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RB Montario Hardesty (1 Viewer)

Faust

MVP
Montario Hardesty didn't have his own unique recent thread, so here it is.

Let's kick it off with a scouting report:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/567373

Montario Hardesty 6-0 225 lbs.

Latest News

04/26/2010 - A closer look at the Browns' picks: Round 2/59 -- Montario Hardesty, RB, 5-11 1/2, 225, Tennessee, The Browns look at Hardesty as "a banger" and plan to make him their feature back. After a series of knee injuries he started 13 games and rushed for 1,345 yards last season.

Overview

Possessing obvious talent but a troubling inability to remain healthy, Hardesty entered his senior campaign with only six starts in 36 career games and having never carried the ball more than 107 times in a season. He needed a healthy, breakout senior campaign to emerge as a legitimate NFL prospect. A breakout campaign is exactly what he produced.

Quickly impressing Lane Kiffin and his staff with his work ethic and toughness, Hardesty emerged as the starter over highly touted freshmen Bryce Brown. Averaging 21 carries per game, Hardesty rushed for 1,345 yards, the fourth highest total in Tennessee's history and only 119 yards short of Travis Stephens' record.

NFL teams will proceed cautiously with Hardesty. He has already undergone three knee surgeries, so his medical report will be as closely scrutinized as any prospect this year. When healthy, Hardesty has proven to be a legitimate workhorse with rare agility for a back his size. He leaves Tennessee with 560 career carries, the second highest total in school history.

Analysis

Inside: Classic one-cut runner who presses the line of scrimmage and attacks the hole when it is there. Runs a bit upright, but lowers his pad level when in traffic and keeps his feet churning to generate as much positive yardage as possible. Good forward lean. Good vision and has the burst to take advantage of cutback lanes.

Outside: Lacks elite straight-line speed, but can beat the linebacker to the edge and turn the corner. Can stick his foot in the ground and accelerate quickly to get past the initial wave of defenders and get into the open field. Not a naturally elusive runner, but has deceptive speed due to his upright running style and good power.

Breaking tackles: Among his best attributes. Good balance to keep his feet and fight through arm tackles. Very good spin move. Keeps his feet churning in traffic and can sneak through the pile and break away to gain yardage in chunks.

Blocking: Willing pass blocker with the size, strength and technique to face up the oncoming defender. Cognizant blocker who keeps his head on a swivel and looks for someone to hit. Inconsistent effectiveness as a cut blocker as he drops his head and lunges. Good effort downfield. Looks to help out his teammates.

Receiving: Good receiver used on a variety of routes in this offense, including the basic screens and dump-offs, but also more complicated wheels and was even split out wide and used on slants. Reliable hands. Shows the ability to extend, make the reception and secure the ball quickly. Good ball security. Didn't fumble the ball once in 285 touches in 2009.

Intangibles: Characterized as the consummate teammate. Twice voted team captain, including in 2008 when he wasn't a starter. Convinced team to let him play special teams against Wyoming despite his injuries being too much to allow him to suit up as a running back. Surprised and disappointed scouts with his decision to pull out late from the Senior Bowl, but impressed them with his sub-4.5 speed and athleticism at the Combine.

Thoughts?

On the positive:

He has flashed impressive talent and he has prototypical NFL size and seems to be a "good character" type of player.

On the negative:

He had a hard time staying healthy until last year, and landed in Cleveland, which is a team that is going to struggle to establish their ground game. Hardesty will have other RBs on the roster to contend & compete with for playing time.

He helped himself at the combine with great results in the drills:

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/montar...desty?id=497178

4.49 forty yard dash and he was the # 1 RB for the vertical jump and the broad jump. He also ran very quick 20-yard shuttle and 60-yard shuttle times.

 
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I like him. Health is a factor but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he stays healthy. I don't think Jerome Harrison disappears though, this is a RBBC, but both backs could get enough touches to be relevant.

 
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.

The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?

ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.

 
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daveR said:
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.
:excited: The running game is not the problem.
 
daveR said:
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.
Yeah..."struggle to establish" wasn't completely accurate, as they finished 8th in the NFL in yards per game; although it took the fantastic three game run at the end of the year by Harrison to pad that total somewhat. I just remembered the first half of the season where they were consistently being out gained by their opponent in the rushing stats on a game to game basis.
 
any homer insight for the split between Harrison, Hardesty, and Davis? I feel that this draft pick is an indictment of Davis more than Harrison, as Hardesty and Davis essentially fill the same role in the RB stable, while Harrison looks to be forever relegated to 3rd down and COP duties.

Davis was one of the second tier sleepers going into last year and yet he failed to produce anything before getting hurt in game 3. his 7.8 YPC in the preseason fell to just 1.7 YPC on 9 carries in the regular season. too soon to label him a bust? apparently the Browns already have done so.

as such i think the real question this year is how it will break down between Harrison and Hardesty. the write up says that he is a willing and able blocker, which has always been the problem with Harrison. but he won't be the homerun thread Harrison is. also harrison had 3 games of over 30 carries to end the season! it sounds like they wanted to give him lots of work to see what he could do.... and then decided it was still a good idea to grab another RB in the draft.

 
daveR said:
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.
Yeah..."struggle to establish" wasn't completely accurate, as they finished 8th in the NFL in yards per game; although it took the fantastic three game run at the end of the year by Harrison to pad that total somewhat. I just remembered the first half of the season where they were consistently being out gained by their opponent in the rushing stats on a game to game basis.
Part of the problem was Jamal Lewis.
 
daveR said:
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.
Yeah..."struggle to establish" wasn't completely accurate, as they finished 8th in the NFL in yards per game; although it took the fantastic three game run at the end of the year by Harrison to pad that total somewhat. I just remembered the first half of the season where they were consistently being out gained by their opponent in the rushing stats on a game to game basis.
Part of the problem was Jamal Lewis.
Most of the problem
 
daveR said:
Browns ground game WAS their offense last year. I don't think "struggle to establish" is accurate.

The mpegs I saw of Hardesty depicted a one-cut, make 'em miss, kind of runner as opposed to a banger. Anybody else see that?

ETA: My two cents. He's the RB for the forseeable future.
Yeah..."struggle to establish" wasn't completely accurate, as they finished 8th in the NFL in yards per game; although it took the fantastic three game run at the end of the year by Harrison to pad that total somewhat. I just remembered the first half of the season where they were consistently being out gained by their opponent in the rushing stats on a game to game basis.
Part of the problem was Jamal Lewis.
Most of the problem
:thumbup: , and most still might be an understatement.
 
any homer insight for the split between Harrison, Hardesty, and Davis? I feel that this draft pick is an indictment of Davis more than Harrison, as Hardesty and Davis essentially fill the same role in the RB stable, while Harrison looks to be forever relegated to 3rd down and COP duties.Davis was one of the second tier sleepers going into last year and yet he failed to produce anything before getting hurt in game 3. his 7.8 YPC in the preseason fell to just 1.7 YPC on 9 carries in the regular season. too soon to label him a bust? apparently the Browns already have done so. as such i think the real question this year is how it will break down between Harrison and Hardesty. the write up says that he is a willing and able blocker, which has always been the problem with Harrison. but he won't be the homerun thread Harrison is. also harrison had 3 games of over 30 carries to end the season! it sounds like they wanted to give him lots of work to see what he could do.... and then decided it was still a good idea to grab another RB in the draft.
IMO (total speculation at this point) they took Hardesty to be the man. It looks like there wasn't anyone else of his perceived quality left -- the next RB was taken 50 picks later!This leads me to believe that he is pegged to be the starter, hopefully for years to come. Given this thought, Harrison will be his backup with Hillis getting spot duty and Davis riding the pine (if he's lucky). Again, total speculation on my part, but that's how I see it playing out.
 
I see it the opposite of most here. I think Harrison still gets the bulk of the carries, as long as he is successful. I see Hardesty being groomed as his replacement since Harrison is only signed through this year.

Hardesty was only a starter for 1 year in college, playing behind Foster for 3 years. Some of that can be attributed to injury but there was still ample opportunity to pass Foster on the depth chart and he didn't. I'd be surprised if he is named the starter over Harrison.

 
hardesty is an injury risk, but i assume the browns vetted his knee...

only started one year, but i think left tennessee #2 in carries in school history...

he is very interesting...

if holmgren elevates CLE, harrison will be 28-29 in a year or two...

he is also a more dimunitive 5'9" 205 (similar to rice :) )...

tennessee listed hardesty at 6'0" 215... he ran a 4.4 at the combine, and so in terms of physical traits, maybe most closely resembles mathews from this class... he may be a niftier, more creative runner (nasty spin move*), though (than tate & gerhart, too)... not as nifty as spiller or best, of course, but he is bigger than those guys, is a good, strong, honest runner between the tackles, and a more obvious goal line runner...

so he could be in a sweet spot in the class in terms of his combination of size, power, balance, tackle breaking ability, speed, elusiveness & instincts... i don't like him as much as mathews, spiller or best, but he is cheaper & easier to get, and he could have the upside to surprise...

hardesty does have elite measurables... prep best 100 m. time of 10.3 (that is spiller & best fast - he definitely doesn't look as fast as them now, so probably weighs more than he did then)... he also had best vertical (41"?) and broad jumps (?) among RBs at the combine...

* the name montario hardesty SOUNDS like a star! :)

executive summary, 35 second youtube of the "spin move"...

 
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I see it the opposite of most here. I think Harrison still gets the bulk of the carries, as long as he is successful. I see Hardesty being groomed as his replacement since Harrison is only signed through this year.
I'm not saying I know how this will play out, but there is no need to groom a RB. It's the easiest position on the field (once bltz pick-up is mastered) for a rookie to step into immediately.
 
I see it the opposite of most here. I think Harrison still gets the bulk of the carries, as long as he is successful. I see Hardesty being groomed as his replacement since Harrison is only signed through this year.
I'm not saying I know how this will play out, but there is no need to groom a RB. It's the easiest position on the field (once bltz pick-up is mastered) for a rookie to step into immediately.
Very rarely are rookie RB's groomed unless there is a much better option available on the roster (Westbrook/McCoy or Brown/Addai). It seems pretty obvious to me that Mangini hates Harrison for some reason. I think the kid can get it done but Mangini does not and his opinion is much more important than mine...
 
NFL.com has the Browns with one of the worst schedules against run defenses:

http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/story?id=09000d...mp;confirm=true

30. Jerome Harrison, Browns

A hero for countless fantasy leaguers at the end of last season, Harrison is the favorite to start for coach Eric Mangini in 2010. He is certain to lose carries to rookie Montario Hardesty, though, and a schedule that includes the Ravens (2), Steelers (2), Bengals (2), Jets and Jaguars isn't favorable.

They list Harrison as the incumbent starter; however, I am reading into the trade up to grab Hardesty as a sign that they are hoping that he can become the workhorse back. James Davis was a pick of the old regime, so he would need to significantly outplay his competition at RB to have a shot at seeing significant touches.

Hardesty looks more of the part of a full time, workhorse RB - so all he needs to do is show that he can block at a level required to see the field in the NFL. As suggested by others, RB is a position that usually needs the least amount of development or transition from college to the pros.

 
NFL.com has the Browns with one of the worst schedules against run defenses:

http://www.nfl.com/fantasy/story?id=09000d...mp;confirm=true

30. Jerome Harrison, Browns

A hero for countless fantasy leaguers at the end of last season, Harrison is the favorite to start for coach Eric Mangini in 2010. He is certain to lose carries to rookie Montario Hardesty, though, and a schedule that includes the Ravens (2), Steelers (2), Bengals (2), Jets and Jaguars isn't favorable.

They list Harrison as the incumbent starter; however, I am reading into the trade up to grab Hardesty as a sign that they are hoping that he can become the workhorse back. James Davis was a pick of the old regime, so he would need to significantly outplay his competition at RB to have a shot at seeing significant touches.

Hardesty looks more of the part of a full time, workhorse RB - so all he needs to do is show that he can block at a level required to see the field in the NFL. As suggested by others, RB is a position that usually needs the least amount of development or transition from college to the pros.
a 6th rounder I think
 
from the Bleacher Report:

Cleveland Browns' Montario Hardesty: Panic Reach or Genius Pick?

After months of draft speculation, it was all but a certainty that Colt McCoy would be the Cleveland Browns' second-round choice.

Despite president Mike Holmgren's insistence that the first two picks would not be spent on a quarterback due to more pressing needs elsewhere, the fan base of Cleveland was simply not buying it. After all, with the last year of secrecy and deception by Eric Mangini, it would turn any rational thinking fan into an automatic skeptic.

Pick No. 38 came, with the entire city of Cleveland holding their breath, waiting for the announcement of their future franchise quarterback to be announced. The scene was painted perfectly; the greatest player in Browns' history, Jim Brown, walked out to make the announcement.

"With the 38th pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select...Oregon free safety TJ Ward. Good luck!"

Shock swept over the city. "What is Mike Holmgren doing?!" Exactly what he said he would do: addressing the needs of more troubled areas first, and assuming Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace could hold down the quarterback position for the 2010 season.

A few more picks came and went, each time breathing a sigh of relief to not hear Colt McCoy's name called, when finally a trade up happened. The Cleveland Browns had traded with the Philadelphia Eagles for the No. 59 pick—surely this pick would be the one for McCoy.

"With the 59th pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select...Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty."

Complete and utter surprise. New regimes typically mean new quarterbacks and new running backs, and it's apparent that Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert had seen enough of Montario Hardesty to see that he's a player they could literally run into the future behind.

The fan base was in an uproar with claims of a "reach" and a "panic pick" by a supposedly inexperienced front office, even though Heckert and Holmgren have been drafting prospects for the last decade. Looking into is however, was it really a reach? Did Tom Heckert fall in love with Hardesty and merely panic? Maybe they knew what they were doing.

According to Pro Football Talk, Montario Hardesty had private visits with the New York Jets and the New England Patriots a mere two weeks earlier, who had come away impressed with his abilities. Is it any coincidence that Tom Heckert made a call to his old team to make the trade, leap-frogging both the Jets and the Patriots by just two slots on the board?

The next running back off the board ended up being USC's Joe McKnight...by the New York Jets. Even though Montario Hardesty was originally a Round Three projection, given how far off the analysts were, and with the Jets and the Patriots on deck, it was a move that had to be made.

The amount of talent dropped off significantly after Hardesty, and with Cleveland's depth chart consisting of an unproven rookie in Clemson's James Davis, and four-game wonder Jerome Harrison, this "reach" of a pick may have just saved the season before it even kicked off.

 
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100505...mpresses-Browns

Ex-Vol Montario Hardesty impresses Cleveland Browns with toughness

ASSOCIATED PRESS • May 5, 2010

BEREA, Ohio — The Browns still have a punishing running back from Tennessee who wears No. 31.

Only Jamal Lewis is gone and Montario Hardesty was at Cleveland's rookie minicamp last week.

Hardesty, who has known Lewis since his freshman year with the Volunteers, was a second-round pick in last month's NFL draft after the Browns traded up to get him.

"He was at some of the (UT) scrimmages and he liked how I ran the ball," Hardesty said of Lewis. "So he took me under his wing and told me some things about how to prepare myself for college and prepare myself for the next level."

Hardesty now hopes to help fill the void left by his mentor, who was released in February after post-concussion symptoms ruined his final season with the Browns.

Cleveland entered last month's draft looking for a physical runner to complement Jerome Harrison and gave Philadelphia a third-round pick and two fifth-rounders to move up 12 spots and take Hardesty at the bottom of the second round.

"He was a physical runner, a punishing runner," Browns Coach Eric Mangini said. "He enjoyed contact. I thought those things were real positives. I think those are real positives for any team and I think it's a real positive in this division."

Harrison rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last three games, including a memorable 286-yard performance against the Chiefs. He finished the season with 862 rushing yards — 561 over the final three games — but the Browns weren't convinced that his 5-foot-9 frame could endure the pounding of a full season.

They got Peyton Hillis from Denver as part of the Brady Quinn trade before adding Hardesty, who rushed for 1,345 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior.

Injuries wrecked his first few years at Tennessee.

He was granted a medical hardship after undergoing multiple surgeries on his right knee as a freshman. He missed time the following season with ankle problems and then was limited as a junior because of a stress fracture in his foot.

The injuries didn't scare off the Browns, who liked his style and the fact he came from the Southeastern Conference, one of the best in college football.

"I think he has some good, short-area quickness and burst that some other big backs don't necessarily have," Mangini said. "How that translates remains to be seen. I liked everything that I learned about him."

Lewis clashed with Mangini during their first and only season together in Cleveland. Lewis was critical of Mangini's practice regimen and felt the coach was working the players too hard. Halfway through last season, Lewis said he would retire.

He softened that stance when the post-concussion symptoms ended his season early. After the Browns released him, he said in a statement he hadn't decided yet whether he would return to the NFL. He is still a free agent. Hardesty said he has not spoken to Lewis since the Browns took him.

Comparisons between Lewis and Hardesty are inevitable, considering they share the same college, pro team and now jersey number. But Hardesty shied away from any comparisons, as did Mangini.

"I can't really compare myself to Jamal," Hardesty said. "I've seen Jamal play before. Jamal is a great running back. I'll be happy to live up to half of the things that he has done in the league."

 
Shock swept over the city. "What is Mike Holmgren doing?!" Exactly what he said he would do: addressing the needs of more troubled areas first, and assuming Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace could hold down the quarterback position for the 2010 season.
Should throw this over into the "Clausen sucks because QB-needy Cleveland passed on him" thread. =pAnyway. I like Harrison, I really do. I think he's a dynamic runner and that a lot of people are wrongfully down on his talent. However, part of the reason he couldn't get playing time was because 1) the Browns had an early-down back, and 2) Harrison was deplorable in pass blocking, making it hard for him to work in a third-down role. Hardesty has a size advantage. He doesn't have the same speed or dynamism as Harrison; he isn't shifty or particularly elusive. However, he's powerful, has good balance, good vision, and most importantly is an asset both as a receiver and as an aware, willing, and mostly effective pass blocker. So, imagine if you will, two running backs. One small, shifty, and dynamic but can't block a lick. The other larger, more powerful, good receiver, good blocker. That's Hardesty. Because of that, I can't see him getting less than the lion's share of committee carries.
 
Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto on Browns recent minicamp:

It was one weekend with guys in shorts and no real hitting, but the rookie who made the best first impression was Tennessee running back Montario Hardesty. Most rookies are not in football shape when they arrive for this camp. Browns coaches like to put the rookies under a lot of mental pressure, giving them a taste of what training camp will be like. It is a shock to most of their systems. That said, Hardesty grabbed onto the offensive concepts. He impressed when it was time to draw up plays on the board. He also was in good shape, ran hard and showed more than power -- a quick first step and an ability to make sharp cuts. The Browns believe he can step in and combine with Jerome Harrison to give them an excellent 1-2 combination, with Peyton Hillis also in the mix as a short-yardage back.
 
In a 12 team dynasty rebuild I'm working on.I moved: Hardesty, Barden, Joe Webbformeachem, doucet, brandon tateI don't believe in Hardesty's talent long term at all.
May be one of the most lopsided trades I've ever seen.
Really? Have you been reading this thread at all?I would take the Meachem side, but it's not bad really. Doucet and Tate are fliers at this point. Better fliers than Barden and Webb, but not enough to make any significant impact on this deal. It comes down to whether you like Hardesty or Meachem better.
 
In a 12 team dynasty rebuild I'm working on.I moved: Hardesty, Barden, Joe Webbformeachem, doucet, brandon tateI don't believe in Hardesty's talent long term at all.
May be one of the most lopsided trades I've ever seen.
Really? Have you been reading this thread at all?I would take the Meachem side, but it's not bad really. Doucet and Tate are fliers at this point. Better fliers than Barden and Webb, but not enough to make any significant impact on this deal. It comes down to whether you like Hardesty or Meachem better.
I simply wanted to let people know what kind of value he had or was traded for and not have this switch gears but I don't think it's close.But honestly...WR's break out or establish themselves in their 2nd and 3rd seasons in the league.Meachem entering his 4th year...has the best QB in football...1st round pick....37 catches and 7 TD's in the last 9 games...he is obviously developing.Doucet entering 3rd year...had 14 for 145 2 td in 2 playoff games and now boldin is gone.Tate entering his 2nd year....3rd round pick...should be healthy..... Tom Brady needing a 2nd target to throw tovsHardesty..2nd round RB...good OL in front of him....bad team outside of that...injury history...battle with Harrison who played great down the stretchBarden....2nd year...3rd round pick...has to fight out a 100+ catch guy....first round pick who looked good...and 3rd year WR who had a good year last year.Webb....rookie converted QB going to WR on a team with Berrian, Rice, Harvin.Now many other aspects to this trade....one team is a team making a playoff push....while i'm rebuilding. But I don't see hardesty holding that kind of value personally.
 
He looks a lot slower than 4.4 speed. He has good vision and a decent first move. As far as pure running goes Harrison is a better back and it isn't close. Harrison has been the best back in Cleveland for some time now. Two coaching staffs hated using him because he doesn't block. I think Mangini is an even bigger POS if he decides to use an oft-injured, less talented rookie than the guy that single handedly saved his job at the end of last year.

 
He looks a lot slower than 4.4 speed. He has good vision and a decent first move. As far as pure running goes Harrison is a better back and it isn't close. Harrison has been the best back in Cleveland for some time now. Two coaching staffs hated using him because he doesn't block. I think Mangini is an even bigger POS if he decides to use an oft-injured, less talented rookie than the guy that single handedly saved his job at the end of last year.
Very true here....the only problem I have with Harrison is how much was it the poor run defenses he was facing?

 
Hardesty was great in lane kiffins offense. Looked like a pro. He can produce if the team turns out any good. If they stink then he will disappoint.

 
Hardesty is better than Davis but nothing special. Stupid draft pick that early with all the needs Cleveland has. Not as bad a pick as San Fran taking glen coffee last year, but not good IMO.

 
Mangini will ride the hot hand until someone proves themselves, there's lots of talk outside of Cleveland about James Davis being a former regime's pick but the problem citing that is the leader of the former regime is the head coach. Davis isn't dead, he was just waaaay over hyped last offseason.

As of right now the pecking order, don't let Mangini's beginning of training camp depth chart deceive you, is Harrison-Hardesty-Davis-Hillis, in that order. All of them, except for Hillis, could move up or down based off camp performance. Mangini loves competition, in the end what the depth chart currently looks like doesn't mean much because whoever steps up in camp will be the early leader for touches. What happens from there will vary week-to-week.

Whether you agree with Mangini or not (I know, it's hard sometimes), that's how it's going to be.

 
Latest News

04/26/2010 - A closer look at the Browns' picks: Round 2/59 -- Montario Hardesty, RB, 5-11 1/2, 225, Tennessee, The Browns look at Hardesty as "a banger" and plan to make him their feature back. After a series of knee injuries he started 13 games and rushed for 1,345 yards last season.
First off, that's a pretty strong assertion to make and not have a source cited for that assertion. Has someone from the team told this to CBS or is some writer just tying to fill copy by plugging in a little of his/her own speculation? Given the dateline of 4/26, I find it hard to believe the Browns had already hatched a plan concerning how this RB stable is going to be arranged. IIRC, the Browns were supposedly saying that Harrison was going to get a shot to be the starter. What did he do to lose that vote of confidence in the past couple of months?Lewis is gone. That means Cleveland has roster spot open for a RB no matter how good or bad Harrison and Davis look. So why not grab a talented young prospect instead of the aged or washed-out in the free agent pool? I see it as a value pick. If Cleveland thought they needed to get the legs of the franchise in this draft, why pick Hardesty out of this class? I think it more likely that they liked his talent and think he'll make for a good camp competition with Harrison and Davis.

I like Hardesty quite a bit. But the idea that he was drafted to be the heir to a bellcow role is a little too much of a reach for me. I won't be surprised if he gets that role at some point. But I expect quite a bit of RBBC this season and.

 
Latest News

04/26/2010 - A closer look at the Browns' picks: Round 2/59 -- Montario Hardesty, RB, 5-11 1/2, 225, Tennessee, The Browns look at Hardesty as "a banger" and plan to make him their feature back. After a series of knee injuries he started 13 games and rushed for 1,345 yards last season.
First off, that's a pretty strong assertion to make and not have a source cited for that assertion. Has someone from the team told this to CBS or is some writer just tying to fill copy by plugging in a little of his/her own speculation? Given the dateline of 4/26, I find it hard to believe the Browns had already hatched a plan concerning how this RB stable is going to be arranged. IIRC, the Browns were supposedly saying that Harrison was going to get a shot to be the starter. What did he do to lose that vote of confidence in the past couple of months?Lewis is gone. That means Cleveland has roster spot open for a RB no matter how good or bad Harrison and Davis look. So why not grab a talented young prospect instead of the aged or washed-out in the free agent pool? I see it as a value pick. If Cleveland thought they needed to get the legs of the franchise in this draft, why pick Hardesty out of this class? I think it more likely that they liked his talent and think he'll make for a good camp competition with Harrison and Davis.

I like Hardesty quite a bit. But the idea that he was drafted to be the heir to a bellcow role is a little too much of a reach for me. I won't be surprised if he gets that role at some point. But I expect quite a bit of RBBC this season and.
I agree - without any kind of a source, it looks very speculative of CBS to make a statement like this.

Harrison played very well down the stretch last year; however, it is his weakness at blocking and in pass protection that could be his donwnfall in Harrison's propspects to win the bellcow RB role. Coaches don't like to see their QBs get killed by a missed blocking assignment from the RB.

This could very well be a full on RBBC situation on a team that could struggle to score points and win games.

 
I think it'll be RBBC as well, but that's the way most teams are going these days anyway. There aren't that many true bell cows left.

 
He looks a lot slower than 4.4 speed. He has good vision and a decent first move. As far as pure running goes Harrison is a better back and it isn't close. Harrison has been the best back in Cleveland for some time now. Two coaching staffs hated using him because he doesn't block. I think Mangini is an even bigger POS if he decides to use an oft-injured, less talented rookie than the guy that single handedly saved his job at the end of last year.
I agree with the bolded. Hardesty doesn't run with sub 4.5 speed when in pads. This is backed up by the fact that his longest run of the season last year was just 43 yards. This is not to say Hardesty isn't talented or won't be a successful NFL runner, but just that I don't think someone should draft Hardesty because they love his speed and how he performed at the combine. Hardesty reminds me of Knowshon Moreno, except with more size. Though despite having more size, Moreno does a better job of breaking tackles. They both have below average long speed, good vision, good quickness, good agility, and are good receivers out of the backfield, but overall he doesn't possess enough talent to be a star. That's not to say he can't be good for fantasy football however. Like Moreno, if Hardesty can find himself in a good situation i strongly believe Hardesty has enough talent to do very well. My only worry is that some running back will come along who is more explosive than Hardesty who will end up stealing carries and receptions.

 
I think it'll be RBBC as well, but that's the way most teams are going these days anyway. There aren't that many true bell cows left.
this I think... I doubt it's anything more then wanting to have 2 solid backs on the roster that can carry the rock. If Hardesty is a better blocker, he could be the 3rd down guy.
 
That means Cleveland has roster spot open for a RB no matter how good or bad Harrison and Davis look. So why not grab a talented young prospect instead of the aged or washed-out in the free agent pool? I see it as a value pick. If Cleveland thought they needed to get the legs of the franchise in this draft, why pick Hardesty out of this class?
It's not like this was a luxury pick that Cleveland had sitting around to use on whatever they wanted. This is a team that had many needs that used not only a second round pick, but also traded away two other picks to move up in the second round to grab the guy. It's not like they said "meh, I guess we have this extra late pick lying around so a cheap rookie is just as good as a cheap vet". Given their needs, they gave up a lot to get him.As for the last part of your post, I'm not sure what you're looking for there. Why Hardesty? Because he was the best player available there on their boards. Again, it's not like they had the luxury of spending the #7 overall pick on a running back who they may or may not have even had ranked that much better than him.

 
I see it the opposite of most here. I think Harrison still gets the bulk of the carries, as long as he is successful. I see Hardesty being groomed as his replacement since Harrison is only signed through this year.
I'm not saying I know how this will play out, but there is no need to groom a RB. It's the easiest position on the field (once bltz pick-up is mastered) for a rookie to step into immediately.
Very rarely are rookie RB's groomed unless there is a much better option available on the roster (Westbrook/McCoy or Brown/Addai). It seems pretty obvious to me that Mangini hates Harrison for some reason. I think the kid can get it done but Mangini does not and his opinion is much more important than mine...
As a Jets fan (and based on what I've seen going on in Cleveland so far) once Mangini puts you in the doghouse, it's really hard to get out. No matter how good you do. Keller didn't do it. Washington didn't do it.Perhaps Harrison got into Mangini's doghouse in the past season (missed blocking assignments would do it though it doesn't seem to take much).

I think Harrison gets a ton of carries but I wouldn't be shocked at all if Hardesty stuck his beak in often. If - IF - he can stay healthy.

This team ran ALOT (6th most total attempts) and I don't know that changes much. I think there's enough for a healthy Hardesty to have at least a bye week/RB3 impact.

 
For what it is worth, here is an excerpt from a Yahoo article:

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/nfl/news;_...ru-stock_051110

Running Backs

Jerome Harrison(notes) and James Davis and Chris Jennings(notes) (Cle) – We’ve always spoken highly about Harrison going back to the Romeo Crennel era, yet we were still shocked to see Harrison handle such a massive workload and run so well inside in 2009 because we always viewed him as more of a complementary changeup/3rd-down back due to his lack of ideal size. Well, the new regime in Cleveland led by Mike Holmgren must feel the same way because the drafting of Montario Hardesty(notes) suggests Holmgren doesn’t feel confident Harrison can handle the full workload. Hardesty has great size and is a banger, a downhill runner. In Cleveland, where there are weather issues later in the year, the Browns should lean on Hardesty at some point. In fact, there are some, including our own Greg Cosell, who believe Hardesty has the potential to be a very productive lead back, or at least a 1st- and 2nd-down back. Durability is an issue, but his addition is not good news for Harrison, who might eventually be pushed into that complementary role he seems best suited for. As for James Davis, he might be out of luck (keep in mind the new regime didn’t draft him), and Chris Jennings may not make the team.

 
And the Montario Hardesty opinion from Mike Gilbert:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/fant...eRBs/index.html

Montario Hardesty, Browns

I'll give Jerome Harrison credit, he looked good in putting up 561 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the last three games of the season. But why couldn't he do that earlier in the year? The Browns didn't seem content with the answer; otherwise, they wouldn't have traded up in the second round to pick Hardesty. Nothing about Hardesty screams star, and odds are that his long list of injuries will continue in the pro ranks. However, he can definitely be the thunder to Harrison's lightning in a time-share that could approach 50/50, health permitting. He'll also have the first crack at replacing Harrison, should that year-closing stretch prove more than just a mirage. Invest a late pick on Hardesty and be patient. It may take some time, but he'll prove valuable at some point.

 
I think it'll be RBBC as well, but that's the way most teams are going these days anyway. There aren't that many true bell cows left.
this I think... I doubt it's anything more then wanting to have 2 solid backs on the roster that can carry the rock. If Hardesty is a better blocker, he could be the 3rd down guy.
I don't think the Browns picking him was any reflection on Harrison. I think it was a reflection on Davis. Hardesty played in a pro-style offense at Tennessee I believe. I am sure they evaluated this blocking and receiving skills. RBBC.
 
He looks a lot slower than 4.4 speed. He has good vision and a decent first move. As far as pure running goes Harrison is a better back and it isn't close. Harrison has been the best back in Cleveland for some time now. Two coaching staffs hated using him because he doesn't block. I think Mangini is an even bigger POS if he decides to use an oft-injured, less talented rookie than the guy that single handedly saved his job at the end of last year.
I agree with the bolded. Hardesty doesn't run with sub 4.5 speed when in pads. This is backed up by the fact that his longest run of the season last year was just 43 yards. This is not to say Hardesty isn't talented or won't be a successful NFL runner, but just that I don't think someone should draft Hardesty because they love his speed and how he performed at the combine. Hardesty reminds me of Knowshon Moreno, except with more size. Though despite having more size, Moreno does a better job of breaking tackles. They both have below average long speed, good vision, good quickness, good agility, and are good receivers out of the backfield, but overall he doesn't possess enough talent to be a star. That's not to say he can't be good for fantasy football however. Like Moreno, if Hardesty can find himself in a good situation i strongly believe Hardesty has enough talent to do very well. My only worry is that some running back will come along who is more explosive than Hardesty who will end up stealing carries and receptions.
We are talking about the SEC here....thats a pretty damn good run. Edit...I see that was against WKU, my bad. Still, I don't remember him getting chased down from behind that often.

 
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