Vegasdogg Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 We really could use a break at RB. We've suffered through no back gaining 1000 yards since Mack/Byner in 1985 up until Droughns, and even that felt a little hollow. Then we have a back in Lewis who does it two years in a row and we're still not happy. So I really, really, really want Davis and Harrison to blow this thing up this season. And I would like it to stay that way for awhile, considering Harrison's contract expires soon. L I N K James Davis is moving up Rotoworld's Top 200s Rotoworld avoids overrating the preseason. Players at the bottom of depth charts enter games late and face opposing second- and third-team defenses. But the case of Browns sixth-round rookie James Davis is different. With Jamal Lewis running on empty and Jerome Harrison injured for most of camp, Davis has seen work with the Browns' starters. He's faced his share of Green Bay, Detroit, and Tennessee's first-team defenders. Davis ranks fifth in the NFL in preseason rushing (149 yards). Among running backs with 15 or more attempts, Davis leads the league in yards-per-carry average (7.8 on 19 totes), with only Mike Bell (7.7 on 15), Ahmad Bradshaw (7.2 on 19), and the Vikings' Adrian Peterson (7.2 on 25) on his tail. Meanwhile, Lewis is sitting on a 2.6 YPC average on 24 carries after turning 30 last week and averaging 3.6 YPC in 2008. As anybody who watched a Browns game last year knows, Lewis is no longer a starting-caliber NFL player. The third exhibition is treated by coaching staffs as a serious regular-season tuneup (ask Dennis Green). Starters play into the third quarter. Cleveland had a tough opponent (Tennessee was 7th in the NFL in total defense last year, 6th against the run), which allows us to properly assess Davis' pro readiness. Let's have a series-by-series look: **Lewis started, but Davis played on the Browns' opening possession. On third-and-nine, Davis replaced Lewis and caught an eight-yard pass. Cleveland opted to punt (typical Eric Mangini conservativism, considering it's the preseason and the Browns were in Titans territory), but the play indicates that Davis is already the favorite for third-down snaps. **Davis also played on Cleveland's second possession, carrying for one yard on first-and-ten. Lewis carried four times on the drive, but the mere usage of Davis with the first-team offense indicates an emerging rotation. **On the Browns' third possession, Davis again replaced Lewis on third down and caught another eight-yard pass. **Davis remained active on the fourth possession with back-to-back five-yard rushes. **With Lewis playing into quarter three, Davis again replaced him on third down and caught a seven-yard pass to pick up a first. Davis broke into the Titans' secondary two plays later with a 16-yard explosion on third-and-12. Reports of Lewis looking "slow, tentative, and decidedly unquick" have been prevalent in Browns newspapers over the last two weeks. NFL insider Mike Lombardi went so far as to suggest that Lewis could miss the final cut on Saturday. It'd be quite a mistake to admit after the Browns paid Lewis a $4 million roster bonus this offseason, but clearly the team will lean on Davis early. Already the passing-down specialist and "change of pace" to Lewis, Davis has a good shot to unseat Cleveland's incumbent by Week 4. If not sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Masters Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Who else were the Browns going to put in on 3rd downs? A guy who isn't going to make the squad? With Harrison out w/ an injury there was little choice but to use Davis on 3rd downs. Unless Davis's blocking has greatly improved, don't expect to see a lot of him on 3rd down once Harrison is healthy. I have hopes for Davis, but I really can't stand it when I read something like this, because it's obvious the author has little to no knowledge about the Browns team. If they did, they wouldn't read so much into Davis seeing time with the starters in the TEN game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegasdogg Posted September 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Who else were the Browns going to put in on 3rd downs? A guy who isn't going to make the squad? With Harrison out w/ an injury there was little choice but to use Davis on 3rd downs. Unless Davis's blocking has greatly improved, don't expect to see a lot of him on 3rd down once Harrison is healthy. Guys get hurt and players take advantage. Harrison is still the guy we could see more of, but with what JD has done in practice, and now in live competition against a good TEN defense, I don't think it is far fetched that he will play a bigger role by week 4. I didn't see him whiff on too many blitz pickups, but then again we didn't ask him to do to much of that because he pretty much had the ball in his hands many of the 3rd downs he was in the game. Again, I didn't see him in too many blitz pickups so I will defer to others on that. I guess I am looking forward to not making another Jerome Harrison out of him where his talent is wasted on the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Masters Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Guys get hurt and players take advantage. Harrison is still the guy we could see more of, but with what JD has done in practice, and now in live competition against a good TEN defense, I don't think it is far fetched that he will play a bigger role by week 4. I didn't see him whiff on too many blitz pickups, but then again we didn't ask him to do to much of that because he pretty much had the ball in his hands many of the 3rd downs he was in the game. Again, I didn't see him in too many blitz pickups so I will defer to others on that. I guess I am looking forward to not making another Jerome Harrison out of him where his talent is wasted on the bench. Don't get me wrong, I think Davis will see more and more time as the season goes on. Davis got ate up numerous times in preseason on his blitz pick up. This was seen in all the games. Just some more (GB and DET) than others (TEN). I just find it quite silly that the author of the article decides to read into Davis seeing time during the TEN as a sign he will be the regular 3rd down back. My point is that there really wasn't much choice but to use Davis on 3rd down during the TEN game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solon16 Posted September 9, 2009 Report Share Posted September 9, 2009 Whaadya know "Lewis is no longer a starting-caliber NFL player." There is logic in the Media Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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