Ahmad Bradshaw (1 Viewer)

[gianmarco]

Wood is definitely shoving his head in the sand about Bradshaw, not sure how else to put it.

Care to elaborate?

If there's anyone burying their heads in the sand, it's the enthusiastic Bradshaw owners that are positive he's already got the #2 job in hand and will be the main ball carrier sooner rather than later. It's one thing to be optimistic about a player and it's another to go against any current indication and predict larger workloads. The fact that he's already going in mid rounds in drafts is evidence of that. But telling Wood his head's in the sand when what he's saying is simply that Bradshaw is competing for the #2 job, not the #1 is funny coming from the "Bradshaw side".

 

[Jason Wood]

I usually enjoy reading Jason Woods stuff but this is getting really annoying. You are in love with Jacobs, we friggin get it dude. Let it go.

Thanks

I usually enjoy reading Jason Woods stuff but this is getting really annoying. You are in love with Jacobs, we friggin get it dude. Let it go.

LOL...I'm an Eagles season ticket holder who argued against his being worthy of his ADP last year because of his running style and durability issues. I'm just about the last person who would be called "in love" with him. But I genuinely think this thread materially misstates the situation. I've been around long enough to know when I might be seeing something wrong; and it's entirely possible I'm not giving Bradshaw his due. The day I'm unwilling to change my mind by participating in a debate on these forums is the day I quit working with Joe and David.

I usually enjoy reading Jason Woods stuff but this is getting really annoying. You are in love with Jacobs, we friggin get it dude. Let it go.

It's May, and as I said before I'm in charge of writing the NY Giants player pages and team report for the magazine and the website [as I've been for years]. Debating this and sharing my doubts about some of the things being said is MY JOB and one of two things is going to happen. A) I'm going to temper my interpretation of the situation to better reflect Bradshaw's position; which may be more opportunistic than I initially believed. B) We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

 

[BigJim®]

Wood is definitely shoving his head in the sand about Bradshaw, not sure how else to put it.

Care to elaborate?

If there's anyone burying their heads in the sand, it's the enthusiastic Bradshaw owners that are positive he's already got the #2 job in hand and will be the main ball carrier sooner rather than later. It's one thing to be optimistic about a player and it's another to go against any current indication and predict larger workloads. The fact that he's already going in mid rounds in drafts is evidence of that.

But telling Wood his head's in the sand when what he's saying is simply that Bradshaw is competing for the #2 job, not the #1 is funny coming from the "Bradshaw side".

Please tell me where I did this to justify the kettle/black comment. TIA

 

[gianmarco]

Wood is definitely shoving his head in the sand about Bradshaw, not sure how else to put it.

Care to elaborate?

If there's anyone burying their heads in the sand, it's the enthusiastic Bradshaw owners that are positive he's already got the #2 job in hand and will be the main ball carrier sooner rather than later. It's one thing to be optimistic about a player and it's another to go against any current indication and predict larger workloads. The fact that he's already going in mid rounds in drafts is evidence of that.

But telling Wood his head's in the sand when what he's saying is simply that Bradshaw is competing for the #2 job, not the #1 is funny coming from the "Bradshaw side".

Please tell me where I did this to justify the kettle/black comment. TIA

You're right, you hadn't said anything up to that point and I apologize. I assumed you had and that was my mistake. I guess I didn't understand why it would be Wood burying his head in the sand when he was pointing out what the current and most likely situation is while those Bradshaw fans who are predicting big things in the near future wouldn't have the same thing said about them.But, that comment was directed to the wrong person. My apologies.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

It's May, and as I said before I'm in charge of writing the NY Giants player pages and team report for the magazine and the website [as I've been for years]. Debating this and sharing my doubts about some of the things being said is MY JOB and one of two things is going to happen. A) I'm going to temper my interpretation of the situation to better reflect Bradshaw's position; which may be more opportunistic than I initially believed. B) We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

I'm baffled by this whole discussion. The battle is between Bradshaw/Ward for #2. I'd give Bradshaw the leg up there as he's a better COP back to Jacobs.However, I'm not certain, regardless of what happens between Bradshaw/Ward in camp, that Ward wouldn't get more carries if Jacobs does go down again.

 

[munchkin]

It's May, and as I said before I'm in charge of writing the NY Giants player pages and team report for the magazine and the website [as I've been for years]. Debating this and sharing my doubts about some of the things being said is MY JOB and one of two things is going to happen. A) I'm going to temper my interpretation of the situation to better reflect Bradshaw's position; which may be more opportunistic than I initially believed. B) We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

I'm baffled by this whole discussion. The battle is between Bradshaw/Ward for #2. I'd give Bradshaw the leg up there as he's a better COP back to Jacobs.

However, I'm not certain, regardless of what happens between Bradshaw/Ward in camp, that Ward wouldn't get more carries if Jacobs does go down again.

Exactly, we can't be certain of anything. Jacobs is the likely starter with Bradshaw/Ward behind him. Their play will decide who has the upper hand in the backup role. I believe any coach worth a hoot will move a starter out of his role if a player behind him is more productive. Coughlin has shown a willingness to go to the runner who is producing. All three backs have shown that they can be productive when given a chance. Bradshaw was in the doghouse for much of the year because he had problems handling the ball and he was missing some blocking assignments, arguably the most difficult aspect of the RB position. If he continues to improve over last year he is worthy of a spot on a roster. Others may find different backs to be more enticing as a future prospect but I think Bradshaw showed marked improvement when he had a chance toward the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.One more thing. His off field problems were in colege. i am not aware of any issues since he was drafted.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

 

[gianmarco]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.

On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

The bolded section above is what I disagree with, actually. Go back and read posts 8 and 9 on the very first page. This thread started out with those 2 thinking that Bradshaw has a good chance to take over the lead role. He just went in the early 7th in a startup dynasty draft. As to what you're saying, I personally liked the way Bradshaw looked and would have him as the #2, even though Ward looked pretty good himself when he came in for Jacobs. But, it all depends on how the coaching staff sees it and I think it's a little too early to tell. Between Ward and Bradshaw, I think AB is clearly the one to own in a dynasty. I still think there things to worry about as far as him ever being a top fantasy producer, but it's still very early to say that for sure. My argument is mostly to the Bradshaw lovers that see him having significant value as early as this year. I just don't see any indication or strong possibility of that.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.

On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

The bolded section above is what I disagree with, actually. Go back and read posts 8 and 9 on the very first page. This thread started out with those 2 thinking that Bradshaw has a good chance to take over the lead role. He just went in the early 7th in a startup dynasty draft. As to what you're saying, I personally liked the way Bradshaw looked and would have him as the #2, even though Ward looked pretty good himself when he came in for Jacobs. But, it all depends on how the coaching staff sees it and I think it's a little too early to tell. Between Ward and Bradshaw, I think AB is clearly the one to own in a dynasty. I still think there things to worry about as far as him ever being a top fantasy producer, but it's still very early to say that for sure. My argument is mostly to the Bradshaw lovers that see him having significant value as early as this year. I just don't see any indication or strong possibility of that.

LOL. We're all disagreeing because of two posters? It wouldn't shock me to see Bradshaw get 30-40% of the carries. Not sure I'd bet money on it, but it wouldn't shock me.

 

[icecat4270]

Some have said it already but I think the Giants have a lot of good depth at running back. I think Jacobs will be the #1. There will be a lot of carries to split and I see it going like this

Jacobs

228 1090 7

Bradshaw

93 460 3 (starting 2 games as a good fill in for an off week strarter)

Ward

62 255 3 (probably getting a start as a good fill in)

Others (mostly Droughns)

43 159 2

 

[Jason Wood]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

I'm not sure what his age has to do with it, the NFL teaches us time and time again that opportunity presents itself in strange ways, but the key is to seize the opportunity. Sammy Morris was nothing until he was a beast last year for New England, for example. But that's really a digression.While I understand what you're saying about Ward. Could the Ward supporters just as easily say...

..."It's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who weighs just 195 pounds, was a 7th round draft pick making the league minimum, needed injuries to the starter AND a journeyman backup before he got playing time, and has value as the team's kickoff returner?"

 

[Football Jones]

I'm not so sure Derrick Ward isn't their best back. I have no idea how the touches will be divided this year. Should be interesting.

 

[mdog1967]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

I'm not sure what his age has to do with it, the NFL teaches us time and time again that opportunity presents itself in strange ways, but the key is to seize the opportunity. Sammy Morris was nothing until he was a beast last year for New England, for example. But that's really a digression.While I understand what you're saying about Ward. Could the Ward supporters just as easily say...

..."It's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who weighs just 195 pounds, was a 7th round draft pick making the league minimum, needed injuries to the starter AND a journeyman backup before he got playing time, and has value as the team's kickoff returner?"

Jason as I posted a reply earlier, Bradshaw is what he is until he's something else. Meaning that Jacobs is the presumed starter until someone else takes the Job. Ward was outstanding last year. I watched that guy play and I thought he looked better than Jacobs. The stats in the limited number supplied for Bradshaw are misleading in my opinion. They can be read as "BRADSHAW was clearly the best back" or as some one else pointed out he had 20 late carries that were sub pare. I have seen all three of the Giants Backs during the course of the season, and I would emphatically state that Bradshaw's chances to claim a bigger or even starting role are just as good as Jacobs keeping the Job. Ward unfortunately is 2 for 2. Thats 2 years and 2 season ending injuries. Every one knows how tough it is to continue on pure talent when your body isn't going along with the plan. Jacobs will never hold up at 265 pounds, its never going to happen. But for now and until something changes you have to assume that Jacobs is the starter. I would also remind you Jason that as well as you scout for FBG's Matt Walden blows your socks off, If he says Bradshaw is all that and a bag of chips you might want to listen to the man. You and I both know you got aways to go to be able to evaluate talent as well as he does. Now thats High Praise for Matt considering the amount of respect I and others here have for your opinions. Your good, but he's da man and right know now he is FBG's Daddy.

 

[Jason Wood]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

I'm not sure what his age has to do with it, the NFL teaches us time and time again that opportunity presents itself in strange ways, but the key is to seize the opportunity. Sammy Morris was nothing until he was a beast last year for New England, for example. But that's really a digression.While I understand what you're saying about Ward. Could the Ward supporters just as easily say...

..."It's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who weighs just 195 pounds, was a 7th round draft pick making the league minimum, needed injuries to the starter AND a journeyman backup before he got playing time, and has value as the team's kickoff returner?"

Jason as I posted a reply earlier, Bradshaw is what he is until he's something else. Meaning that Jacobs is the presumed starter until someone else takes the Job. Ward was outstanding last year. I watched that guy play and I thought he looked better than Jacobs. The stats in the limited number supplied for Bradshaw are misleading in my opinion. They can be read as "BRADSHAW was clearly the best back" or as some one else pointed out he had 20 late carries that were sub pare. I have seen all three of the Giants Backs during the course of the season, and I would emphatically state that Bradshaw's chances to claim a bigger or even starting role are just as good as Jacobs keeping the Job. Ward unfortunately is 2 for 2. Thats 2 years and 2 season ending injuries. Every one knows how tough it is to continue on pure talent when your body isn't going along with the plan. Jacobs will never hold up at 265 pounds, its never going to happen. But for now and until something changes you have to assume that Jacobs is the starter. I would also remind you Jason that as well as you scout for FBG's Matt Walden blows your socks off, If he says Bradshaw is all that and a bag of chips you might want to listen to the man. You and I both know you got aways to go to be able to evaluate talent as well as he does. Now thats High Praise for Matt considering the amount of respect I and others here have for your opinions. Your good, but he's da man and right know now he is FBG's Daddy.

Hey mdog...first of all, I don't consider myself an NFL scout; so thanks for ever putting me in the company of someone who does that for a living. That said, no scout is infallible; and it's a subjective game. That's why the NFL draft is such a crap shoot.

 

[mdog1967]

We're going to see that Jacobs is, in fact, the clear and away RB1 and we'll let Bradshaw and Ward duke it out in camp as everyone outside of this forum seems to think will happen.

The bolded part is what we're really disagreeing about. Very, very few Bradshaw owners really expect him to take the starting job from Jacobs this year. If they do, they are truly foolish.On the flip side, it's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who will be 28 years old when the season starts, never started a game before last year, is coming off an injury, has 725 career rushing yards in 4 seasons, and just signed a 1 yr $1.1M deal.

I'm not sure what his age has to do with it, the NFL teaches us time and time again that opportunity presents itself in strange ways, but the key is to seize the opportunity. Sammy Morris was nothing until he was a beast last year for New England, for example. But that's really a digression.While I understand what you're saying about Ward. Could the Ward supporters just as easily say...

..."It's hard to fear a "battle for #2" with a RB who weighs just 195 pounds, was a 7th round draft pick making the league minimum, needed injuries to the starter AND a journeyman backup before he got playing time, and has value as the team's kickoff returner?"

Jason as I posted a reply earlier, Bradshaw is what he is until he's something else. Meaning that Jacobs is the presumed starter until someone else takes the Job. Ward was outstanding last year. I watched that guy play and I thought he looked better than Jacobs. The stats in the limited number supplied for Bradshaw are misleading in my opinion. They can be read as "BRADSHAW was clearly the best back" or as some one else pointed out he had 20 late carries that were sub pare. I have seen all three of the Giants Backs during the course of the season, and I would emphatically state that Bradshaw's chances to claim a bigger or even starting role are just as good as Jacobs keeping the Job. Ward unfortunately is 2 for 2. Thats 2 years and 2 season ending injuries. Every one knows how tough it is to continue on pure talent when your body isn't going along with the plan. Jacobs will never hold up at 265 pounds, its never going to happen. But for now and until something changes you have to assume that Jacobs is the starter. I would also remind you Jason that as well as you scout for FBG's Matt Walden blows your socks off, If he says Bradshaw is all that and a bag of chips you might want to listen to the man. You and I both know you got aways to go to be able to evaluate talent as well as he does. Now thats High Praise for Matt considering the amount of respect I and others here have for your opinions. Your good, but he's da man and right know now he is FBG's Daddy.

Hey mdog...first of all, I don't consider myself an NFL scout; so thanks for ever putting me in the company of someone who does that for a living. That said, no scout is infallible; and it's a subjective game. That's why the NFL draft is such a crap shoot.

Jason your not supposed to be up this late responding to a post. I'll take your opinion and most of the Board Members here over a good portion of the Scouts in the NFL. They have to worry about job security and I think they have to make safe picks. Here its all about the production!!

 

[Liquid Tension]

Bradshaw is the better receiving back and looked better in an equal setting when it mattered most.

OK...including the playoffs, Ahmad Bradshaw has six (6) career receptions! Talk about small sample size?

And even if we give him credit for those six receptions, how do we come to the conclusion that he's a better receiver than Jacobs?

Receptions -- Bradshaw (6) vs. Jacobs (38)
Yards per reception -- Bradshaw (6.5) vs. Jacobs (9.3)
TDs per reception -- Bradshaw (0.0%) vs. Jacobs (7.9%)Jacobs has more catches, averages 3 yards more per catch and has 3 career receiving TDs to Bradshaw's ZERO. How is anyone coming to the conclusion taht Bradshaw is the better receiver?

Are you for real? Jacobs dropped more passes than any other receiver on the Giants last year. It doesn't matter if you compare him to Bradshaw or anyone else.In 2007 Jacobs had 38 targets and 8 drops.....A remarkably astounding 21% of the time Jacobs was thrown to, he flat out dropped the pass. link

You can't tell the difference between Jacobs walking through a cobweb or trying to catch the ball....he's looks identical in either situation.

The 8 drops are a concern, but what about Bradshaw's numbers indicate he, and not Ward would take over the 3rd down receiving role?

Wait a minute.....why are you switching gears to Ward....what happened to your support of Jacobs' receiving prowess?

1) I didn't realize he had 8 drops; but even so he still outperformed Bradshaw when he did catch the ball2) My contention from start to finish in this thread is why people assume Bradshaw will be the RB2 over Ward; clearly comparing them is equally important as I think Jacobs job as the RB1 is entrenched

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)

People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

 

[Koya]

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

We must be watching different games. After watching just about every play of the Giants for the past two seasons, I can tell you that Jacobs has made some absolutely atrocious drops. Not only passes right in his hands, but he seems to have a knack of letting them hit the chest plate so as to stay aloft, dangerously close to INTs.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Interesting takes in this thread. Wood is definitely shoving his head in the sand about Bradshaw, not sure how else to put it. Suggesting he's battling with Ward is silly. The Giants willingly let Ward walk, and when Ward couldn't find a deal anywhere they signed him for a cheap 1-year deal. Anyone can read between those lines with relative ease: He's depth, but the team most familiar with him didn't think him important enough to the team to be signed beyond 1-year. If you want to hitch your wagon to that #2 RB horse he's all yours. I actually agree Jacobs is still #1 heading into the season, but he's not a #1 I'd look at in a dynasty format. Does anyone really believe that Jacobs is long for the NFL using 100% brute to do a job that often requires finesse? Not me. Even if Bradshaw doesn't get a huge load early in 2008, IMHO it's really just a matter of time before Jacobs tries running through one too many DE/LB types and winds back up back on the medical cart. Who are they going to then, the guy they signed to a 1-year 'depth deal,' or a hopeful young player who surpassed expectations in his rookie season leading the team to a SB? I know where I've invested my FF currency.

I am not in disagreement with your post about where Bradshaw is, but people are making the wrong assumptions about Jacobs. Jacobs actually has good feet and has some finesse to his game (sometimes too much believe it or not). Also, people keep saying that he got injured because of his brute force, this is patently incorrect. His injuries were a hamstring and the other was when an offensive lineman was pushed back into his planted knee going through the hole (flukey). He did get "dinged" up to miss a few plays/series from hard hits, but this happened to EVERY RB last year. I do not believe Jacobs missed any full games because of a hard hit.The reason why people have this mis-perception is that we ALL assumed that he would be out from his hard running style; so when he went down people blindly said, "I knew he couldn't stay healthy with that style of his" even though the style was not the reason.BTW, Ward is kind of like Graham in TB if you ask me and the Giants have 3 very solid RB's but Jacobs and Bradshaw will be 1 and 2.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Exactly, we can't be certain of anything. Jacobs is the likely starter with Bradshaw/Ward behind him. Their play will decide who has the upper hand in the backup role. I believe any coach worth a hoot will move a starter out of his role if a player behind him is more productive. Coughlin has shown a willingness to go to the runner who is producing. All three backs have shown that they can be productive when given a chance. Bradshaw was in the doghouse for much of the year because he had problems handling the ball and he was missing some blocking assignments, arguably the most difficult aspect of the RB position. If he continues to improve over last year he is worthy of a spot on a roster. Others may find different backs to be more enticing as a future prospect but I think Bradshaw showed marked improvement when he had a chance toward the end of the regular season and into the playoffs.

One more thing. His off field problems were in colege. i am not aware of any issues since he was drafted.

Jacobs was in on 3rd down a lot because he is a GREAT blocker and Bradshaw missed some assignments that led to Eli getting hit and fumbling. This is the part that many people don't see. In the SB look how great Jacobs stood up blitzing linebackers!BTW, Bradshaw did improve later in the year but he will never be close to Jacobs as a blocker/pass protector.

 

[teamroc]

Jason Wood is just killing guys in this thread.

AB is a mid 30s/low 40s dynasty RB by the staff, which I think is too high. In the forums, he's a mid 20s guy who's about to take over the NFL.

It used to be, Ward is gone, AB is in RBBC and he's just plain better then Jacobs. Well clearly thats not the case, and I don't think its even clear he's better then Ward. So then Ward is signed, and AB lovers just laugh it off.

Foster had an AMAZING run through the playoffs a few years back. Had 178 yards in a game. People were all over him. Once Davis retires, ohhh man Foster is going to run wild. AB is a nice little running back. He wouldn't start for any team in the NFL. Sorry, he wouldn't. He *might* be a decent RBBC RB. He might be a good 8-10 touch guy. But even that is set in stone.

The Giants are very happy to have 3 RBs who all performed well at certain points last year. Jacobs is the starter. That's not going to change. How AB splits the backup RBBC duties with Ward, we'll see. But Ward is making about 4X the money AB is, so I don't want to hear about salary.

I remember when McGahee was picked 1.05, then JJ picked 1.06 after they had a great run at the end of their 1st year starting. AB has even less carries then that. You have to temper expectations with fewer samples, fewer games, fewer touches.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

We must be watching different games. After watching just about every play of the Giants for the past two seasons, I can tell you that Jacobs has made some absolutely atrocious drops. Not only passes right in his hands, but he seems to have a knack of letting them hit the chest plate so as to stay aloft, dangerously close to INTs.

Koya, I am not saying that Jacobs caught the ball well last year, but you are letting 2 bad drops (Ward had two bad drops as well and the worst one of the year) and 2 other drops sway your opinion. Jacobs did not catch the ball well, but if you go back to the video tape you would be surprised to see how bad the passes to Jacobs (and others were). he also made some nice hand grabs. I was surprised at what I saw, because you hear everyone say how bad he is and then you start to be biased that way, but I am confident he will get better based on what i saw.

 

[BearsFan]

Jason Wood is just killing guys in this thread.AB is a mid 30s/low 40s dynasty RB by the staff, which I think is too high. In the forums, he's a mid 20s guy who's about to take over the NFL. It used to be, Ward is gone, AB is in RBBC and he's just plain better then Jacobs. Well clearly thats not the case, and I don't think its even clear he's better then Ward. So then Ward is signed, and AB lovers just laugh it off. Foster had an AMAZING run through the playoffs a few years back. Had 178 yards in a game. People were all over him. Once Davis retires, ohhh man Foster is going to run wild. AB is a nice little running back. He wouldn't start for any team in the NFL. Sorry, he wouldn't. He *might* be a decent RBBC RB. He might be a good 8-10 touch guy. But even that is set in stone. The Giants are very happy to have 3 RBs who all performed well at certain points last year. Jacobs is the starter. That's not going to change. How AB splits the backup RBBC duties with Ward, we'll see. But Ward is making about 4X the money AB is, so I don't want to hear about salary. I remember when McGahee was picked 1.05, then JJ picked 1.06 after they had a great run at the end of their 1st year starting. AB has even less carries then that. You have to temper expectations with fewer samples, fewer games, fewer touches.

'Sounds like he's hesitant on the smallish RBs like Bradshaw and Lorenzo Booker, which is fine for an opinion.

 

[H.K.]

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.

If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)

People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

We must be watching different games. After watching just about every play of the Giants for the past two seasons, I can tell you that Jacobs has made some absolutely atrocious drops. Not only passes right in his hands, but he seems to have a knack of letting them hit the chest plate so as to stay aloft, dangerously close to INTs.

Outstanding, non-agenda based posting by Koya.Jacobs is an AWFUL receiver. He ranked 9th in the entire league in drops, but the even more shocking thing about that statistic is that he had so few targets compared to his peers for that category.

Here are the top RB's in the NFL for dropped passes:

1 Reggie Bush - 10 drops on 98 targets

2 Brian Westbrook - 9 drops on 120 targets

3 Brandon Jacobs - 8 drops on 38 targets

This board now has actual facts over misinformed biased opinions to settle the issue. Any other conclusions on Jacobs' receiving ability can be dismissed as schtick or lying.

 

[munchkin]

I don't think most of the folks here are anointing AB as the next LT. I see him as a backup running back with a strong upside. Conversely Jacobs is a solid RB 3 in smaller leagues and a low end 2 in larger leagues. I think that even the most ardent AB supporters would take Jacobs ahead of Bradshaw if they were faced with the option. These type of RB situations are tough in that Ward has shown to be a good play as well so in redraft leagues how do you manage the handcuff if you like to do such things. In Dynasty I prefer to have AB over Ward looking toward the future. This is all good food for thought which is what these boards are for. PASSION feeds the soul.....

 

[Koya]

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

We must be watching different games. After watching just about every play of the Giants for the past two seasons, I can tell you that Jacobs has made some absolutely atrocious drops. Not only passes right in his hands, but he seems to have a knack of letting them hit the chest plate so as to stay aloft, dangerously close to INTs.

Koya, I am not saying that Jacobs caught the ball well last year, but you are letting 2 bad drops (Ward had two bad drops as well and the worst one of the year) and 2 other drops sway your opinion. Jacobs did not catch the ball well, but if you go back to the video tape you would be surprised to see how bad the passes to Jacobs (and others were). he also made some nice hand grabs. I was surprised at what I saw, because you hear everyone say how bad he is and then you start to be biased that way, but I am confident he will get better based on what i saw.

I will keep my eyes open, and my mind - but from what Ive seen he's been just terrible. I didnt see hand catches, I didnt see the right coordination - and I have seen him have trouble holding onto the ball once its IN his hands.That said, Eli definately does not help the equation, but I didnt see balls glance off a body with Tiki (and granted, Tiki was an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield).

 

[az_prof]

I don't think most of the folks here are anointing AB as the next LT. I see him as a backup running back with a strong upside. Conversely Jacobs is a solid RB 3 in smaller leagues and a low end 2 in larger leagues. I think that even the most ardent AB supporters would take Jacobs ahead of Bradshaw if they were faced with the option. These type of RB situations are tough in that Ward has shown to be a good play as well so in redraft leagues how do you manage the handcuff if you like to do such things. In Dynasty I prefer to have AB over Ward looking toward the future. This is all good food for thought which is what these boards are for. PASSION feeds the soul.....

Jacobs is a guy I would not draft in dynasty, period. I see Bradshaw as a better value because you can get him later and I think he has much more upside in the long run. It may not materialize this year: but eventually he will be a successful starting running back. I don't see Jacobs ever being more than a starting running back in a time share and I think he has injury issues.

 

[RoyDubb]

I don't think most of the folks here are anointing AB as the next LT. I see him as a backup running back with a strong upside. Conversely Jacobs is a solid RB 3 in smaller leagues and a low end 2 in larger leagues. I think that even the most ardent AB supporters would take Jacobs ahead of Bradshaw if they were faced with the option. These type of RB situations are tough in that Ward has shown to be a good play as well so in redraft leagues how do you manage the handcuff if you like to do such things. In Dynasty I prefer to have AB over Ward looking toward the future. This is all good food for thought which is what these boards are for. PASSION feeds the soul.....

Jacobs is a guy I would not draft in dynasty, period. I see Bradshaw as a better value because you can get him later and I think he has much more upside in the long run. It may not materialize this year: but eventually he will be a successful starting running back. I don't see Jacobs ever being more than a starting running back in a time share and I think he has injury issues.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[redman]

Here's another thing I don't like about Jacobs:

2005: he started zero games, he got 38 rushing attempts, he missed no games due to injury.

2006: he started zero games, he got 96 rushing attempts, he missed one game due to injury.

2007: he started nine games, he got 202 rushing attempts, he missed five games due to injury.

This guy's a bull, no doubt, but you just don't last in this league when you initiate contact. Even the most physical runner I can imagine, Earl Campbell, wsa only able to operate at a high level for three years before he declined. Yes, he had more carries, but the league was also a lot smaller 30 years ago when he played. I just can't see this guy being good for more than 250 carries in a season before he gets hurt, and he's never even demonstrated he can do that much yet.

 

[munchkin]

I don't think most of the folks here are anointing AB as the next LT. I see him as a backup running back with a strong upside. Conversely Jacobs is a solid RB 3 in smaller leagues and a low end 2 in larger leagues. I think that even the most ardent AB supporters would take Jacobs ahead of Bradshaw if they were faced with the option. These type of RB situations are tough in that Ward has shown to be a good play as well so in redraft leagues how do you manage the handcuff if you like to do such things. In Dynasty I prefer to have AB over Ward looking toward the future. This is all good food for thought which is what these boards are for. PASSION feeds the soul.....

Jacobs is a guy I would not draft in dynasty, period. I see Bradshaw as a better value because you can get him later and I think he has much more upside in the long run. It may not materialize this year: but eventually he will be a successful starting running back. I don't see Jacobs ever being more than a starting running back in a time share and I think he has injury issues.

I have high hopes for Bradshaw as well; but I will draft anybody if the value is there and he will help my team. I know my Sig doesn't show it but he is on my roster.

 

[Liquid Tension]

Just a point about drops etc...Part of this issue was the terrible passes that were thrown by Eli throughout the year to the backs. Jacobs actually made some excellent hand/snatch grabs as Eli too often at the last minute fired a low pass to the RB and they got called for drops. i watched EVERY pass thrown Jacobs way (yes we went back and reviewed the entire year) and he "only" had 4 real drops. I am not sure what criteria was used, but LT2 would have had trouble catching some of the balls they called drops for Jacobs. Now Jacobs had 4 clear drops, but I am not ready to label him a bad receiver at all. In fact Ward is worse than Jacobs (Ward dropped a TD wide open right in his hands along with a another EASY one). Bradshaw may be the best receiving option, but he was not tested at all and Jacobs was and made a few tough catches.If you had to say, i would state that Bradshaw would be the better receiver, but if Eli gets better at leading the receiver Jacobs could be a monster running over men with a head of steam. I personally think this is Eli's biggest weakness as a QB and is part of the accuracy issues he has. Just a note that I think Eli is an above average to good QB)People looking at drops are the ones who only look at the stats and have not watched the game. Kind of like saying that so and so has a bad completion % so he isn't good, even though he throws 50% more long balls than some other guy. Of course Chad Pennington will have a high completion % when 90% of his balls are within 10 yards from scrimmage (slight hyperbole).

We must be watching different games. After watching just about every play of the Giants for the past two seasons, I can tell you that Jacobs has made some absolutely atrocious drops. Not only passes right in his hands, but he seems to have a knack of letting them hit the chest plate so as to stay aloft, dangerously close to INTs.

Koya, I am not saying that Jacobs caught the ball well last year, but you are letting 2 bad drops (Ward had two bad drops as well and the worst one of the year) and 2 other drops sway your opinion. Jacobs did not catch the ball well, but if you go back to the video tape you would be surprised to see how bad the passes to Jacobs (and others were). he also made some nice hand grabs. I was surprised at what I saw, because you hear everyone say how bad he is and then you start to be biased that way, but I am confident he will get better based on what i saw.

I will keep my eyes open, and my mind - but from what Ive seen he's been just terrible. I didnt see hand catches, I didnt see the right coordination - and I have seen him have trouble holding onto the ball once its IN his hands.That said, Eli definately does not help the equation, but I didnt see balls glance off a body with Tiki (and granted, Tiki was an exceptional pass catcher out of the backfield).

Tiki was really good, but Ward had issues as well last year. Lets see how it unfolds this year and hopefully Jacobs gets better

 

[Liquid Tension]

Here's another thing I don't like about Jacobs:2005: he started zero games, he got 38 rushing attempts, he missed no games due to injury. 2006: he started zero games, he got 96 rushing attempts, he missed one game due to injury. 2007: he started nine games, he got 202 rushing attempts, he missed five games due to injury. This guy's a bull, no doubt, but you just don't last in this league when you initiate contact. Even the most physical runner I can imagine, Earl Campbell, wsa only able to operate at a high level for three years before he declined. Yes, he had more carries, but the league was also a lot smaller 30 years ago when he played. I just can't see this guy being good for more than 250 carries in a season before he gets hurt, and he's never even demonstrated he can do that much yet.

Hey Red, your numbers are real, but as I said previously, the physical contact was not what caused the injuries.

 

[Joe Bryant]

This board now has actual facts over misinformed biased opinions to settle the issue. Any other conclusions on Jacobs' receiving ability can be dismissed as schtick or lying.

Please turn it way down. TIA.J

 

[Construction Man Jim]

Anybody who is truly interested and wants to be properly informed on this subject should watch the pre-Super Bowl (January 30) interview with Giants RB Coach Gerald Ingram. It's especially informative with regard to how they feel about Ward and why they used Bradshaw the way they did last season.

Here's a link to the actual interview:

http://www.giants.com/player/ivideo-je.asp...swmext%3D%2Easx

And here's a partial transcription of his comments:



When they had Ward early in the year after Jacobs got hurt they were using both of those players in different roles/ situations. Using Brandon as a banger but still able to run outside - but they new Derrick as a very good player - he had a great pre-season the year before but he got injured. He has such good change of direction. He was reading schemes, hitting the hole hard and fast. After the first four games he was the second leading rusher in the NFL - he was having a great season. He was able to take care of the QB, pick up the blitz, didn't get in the way of the QB, caught the ball out of the backfield real well - he was running real hard, doing everything they needed to get done. And Brandon with his size is a very intimidating force - they coach with the defensive mentality: they're going to try to be as tough as they are...

Then you have a player like Bradshaw: he did a great job in pre-season on kick off return and made some plays late in the games so they thought if he got an opportunity with the ones he could be a factor as the season went on. Halfway through the season they told him "you might have to be the factor at the end of the year for us". They put him on the spot in front of the whole team that he was going to have to be the guy to get it done - and that's where he is now, he's the guy that has to get it done. They had plays for him as the season went on but they weren't able to use a lot of them because the game didn't dictate what they had prepared. That was frustrating for him because they kept getting him excited. One thing you love about him is he's not afraid. The players love his attitude in the huddle. He just had to learn all the things that go into the game: the blitz pick up, the route adjustments etc. He had to earn trust on kick off returns so when he fumbled they benched him. He was in pain over it, didn't understand why they wouldn't let him back out there but he had to develop that trust that he was going to take care of the team. Went back to fundamentals. Had him carry the ball everywhere - high and tight. He didn't have to be the guy, learn on the job and affect the team because they had other guys in place who could do that. So now what do they have at the end of the year? A fresh player with fresh legs. So now they play the game by using Brandon to bang them with his physical play, pick up the blitzes, see what the opponent is going to try to do to us early in the game, because he can handle all the adjustments, and has the game unfolds they can unleash Bradshaw fresh in the second half. That's worked well. And it's not as taxing to Ahmad because by the time he comes into the game they've already seen what the defense is trying to do and they can coach him up. That's made everything go a lot smoother. And now, at this point they can put him in early in the game and they feel much more comfortable using him in different situations.

With regard to how this will all play out, I think it's TBD. The Giants are lucky to have three really good backs.

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

 

[gianmarco]

Anybody who is truly interested and wants to be properly informed on this subject should watch the pre-Super Bowl (January 30) interview with Giants RB Coach Gerald Ingram. It's especially informative with regard to how they feel about Ward and why they used Bradshaw the way they did last season.

Here's a link to the actual interview:

http://www.giants.com/player/ivideo-je.asp...swmext%3D%2Easx

And here's a partial transcription of his comments:



When they had Ward early in the year after Jacobs got hurt they were using both of those players in different roles/ situations. Using Brandon as a banger but still able to run outside - but they new Derrick as a very good player - he had a great pre-season the year before but he got injured. He has such good change of direction. He was reading schemes, hitting the hole hard and fast. After the first four games he was the second leading rusher in the NFL - he was having a great season. He was able to take care of the QB, pick up the blitz, didn't get in the way of the QB, caught the ball out of the backfield real well - he was running real hard, doing everything they needed to get done. And Brandon with his size is a very intimidating force - they coach with the defensive mentality: they're going to try to be as tough as they are...

Then you have a player like Bradshaw: he did a great job in pre-season on kick off return and made some plays late in the games so they thought if he got an opportunity with the ones he could be a factor as the season went on. Halfway through the season they told him "you might have to be the factor at the end of the year for us". They put him on the spot in front of the whole team that he was going to have to be the guy to get it done - and that's where he is now, he's the guy that has to get it done. They had plays for him as the season went on but they weren't able to use a lot of them because the game didn't dictate what they had prepared. That was frustrating for him because they kept getting him excited. One thing you love about him is he's not afraid. The players love his attitude in the huddle. He just had to learn all the things that go into the game: the blitz pick up, the route adjustments etc. He had to earn trust on kick off returns so when he fumbled they benched him. He was in pain over it, didn't understand why they wouldn't let him back out there but he had to develop that trust that he was going to take care of the team. Went back to fundamentals. Had him carry the ball everywhere - high and tight. He didn't have to be the guy, learn on the job and affect the team because they had other guys in place who could do that. So now what do they have at the end of the year? A fresh player with fresh legs. So now they play the game by using Brandon to bang them with his physical play, pick up the blitzes, see what the opponent is going to try to do to us early in the game, because he can handle all the adjustments, and has the game unfolds they can unleash Bradshaw fresh in the second half. That's worked well. And it's not as taxing to Ahmad because by the time he comes into the game they've already seen what the defense is trying to do and they can coach him up. That's made everything go a lot smoother. And now, at this point they can put him in early in the game and they feel much more comfortable using him in different situations.

With regard to how this will all play out, I think it's TBD. The Giants are lucky to have three really good backs.

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

I think that transcript is encouraging for ALL THREE RB's. And it's very consistent with how the year played out. I think all 3 guys are worthwhile guys to own, and if you can get a hold of more than one (or all 3), all the better.

 

[madd futher]

Just one fine point. It doesn't do anything for your credibility when you quote all kinds of # of carries and YPC stats and then argue (more than once, I think) that Bradshaw is 195# SOAKING WET. Somewhere last year I read that Bradshaw had put on 8 lbs since the start of the season - don't ask me for a link - (which would put him at least at 203#).

I WILL find the link however, if YOU can find any source where he was weighed at 195 and was SOAKING WET!

In my mind, the question is which RB has more fantasy value. I think in re-draft, the consensus is that it is still Jacobs.

In PPR and in dynasty, it is a much closer question. You guys can rehash the same argument till hades freeses over, and the real answer is that there is evidence in both directions and no one can predict. But there is no evidence to suggest that someone built like Bradshaw who has his vision, quickness, and leg drive cannot be a feature back in the NFL.

 

[gianmarco]

Just one fine point. It doesn't do anything for your credibility when you quote all kinds of # of carries and YPC stats and then argue (more than once, I think) that Bradshaw is 195# SOAKING WET. Somewhere last year I read that Bradshaw had put on 8 lbs since the start of the season - don't ask me for a link - (which would put him at least at 203#). I WILL find the link however, if YOU can find any source where he was weighed at 195 and was SOAKING WET!In my mind, the question is which RB has more fantasy value. I think in re-draft, the consensus is that it is still Jacobs.In PPR and in dynasty, it is a much closer question. You guys can rehash the same argument till hades freeses over, and the real answer is that there is evidence in both directions and no one can predict. But there is no evidence to suggest that someone built like Bradshaw who has his vision, quickness, and leg drive cannot be a feature back in the NFL.

The "soaking wet" is a figure of speech so I hope you aren't being serious about that. Pro-football reference has him listed at 195, most others at 198. I haven't seen a single place have him listed anything higher than that nor have I seen any mention he gained 8 lbs. As for your next paragraph, you're right that it can go in both directions. And there is absolutely no evidence that someone his size can't be a featured back because there have been RB's his size and even smaller that have been featured backs. But, it is definitely NOT the norm and the odds are against him in that regard. As a rule, I try not to go against those odds unless there is a very good reason to do so. I don't know if he's given us that reason yet even though he has looked quite impressive on the field. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Anybody who is truly interested and wants to be properly informed on this subject should watch the pre-Super Bowl (January 30) interview with Giants RB Coach Gerald Ingram. It's especially informative with regard to how they feel about Ward and why they used Bradshaw the way they did last season.

Here's a link to the actual interview:

http://www.giants.com/player/ivideo-je.asp...swmext%3D%2Easx

And here's a partial transcription of his comments:



When they had Ward early in the year after Jacobs got hurt they were using both of those players in different roles/ situations. Using Brandon as a banger but still able to run outside - but they new Derrick as a very good player - he had a great pre-season the year before but he got injured. He has such good change of direction. He was reading schemes, hitting the hole hard and fast. After the first four games he was the second leading rusher in the NFL - he was having a great season. He was able to take care of the QB, pick up the blitz, didn't get in the way of the QB, caught the ball out of the backfield real well - he was running real hard, doing everything they needed to get done. And Brandon with his size is a very intimidating force - they coach with the defensive mentality: they're going to try to be as tough as they are...

Then you have a player like Bradshaw: he did a great job in pre-season on kick off return and made some plays late in the games so they thought if he got an opportunity with the ones he could be a factor as the season went on. Halfway through the season they told him "you might have to be the factor at the end of the year for us". They put him on the spot in front of the whole team that he was going to have to be the guy to get it done - and that's where he is now, he's the guy that has to get it done. They had plays for him as the season went on but they weren't able to use a lot of them because the game didn't dictate what they had prepared. That was frustrating for him because they kept getting him excited. One thing you love about him is he's not afraid. The players love his attitude in the huddle. He just had to learn all the things that go into the game: the blitz pick up, the route adjustments etc. He had to earn trust on kick off returns so when he fumbled they benched him. He was in pain over it, didn't understand why they wouldn't let him back out there but he had to develop that trust that he was going to take care of the team. Went back to fundamentals. Had him carry the ball everywhere - high and tight. He didn't have to be the guy, learn on the job and affect the team because they had other guys in place who could do that. So now what do they have at the end of the year? A fresh player with fresh legs. So now they play the game by using Brandon to bang them with his physical play, pick up the blitzes, see what the opponent is going to try to do to us early in the game, because he can handle all the adjustments, and has the game unfolds they can unleash Bradshaw fresh in the second half. That's worked well. And it's not as taxing to Ahmad because by the time he comes into the game they've already seen what the defense is trying to do and they can coach him up. That's made everything go a lot smoother. And now, at this point they can put him in early in the game and they feel much more comfortable using him in different situations.

With regard to how this will all play out, I think it's TBD. The Giants are lucky to have three really good backs.

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

I think that transcript is encouraging for ALL THREE RB's. And it's very consistent with how the year played out. I think all 3 guys are worthwhile guys to own, and if you can get a hold of more than one (or all 3), all the better.

Own all 3 in the H/A 1 league

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

The other thing you have to keep in mind is that they traded away Ryan Grant for a 6th round pick to the Packers. Letting a decent/good talent like Grant go seems foolish now, but they obviously didn't mind with the three other guys they had on the roster.

 

[H.K.]

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

In the Buffalo game, Jacobs had 1 catch on two targets. link

Here is what is says for the incompletion -

1-10-NYG 30 (5:25) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass incomplete short left to 27-B.Jacobs. Thrown behind receiver at NYG 32.

 

[munchkin]

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

In the Buffalo game, Jacobs had 1 catch on two targets. link

Here is what is says for the incompletion -

1-10-NYG 30 (5:25) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass incomplete short left to 27-B.Jacobs. Thrown behind receiver at NYG 32.

So Jacobs can't adjust to the ball? Really though, two targets don't mean much statistically.

 

[H.K.]

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

In the Buffalo game, Jacobs had 1 catch on two targets. link

Here is what is says for the incompletion -

1-10-NYG 30 (5:25) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass incomplete short left to 27-B.Jacobs. Thrown behind receiver at NYG 32.

So Jacobs can't adjust to the ball? Really though, two targets don't mean much statistically.

Read the last sentence in the initial post. Jacobs had 8 drops last season, and at most he could have been credited with one in the Buffalo game, which does not appear to be the case based on the play by play.

Something doesn't add up.

 

[Avery]

One other comment: Jacobs has better than average hands for a RB. His total drops last year were skewed by the Buffalo game which was played in 50+ MPH winds, a torrential down pour and alternating freezing rain, hail and blizzard like conditions. (And trust me, I was there, however bad it looked on TV, it was worse MUCH worse in person). Can somebody link or produce a game by game breakdown of his drops? I'd guess at least half his drops came from that one game.

In the Buffalo game, Jacobs had 1 catch on two targets. link

Here is what is says for the incompletion -

1-10-NYG 30 (5:25) (Shotgun) 10-E.Manning pass incomplete short left to 27-B.Jacobs. Thrown behind receiver at NYG 32.

So Jacobs can't adjust to the ball? Really though, two targets don't mean much statistically.

Read the last sentence in the initial post. Jacobs had 8 drops last season, and at most he could have been credited with one in the Buffalo game, which does not appear to be the case based on the play by play.

Something doesn't add up.

I believe it was the week 15 game against the Skins when the Giants receivers were "credited" with 12 drops with five of them to Jacobs.Not that it means he's a good receiver but when 5 of his 8 come in one game, it may skew season stats.

 

[Construction Man Jim]

My mistake, I knew it was one of the windy games...

Does anybody have a link where we can find game-by-game targets, drops etc?

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Stumbled upon an article by Micheal David Smith from last year. He seems like like Ahmad.

http://www2.nysun.com/sports/bradshaw-is-o...has-yet-to-see/

... the impact Bradshaw has on the Giants' offense is huge.

... he was buried on the running back depth chart behind Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Reuben Droughns.

It wasn't until Week 16 of the NFL season, against the Buffalo Bills, when the Giants found out what kind of offensive threat Bradshaw can be. Injuries to the other running backs gave the Giants no choice but to give Bradshaw the bulk of the workload. He responded with 17 carries for 151 yards in a victory that would clinch a playoff spot.

In Sunday's playoff victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bradshaw's role in the offense was even more important, even if his statistics weren't as impressive. Bradshaw had 66 yards on 17 carries, but several of those runs carried the Giants to victory in the fourth quarter. Of the Giants' first 11 plays in the fourth quarter, seven were handoffs to Bradshaw. Those seven went for gains of seven, eight, six, six, six, one and four yards, and they kept alive a 15-play, 92-yard touchdown drive.

The first run of the fourth quarter showed how tough Bradshaw can be: He took a handoff and was hit at the line of scrimmage by Tampa Bay defensive end Gaines Adams. He then bounced to the outside, where three more Buccaneers hit him. At that point he had his helmet knocked off, but he lunged forward for five more yards with his bare head exposed. It was that tough running that put the Giants in complete control of the game and set them up for their playoff rematch in Dallas, where Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to give the Cowboys a healthy dose of Bradshaw. Although Jacobs has earned the starting job this season, Bradshaw was more effective than Jacobs in the two games they split carries, against the Buccaneers and Bills, and that means Bradshaw needs to get the ball against the Cowboys, even if that means fewer carries than usual for Jacobs.

What makes Bradshaw a special runner is the way he slashes through holes in the line of scrimmage. Most running backs who are small and fast, like Bradshaw, have a tendency to dance around behind the line of scrimmage and avoid contact as they look to break long runs. Bradshaw doesn't do that. He lowers his shoulders and explodes through holes the way a bigger runner would. Once he gets past the line, however, he has the speed to outrun opposing linebackers and defensive backs, as he did on the 88-yard touchdown run that broke open the Buffalo game.

... the Giants appear to have had one of the best 2007 drafts of any team in the NFL. All eight members of the Giants' 2007 draft class ...

It now appears that the most talented of the eight was Bradshaw, ...

 

[TaxMan]

Stumbled upon an article by Micheal David Smith from last year. He seems like like Ahmad.

http://www2.nysun.com/sports/bradshaw-is-o...has-yet-to-see/

... the impact Bradshaw has on the Giants' offense is huge.

... he was buried on the running back depth chart behind Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Reuben Droughns.

It wasn't until Week 16 of the NFL season, against the Buffalo Bills, when the Giants found out what kind of offensive threat Bradshaw can be. Injuries to the other running backs gave the Giants no choice but to give Bradshaw the bulk of the workload. He responded with 17 carries for 151 yards in a victory that would clinch a playoff spot.

In Sunday's playoff victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Bradshaw's role in the offense was even more important, even if his statistics weren't as impressive. Bradshaw had 66 yards on 17 carries, but several of those runs carried the Giants to victory in the fourth quarter. Of the Giants' first 11 plays in the fourth quarter, seven were handoffs to Bradshaw. Those seven went for gains of seven, eight, six, six, six, one and four yards, and they kept alive a 15-play, 92-yard touchdown drive.

The first run of the fourth quarter showed how tough Bradshaw can be: He took a handoff and was hit at the line of scrimmage by Tampa Bay defensive end Gaines Adams. He then bounced to the outside, where three more Buccaneers hit him. At that point he had his helmet knocked off, but he lunged forward for five more yards with his bare head exposed. It was that tough running that put the Giants in complete control of the game and set them up for their playoff rematch in Dallas, where Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride needs to give the Cowboys a healthy dose of Bradshaw. Although Jacobs has earned the starting job this season, Bradshaw was more effective than Jacobs in the two games they split carries, against the Buccaneers and Bills, and that means Bradshaw needs to get the ball against the Cowboys, even if that means fewer carries than usual for Jacobs.

What makes Bradshaw a special runner is the way he slashes through holes in the line of scrimmage. Most running backs who are small and fast, like Bradshaw, have a tendency to dance around behind the line of scrimmage and avoid contact as they look to break long runs. Bradshaw doesn't do that. He lowers his shoulders and explodes through holes the way a bigger runner would. Once he gets past the line, however, he has the speed to outrun opposing linebackers and defensive backs, as he did on the 88-yard touchdown run that broke open the Buffalo game.

... the Giants appear to have had one of the best 2007 drafts of any team in the NFL. All eight members of the Giants' 2007 draft class ...

It now appears that the most talented of the eight was Bradshaw, ...

very nice article. thx for posting.