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Why is everyone sleeping on Rashad Jennings? (1 Viewer)

D

Da Gildz

Footballguy
I've seen rankings with this guy in the high 20's for rb's, even 30 on a pretty well-known fantasy 'analyst's' board. It makes no sense to me whatsoever.

Jennings can pass block, has great hands and is serviceable enough to run between the tackles. And just as important, he doesn't FUMBLE! Anyone who knows the GMen, know Coughlin detests backs who fumble. Also, anyone who follows them, knows the feature back on this offense is ALWAYS a solid fantasy option, at worst a RB2. Wilson will have a role, similar to Sproles if u ask me. And Andre-Will cannot catch a football. His role is clearly defined here.

Jennings last year put up 1k total yds on 200 touches. I think he can easily reach 300 total touches and double digit scores. Not to mention catching 40+ balls isn't out of the question. This guy is as rock solid RB2 as I can find with RB1 potential. Add in the fact, he's 29 with 387 carries to his name, he's as fresh a 29 yr old rb as you'll ever find.

Continue to sleep fantasy world, I wont be waking you up anytime soon.

 
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I think people are just jaded with how horrible that offensive line was last year and how horrible the whole team was. The line should be better, though probably still not great. Jennings is a nice play, but he has his own injury concerns. I feel like going with a 1-2 punch of Wilson and Williams offers everything that Jennings can and more. Obviously you'd rather have 1 guy that can do it all and Jennings could very well be that guy. Jennings has looked great at times when given the load and he's looked bad at times when given the load. I do think he's undervalued by quite a bit right now, but I think there are reasons why he's not a lock for being a top 15-20 fantasy back.

 
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.

 
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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I wouldn't say he's your typical 29 yr old back tho, he's barely had a season and a half worth of carries.

He's far from the flashiest of names but flashy doesn't always win you fantasy titles. I just think the fantasy world is overlooking this guy and how Coughlin views his rb's. If Jennings protects Eli and doesn't fumble, which i think he's very capable of, he'll be seeing 80%+ of the touches out of that backfield. His ability to catch the ball only cements his place even more in my eyes. Andre Will/Wilson will have their moments but no way do I see them overtaking Jennings as the main back in 2014.

BTW, Andre Brown who's a middling talent at best was a RB2 in PPR last year, averaged 13+ ppg of the ones he started. That's even including 3 games where he didn't break 100 yds combined. Jennings 8 games last year dwarf those of Browns. I know different teams/situations yada yada. Jennings 2014 floor and ceiling are both high IMO.

 
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Every back in the 11 to 25 range has serious blemishes, including jennings. You need to load up at the position or pick and choose which blemishes you're willing to deal with.

 
Da Gildz said:
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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I wouldn't say he's your typical 29 yr old back tho, he's barely had a season and a half worth of carries.

He's far from the flashiest of names but flashy doesn't always win you fantasy titles. I just think the fantasy world is overlooking this guy and how Coughlin views his rb's. If Jennings protects Eli and doesn't fumble, which i think he's very capable of, he'll be seeing 80%+ of the touches out of that backfield. His ability to catch the ball only cements his place even more in my eyes. Andre Will/Wilson will have their moments but no way do I see them overtaking Jennings as the main back in 2014.

BTW, Andre Brown who's a middling talent at best was a RB2 in PPR last year, averaged 13+ ppg of the ones he started. That's even including 3 games where he didn't break 100 yds combined. Jennings 8 games last year dwarf those of Browns. I know different teams/situations yada yada. Jennings 2014 floor and ceiling are both high IMO.
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Jennings situation reminds a little of another ex-Raider who left Oakland after a career year to join coach Coughlin in New York, the TE Brandon Myers. Myers was the beneficiary of a failed offensive coordinator that could not get any kind of deep passing scheme to work, forcing all the action to the undertalented, but sure handed TE. Myers, who previously had a career high of 16 catches, had 79 catches that year. He started off with a bang in New York, but his lack of athleticism and some key drops got him in Coughlins doghouse and now he's working his way out of the reclamation heap down in Tampa.

Why I bring this up is because Coughlin as you said earlier hates the man who fumbles the ball, very demanding of his RB's. Jennings has the chance to be the PPG stud Andre Brown type. But he will have almost no margin for error. He will always have a hot shot more athletic backup RB looking over his shoulder, waiting to pounce. One bad game or two and fantasy owners could be risking seeing their RB2 or RB3 benched. The situation in New York is much more volatile than the relative stability in Oakland, where Jennings was the lead back due to attrition.

 
I'll stand by my theory, whoever protects Eli will play. And we've seen Wilson fail miserably there and Andre Will is a rookie who has no hands. He wont be sniffing 3rd down work.

Barring injury, I think Jennings is a safe bet for 1,300+ total yds, double digit TD's and ~ 40 rec's.

 
Da Gildz said:
I'll stand by my theory, whoever protects Eli will play. And we've seen Wilson fail miserably there and Andre Will is a rookie who has no hands. He wont be sniffing 3rd down work.

Barring injury, I think Jennings is a safe bet for 1,300+ total yds, double digit TD's and ~ 40 rec's.
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I agree with your 1st sentence but I don't know how you can say any back in the league is a "safe bet" for 1300 yards. As remarkable as Adrian Peterson is, playing on a team where he was THE SHOW, even he has failed to reach 1300 yards in 3 of his 7 seasons, and just barely hit the mark in two of the other 4. That's a very lofty mark for a great back, much less one that is good but not great, playing on a team that all but collapsed to the point of creating a black hole last year.

Its a crowded backfield with question marks for every RB and with every RB having an area they excel at. This looks like a recipe for real-world solid utilization and fantasy world frustration.

 
What is the question marks concerning Jennings? He excels in pass-pro, has good hands and is more then capable running between the tackles. (4.3 ypc) He happened to be playing behind 1 of the better all around backs in the last decade in JAX. U want to tell me concussions is his question mark? Meh. Injury can strike anyone.

Also, I said 1,300 <TOTAL> yards, not 1,300 rushing. Which is very doable in what appears to be a high octane offense this yr.

 
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29 year old back coming off a career year. Odds are not good that he follows it up with another career year. But he might.

 
Da Gildz said:
What is the question marks concerning Jennings? He excels in pass-pro, has good hands and is more then capable running between the tackles. (4.3 ypc) He happened to be playing behind 1 of the better all around backs in the last decade in JAX. U want to tell me concussions is his question mark? Meh. Injury can strike anyone.

Also, I said 1,300 <TOTAL> yards, not 1,300 rushing. Which is very doable in what appears to be a high octane offense this yr.
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Sure, it's doable. But I think it's optimistic. And I'd be comfortable to plug in Jennings as my RB2, if I was rolling the dice, upside down drafting. But just be aware that his gravy train could end at any minute under the fickle Coughlin. Better load up on a ton of other mediocre RB's to soften the blow and mitigate the downside.

 
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Da Gildz said:
I'll stand by my theory, whoever protects Eli will play. And we've seen Wilson fail miserably there and Andre Will is a rookie who has no hands. He wont be sniffing 3rd down work.

Barring injury, I think Jennings is a safe bet for 1,300+ total yds, double digit TD's and ~ 40 rec's.
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There have been 15 RB over the past 3 seasons to put up 1300/10 with 40 receptions. In the past 40 years, a NYG RB has done it 4 times. Tiki Barber 3 times and Rodney Hampton once. The point being, it is much harder than it sounds.

 
Is he the big ball of suck that he was in Jacksonville as a starter in 2012? or is he the alright enough back that played in Oakland last year?

Digging into his gamelog last year to try to get a better sense as to why. He had great games against Philly and Houston, the former's defense was horrendous and the latter's season was lost by the time they squared off. He was between alright and not good the rest of the time. Plus you can't ignore that when he started playing he was fresh whereas most of the guys he was playing against were not. He wouldn't be the first second half phenom to thrive on fresh legs then crash and burn when given a full season.

The fumble point is a good one, but I gotta point out the 3 he had in 120 touches in Jacksonville the year before. Again, which player is he?

He's in that cloud of RB's in which if he falls far enough I may pick him up if I need one, but I am definitely not seeking him out.

 
I think Andre Williams will relegate him to 3rd down back by season's end. So I'll pass.

 
MAC_32 said:
Is he the big ball of suck that he was in Jacksonville as a starter in 2012? or is he the alright enough back that played in Oakland last year?

Digging into his gamelog last year to try to get a better sense as to why. He had great games against Philly and Houston, the former's defense was horrendous and the latter's season was lost by the time they squared off. He was between alright and not good the rest of the time. Plus you can't ignore that when he started playing he was fresh whereas most of the guys he was playing against were not. He wouldn't be the first second half phenom to thrive on fresh legs then crash and burn when given a full season.

The fumble point is a good one, but I gotta point out the 3 he had in 120 touches in Jacksonville the year before. Again, which player is he?

He's in that cloud of RB's in which if he falls far enough I may pick him up if I need one, but I am definitely not seeking him out.
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Well if u want to be fair, that Jax year was his only down yr of his 4 yrs playing. granted all were small sample sizes.

He averaged 4.8 ypc outside of 2012 (286 carries), I know I know, u cant do that but just saying.

I'm not trying to claim Jennings is this elite talent, he's farrrr from that. But 1/2 the battle is opportunity and Jennings is exactly what this team needs. I don't think they even have thoughts of giving Wilson many carries this yr. Especially coming off his injuries, that would just be foolish. If i were a Jennings owner, which I am, I'd be more concerned about Andre Will then Wilson.

Maybe 1,300+ and double digit scores was shooting too high, but they haven't had a bell cow back since Tiki, if u want to call him that even. Talking 8 yrs now. They plan on feeding Jennings the rock, early and often. The only way he's losing PT is if he pulls a Wilson on them.

 
MAC_32 said:
Is he the big ball of suck that he was in Jacksonville as a starter in 2012? or is he the alright enough back that played in Oakland last year?

Digging into his gamelog last year to try to get a better sense as to why. He had great games against Philly and Houston, the former's defense was horrendous and the latter's season was lost by the time they squared off. He was between alright and not good the rest of the time. Plus you can't ignore that when he started playing he was fresh whereas most of the guys he was playing against were not. He wouldn't be the first second half phenom to thrive on fresh legs then crash and burn when given a full season.

The fumble point is a good one, but I gotta point out the 3 he had in 120 touches in Jacksonville the year before. Again, which player is he?

He's in that cloud of RB's in which if he falls far enough I may pick him up if I need one, but I am definitely not seeking him out.
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this. And he is 29 years old with one somewhat decent season under his belt with oakland. When starting his career he was mostly injured as well. Ill pass at his current adp
 
steveski said:
I think people are just jaded with how horrible that offensive line was last year and how horrible the whole team was. The line should be better, though probably still not great. Jennings is a nice play, but he has his own injury concerns. I feel like going with a 1-2 punch of Wilson and Williams offers everything that Jennings can and more. Obviously you'd rather have 1 guy that can do it all and Jennings could very well be that guy. Jennings has looked great at times when given the load and he's looked bad at times when given the load. I do think he's undervalued by quite a bit right now, but I think there are reasons why he's not a lock for being a top 15-20 fantasy back.
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That is pretty spot on. Here are his games with 15 or more touches.

2010 Week 16 v Washington 15-32-0 (2.13), 4-29-0 (7.25)

2010 Week 17 @ Hou 22-108-1 (4.91), 4-34-0 (8.5)

2012 Week 6 @ Oak 21-44-1 (2.10), 7-58-0 (8.29)

2012 Week 7 @ GB 17-59-0 (3.47), 6-56-0 (9.33)

2012 Week 8 v Det 12-45-0 (3.75), 3-7-0 (2.33)

2012 Week 11 v Ten 16-43-1 (2.69), 1-2-0 (2.0)

2013 Week 4 v Was 14-45-0 (3.21), 8-71-0 (8.88)

2013 Week 8 v Phi 15-102-1 (6.8), 7-74-0 (10.57)

2013 Week 9 @ NYG 20-88-0 (4.4), 2-19-0 (9.5)

2013 Week 10 @ Hou 20-150-1 (6.82), 2--2-0 (-1)

2013 Week 11 v Ten 16-73-0 (4.56), 4-49-0 (12.25)

2013 Week 12 @ Dal 17-35-2 (2.06), 1-8-0 (8)

2013 Week 14 v Kan 23-91-2 (3.96), 3-12-0 (4)

His average for the games where he carries the load are 17-70-0.7 (4.1 ypc) and 4-31-0 (7.8 ypr).

I do believe he has legitimate 3 down ability because he catches well and can pick up the blitz but I don't think he is a high end runner/receiver. However I think Wilson will be little more than a COP guy, and Williams will be brought along slowly because that is Coughlin's M.O. so Jennings looks like he will have the first chance at holding down the fort at RB in 2014 and possibly beyond. A 300 touch season is very attainable for him.

I also think this Giants team is better than any of Jennings Jacksonville teams or Oakland last year and they have what looks to be a favorable schedule, their entire division was woeful on defense last year and none of them look much improved. So, I agree that Jennings could have a nice RB2 season and that some people are probably undervaluing him.

 
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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Wilson does appear to have a whole lot of talent but he has more question marks than the Riddler. His neck, his ability to hold onto the football, his neck, his ability to pick up the blitz, his neck and his neck. It is tough to see a guy like Coughlin trying to ride Wilson as a bell cow even if he improves holding onto the ball and picking up the blitz. Williams might have talent but, as Coughlin demonstrated with Wilson, if you can't pick up the blitz you aren't seeing the field. I think Coughlin will be more than okay going with an average grinder who can pick up 4 yards a pop, hold onto the ball and keep Eli's jersey clean.

 
Da Gildz said:
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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I wouldn't say he's your typical 29 yr old back tho, he's barely had a season and a half worth of carries.

He's far from the flashiest of names but flashy doesn't always win you fantasy titles. I just think the fantasy world is overlooking this guy and how Coughlin views his rb's. If Jennings protects Eli and doesn't fumble, which i think he's very capable of, he'll be seeing 80%+ of the touches out of that backfield. His ability to catch the ball only cements his place even more in my eyes. Andre Will/Wilson will have their moments but no way do I see them overtaking Jennings as the main back in 2014.

BTW, Andre Brown who's a middling talent at best was a RB2 in PPR last year, averaged 13+ ppg of the ones he started. That's even including 3 games where he didn't break 100 yds combined. Jennings 8 games last year dwarf those of Browns. I know different teams/situations yada yada. Jennings 2014 floor and ceiling are both high IMO.
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Seems like you are making up numbers there. How many RBs saw 80% of their teams touches last year?

 
Chaka said:
Da Gildz said:
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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I wouldn't say he's your typical 29 yr old back tho, he's barely had a season and a half worth of carries.

He's far from the flashiest of names but flashy doesn't always win you fantasy titles. I just think the fantasy world is overlooking this guy and how Coughlin views his rb's. If Jennings protects Eli and doesn't fumble, which i think he's very capable of, he'll be seeing 80%+ of the touches out of that backfield. His ability to catch the ball only cements his place even more in my eyes. Andre Will/Wilson will have their moments but no way do I see them overtaking Jennings as the main back in 2014.

BTW, Andre Brown who's a middling talent at best was a RB2 in PPR last year, averaged 13+ ppg of the ones he started. That's even including 3 games where he didn't break 100 yds combined. Jennings 8 games last year dwarf those of Browns. I know different teams/situations yada yada. Jennings 2014 floor and ceiling are both high IMO.
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Seems like you are making up numbers there. How many RBs saw 80% of their teams touches last year?
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Indeed. Even when Arian Foster seemed to NEVER come off the field in Houston for a few years there, he was hitting at about 75-78% of the touches.

 
Raiderfan32904 said:
Why I bring this up is because Coughlin as you said earlier hates the man who fumbles the ball, very demanding of his RB's. Jennings has the chance to be the PPG stud Andre Brown type. But he will have almost no margin for error. He will always have a hot shot more athletic backup RB looking over his shoulder, waiting to pounce. One bad game or two and fantasy owners could be risking seeing their RB2 or RB3 benched. The situation in New York is much more volatile than the relative stability in Oakland, where Jennings was the lead back due to attrition.
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While I agree with much of your premise I am not sure I agree with much of your conclusions.

Coughlin keeps rookie RBs on a short leash until they demonstrate the ability to identify and pick up blitzes. That fact has never been more obviously demonstrated than the case of Wilson, so Williams will be on a very short leash to begin with. And Wilson with his history of fumbles and poor pass protection may be on an even shorter leash.

Coughlin seems a lot like John Fox in that regard. They always seem to favor the steady vet they can trust over the flashy rookie who hasn't proven the ability to do the non-flashy things.

 
Shutout said:
Da Gildz said:
I'll stand by my theory, whoever protects Eli will play. And we've seen Wilson fail miserably there and Andre Will is a rookie who has no hands. He wont be sniffing 3rd down work.

Barring injury, I think Jennings is a safe bet for 1,300+ total yds, double digit TD's and ~ 40 rec's.
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I agree with your 1st sentence but I don't know how you can say any back in the league is a "safe bet" for 1300 yards. As remarkable as Adrian Peterson is, playing on a team where he was THE SHOW, even he has failed to reach 1300 yards in 3 of his 7 seasons, and just barely hit the mark in two of the other 4. That's a very lofty mark for a great back, much less one that is good but not great, playing on a team that all but collapsed to the point of creating a black hole last year.

Its a crowded backfield with question marks for every RB and with every RB having an area they excel at. This looks like a recipe for real-world solid utilization and fantasy world frustration.
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1,300 TOTAL yards, something AP has done in every season except his injury shortened 2010 where he was easily on pace to eclipse it.

And AP put up 1,298, 1,266 (14 games) & 970 (12 games) in the three seasons you mentioned.

ETA: Apologies for the hippling.

 
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Shhhhhh.......

Lets try and keep this topic to a minimum so he stays right where he is in the rankings.

Looking at him as my RB3 with the upside of a low end RB1.

Wilson or Williams is the NYG back to own, this Jennings guy is terrible!!!!

 
Chaka said:
Raiderfan32904 said:
What's his ADP these days? 3rd/4th round? See I don't see a whole lot of value in a 29 yo RB that is merely average at everything he does. He rebounded nicely from his days in Jacksonville backing up MJD and put together a career year last year in Oakland. What ensued was all the dominos landing perfectly for Jennings to hit up a nice offseason payday in free agency. But again, he's a fairly average back, rushing, receiving, pass protection. Average isn't bad, but athletically Davis Wilson is off the charts better than him, and so is Andre Williams.

I'm not telling you not to go ahead and draft Jennings as your RB2 in the 3rd or 4th round, but I think there is a level of risk that goes with that investment, knowing there are more talented backs waiting in the wings. There aren't many 29 yo RB's that suddenly rise to fantasy prominence and stay there.
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Wilson does appear to have a whole lot of talent but he has more question marks than the Riddler. His neck, his ability to hold onto the football, his neck, his ability to pick up the blitz, his neck and his neck. It is tough to see a guy like Coughlin trying to ride Wilson as a bell cow even if he improves holding onto the ball and picking up the blitz. Williams might have talent but, as Coughlin demonstrated with Wilson, if you can't pick up the blitz you aren't seeing the field. I think Coughlin will be more than okay going with an average grinder who can pick up 4 yards a pop, hold onto the ball and keep Eli's jersey clean.
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The questions about Wilsons neck will be answered on Monday. The other questions like pass blocking and not fumbling are real concerns especially with Coughlin. Coughlin would prefer a RB that gets 2 ypc that has never fumbled once in his life and has never missed a block once in his life to a guy that will get him 5 ypc and will occasionally fumble and miss a block. It's just who he is and that's why you're right about Jennings.

I think McAdoo should bring in a little bit of excitement to this offense though. The Gilbride/Coughlin combo went on too long and they both fed into each others grumpiness and stubbornness about playing old school football. Would have been great 30 years ago, but not in todays football.

I think if Wilson can get off to a strong start for once, he'll have a little longer leash than he has in the past. He's done the opposite before and that made the grumpy old men even grumpier. In fact, the only time Wilson has ever fumbled was in the first game of each year.

I think there are too many "ifs" for Jennings to not get significant carries this year. Wilson has to correct his issues AND be healthy AND Williams will have to be good at blocking/hanging onto the ball/running as well. So Wilson and Williams have to both be in tip top shape for Jennings to not be the lead in a committee.

That's my opinion at least.

 
I am not trying to pour water on the notion that Jennings could do something this year. But there are a lot of ifs here. The fact of the matter is, we don't rally know enough about him to conclude much of anything. He's had 20 carries in his career 5 times in 5 years, so we have no way or really knowing if he can handle a bell cow workload.

The Giants RB corps has averaged 426 touches the past 3 seasons. 80% would be 341 touches. There were 2 players in the NFL that had that many last season.

On top of that, there's not a lot to go on in terms of how the Giants will use their other backs. A lot of coaches or coordinators promise the world in the preseason, many times with highly inflated expectations. How often do things pan out that way?

So while I agree if things work out perfectly for Jennings he *could* see a heavy workload and the Giants offense *could* be better, the last we saw of the G-men they ranked 28th in both yards from scrimmage and points scored (to go along with rankings of 29th in rushing yards and 30th in ypa).

Bottom line, there are reasons why he can be had for a discount, and I would not ignore those reasons entirely.

 
Andre Williams is no slouch. There are some limitations on what he can do. He can't catch, he doesn't have phone booth quickness, and he's really not a great runner in tight spaces, but if you can block for him then he can break off lots of big runs with his deceptive speed and power. Apart from the fact that I think Jennings is the definition of mediocre, Williams is what would prevent me from really getting excited about this situation. There's a chance that he'll turn this into RBBC or even become the main runner by the end of the season. That muddies the picture considerably.

 
Chaka said:
steveski said:
I think people are just jaded with how horrible that offensive line was last year and how horrible the whole team was. The line should be better, though probably still not great. Jennings is a nice play, but he has his own injury concerns. I feel like going with a 1-2 punch of Wilson and Williams offers everything that Jennings can and more. Obviously you'd rather have 1 guy that can do it all and Jennings could very well be that guy. Jennings has looked great at times when given the load and he's looked bad at times when given the load. I do think he's undervalued by quite a bit right now, but I think there are reasons why he's not a lock for being a top 15-20 fantasy back.
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That is pretty spot on. Here are his games with 15 or more touches.2010 Week 16 v Washington 15-32-0 (2.13), 4-29-0 (7.25)

2010 Week 17 @ Hou 22-108-1 (4.91), 4-34-0 (8.5)

2012 Week 6 @ Oak 21-44-1 (2.10), 7-58-0 (8.29)

2012 Week 7 @ GB 17-59-0 (3.47), 6-56-0 (9.33)

2012 Week 8 v Det 12-45-0 (3.75), 3-7-0 (2.33)

2012 Week 11 v Ten 16-43-1 (2.69), 1-2-0 (2.0)

2013 Week 4 v Was 14-45-0 (3.21), 8-71-0 (8.88)

2013 Week 8 v Phi 15-102-1 (6.8), 7-74-0 (10.57)

2013 Week 9 @ NYG 20-88-0 (4.4), 2-19-0 (9.5)

2013 Week 10 @ Hou 20-150-1 (6.82), 2--2-0 (-1)

2013 Week 11 v Ten 16-73-0 (4.56), 4-49-0 (12.25)

2013 Week 12 @ Dal 17-35-2 (2.06), 1-8-0 (8)

2013 Week 14 v Kan 23-91-2 (3.96), 3-12-0 (4)

His average for the games where he carries the load are 17-70-0.7 (4.1 ypc) and 4-31-0 (7.8 ypr).

I do believe he has legitimate 3 down ability because he catches well and can pick up the blitz but I don't think he is a high end runner/receiver. However I think Wilson will be little more than a COP guy, and Williams will be brought along slowly because that is Coughlin's M.O. so Jennings looks like he will have the first chance at holding down the fort at RB in 2014 and possibly beyond. A 300 touch season is very attainable for him.

I also think this Giants team is better than any of Jennings Jacksonville teams or Oakland last year and they have what looks to be a favorable schedule, their entire division was woeful on defense last year and none of them look much improved. So, I agree that Jennings could have a nice RB2 season and that some people are probably undervaluing him.
Click to expand...
how many 29 year old rbs who never carried the load with around 13 games to their name with 15 or more touches became rb2s in fantasy? No sarcasm, serious question.
 
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back

 
EBF said:
Andre Williams is no slouch. There are some limitations on what he can do. He can't catch, he doesn't have phone booth quickness, and he's really not a great runner in tight spaces, but if you can block for him then he can break off lots of big runs with his deceptive speed and power. Apart from the fact that I think Jennings is the definition of mediocre, Williams is what would prevent me from really getting excited about this situation. There's a chance that he'll turn this into RBBC or even become the main runner by the end of the season. That muddies the picture considerably.
Click to expand...
Andre's arrival concerns me for Jennings long term, as much as it could for a 29 year old; but I don't feel Williams makes too much of a threat for this season. The Giants gave Jennings starter money, seemingly to serve as bell cow for a few seasons - at least that's how I read into it. I highly doubt a third round round rookie altered their plan, especially considering Coughlin's affection for veterans. The coach preferred to play Andre Brown over rookie first round guy David Wilson, for Pete's sake.

Williams could force Coughlin's hand, earning a workload as a ball carrier. I doubt he steals the show, though, because as you mentioned, he doesn't have an all around skill set. At best, I think Williams gets half the carries, leaving a significant work load for Jennings, who gets the rest of the totes and all the catches.

Of course, this whole scenario assumes David Wilson won't have a role. I personally haven't ruled him out yet.

 
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The age argument is a foolish one also. He was drafted at 24 yrs old. It's about the miles on the car. Tiki had his career yrs at 30 and 31. He probably has fresher legs then 1/2 the NFL starting RB's.

 
ldizzle said:
Chaka said:
steveski said:
I think people are just jaded with how horrible that offensive line was last year and how horrible the whole team was. The line should be better, though probably still not great. Jennings is a nice play, but he has his own injury concerns. I feel like going with a 1-2 punch of Wilson and Williams offers everything that Jennings can and more. Obviously you'd rather have 1 guy that can do it all and Jennings could very well be that guy. Jennings has looked great at times when given the load and he's looked bad at times when given the load. I do think he's undervalued by quite a bit right now, but I think there are reasons why he's not a lock for being a top 15-20 fantasy back.
Click to expand...
That is pretty spot on. Here are his games with 15 or more touches.2010 Week 16 v Washington 15-32-0 (2.13), 4-29-0 (7.25)

2010 Week 17 @ Hou 22-108-1 (4.91), 4-34-0 (8.5)

2012 Week 6 @ Oak 21-44-1 (2.10), 7-58-0 (8.29)

2012 Week 7 @ GB 17-59-0 (3.47), 6-56-0 (9.33)

2012 Week 8 v Det 12-45-0 (3.75), 3-7-0 (2.33)

2012 Week 11 v Ten 16-43-1 (2.69), 1-2-0 (2.0)

2013 Week 4 v Was 14-45-0 (3.21), 8-71-0 (8.88)

2013 Week 8 v Phi 15-102-1 (6.8), 7-74-0 (10.57)

2013 Week 9 @ NYG 20-88-0 (4.4), 2-19-0 (9.5)

2013 Week 10 @ Hou 20-150-1 (6.82), 2--2-0 (-1)

2013 Week 11 v Ten 16-73-0 (4.56), 4-49-0 (12.25)

2013 Week 12 @ Dal 17-35-2 (2.06), 1-8-0 (8)

2013 Week 14 v Kan 23-91-2 (3.96), 3-12-0 (4)

His average for the games where he carries the load are 17-70-0.7 (4.1 ypc) and 4-31-0 (7.8 ypr).

I do believe he has legitimate 3 down ability because he catches well and can pick up the blitz but I don't think he is a high end runner/receiver. However I think Wilson will be little more than a COP guy, and Williams will be brought along slowly because that is Coughlin's M.O. so Jennings looks like he will have the first chance at holding down the fort at RB in 2014 and possibly beyond. A 300 touch season is very attainable for him.

I also think this Giants team is better than any of Jennings Jacksonville teams or Oakland last year and they have what looks to be a favorable schedule, their entire division was woeful on defense last year and none of them look much improved. So, I agree that Jennings could have a nice RB2 season and that some people are probably undervaluing him.
Click to expand...
how many 29 year old rbs who never carried the load with around 13 games to their name with 15 or more touches became rb2s in fantasy? No sarcasm, serious question.
Click to expand...
Not sure...Fred Jackson comes to mind.

 
Da Gildz said:
The age argument is a foolish one also. He was drafted at 24 yrs old. It's about the miles on the car. Tiki had his career yrs at 30 and 31. He probably has fresher legs then 1/2 the NFL starting RB's.
Click to expand...
I am 47 and have all the tread on my tires. Does that mean I would excel as an NFL RB?

 
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
Da Gildz said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back
Click to expand...
Umm Wilson as the 3rd down back? Have u been sleeping for the last 2 yrs? He couldn't block me. Seriously.
Click to expand...
he wont be blockin, he will be catchin passes/running draws, If he is even healthy
Click to expand...
If you're playing on 3rd downs, u need to know how to block.

 
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
Da Gildz said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back
Click to expand...
Umm Wilson as the 3rd down back? Have u been sleeping for the last 2 yrs? He couldn't block me. Seriously.
Click to expand...
he wont be blockin, he will be catchin passes/running draws, If he is even healthy
Click to expand...
:confused: as a 3rd down back? He will absolutely be required to block.

This is Tom Coughlin we're talking about here, you better be blocking effectively or it's back to the bench. I agree that Jennings is not the most talented runner on their roster but I think some people are underestimating the coaches role in this whole thing. The most talented runner does not win the job by default with Tom Coughlin, the guy who does the non glamour jobs best will get the job and right now that looks like Jennings. Things may change in training camp to the point that Coughlin takes a chance on starting Wilson or Williams but right now you have to go in with the notion that Jennings is the guy.

 
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Jennings is JAG - he doesn't do anything particularly well, he's a jack of all trades..if he was 'great' why did Oakland,with its

own troubles at RB, let him walk ? was a 4yr, $10mil deal too much for them ?

I don't get it.

on the other side of the coin, why did the Giants draft Williams when they already had Jennings in place ?

I think you'll see a split like Bradshaw/Jacobs, where each guy has decent fantasy value..

but Jennings has had his own injury demons in the past, so it remains to be seen if he can carry the ball the 300+ times to fulfill the 'bellcow' 3-down RB talk that Reese is spewing..

I summarily discount Wilson as anything more than just a C.O.P or light-duty RB..so it's down to Williams and Jennings.

Williams and Jennings can co-exist.

but I wouldn't put too much faith in a journeyman RB who's never proven he can carry a full load , or play a full season..

I'd be shocked if by week 8 Williams hasn't surpassed him as the Giants #1 RB..

 
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
Da Gildz said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back
Click to expand...
Umm Wilson as the 3rd down back? Have u been sleeping for the last 2 yrs? He couldn't block me. Seriously.
Click to expand...
he wont be blockin, he will be catchin passes/running draws, If he is even healthy
Click to expand...
:lmao:

Say what? Gotta do both.

I agree with Anarchy. There is potential here for low end RB1, but so many questions that I don't blink at his ADP. It would be pretty shocking to see a guy with his age and career put up a 250/50 season, despite all signs pointing to it. The only think I think is safe here would be the receptions. He should have third downs all to himself and will get some designed receiving plays on 1st and 2nd down. But Wilson and Williams both have a strong chance to wrestle away carries from him. Plus, it's hard to get very excited about this offense. With it being a new system, I would earmark him as a guy to watch. If the Giants start slow but Wilson and Williams look like afterthoughts, it would be worth it to try to snag Jennings on the cheap if he puts up a few 18/53/0 type games. Chances are, the owner isn't married to him and might expect more of the same. But things should pick up as the season progresses and they get more comfortable with the offense, so having the bellcow should be profitable if you didn't have to give up much.

He's a great option in auction leagues and upside down drafts (particularly ppr, less so in standard), but I won't be taking a chance on this guy in the 5th/6th round.

 
Da Gildz said:
The age argument is a foolish one also. He was drafted at 24 yrs old. It's about the miles on the car. Tiki had his career yrs at 30 and 31. He probably has fresher legs then 1/2 the NFL starting RB's.
Click to expand...
Great perspective based on a sample size of 1. Fortunately, nobody has ever studied this topic (age vs workload) in depth before, certainly not on this board. Better to just throw out blanket assertions without a supporting fact base.

 
FF Ninja said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
Da Gildz said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back
Click to expand...
Umm Wilson as the 3rd down back? Have u been sleeping for the last 2 yrs? He couldn't block me. Seriously.
Click to expand...
he wont be blockin, he will be catchin passes/running draws, If he is even healthy
Click to expand...
:lmao:

Say what? Gotta do both.

I agree with Anarchy. There is potential here for low end RB1, but so many questions that I don't blink at his ADP. It would be pretty shocking to see a guy with his age and career put up a 250/50 season, despite all signs pointing to it. The only think I think is safe here would be the receptions. He should have third downs all to himself and will get some designed receiving plays on 1st and 2nd down. But Wilson and Williams both have a strong chance to wrestle away carries from him. Plus, it's hard to get very excited about this offense. With it being a new system, I would earmark him as a guy to watch. If the Giants start slow but Wilson and Williams look like afterthoughts, it would be worth it to try to snag Jennings on the cheap if he puts up a few 18/53/0 type games. Chances are, the owner isn't married to him and might expect more of the same. But things should pick up as the season progresses and they get more comfortable with the offense, so having the bellcow should be profitable if you didn't have to give up much.

He's a great option in auction leagues and upside down drafts (particularly ppr, less so in standard), but I won't be taking a chance on this guy in the 5th/6th round.
Click to expand...
Interesting u said this offense is hard to get excited about. I think this offense under McAdoo has the chances to be dynamic. Cruz/Randle/Beckham/Jernigan, a back who can catch passes, he's going to replicate GB's offense to a T here. Eli Manning isn't Aaron Rodgers but he can definitely sling it. Their O-line is improved for sure. The TE is still a major question mark but I don't see the offense having major issues. I think they will score plenty. Their defense is still more concerning to me then the offense...

 
Alex P Keaton said:
Da Gildz said:
The age argument is a foolish one also. He was drafted at 24 yrs old. It's about the miles on the car. Tiki had his career yrs at 30 and 31. He probably has fresher legs then 1/2 the NFL starting RB's.
Click to expand...
Great perspective based on a sample size of 1. Fortunately, nobody has ever studied this topic (age vs workload) in depth before, certainly not on this board. Better to just throw out blanket assertions without a supporting fact base.
Click to expand...
He's the 1st name that came to mind, someone else brought up Freddy Jax who just put up just under 1,300 yds and 10 td's at the age of 33. Not sure why you would need stats to back that up, its fairly obvious. A 29 yr old back who has 387 career rushing attempts is not 29 yrs old in football terms. I thought that was pretty easy to comprehend, apparently not. I can find other examples if u like, I'd have to research it tho..

 
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My best guess is that the touches/carries will work something out like this (at least at the beginning of the season)

Jennings – 55%

Hillis/Willams -25%

Wilson – 20%

I believe that Jennings was brought in to be the lead back because he can pass protect, run with power and catch the ball. Like others have said he isn’t great at anything but he seems to be well rounded.

I can see Hillis being the primary back up to Jennings especially early in the season because his pass protection is better than Wilson and Williams and he has decent hands (not great) out of the backfield

I worry about Wilson’s neck but if he is truly ready to play I can see a decrease in Jennings % and a rise in Wilson’s

 
I think Chaka's argument that coach Coughlin is going to keep the RB on the field that keeps Eli upright is a valid one. And in that limited context, you'd have to think Jennings is in line for a lot of PT. But he's such an average player at everything he does, not bad, not good, average. Williams/Wilson are not going to be ignored going forward thru the season. If anything, expect them to dig into the touches.

Jennings put together a career year last season. He kept himself in great shape. Didn't get hurt. Took advantage of DMC's yearly injury bug and ran with it. All the dominos fell in place. For his talent level, overachieved and you already saw his ceiling. JMO

 
Da Gildz said:
FF Ninja said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
Da Gildz said:
bicycle_seat_sniffer said:
He the definition of a JAG

will be easily replaced by Andre Williams on early downs and if Wilson is healthy he will be the COP/3rd down passing back
Click to expand...
Umm Wilson as the 3rd down back? Have u been sleeping for the last 2 yrs? He couldn't block me. Seriously.
Click to expand...
he wont be blockin, he will be catchin passes/running draws, If he is even healthy
Click to expand...
:lmao:

Say what? Gotta do both.

I agree with Anarchy. There is potential here for low end RB1, but so many questions that I don't blink at his ADP. It would be pretty shocking to see a guy with his age and career put up a 250/50 season, despite all signs pointing to it. The only think I think is safe here would be the receptions. He should have third downs all to himself and will get some designed receiving plays on 1st and 2nd down. But Wilson and Williams both have a strong chance to wrestle away carries from him. Plus, it's hard to get very excited about this offense. With it being a new system, I would earmark him as a guy to watch. If the Giants start slow but Wilson and Williams look like afterthoughts, it would be worth it to try to snag Jennings on the cheap if he puts up a few 18/53/0 type games. Chances are, the owner isn't married to him and might expect more of the same. But things should pick up as the season progresses and they get more comfortable with the offense, so having the bellcow should be profitable if you didn't have to give up much.

He's a great option in auction leagues and upside down drafts (particularly ppr, less so in standard), but I won't be taking a chance on this guy in the 5th/6th round.
Click to expand...
Interesting u said this offense is hard to get excited about. I think this offense under McAdoo has the chances to be dynamic. Cruz/Randle/Beckham/Jernigan, a back who can catch passes, he's going to replicate GB's offense to a T here. Eli Manning isn't Aaron Rodgers but he can definitely sling it. Their O-line is improved for sure. The TE is still a major question mark but I don't see the offense having major issues. I think they will score plenty. Their defense is still more concerning to me then the offense...
Click to expand...
The first year under a new OC typically starts out a little shaky. Plus, while you cite the o-line is improved, it will still be a bad unit. I don't see a true WR1 on that list you provided. Eli is mediocre at best. He's perennially overvalued due to his health, as he finished around QB12 for several years in a row thanks to playing a full 16 game slate with phenomenal week 17 performances. His PPG is probably going to come in around QB20 this year. Could be worse if he plays like last year. Keep in mind, his best year as a pro he had Nicks when he was considered elite and his slot WR fluked his way to almost 19 YPR.

If we are giving a realistic best case scenario for this offense, I think we have to go with mediocre. But given the state of things, we shouldn't be surprised if they end up "below average" instead.

 
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