THE MAN and has something to prove ... don't go nuts on him but he definitely has a lot of the pieces in place to be a solid contributor this season.

[Avernus]

well let's see ... they have improved the offensive line ... stated that they will try to get him 20 or 30 touches a game ... he has demonstrated the ability to catch the ball ... he now has a shot to be THE MAN and has something to prove ... don't go nuts on him but he definitely has a lot of the pieces in place to be a solid contributor this season.

 

 

plus they signed Tony Richardson and the Vikes have a new coaching staff committed to running the ball and conservative play...

[Bronco Billy]

LINK

 

The rub now seems to be that there are rumblings that Taylor has not taken his offseason workout habits too seriously. He showed up to minicamps overweight and there have been some internal griping that he doesn't have the greatest work ethic.

 

The organization believes his motivation should be the four-year, $14.1 million payday he received from the Vikings, which includes $5.6 million in guaranteed money.

 

While this might raise a red flag, the Vikings are said to have told Taylor to be ready to give his all during training camp and that a full-time starting job hasn't been locked up. With players like Mewelde Moore and Ciatrick Fason not looking to be part-time situational players, it would appear Taylor has been put on notice -- get in shape and stay in shape or your starting job may be on the line before it ever began.

 

LINK

 

While the Vikings are confident in what they will get from Hutchinson, Taylor might be another story. There already have been rumblings that the 5-foot-11, 213-pound Taylor isn't in the best of shape and the Vikings aren't thrilled by his work ethic.

 

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I'm very leery of Taylor.

 

He's got exactly 2 good games in his career - both against what were at the time very poor run Ds. He's also struggled against good run Ds. Mewelde Moore has as good of stats as Taylor, and that's running for MIN behind an O-line that is not as good at run blocking as BAL's is. Moore is also every bit the recieving threat that Taylor is, and probably better to be honest. Fason is also lurking, though I don't like his chances as a featured RB since he is so poor at running through trash between the tackles.

 

Now we've got questions about Taylor's weight & work ethic after being handed a fat contract by MIN? There are red flags all over with this guy. I'd let someone else take Taylor early in a FF draft & snap up Moore late, and look to catch lightening in a bottle if Taylor flops.

[matt770]

When I look at the Huddle rankings, I might move Parker and Droughns ahead of him, but that's it.

 

Why is he a sleeper pick? He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC, idiot Tice is history, an improved o-line, should get plenty of touches to be productive. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens, now he enters an ideal situation to shine. Sounds like the Vikings are going to make him somewhat of a centerpiece of the offense. He'll either sink or swim, but he has the *opportunity*, that's all you can ask for. Looking at the guys further down the list, you see guys that have been fragile in the past (Julius Jones, Kevin Jones, Jamal) or who may split carries (Julius, Bell). Thus Taylor is ranked where he is.

 

Kind of a scary situation...I've been doing some mock drafts and I'm really not comfortable with my choices for RB2. After the first 12 are gone, it becomes a huge crapshoot.

Edited June 28, 2006 by matt770

[Avernus]

LINK

 

The rub now seems to be that there are rumblings that Taylor has not taken his offseason workout habits too seriously. He showed up to minicamps overweight and there have been some internal griping that he doesn't have the greatest work ethic.

 

The organization believes his motivation should be the four-year, $14.1 million payday he received from the Vikings, which includes $5.6 million in guaranteed money.

 

While this might raise a red flag, the Vikings are said to have told Taylor to be ready to give his all during training camp and that a full-time starting job hasn't been locked up. With players like Mewelde Moore and Ciatrick Fason not looking to be part-time situational players, it would appear Taylor has been put on notice -- get in shape and stay in shape or your starting job may be on the line before it ever began.

 

LINK

 

While the Vikings are confident in what they will get from Hutchinson, Taylor might be another story. There already have been rumblings that the 5-foot-11, 213-pound Taylor isn't in the best of shape and the Vikings aren't thrilled by his work ethic.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

 

I'm very leery of Taylor.

 

He's got exactly 2 good games in his career - both against what were at the time very poor run Ds. He's also struggled against good run Ds. Mewelde Moore has as good of stats as Taylor, and that's running for MIN behind an O-line that is not as good at run blocking as BAL's is. Moore is also every bit the recieving threat that Taylor is, and probably better to be honest. Fason is also lurking, though I don't like his chances as a featured RB since he is so poor at running through trash between the tackles.

 

Now we've got questions about Taylor's weight & work ethic after being handed a fat contract by MIN? There are red flags all over with this guy. I'd let someone else take Taylor early in a FF draft & snap up Moore late, and look to catch lightening in a bottle if Taylor flops.

 

 

somebody posted this a week ago....or something close to it...

 

this is why I am glad it's late June and not late July....or even worse...late August....

 

come mid-late August....if he still is out of shape...I'll just not draft him....but I doubt he'll need to be told twice about this...

[Avernus]

When I look at the Huddle rankings, I might move Parker and Droughns ahead of him, but that's it.

 

Why is he a sleeper pick? He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC, idiot Tice is history, an improved o-line, should get plenty of touches to be productive. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens, now he enters an ideal situation to shine. Sounds like the Vikings are going to make him somewhat of a centerpiece of the offense. He'll either sink or swim, but he has the *opportunity*, that's all you can ask for. Looking at the guys further down the list, you see guys that have been fragile in the past (Julius Jones, Kevin Johnson, Jamal) or who may split carries (Julius, Bell). Thus Taylor is ranked where he is.

 

Kind of a scary situation...I've been doing some mock drafts and I'm really not comfortable with my choices for RB2. After the first 12 are gone, it becomes a huge crapshoot.

 

 

Parker still has Haynes and Staley and likely someone else I am forgetting as well that will steal carries from him....he's a poor mans version of Westy....

 

I would put Droughns ahead of him, though.....not FWP....I made a hugh mistake of taking FWP instead of Droughns in my 3rd round of the huddle mock draft recently...I would not make this same mistake in my local as the listing of players is easier to sift through than that website lol...

[Royal 88s]

WOW!

Thanks for the insight!

 

[Trots]

Why is he a sleeper pick? He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC, idiot Tice is history, an improved o-line, should get plenty of touches to be productive. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens, now he enters an ideal situation to shine. Sounds like the Vikings are going to make him somewhat of a centerpiece of the offense. He'll either sink or swim, but he has the *opportunity*, that's all you can ask for. Looking at the guys further down the list, you see guys that have been fragile in the past (Julius Jones, Kevin Jones, Jamal) or who may split carries (Julius, Bell). Thus Taylor is ranked where he is.

 

Kind of a scary situation...I've been doing some mock drafts and I'm really not comfortable with my choices for RB2. After the first 12 are gone, it becomes a huge crapshoot.

 

Coupla things here nooB:

1. He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC: Did you read the post by Bronco Billy? There is no reason to believe that this will not be a RBBC or that Chester will even win the job.

2. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens: He absolutely sucked on the Ravens and was unceremoniously dumped because of that and an even worse attitude.

.

I see him starting several games for the Vikes before getting replaced by a healthier and more productive RB.

[Rovers]

Those "out of shape" reports are old, and somewhat exagerated. I read where the Ravens often show up a bit out of shape, Billick allowed it. He was told that doesn't fly in Minny. He'll be ready come TC, or I'd be shocked.

[Avernus]

Coupla things here nooB:

1. He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC: Did you read the post by Bronco Billy? There is no reason to believe that this will not be a RBBC or that Chester will even win the job.

2. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens: He absolutely sucked on the Ravens and was unceremoniously dumped because of that and an even worse attitude.

.

I see him starting several games for the Vikes before getting replaced by a healthier and more productive RB.

 

 

who is the better back?....do they have anyone else worth noting besides Fason or Moore?...Fason is a short yardage back and Moore is a good 3rd down/special teams player

[Hitman]

He's a fly by night #1 RB. He's gonna suck this year, and so is Minny. The "#1" QB, RB, and WR would all be on the bench elsewhere. Brad Johnson is old and done this year...along with a Pro-bowl kick returner turned #1 WR? Get real.

Edited June 28, 2006 by Hitman

[Bronco Billy]

who is the better back?....do they have anyone else worth noting besides Fason or Moore?...Fason is a short yardage back and Moore is a good 3rd down/special teams player

 

 

Who's the better RB? I'd say Moore is a better RB than Taylor. Moore has a 4.73 ypc & a 9.02 ypr with 3 TDs in 284 touches (1 per every 95 touches), while Taylor has a 4.28 ypc and a 7.05 ypr with 7 TDs in 478 touches (1 per every 68 touches), with Taylor running behind what is one of the premier run blocking O-lines in the league in BAL, while Moore ran behind an O-line that is average at run blocking while excelling at pass blocking.

 

Moore has 4 100+ yd rushing games in 2 years - against better run Ds and averages 105 ypg rushing when he gets 15+ carries per game (20.2 cpg in 6 games) while Taylor has 2 100+ yd rushing games in 4 years and averages 78 rushing ypg when he gets 15+ carries in a game (19.6 cpg in 8 games). Moore also has 4 60+ receiving games in 2 years while Taylor has never cracked 55 yds receiving in a game in 4 years.

 

Both guys are almost identical in size. Personally, it looks to me like Moore has more potential to be a good to very good featured RB than Taylor.

 

Edited to add - Full disclosure: I don't have own any Vike RB in any league - nor would I trade for one right now unless I were absolutely able to screw someone in a deal, and I personally hate the goldylocks & purple wearing heterosexually challenged Vikings.

Edited June 28, 2006 by Bronco Billy

[Avernus]

Who's the better RB? I'd say Moore is a better RB than Taylor. Moore has a 4.73 ypc & a 9.02 ypr with 3 TDs in 284 touches (1 per every 95 touches), while Taylor has a 4.28 ypc and a 7.05 ypr with 7 TDs in 478 touches (1 per every 68 touches), with Taylor running behind what is one of the premier run blocking O-lines in the league in BAL, while Moore ran behind an O-line that is average at run blocking while excelling at pass blocking.

 

Moore has 4 100+ yd rushing games in 2 years - against better run Ds and averages 105 ypg rushing when he gets 15+ carries per game (20.2 cpg in 6 games) while Taylor has 2 100+ yd rushing games in 4 years and averages 78 rushing ypg when he gets 15+ carries in a game (19.6 cpg in 8 games). Moore also has 4 60+ receiving games in 2 years while Taylor has never cracked 55 yds receiving in a game in 4 years.

 

Both guys are almost identical in size. Personally, it looks to me like Moore has more potential to be a good to very good featured RB than Taylor.

 

Edited to add - Full disclosure: I don't have own any Vike RB in any league - nor would I trade for one right now unless I were absolutely able to screw someone in a deal, and I personally hate the goldylocks & purple wearing heterosexually challenged Vikings.

 

 

 

Moore is the better back in the world of stat geeks....he's had the better OL to run behind than Taylor (even pre-Hutch)..better offense and better QB when playing....

 

but he can't pass block to save his life (strike 1 )

can't stay healthy (strike 2)

still isn't as good as Taylor anyways lol (strike 3)

Edited June 28, 2006 by Avernus

[Seahawks21]

Coupla things here nooB:

1. He's the undisputed starter, no RBBC: Did you read the post by Bronco Billy? There is no reason to believe that this will not be a RBBC or that Chester will even win the job.

2. He showed some promise with the sorry ass Ravens: He absolutely sucked on the Ravens and was unceremoniously dumped because of that and an even worse attitude.

.

I see him starting several games for the Vikes before getting replaced by a healthier and more productive RB.

 

1. There is a big phat wad of cash in his bank account that says there is no RBBC in Minnesota. If they wanted to use Moore, they wouldn't have paid big bucks for Taylor. Its that simple.

 

2. Watch a game before you comment. The only time the Raven's O showed any excitement last year was when Chester was on the field. Jamal wasn't running hard, but the front office wouldn't let the coaches yank him off the field. Even when Jamal was out, Chester was still their best offensive weapon, thus was running against 10.5 man fronts, so his YPC could have been better on almost any other team.

 

My thoughts---there is a bit of a ceiling to his potential since he wasn't blessed by incredible measurables, but if this team is going to be any good, he'll get very serviceable #'s, especially in PPR leagues. He should definitely be drafted above anyone who isn't a starter, except keeper leagues where you may opt for a backup rookie with more talent.

Edited June 28, 2006 by Seahawks21

[rattsass]

When you are taking Taylor in the 2nd round this year, it will be a critical pick in your draft. There are lots of reasons to expect him to succeed, but just as many to expect him to fail. It will make or break many fantasy teams. My gut tells me that it will break. But, as has been stated, once the other starters are about gone he is as good a gamble as anybody else.

 

Spin that wheel sports fans!!!

[Trots]

2. Watch a game before you comment. The only time the Raven's O showed any excitement last year was when Chester was on the field. Jamal wasn't running hard, but the front office wouldn't let the coaches yank him off the field. Even when Jamal was out, Chester was still their best offensive weapon, thus was running against 10.5 man fronts, so his YPC could have been better on almost any other team.

 

umm, as a season tix holder with the Ravens, I saw every game he ever played. He rarely played against "10.5 man fronts" as he was in on 3rd downs and playing against the soft nickel Ds. He is a malcontent and a cancer in the clubhouse. IMO, he does not make it through the season as starter - due to health or production.

[giantsfan]

Personally I wouldn't touch a Vikes RB, and I don't think Taylor is anything special, but what scares me most is just about everything I've heard says Fason will get a real chance to be the GL back. So you have maybe a little questionable guy to begin with, who I must admit I do think will get the majority of the touches between the 10's, and now add in he may lose GL carries and I'd say I like him but certainly don't see breakout written on this guy. Plus Moore and Fason are there as well.

[Hugh 0ne]

Bronco Billy's leery of Taylor.

 

Folks, draft that mofo early. He's good for 2000 yards and 20 TD's. You can take that to the bank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Avernus]

When you are taking Taylor in the 2nd round this year, it will be a critical pick in your draft. There are lots of reasons to expect him to succeed, but just as many to expect him to fail. It will make or break many fantasy teams. My gut tells me that it will break. But, as has been stated, once the other starters are about gone he is as good a gamble as anybody else.

 

Spin that wheel sports fans!!!

 

 

that's why he's a late 2nd/early 3rd pick....you don't take him because you want him....

 

if I am picking in the 1st couple picks in the 2nd....he'll likely not be the best player available....or best RB available...

[rattsass]

that's why he's a late 2nd/early 3rd pick....you don't take him because you want him....

 

if I am picking in the 1st couple picks in the 2nd....he'll likely not be the best player available....or best RB available...

 

 

Well, we'll see where he ends up being drafted, I'm thinking he will get pushed further and further up the hype chart before drafts actually start. I would bet you proabably won't touch him with a 3rd round pick in a 12 team league when draft time arrives "for real."

[keggerz]

Well, we'll see where he ends up being drafted, I'm thinking he will get pushed further and further up the hype chart before drafts actually start. I would bet you proabably won't touch him with a 3rd round pick in a 12 team league when draft time arrives "for real."

 

i would...and I would assume that the Vikes and Childress are trying to start a new culture of sorts...chester is probably in ravens shape and as long as he gets it going in camp I wouldnt flinch to spend a 3rd on him

[rattsass]

i would...and I would assume that the Vikes and Childress are trying to start a new culture of sorts...chester is probably in ravens shape and as long as he gets it going in camp I wouldnt flinch to spend a 3rd on him

 

 

That's what I am saying, he might not even make it to the 3rd round in many drafts by the time the hype machine gets done with him..

[Seahawks21]

umm, as a season tix holder with the Ravens, I saw every game he ever played. He rarely played against "10.5 man fronts" as he was in on 3rd downs and playing against the soft nickel Ds. He is a malcontent and a cancer in the clubhouse. IMO, he does not make it through the season as starter - due to health or production.

 

First of all, if you are a Raven's fan, I doubt you've ever seen a "soft nickel D". While Chester was on the field for a lot of third downs, the bulk of his carries were either when he was given a series in the rotation, or when Jamal couldn't breathe anymore (I can't believe this hasn't become a bigger factor when evaluating Lewis). I'm simply saying that teams that pound and pound and pound the ball typically have a lower YPC, projecting that Chester may have a bit more running room in Minnesota than he did in Baltimore simply because Brad Johnson may actually be able to complete a forward pass.