The RB Position

[PB&J]

How come Harrison is not a starter? Why is he only a change of pace back at best? What constitutes a real starter?

[Guest Aloysius]

Don or Dan Brown from Uconn also a 4th or 5th rounder....led the nation in yards...don't sleep on him if we can't get the aforementioned

I don't think Donald Brown will make it out of the 2nd Round. He's ranked as one of the top five running backs in this year's draft, and 5-7 RB's are usually taken in the first two rounds.

[Guest ATENEARS]

Man, are we gonna end up without our RB again this draft?

[calfoxwc]

You don't dump Lewis, his leadership would be missed, and he's still a power back, albeit a step or two slower than he used to be.

 

For one more year, til he retires?, he's worth the money in power and continuity.

 

You have to fix the RT problem. Without Tucker, the Browns are lost on the right side.

 

Shaffer collapses into the qb, and the defense knows, for the most part, the Browns can only count on running to the left side.

 

And, it was Mangini who had two first round draft picks his first year, and spent both on offensive linemen.

 

I expect a RT in this draft, given a second 2nd round pick via trade, that would open up a pick in the third or fouth

to get that RT.

[JewDago]

Man, are we gonna end up without our RB again this draft?

if we don't go RB in the second, yes.

[rich4eagle]

this thread is great.......Browns heritage has great running backs and right now we have an overpaid over the hill slug and an unprovend wonder who could not make his presence clear in two years

 

IT DOES NOT TAKE MORE THAN AN IDIOT WE ARE WOEFULLY WEAK AT RUNNING BACK.................so lets draft another tackleor better a safety duh???????????????

[PlaygroundLegend]

Harrison and Jennings FTW!!!!

 

I think Jennings outlasts all the other RB's on the board. His body is solid muscle.... whereas Green.. not so much.. Plus Jennings has taken less hits.. plus he has carried the largest load of most of these RB's

 

plus you have to look into the future... when Jennings is 29 and loses a step.... he will be faster than Greene losing a step at 29.

 

Jennings is a flat out MONSTER

[Guest Aloysius]

And, it was Mangini who had two first round draft picks his first year, and spent both on offensive linemen.

In his presser today, Mangini said that those were pure need picks: the Jets didn't have a center on the roster, and they didn't have a real solution at LT.

 

What's more interesting is that new o-line coach George Warhop seems to bring a lot of new lineman to whatever team he coaches. Position coaches play a role in the FA/draft process, and Warhop seems to have pushed for early OL picks in both Dallas and San Francisco.

 

Here are the personnel moves his teams have made:

 

2003 (Cowboys)

• Al Johnson, C, Wisconsin (2nd Round)
• Justin Bates, OT, Colorado (7th Round)

2004 (Cowboys)

• Jacob Rogers, OT, LSU (3rd Round)
• Stephen Peterman, OG, LSU (3rd Round)

2005 (Niners)

• FA: Jonas Jennings, OT
• David Baas, OG, Michigan (2nd Round)
• Adam Snyder, OG-OT, Oregon (3rd Round)

2006 (Niners)

• FA: Larry Allen, OG

2007 (Niners)

• Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan (1st Round)

2008 (Niners)

• Chilo Rachal, OG, USC (2nd Round)
• Cody Wallace, C, Texas A&M (4th Round)

What's a bit disconcerting is that Warhop's teams spent this many picks on o-linemen, yet his lines gave up a ton of sacks and were known for inconsistent, underwhelming play.

 

Hopefully, that won't repeat itself in Cleveland.

[Roy.E.Munson]

Harrison and Jennings FTW!!!!

 

I think Jennings outlasts all the other RB's on the board. His body is solid muscle.... whereas Green.. not so much.. Plus Jennings has taken less hits.. plus he has carried the largest load of most of these RB's

 

plus you have to look into the future... when Jennings is 29 and loses a step.... he will be faster than Greene losing a step at 29.

 

Jennings is a flat out MONSTER

 

 

But he can't even tie his shoes!

[2yy4u]

Well if moreno, Beanie or McCoy fall to us in second....THOSE are the viable options.

 

 

Agreed...I know alot is going to happen between now and the end of April, but the majority of the mock drafts I have been seeing have Moreno going in the second round. I watched him several games this season and he is a fricking beast! The thing that I loved seeing in him(other than great speed, size, strength, and agility) was his unbelievable desire to win. We need to build our team w/guys just like Moreno that want to win soooooo badly...not guys that are gonna fight w/the coach about how many touches he's getting or give up on the team(ala B. MacDonald after week 6).

 

The absolute same could be said for Beannie...his only prob is health issues. But, we can all remember him seeing him in the face of players when healthy and when he was our top sideline chearleader. If either he or Knowshon drop to us, which could very well happen in round 2, we HAVE to jump on them. What's a young QB's best friend, a smashmouth running game-just ask lil' Manning.

 

 

 

 

[Gips]

Lewis runs over tackles not through them he often misses gaping holes just to level a linebacker for little or no gain...im pretty sure harrison lacks the durability to be an every down back but we should be able to get a newbie that can haul the ball fairly easy with harrison doing his around the end thing..

[Guest AdaM]

Lewis runs over tackles not through them he often misses gaping holes just to level a linebacker for little or no gain...im pretty sure harrison lacks the durability to be an every down back but we should be able to get a newbie that can haul the ball fairly easy with harrison doing his around the end thing..

 

 

Harrison out-rushed Reggie Bush in the same conference, I think his durability concerns are a figure of our imagination.

[2yy4u]

Harrison out-rushed Reggie Bush in the same conference, I think his durability concerns are a figure of our imagination.

 

Yes, he did great against much slower, smaller competition....NFL to college players....apples to oranges. And how well has Bush held up physically? Do we really want a 7-10 game per season RB? I think Bush is put together a little better than Harrison too. Not saying that he couldn't work for our for us, but by no means is he the answer to our RB woes, merely just a compliment to whomever is the real deal. Don't show me a Volks Bug and tell me that it's a Cadilliac!

[Guest AdaM]

Yes, he did great against much slower, smaller competition....NFL to college players....apples to oranges. And how well has Bush held up physically? Do we really want a 7-10 game per season RB? I think Bush is put together a little better than Harrison too. Not saying that he couldn't work for our for us, but by no means is he the answer to our RB woes, merely just a compliment to whomever is the real deal. Don't show me a Volks Bug and tell me that it's a Cadilliac!

 

 

Your opinion is based solely on the fact that Harrison got very few carries so far in the NFL. Reggie Bush takes kicks / punts / is a RB and lines up at receiver. They give him way more of a load than he should have.

 

Therefor... you have absolutely no base whatsoever to say that Harrison is not the answer, because you have no idea.

 

And nor does anyone else, yet.

[Riffer X]

I guess I'm crazy but I saw Harrison as a better short yardage back than Lewis. Folks, Lewis is a terrible short yardage back, he runs straight up and does not slice through the openings when given a chance. Marcus Allen is renowned as one of the best in history in short yardage and he wasn't a big back. I saw Harrison get good leverage and be quick about hitting the hole before it closed.

 

This is a two back league anyway, so the discussion of whether or not Harrison can tote the rock 35 times in a game is kind of silly. What's really silly is if the new staff is too stupid to get this guy actually involved in the offense and not just for occasional misdirections and scripted plays.

 

There were yards left all over the field last year by Lewis where if a guy like Harrison was pounding it time after time he would have been breaking those off tackles where Lewis is a step slow to escape leg tackles.

 

Lewis still has value and I believe keeping 4 backs and one FB may be the solution. That way Lews can keep his legs fresh most of the year and definitely help in December games.

 

It is a misnomer that Lewis is a short yardage guy. What he is is a guy who can occasionally get bullish when he has a gaping hole in front of him and be a load to bring down. He is not, however, a guy who is good at taking advantage of a good line surge or following his FB because of his tippy toeing and also his lack of cutback vision.

 

Harrison can do just fine in that role. Belichick would have loved to have had him for "Harrison up the middle" instead of Metcalf because he can actually break a sock tackle and take it to the house.

 

This will be one of my first big judgments on Mangini. He loved Leon Washington, but I believe he really is a scatback and I see Harrison as a guy you can run any plays in the offense with, and that includes goal line or short yardage.

[KardiacKid26]

Jerome's a special player and i would love to see him take 60% of the load while jlewis takes 10% and hopefully if they draft him have Shonn Greene take the other 30%

 

 

 

[Mr. T]

If we keep J Lewis he needs to take a step closer to the line. I swear he lost 2 steps this year or he was looking for a soft place to land if he had to go between the tackles.

[Oldcrow1945]

Does anyone think a deal could be worked out with K.C. that would send Larry Johnson to the Browns and Anderson to the chiefs? Not a long term fix but I'll take an aging, sometime malcontent Larry Johnson over JL anyday.

 

Just as Mangini did with the Jets in acquiring Thomas Jones, I expect him to make a move with the Browns as well.

Unless he sees the same as many of us has seen in Harrison.

[Zombo]

Does anyone think a deal could be worked out with K.C. that would send Larry Johnson to the Browns and Anderson to the chiefs? Not a long term fix but I'll take an aging, sometime malcontent Larry Johnson over JL anyday.

 

Just as Mangini did with the Jets in acquiring Thomas Jones, I expect him to make a move with the Browns as well.

Unless he sees the same as many of us has seen in Harrison.

 

I've been thinkig the same thing about Larry Johnson, too. I sure don't like the man, but he could certainly "fit". He could be Mangini's Corey Dillon. Although I don't remember Dillon spitting drinks in women's faces.

 

Johnson wants to be in the Northeast, and Cleveland is pretty close to that. Mangini would run him hard and he could be "the man" on a (hopefully) up and coming team with a talented offense.

 

Guess it depend on the Chiefs new coach and his style of offense if they wanted Derek. Haley might like him.

 

Zombo

[JewDago]

Does anyone think a deal could be worked out with K.C. that would send Larry Johnson to the Browns and Anderson to the chiefs? Not a long term fix but I'll take an aging, sometime malcontent Larry Johnson over JL anyday.

 

Just as Mangini did with the Jets in acquiring Thomas Jones, I expect him to make a move with the Browns as well.

Unless he sees the same as many of us has seen in Harrison.

no, no, no. johnson's only really had two good years and they came two years ago, his contract is huge, he's signed through 2013, long past when he'll be useful, especially because he turned 29 last year, herm edwards ruined him by having him run the ball 400 times in a season, he's temperamental and moody, he's abused women multiple times, he needs to be über-motivated to play well and the only person who's been able to do that is the ultimate player's coach, dick vermeil, mangini is the exact opposite of the only guy who's ever had him play at a high level, and the chiefs will want an absolute haul for him in a year where we don't have draft picks or many other tradable assets.

 

johnson is not our answer.

[Riffer X]

no, no, no. johnson's only really had two good years and they came two years ago, his contract is huge, he's signed through 2013, long past when he'll be useful, especially because he turned 29 last year, herm edwards ruined him by having him run the ball 400 times in a season, he's temperamental and moody, he's abused women multiple times, he needs to be über-motivated to play well and the only person who's been able to do that is the ultimate player's coach, dick vermeil, mangini is the exact opposite of the only guy who's ever had him play at a high level, and the chiefs will want an absolute haul for him in a year where we don't have draft picks or many other tradable assets.

 

johnson is not our answer.

 

JD is right. Johnson is a tool and he has been run way too hard at 29.

 

Dude is a badass though, but he certainly is not going to come cheaply.

[Guest Aloysius]

I've watched a little of Virginia RB Cedric Peerman recently, and he's really impressed me. Here's a scouting report on him:

 

Positives: Short, thick build that appears capable of handling NFL punishment. Quick to the hole. Good lateral agility to make defenders miss. Runs with surprising authority. Can bounce to the outside and has the burst to get to the second level. Might lack elite stopwatch speed, but plays fast and can pull away in the open field. Soft hands out of the backfield. High effort player who makes those around him better.

 

Negatives: Lacks the bulk teams are looking for in a bell-cow runner. May have to be a change of pace back in the NFL due to his struggles in staying healthy. Missed second half of 2007 with Lisfranc surgery on his right foot and missed time last season with a bruised knee. Very small hands, which scouts fear will lead to fumbles. Didn't help his cause in this area with a fumble during the Senior Bowl.

He reminds me a little bit of another Virginia alum, Tiki Barber. He may start off his career as a change of pace back/kick returner, but he could grow into a decent committee back.

 

Though he's about the same size as Jerome Harrison, his running style is a lot more physical. I could think of worse things than taking Peerman on Day Two & having him, Harrison, and a bigger back (maybe JLew?) hold down the RB fort for a year.

[DTBH]

Harrison is the type of back that benefits from getting limited carries. I think his yards per carry will significantly decrease, at a rate much faster than bigger, stronger, between the tackles types of backs, if he gets 20 carries. His maximum value is being used 8-14 plays a game, so that he can keep his suprise element and defenses aren't thoroughly prepared for him.

 

If he gets any more plays than that per game and defenses base a large part of their scouting report on him, I think you'll see a drastic reduction in yards per play and/or carry and quite possibly a very beat up Harrison.

[PB&J]

Of course his YPC would decrease with an expanded role. That is expected. But I don't see what matters about this magical "20 carry" zone where smaller running backs die and bigger ones become super human. Only four running backs in the NFL averaged over 20 carries per game in 2008, Seven over 19.

 

I don't remember Priest Holmes struggling to carry 20+ carries a game several seasons in a row. He had a similar build to Jerome too.

[DTBH]

IMO, Harrison falls into a category of players like Wimbley, Alex Hall, and DA. They can start off like stars, but once defenses figure them out, their impact was drastically reduced because they were one dimensional. Much like DA is better suited to be a back-up and catch defenses by surpise and Wimbley/Alex Hall may be better suited to be situational pass-rushers, I think Harrison is better suited in the 10-touch area than the 20-touch area.

 

Regardless of size, I don't think Harrison's skill set is anywhere near Priest Holmes'.

[Guest Aloysius]

Andre Brown would be a good guy to tandem with JLew & Harrison. If we acquire an additional 2nd/3rd round pick, I wouldn't mind seeing us draft this guy:

 

Larger, better quality clip here

[smalls1129]

I vote "non-of-the-above". How come there isn't a "keep Jlew in the mode of the Bus in his last years and draft a RB." To me this is the most logical equation, especially if they get 5 picks on day 1. JL may not have the speed we want with our starting RB, but he isn't completely done and if he is willing to tutor other RB's and be a short yardage back....perfect. Especially with this guys commitment to 'healthy eating and conditioning', with Mangini's style I would guess Lewis' training style would be desired.

[PlaygroundLegend]

The Strength of Our Next Runningback

 

The Skill of Our Next Runningback

 

The Team of our next Runningback (he's number 23 in this vid)

 

Rashad Jennings is the man, SPEED, SIZE, STRENGTH, he has it all, and coupled with Harrison would make a combo better than White/Johnson

[mario]

After Jennings he seems to have power, but I noticed two things:

 

Most of his runs are on sweeps and counters.

 

All throughout the video he cuts right INTO a defender instead of away from him.

 

looks to have potential though from just watching the highlight videos.

 

I'd take him third round.

[PlaygroundLegend]

Now, Im not Gay or anything but....

 

 

Rashad is HUGE, JACKED, CUT, whatever.... Draft him now