Brian Calhoun: Looking solid (1 Viewer)

[Rev]

http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2008/...ns_earn_ro.html

Sure, this is the time of year when scrubs have a nice day in practice and get praised like Pro Bowlers. Sure this probably has little to do with Calhoun's actual potential to produce this year or beyond. But, given that he has been rotting on the waiver wire in plenty of leagues, I'd say his value just went up.

 

[skillz]

It seems like there is a piece like this on Calhoun every year and then he ends up injured on IR. At best, he is in a RBBC anyway with Kevin Smith IMO on a crappy team so I think the waiver wire is the right place for him.

 

[Todem]

Loved him coming out of college.

He has been a huge dissapointment to say the least. I have written him off. This is no doubt going to be Kevin Smith's show at RB.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

fluff piece

 

[Routilla]

I didn't think the DET RB position was relevant anymore in terms of FF.

 

[Alluro]

Who?

 

[bonesman]

It seems like there is a piece like this on Calhoun every year and then he ends up injured on IR. At best, he is in a RBBC anyway with Kevin Smith IMO on a crappy team so I think the waiver wire is the right place for him.

dating all the way back to the golden age of 2006.... it sure was a more simple time then :widdle:

 

[msommer]

It seems like there is a piece like this on Calhoun every year and then he ends up injured on IR. At best, he is in a RBBC anyway with Kevin Smith IMO on a crappy team so I think the waiver wire is the right place for him.

So, will that be the right place for Smith as well then?

 

[AB in DC]

After they see what they have in Kevin Smith and Brian Calhoun, I would not be surprised at all if the Lions end up re-signing Kevin Jones halfway through training camp.

 

[BigJim®]

I really liked Calhoun coming out of college. Great to hear good news on him but this is definitely a make or break season. He could get some opportunity if the coaching staff likes what it sees and Kevin Smith is not immediately NFL-ready. I believe Adam Schefter of NFL network reported late last season that the Lions remained 'very high' on Calhoun... which was somewhat surprising following a second injured season.

 

[skillz]

It seems like there is a piece like this on Calhoun every year and then he ends up injured on IR. At best, he is in a RBBC anyway with Kevin Smith IMO on a crappy team so I think the waiver wire is the right place for him.

So, will that be the right place for Smith as well then?

I am not a fan of the Lions offense. Granted they are trying to patch up the line and go to a power running game, but the bottom line is the line is still below average and Kitna is still the QB. With Martz gone, Kitna will regress and there are already rumblings that Stanton may get an opportunity to start during the season. At most, Smith will be horribly inconsistent (as the Lions are) during the season. He may get a 100 yards and a TD one week, and then disappear with 3 games where he rushes for no TD's and a 100 total yards. He will be way too inconsistent to use as a reliable starter and I wouldn't want to deal with the headache. Let someone else deal with it.

 

[skillz]

It seems like there is a piece like this on Calhoun every year and then he ends up injured on IR. At best, he is in a RBBC anyway with Kevin Smith IMO on a crappy team so I think the waiver wire is the right place for him.

dating all the way back to the golden age of 2006.... it sure was a more simple time then :widdle:

The point is he has proven he can't stay healthy for an entire season (two in a row) so why get excited about him now. While he was good at Wisconsin, he is just another example of a draft pick that is a bust under the Millen regime. Don't let the fluff piece fool you into believing otherwise.

 

[MAC_32]

I cannot believe I am contemplating keeping this guy, even after he's rotted on my teams' IR for two years.

 

[Duke1948]

He may get a 100 yards and a TD one week, and then disappear with 3 games where he rushes for no TD's and a 100 total yards. He will be way too inconsistent to use as a reliable starter and I wouldn't want to deal with the headache. Let someone else deal with it.

sounds very much like half of the league.....inconsistent or RBBC take your pick but you will have to draft some of these guys, just choose your poison carefully.

 

[T Bell]

Michael Bennett II.

 

[Lord of the Rings]

15 posts and yet no one has said:

"It's all a ploy to motivate..."

Come on guys. Get with it.

 

[Iron_Far]

Michael Bennett II.

You need motivation.

 

[Alluro]

Calhoun goes down way too easily. He may look good in shorts running unmolested, but wait until he gets smacked around a few times. He could be a solid 3rd down/change of pace back however.

 

[Englishteacher]

Michael Bennett II.

Michael Bennett at least did something in his career.

 

[brock]

Michael Bennett II.

which still makes him > tater bell

 

[gianmarco]

I'd give my take on what I think of Calhoun and how he looks running the ball, but it's been so long since he's been on the field that I barely remember what his face looks like let alone how he looks carrying a football......

 

[ourmanflint]

Weren't they saying the same thing about Tatum "Big Belly" Bell last year?

 

[zamboni]

fluff piece

Agreed - the same article says that Smith is expected to be the starter, and just yesterday Marinelli was saying good things about the rookieWe see this all the time - just about every player looks good in May.

 

[BigJim®]

Calhoun goes down way too easily. He may look good in shorts running unmolested, but wait until he gets smacked around a few times. He could be a solid 3rd down/change of pace back however.

Based on what? The guy has had 14 carries in 2 seasons, averaging 3.9 yards. I can only assume you are looking to his senior year in college to criticize... you know, when he had 401 total touches, accounting for 2207 yards and 24 total TDs? Did he go down easy then?

 

[Alluro]

Calhoun goes down way too easily. He may look good in shorts running unmolested, but wait until he gets smacked around a few times. He could be a solid 3rd down/change of pace back however.

Based on what? The guy has had 14 carries in 2 seasons, averaging 3.9 yards. I can only assume you are looking to his senior year in college to criticize... you know, when he had 401 total touches, accounting for 2207 yards and 24 total TDs? Did he go down easy then?

Ever heard of the preseason?

 

[az_prof]

I don't know that he will be worth anything and I tend to doubt it, but if I were a Kevin Smith owner I would want Calhoun as a handcuff/insurance. There is no guarantee Smith will be ready to be a featured NFL back this season.

 

[BigJim®]

BTW- by no means am I predicting Calhoun will start for the Lions. That said, I'll throw this out there for the guys saying Calhoun should be given up on like FA fodder, or that the Lions staff could not seriously be high on him. One thing that caught my attention was the praise Calhoun got from Barry Alvarez after just one season at Wisconsin, following a 200+ yard bowl game performance.

Calhoun, a junior pondering a leap to the NFL, rushed 30 times and scored on a 33-yard run in the fourth quarter. Then he got the highest praise from a coach who has coached star tailbacks like Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne.

"We've had MVPs of three Rose Bowls and they're all running backs," Alvarez said. "When we win big games, our running backs play well. This one happens to be the most talented one that we've had."

Hyperbole? Perhaps. But Ron Dayne and Michael Bennett jokes aside, Alvarez's assessment of his talent is something that I paid attention to, and why I've held him to see how this injury stuff plays out. Also, I'd love to hear anyone justify the Michael Bennett comparisons I'm reading here, other than them both being former Badgers. Calhoun is all about cutting and eluding tackles, while Bennett has never made a cut in his life and is purely a straight-line speed runner.

 

[TheFanatic]

There really isn't much in this blurb other than the HC saying he's not a third down back. He's not saying the kid is a starter or anything:

-- Third-year running back Brian Calhoun, who missed most of the last two years with the same knee injury, looked solid in drills on Tuesday."I think what we're doing really fits him well. That's what he did well in college," Marinelli said. "He's got good vision -- he really does - and he can cut well. He's really healthy. He's comfortable in what we're doing, he's not just a third-down back, he's a back. I think he sees it and it's wide open."

 

[BigJim®]

Calhoun goes down way too easily. He may look good in shorts running unmolested, but wait until he gets smacked around a few times. He could be a solid 3rd down/change of pace back however.

Based on what? The guy has had 14 carries in 2 seasons, averaging 3.9 yards. I can only assume you are looking to his senior year in college to criticize... you know, when he had 401 total touches, accounting for 2207 yards and 24 total TDs? Did he go down easy then?

Ever heard of the preseason?

Yes. Point please? Last preseason he had some preseason action 8 months removed from ACL. Do you feel you've seen enough of Calhoun [healthy] to make a solid determination of his abilities? If I posted the preseason YPC for some elite backs you might be surprised and conclude they go down easy. Also, as mentioned I'm not pining for this guy as a starter. I'm mainly suggesting he could be a sleeper candidate.

 

[pretender]

If the Lions can put together a decent offensive line - Calhoun once he is fully healthy is a dangerous weapon - he can catch the ball he has a 2nd and 3rd gear - makes quick changes (all of this from his days at WI but as Alveraz pointed out - he is very talented). I am still high on him and have not given up on him yet. Everyone is going RBBC - so Bell and Calhoun or Smith and Calhoun - it could be a match made in heaven.

just my 1.25 cents (recession you know)

 

[zamboni]

There really isn't much in this blurb other than the HC saying he's not a third down back. He's not saying the kid is a starter or anything

Seriously - lots of conjecture here out of one relatively inconsequential quote.

 

[aggie_dave]

But Ron Dayne and Michael Bennett jokes aside...

You kinda got to figure that all those jokes that litter this board have a basis somewhere. Seriously, if the monumental talents that Alvarez has witnessed encompass all of Bennett and Dayne, then I might think twice about taking his words at face value. I mean really, if I told you every year that Charles Rogers was going to come back and have a monster season, how many times would you believe me?

 

[T Bell]

Michael Bennett II.

which still makes him > tater bell

I'll get my chance. You'll see.

 

[loose circuits]

somebody has to get the rock in Detroit. I think all 4 backs have an opportunity to step up. I would not discount Artose Pinner who can grind it out and sounds like actually the best fit for that offense

 

[Jedimaster21]

This is the kind of player that you try to obtain. He has minimal competition besides the unproven Kevin Smith, and he can be had for a next to nothing.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

 

[T Bell]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Stop focusing on the negative. Hater.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Stop focusing on the negative. Hater.

He's just stating the facts. :shrugs:

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Stop focusing on the negative. Hater.

 

[Yitbos69]

I know most of you know way more than the coach in situations like these........What the coach is saying here is that this kid is going to get the chance to compete for the starting RB position. If this kid beats out Smith as the starting running back in Detroit the sky is the limit really. I would put him down for 1700/14 as the starting RB in DET.

 

[BigJim®]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

 

[T Bell]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

May reports or August/September reports...Everyone's a stud in May.

 

[BigJim®]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

May reports or August/September reports...Everyone's a stud in May.

Well, you would know all about that Tatum.

 

[mdog1967]

After they see what they have in Kevin Smith and Brian Calhoun, I would not be surprised at all if the Lions end up re-signing Kevin Jones halfway through training camp.

< -and- > But mostly

 

[King of the Jungle]

I know most of you know way more than the coach in situations like these........What the coach is saying here is that this kid is going to get the chance to compete for the starting RB position. If this kid beats out Smith as the starting running back in Detroit the sky is the limit really. I would put him down for 1700/14 as the starting RB in DET.

Not bashing, but I don't remember the last time a DET RB had a year like that.

 

[T Bell]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

May reports or August/September reports...Everyone's a stud in May.

Well, you would know all about that Tatum.

You don't really think I'm Tatum Bell, do you?

 

[Couch Potato]

I know most of you Couch Potato knows way more than the all coaches in all situations like these

Fixed.

 

[Couch Potato]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

May reports or August/September reports...Everyone's a stud in May.

Well, you would know all about that Tatum.

You don't really think I'm Tatum Bell, do you?

Of course not. We all know it's an alias. You're really Rat Shanahan.

 

[TheFanatic]

somebody has to get the rock in Detroit. I think all 4 backs have an opportunity to step up. I would not discount Artose Pinner who can grind it out and sounds like actually the best fit for that offense

Is that you JWDKJDJEJSLEJERTHD?Did you actually say Artose Pinner as the best fit for an offense. He is not the best fit for any offense which is why he never gets above 3rd on any depth chart and is just happy to have a job on special teams...

 

[BigJim®]

Calhoun will never be more than a 3rd down back at best no matter what happens here. He can't run between the tackles, he isn't very fast and he never breaks a tackle.

Marinelli: "He's not just a third-down back, he's a back."

Hmmmm Marinelli or Borbely... Adam Schefter or Borbely...

May reports or August/September reports...Everyone's a stud in May.

Well, you would know all about that Tatum.

You don't really think I'm Tatum Bell, do you?

Who do you think you are?