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Darren Sproles Thread (1 Viewer)

Having watched that Philly game I sense Bradford will be checking down to Sproles a lot through the season. Maybe it was just one game dictated by events and the defense etc., but I think Sproles might just fit squarely into Bradford's tendencies. Sproles streaking towards the sidelines and turning the corner just past the mark is one of the easiest first downs in football. QB's best friend. And oh, he can always take one the distance.

 
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SaintsInDome2006 said:
Having watched that Philly game I sense Bradford will be checking down to Sproles a lot through the season. Maybe it was just one game dictated by events and the defense etc., but I think Sproles might just fit squarely into Bradford's tendencies. Sproles streaking towards the sidelines and turning the corner just past the mark is one of the easiest first downs in football. QB's best friend. And oh, he can always take one the distance.
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Depending on scoring (and only based on last year) he still seems like a really tough guy to start with confidence. But, if they truly are planning to involve him more than he could be a great player to ride at the flex position all year.

I tried to trade him to both the Matthews owner and Murray owner but they were very hesitant.

As I said in another thread. I think people still remember his hot start last year and then his ultimate phasing out of the game plan for a seemingly unknown reason. So hard to dictate value or predict stats.

 
VikingFrog said:
SaintsInDome2006 said:
Having watched that Philly game I sense Bradford will be checking down to Sproles a lot through the season. Maybe it was just one game dictated by events and the defense etc., but I think Sproles might just fit squarely into Bradford's tendencies. Sproles streaking towards the sidelines and turning the corner just past the mark is one of the easiest first downs in football. QB's best friend. And oh, he can always take one the distance.
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Depending on scoring (and only based on last year) he still seems like a really tough guy to start with confidence. But, if they truly are planning to involve him more than he could be a great player to ride at the flex position all year.I tried to trade him to both the Matthews owner and Murray owner but they were very hesitant.

As I said in another thread. I think people still remember his hot start last year and then his ultimate phasing out of the game plan for a seemingly unknown reason. So hard to dictate value or predict stats.
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I own Mathews and Murray and I wish I could have snagged Sproles too. I know most can't start 3 RBs but I would start all 3 in certain weeks. This week in a "bad" game, they combined for 52 points. That offense is going to score lots of fantasy points.

 
Anyone who watched the game, care to explain what happened to his touches today? No receptions? It was a wet track and in hindsight I should have benched him knowing that he's more effective on a dry track but still. Nothing.

 
Futz said:
Anyone who watched the game, care to explain what happened to his touches today? No receptions? It was a wet track and in hindsight I should have benched him knowing that he's more effective on a dry track but still. Nothing.
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He didn't do much on his 4 carries. He had 3 targets, but a very bad drop on one of them that would have been huge for us.

We also looked down the field a lot more this game rather then the short passes that Sproles is usually targeted on.

 
I'm sure he'll see a bump with Mathews out, but he's such a tease. You'll never know when to start him because he's not even the exclusive passing down back, Murray catches a ton of balls.

 
Rotoworld:

Darren Sproles - RB - Eagles

Darren Sproles rushed 15 times for 66 yards, caught four of six passes for 34 yards and returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in the Eagles' Week 13 win over the Patriots.

It’s not imminently clear why the Eagles chose to feature Sproles instead of DeMarco Murray on Sunday but the move paid off. Sproles dominated with 78 yards from scrimmage in the first half with 44 coming on the ground. Sunday was only the third time Sproles has seen double-digit carries since joining the Eagles in 2014. Obviously it’s very hard to predict how the Eagles will use Sproles on a week-to-week basis. That makes him a risky fantasy play against the Bills in Week 14.

Dec 6 - 8:58 PM
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Man, I love Darren Sproles. Age-wise he's getting a little long in the tooth (33 in June), but he's a different kind of back, and has much more tread on his tires than comparable backs his age. I think there might be enough left for a productive season or two. Quick and fast, great hands, and ultra-confident (would just as soon run between the tackles as around them). I think over the course of his career he's been the victim of what I'd call 'norms', as in: since he doesn't fit a certain prototype, he's never been given the unfettered opportunity to be a featured back. It's like he's pigeonholed into a role, and without a Coach/Coordinators hand being forced by circumstance (injury mostly), they keep him in that role. Thing is, it seems like when he's given the opportunity for an expanded role/more touches, more often than not, he makes the most of it. Sure would like it if the Eagles passed on Zeke and left the ground game in the hands of Mathews/Sproles. I'd really like to see what he could do with about 120 carries. More plays, more chance to get into a rhythm, feel the game flow. So much of the NFL is a paradigm that the average Coach is pressured to conform to, or afraid to stray from. Really thought Chip Kelly would break the mold, with his unorthodox schemes...I think there's still a glimmer with Pederson; WCO derivatives are certainly schemes favorable to a back like Sproles. Again, I love the guy, and I've watched plenty of his snaps with the Chargers, Saints and Eagles...we're probably to the point in his career where it's too late to change anything...I'm going to be quite bummed if he winds up just being another underutilized guy who might have been...

 
Shorr-Parks of NJ Advanced Media called Darren Sproles "the best running back on the team."
We're not sure if Shorr-Parks is talking about the grand scheme of things or if Sproles has simply been the best player at camp this summer. Either way, it's certainly not an endorsement of projected starter Ryan Mathews, who has already missed time with an ankle injury. Wendell Smallwood has also impressed at camp, though the Eagles are understandably hesitant to have a rookie leading the backfield. Sproles doesn't have the size to be a workhorse but the 33-year-old remains a dangerous return man and is one of the better receiving running backs in the NFL.

 
 
Source: Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter
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Darren Sproles played 38-of-77 offensive snaps Week 1 against the Browns.
He played one more snap than Ryan Mathews with backup Kenjon Barner logging just six plays. Mathews easily out-touched Sproles 22-to-7, but the usage is interesting in a game the Eagles were winning throughout. Sproles did not see a big workload against Cleveland, but he is still a hold in PPR formats.

 
 
Source: Jeff McLane on Twitter 
Sep 12 - 10:18 AM
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With Mathews back and Smallwood now in the mix, what will Sproles' role be moving forward? Yes, I know he's still gonna get some catches as that's his game, but from a fantasy perspective, is it really enough to warrant holding/ starting?

 
4th&inches said:
With Mathews back and Smallwood now in the mix, what will Sproles' role be moving forward? Yes, I know he's still gonna get some catches as that's his game, but from a fantasy perspective, is it really enough to warrant holding/ starting?
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Anyone have a current perspective on this? I know he's basically an end of the bench guy for most, but in the midst of the bye weeks I'm wondering the same thing. Hold? 

 
Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Daily News guesses Darren Sproles will remain "the top running back."

Despite being medically cleared to work out, Ryan Mathews' future in Philly remains in question, and the Eagles' only major addition at running back this offseason was pint-sized Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round. Wendell Smallwood could certainly take on a bigger role in year two, but the Eagles look destined for another backfield committee, one which Sproles is again likely to chair. Even entering what is likely to be his final season, Sproles is a good bet for 150 touches.

 
 
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News
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Why is that a bad guess?  150 touches is just a shade over 9 per game for 16 games.  With 3-4 receptions per game you are talking about roughly 5 carries per game.  Are you saying Sproles sees more or less?  It seems about right to me.

 
Phillys starting RB will whichever RB starts the game for that particular week.

Smallwood/Sproles/Pumphrey/Clement - I'd almost wager anything that, if kept on the team and healthy, all 4 will be the top fantasy RB producer on the Eagles at least a couple of times each during the season. 

ETA: That being said, unless Smallwood or Clement really shine at camp and take the (true) starting RB job....Sproles is the only one I'd roster with any regularity as I think he'll be the most consistent. 

 
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Warhogs said:
Why is that a bad guess?  150 touches is just a shade over 9 per game for 16 games.  With 3-4 receptions per game you are talking about roughly 5 carries per game.  Are you saying Sproles sees more or less?  It seems about right to me.
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I'm saying he is unlikely to be the lead back. They just dropped all that coin on WRs... you can't tell me they're not going to begin the season with old man Sproles as their lead back. They've gotta bring in Charles or somebody.. right?

 
OK. I thought you were referring to 150 catches.  I'm not sure what they think of Smallwood and I don't know how sure they are that they will move on from Mathews. Outside of injury Matthews seems like a good pounder around the goal line.  It does seem to appear as a committee situation no matter who is on the roster.

 
Warhogs said:
OK. I thought you were referring to 150 catches.  I'm not sure what they think of Smallwood and I don't know how sure they are that they will move on from Mathews. Outside of injury Matthews seems like a good pounder around the goal line.  It does seem to appear as a committee situation no matter who is on the roster.
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I think they're hoping they'll move on from Matthews.  They owe him 4MIL which they could use elsewhere. 

 
Thunderlips said:
I think they're hoping they'll move on from Matthews.  They owe him 4MIL which they could use elsewhere. 
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They also could be working on the teams that have some excess. Cincy and New Orleans. Maybe Hill, Bernard or Ingram could be pried loose for a pick.

 
Insein said:
They also could be working on the teams that have some excess. Cincy and New Orleans. Maybe Hill, Bernard or Ingram could be pried loose for a pick.
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As it is, they have 5 RBs in the mix right now.....Matthews, Sproles, Smallwood, Pumphrey and Clement.   Wouldn't they have to get rid of two of these guys if they were add another RB.  Noone really carries 5 RBs do they?

To that, I don't think they'd get rid of Pumphrey as they traded up to get him. Clement, although an undrafted....seems to have a lot of supporters. Sproles is Sproles....I don't think he's going anywhere.  I don't know what kind of cap hit they'd take on Matthews if they had to cut him.....my interpretation of the radio talk is that they're hoping he retires. I guess they could cut Smallwood.....but I thought they were kind of interested in him. 

 
Thunderlips said:
As it is, they have 5 RBs in the mix right now.....Matthews, Sproles, Smallwood, Pumphrey and Clement.   Wouldn't they have to get rid of two of these guys if they were add another RB.  Noone really carries 5 RBs do they?

To that, I don't think they'd get rid of Pumphrey as they traded up to get him. Clement, although an undrafted....seems to have a lot of supporters. Sproles is Sproles....I don't think he's going anywhere.  I don't know what kind of cap hit they'd take on Matthews if they had to cut him.....my interpretation of the radio talk is that they're hoping he retires. I guess they could cut Smallwood.....but I thought they were kind of interested in him. 
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My understanding of Mathews is that they're waiting on him to get healthy so they can cut him. Kind of symbolic of the guys whole career.

 
Thunderlips said:
As it is, they have 5 RBs in the mix right now.....Matthews, Sproles, Smallwood, Pumphrey and Clement.   Wouldn't they have to get rid of two of these guys if they were add another RB.  Noone really carries 5 RBs do they?

To that, I don't think they'd get rid of Pumphrey as they traded up to get him. Clement, although an undrafted....seems to have a lot of supporters. Sproles is Sproles....I don't think he's going anywhere.  I don't know what kind of cap hit they'd take on Matthews if they had to cut him.....my interpretation of the radio talk is that they're hoping he retires. I guess they could cut Smallwood.....but I thought they were kind of interested in him. 
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Mathews and Clement both seem pretty cuttable.

 
I would think if they cut Matthews to save 4 million it's unlikely they would want to reinvest that in Charles as someone had hoped for earlier.  Maybe Charles is better than Matthews but I'm not so sure Charles will ever be anything near what he was.  The last knee issue seems to be taking a long recovery.

 
Thunderlips said:
By all accounts on Philly radio, they're pretty high on Clement. 
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FWIW he was a 4 star recruit out of high school. Ranked 17th RB out of high school by Rivals in 2013 same as Elliot and Henry.

He isn't as good as Melvin Gordon so that limited his opportunity until 2015. He had several debilitating injuries in 2015. He played more in 2016 but his 4.4 ypc on 314 rushing attempts in 2016 is not very impressive for a college RB.

I like Clements play style, he is a slasher with some good vision at times. He seems to be missing the quickness needed to be a successful starter in the NFL but he might be able to fill a between the tackles role in RBBC

They have the least invested in him out of their RB, so seems like the easiest cut to make if needed. They don't have to worry about that until fall. Teams can keep up to 90 players right now so carrying 6 or more RB isn't a big deal.

I think Smallwood and Pumphrey are better players. Clement could possibly make the team though if he has a good camp and the Eagles do want to move on from Matthews.

 
Biabreakable said:
FWIW he was a 4 star recruit out of high school. Ranked 17th RB out of high school by Rivals in 2013 same as Elliot and Henry.

He isn't as good as Melvin Gordon so that limited his opportunity until 2015. He had several debilitating injuries in 2015. He played more in 2016 but his 4.4 ypc on 314 rushing attempts in 2016 is not very impressive for a college RB.

I like Clements play style, he is a slasher with some good vision at times. He seems to be missing the quickness needed to be a successful starter in the NFL but he might be able to fill a between the tackles role in RBBC

They have the least invested in him out of their RB, so seems like the easiest cut to make if needed. They don't have to worry about that until fall. Teams can keep up to 90 players right now so carrying 6 or more RB isn't a big deal.

I think Smallwood and Pumphrey are better players. Clement could possibly make the team though if he has a good camp and the Eagles do want to move on from Matthews.
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They are definitely moving on from Mathews.  It would be surprising to me if clement doesn't make the team.  It's gonna be like a 4 headed monster though.  Fantasy wasteland

 
Darren Sproles is averaging 6.3 YPC in 10 career games against the Giants.

It’s the highest average for a running back with at least 40 carries. The trend suggests the Eagles will continue to ride Sproles after he led the Week 2 backfield in touches. Sproles is Rotoworld’s No. 31-ranked back this week.

Source: CSN Philly

Sep 23 - 8:07 PM
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The hit he took, it didn't look like much but the way he folded looked scary. Hopefully he's ok but did not look good.

 
I thought I had read earlier this year that he had decided this was his last year. Sometimes players don't want to go out that way so they come back but I do believe the plan was for him to retire after this season before the injury.

 
Darren Sproles' new deal includes $1M in guarantees

Excerpt:

Sproles looked to be in line for a sizable role last season before tearing his ACL during a Week 3 match. He had seven touches in the season opener and 12 touches in Week 2. 

Built like a beer keg with feet, Sproles still owns the speed to be a matchup nightmare for defenses. Having him as a threat in punt returns is a huge bonus for Philly. The speedster currently ranks eighth all-time in all-purpose yards.

:lmao:
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Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media said it would "not be surprising at all" if Darren Sproles led the Eagles in running back snaps this season.

He had been the Eagles' starter before his injury last year and even with Jay Ajayi and Corey Clement returning, Shorr-Parks still expects Sproles to occupy a major role in 2018. "The Eagles are not bringing him back for a feel-good story," said Shorr-Parks. "They are bringing him back because they plan on using him." The 34-year-old compiled 865 yards from scrimmage on 146 touches during the 2016 campaign and makes for a sensible late-round flyer in fantasy.

Source: NJ.com
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