Dynasty Dialogue 2014 (Running Backs)

[darin3]

Even just a few days ago this class was looking on the "blah" side, but a couple of early entries will probably make this a real good/productive set of backs. Again, this is not taking into account where they land (obviously we don't know this yet). This is really just a baseline, with guys moving up or down based on combine and especially where they land.

 

Tier One (The likely studs)

 

1. Ka'Deem Carey (Arizona): This guy has every single attribute you'd want in a running back in the current NFL landscape. He's well-built at 5'10", 200+ lbs., and moves well in space. He's got plenty of wiggle, drawing comparisons to LeSean McCoy and last year's "guy with wiggle", Gio Bernard. He catches the ball well out of the backfield so he potentially could be a PPR stud very soon.

 

2. Bishop Sankey (Washington): Who woulda thunk it, a couple of Pac-12 RBs in the first tier? Sankey has excellent speed and shiftiness, although some tape reveals he may dance a little too much. That's correctable. What you have to like is the toughness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield paired with his straight line speed and quickness to get outside.

 

3. Carlos Hyde (Ohio St.): Hyde looked like he was going to slip into mediocrity after some questions about his character arose. But he appears to be set straight and has been a very productive college back. The dude just churns out positive yardage. Yes, he's running behind a studly OL. He compares favorably to LeVeon Bell, who's a bigger back that can catch the ball out of the backfield. Hyde is terrific in pass protection.

 

Tier Two (Potential studs - need to land in a good spot)

 

4. Tre Mason (Auburn): There are those that think he's a "system RB" but you can't ignore the production and especially his ability to get better as the game goes on, even after a sick number of carries. He's built like a tank (think Ray Rice) and while he hasn't demonstrated a knack to catch the ball, you'd have to assume that he doesn't have hands of stone. I doubt he's a featured back, but pair him with a banger and Mason could produce fantasy numbers.

 

5. Lache Seastrunk (Baylor): Speed to burn here, fellas. Yes, Baylor's offense allowed him to see some gaping holes but with the NFL going where it is, he may see similar openings at the next level. There's some concern about his vision should the primary hole get plugged, but you can't ignore the speed and - wait for it... - ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

 

6. Jeremy Hill (LSU): Hill is a bigger back, like Hyde but has showed he can catch the ball. He's been incredibly productive from a yardage/scoring standpoint. LSU OC Cam Cameron has sung this kid's praises and that should speak volumes. A few scouts have this guy atop their leaderboard for this class but I'm not so sure. He only had two years of college football (sat out 2011 season) and as a larger back, could be prone to run too upright (is he Steven Jackson.... or Daniel Thomas?)

 

Tier Three (Stash and Grab - could be good eventually)

 

7. Devonta Freeman (Florida St.): Freeman is yet another back that catches the ball well out of the backfield. That said, his lack of size (well, height) may be an issue. It hasn't been an issue for guys like MJD but until we see what Freeman can do it's hard to say. If he lands in the right spot, he could be a PPR producer.

 

8. Charles Sims (West Virginia): Sims is a little bit of a sleeper in this class. He has the size that you want (6'0, 213 lbs.) who runs well both between the tackles and outside. And yes, Virginia, he catches the ball well out of the backfield.

 

9. James White (Wisconsin): He may need to add a little bulk, but for a kid under 200 lbs., he seems to have good power and good in pass protection (and yes, catches the ball adequately). He's got excellent field vision and seems to cut well in space.

 

10. Terrence West (Towson St.): Hard to judge the small school guys, especially RBs of West's stature. He's a short/stocky guy in the MJD/Rice mold and isn't terribly fast. But you can't ignore the production over his collegiate career and nose for the end zone (42 total TDs as a senior... 42!!!!!!!!).

 

There are a few other names to watch, particularly if they run well at the combine: Wilder, Jr. (FSU), Williams (BC), Gaffney (Stanford), Grice (ASU) and Johnson (UCF).

 

Thoughts/comments welcome.

Edited January 14, 2014 by darin3

[bud29]

Storm Johnson definitely looked impressive in his bowl game (although then again, it was against Baylor ). I think Gaffney could also be something. The RB class is shaping up to be pretty decent.

Edited January 14, 2014 by bud29

[flemingd]

So much I want to love here, but even more than QB's, the situation dictates the success. Lacy going to GB was huge, if he ends up in KC or JAX that could have played out so much differently. There's almost nothing to dislike about any of these guys until we know where they are.

[MustOfBeenDrunk]

So much I want to love here, but even more than QB's, the situation dictates the success. Lacy going to GB was huge, if he ends up in KC or JAX that could have played out so much differently. There's almost nothing to dislike about any of these guys until we know where they are.

 

Yep , I honestly believe that if Toby Gerhart went someplace other than behind AP he would of be a great starting RB

[darin3]

So much I want to love here, but even more than QB's, the situation dictates the success. Lacy going to GB was huge, if he ends up in KC or JAX that could have played out so much differently. There's almost nothing to dislike about any of these guys until we know where they are.

 

 

I was thinking about this very thing this morning. But I have a different slant on it, I guess. Yes, if a guy like Lacy (or a name on this list) goes to KC, he has hardly any fantasy value except as a handcuff.

 

But if a guy listed above gets drafted by JAX, I think his value is super high. Someone has to carry the ball. Every single one of them can catch the ball out of the backfield.

 

I'm pumped about this RB class and hope the elite guys go to spots where than can be properly utilized.

[flemingd]

I'm not going to get excited about JAX until they show me they have fixed a horrible offense. Yes, someone has to carry the ball, but that someone needs to average more than 3.3 YPC and get more than 7 TD's in the process. For reference, Oakland, with perfectly ordinary Rashad Jennings and a banged-up McFadden managed to rack up 2000 yards rushing, 4.6 YPC, and 16 TD's. Put Jeremy Hill there and I"m all in. Put Barry Sanders in JAX and I'll see you in the third round.

[darin3]

I'm not going to get excited about JAX until they show me they have fixed a horrible offense. Yes, someone has to carry the ball, but that someone needs to average more than 3.3 YPC and get more than 7 TD's in the process. For reference, Oakland, with perfectly ordinary Rashad Jennings and a banged-up McFadden managed to rack up 2000 yards rushing, 4.6 YPC, and 16 TD's. Put Jeremy Hill there and I"m all in. Put Barry Sanders in JAX and I'll see you in the third round.

 

 

You realize Barry Sanders played behind pretty crappy OLs, right?

 

Sorry, give a guy like Carey the ball in JAX and the guy is a fantasy performer.

[flemingd]

Fine, I exaggerated to make my point, sue me . Besides, what do they keep saying about Sanders? Put him behind Dallas' line at the time and he obliterates Emmit's numbers.

[darin3]

Fine, I exaggerated to make my point, sue me . Besides, what do they keep saying about Sanders? Put him behind Dallas' line at the time and he obliterates Emmit's numbers.

 

 

Oh for sure, that has been debated for years now. I would comment further but would like to retain my username and ability to log on to this website.

[darin3]

 

 

8. Charles Sims (West Virginia): Sims is a little bit of a sleeper in this class. He has the size that you want (6'0, 213 lbs.) who runs well both between the tackles and outside. And yes, Virginia, he catches the ball well out of the backfield.

 

 

 

 

Sims could easily move into Tier 2 if he has a good Senior Bowl and/or impresses at the combine.

 

From NFL superscout Gil Brandt:

 

Sims will be the best running back at the Senior Bowl. He's well-built at 5-11 7/8 and 214 pounds, and has run the 40 in 4.46 seconds. He can run and catch as well as any back in the draft. After four years at Houston, he transferred to West Virginia in 2013, but WVU's offensive line didn't allow him to showcase his skills much, so he enters the draft process as a bit of a sleeper. I still can't figure out why he came back for a fifth year. He reminds me some of the Bengals' Giovani Bernard. He's most likely a third-day choice at this point, but a good Senior Bowl will turn heads; problem is, it's difficult for running backs to show skills and have good statistics in all-star games.

 

[Trots]

10. Terrence West (Towson St.): Hard to judge the small school guys, especially RBs of West's stature. He's a short/stocky guy in the MJD/Rice mold and isn't terribly fast. But you can't ignore the production over his collegiate career and nose for the end zone (42 total TDs as a senior... 42!!!!!!!!).

 

There are a few other names to watch, particularly if they run well at the combine: Wilder, Jr. (FSU), Williams (BC), Gaffney (Stanford), Grice (ASU) and Johnson (UCF).

 

Thoughts/comments welcome.

 

West ain't small. (5-foot-11, 223 pounds)

From NFL.com: West lacks elite speed, but he has been clocked as fast as 4.5 seconds in the 40 and shows patience and good vision. He has quick feet and is a tough, powerful downhill runner who is right at home working between the tackles. He also has proved to be a workhorse, averaging 260 carries per season in his college career (21.7 per game, including 26.1 per game this season).

[darin3]

West ain't small. (5-foot-11, 223 pounds)

From NFL.com: West lacks elite speed, but he has been clocked as fast as 4.5 seconds in the 40 and shows patience and good vision. He has quick feet and is a tough, powerful downhill runner who is right at home working between the tackles. He also has proved to be a workhorse, averaging 260 carries per season in his college career (21.7 per game, including 26.1 per game this season).

 

 

I thought I had read somewhere he was more like 5'8" - 5'9". He's definitely one to watch. A good combine + good landing spot and this guy could be gold.

 

Love this draft class.

[flemingd]

7. Big backs from smaller programs

There are three bigger backs here with above-average size, all who weigh 225 pounds or more from non-AQ schools -- Western Kentucky's Antonio Andrews, Toledo's David Fluellen and Lorenzo Taliaferro from Coastal Carolina.

 

Andrews had the most complete performance of the day. His route running and the way he set up his breaks during one-on-ones with the linebackers regularly made an impression. He also caught the ball well and showed good patience following his blocks after catching a screen.

[Seahawks21]

Bishop is my boy, but I don't see him as a high tier NFL back. He put on a ton of weight to get to 200, and it cost him some speed. He's going to run in the mid 4.5's I would bet. Neither big nor fast. Great vision, tough enough runner, although he isn't big enough to fall forward, even in college. Everybody wants to bring up Emmitt Smith, but Smith was quite a bit stockier. Sankey has about a 180 lb frame. I just don't see what his niche is going to be.

[darin3]

Lorenzo Taliaferro from Coastal Carolina has had a great Senior Bowl week of practice and looks good in today's game. He might be "too big" at 6'2", 230+... but he catches the ball well out of the backfield and is a very strong runner. AP 2nd team All-America. Continued good play today and a good combine and he'll eke into the top-10 RBs especially if drafted into a good situation.