Cardinals RBs (1 Viewer)

[Maurile Tremblay]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with [edit] 29 receptions for Wells, 25 for Hightower, and 17 for Wright. [/edit]

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

I think you're overestimating how "high" people are on Hightower. I don't think many see him as anything other than a backup who could get a reasonable amount of playing time if the starter got hurt, which could be said about a ton of RBs in the league. I think most would put him below guys like Chester Taylor and Fred Jackson.

 

[Jack Burton]

I think the starting job is obviously Wells' for the taking. I can see him sliding into the role that Edge held for two and a half years without much of a fight. Hightower didnt fare too well in the starting role last year but as a goaline threat he did considerably good. I have my doubts about the Zona running game as a whole... which it is... a hole.

 

[msommer]

Unless Wells have major issues with blocking I like your projections. Not sure pass/rush ratio would shift dramatically unless Warner gets injured.

 

[Crippler]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

 

[Biabreakable]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

 

[FUBAR]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I agree with your point, if a RB can't block, they aren't going to put him on the field when your best weapons are an older QB and 3 WRs. I don't know about the 250 carries for rookies, but I'm not going to limit my projections based on that. Blocking is very key here.

 

[Tanner9919]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with 21 receptions for Wells, 19 for Hightower, and 13 for Wright.

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower far too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

Wells and the term 'workhorse RB' are mutually exclusive. loads of talent, questionable heart, doesn't play hurt, takes himself out of games at times..he might be another Cedric Benson ( those great Chicago years ) ..30 other teams passed over him in this year's draft...I think we know why.

and the offensive line in Az isn't the best run-blocking unit in the NFL, either..

the potential is there for Wells to succeed...but something tells me the guy might be another Chris Brown in that he'll do well in the first half of a game, and then be seen walking the sidelines in the second half leaving you wondering what is going on..

 

[Biabreakable]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I agree with your point, if a RB can't block, they aren't going to put him on the field when your best weapons are an older QB and 3 WRs. I don't know about the 250 carries for rookies, but I'm not going to limit my projections based on that. Blocking is very key here.

Ya. I wouldn't limit a projection based on the hisory neccessarily either. Just a question that popped into mind. I know it has happened before, 2 rookie RB getting over 250 carries but that occurance is pretty uncommon. Rookies need time to adjust or starters already established.I think Wells could perform really well in this offense. I remember Robert Smith (who was ok but not that great) taking advantage of CC and Moss. Could be similar situation with Wells not even being touched until he is 8 yards down field because the defense is so focused on trying to stop Fitz and Boldin. Wells has enough juice to break off some big plays.

It is all about his blocking though as far as how many carries he gets.

 

[Crippler]

3 rookies last year had 250 plus including a guy named Slaton who was small and dropped till round 3. I like Wells to get more carries than Moreno in the end but I will be in the minority on this.

As far as Wells dropping in draft. RB's are not like other positions in the end and they should drop. I find this motivation for a player and another plus. He is a first rounder and teams tried to move back up to get him(or so the rumors say) so there was still interest from others in the end.

Robert Smith with Minny was a great comparison by the way. Other than I see Wells as a better goalline back.

 

[Biabreakable]

I think Brown as a player is more similar to Robert Smith and the Cardinals said they wanted Brown more than Wells.

But the situation I think is similar and favorable for a RB.

 

[TheFanatic]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I didn't realize that Wells was such a poor blocker. I'm surprised they grabbed a guy with questionable blocking ability considering they are one hit away to riding the Leinart train to party town. Supposedly Ray Rice lost a lot of playing time last year because he missed a couple of blocks. If this guy can't block he's not going to see the field. As for Hightower, I love to watch the guy run. Runs with a ton of heart. A lot like Marion Barber IMO. And he has slimmed down this year. If losing 15 pounds can take .2 off his 40 time then he could be a monster. But alas, I doubt that happens. Too bad. The guy is a beast. A slow beast. But a beast....

 

[treat88]

I think Stephens-Howling will beat out both Hightower and Wright for 3rd down work at some point early in the season.

His skill set fits this offense very well and he offers the homerun threat both of his primary competitors lack.

I understand 7th round picks are a longshot, but given the situation and the scheme, I think he's a better bet than most 7th rounders.

 

[David Yudkin]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .

Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

 

[Biabreakable]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

Ouch.

 

[Mr. Peterson]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I didn't realize that Wells was such a poor blocker. I'm surprised they grabbed a guy with questionable blocking ability considering they are one hit away to riding the Leinart train to party town. Supposedly Ray Rice lost a lot of playing time last year because he missed a couple of blocks. If this guy can't block he's not going to see the field. As for Hightower, I love to watch the guy run. Runs with a ton of heart. A lot like Marion Barber IMO. And he has slimmed down this year. If losing 15 pounds can take .2 off his 40 time then he could be a monster. But alas, I doubt that happens. Too bad. The guy is a beast. A slow beast. But a beast....

Really? I thought Hightower has some of the worst vision I have ever seen from a RB in the NFL. The guy is nothing but heart and determination, I'll give him that. But all that means nothing if you can't recognize a running hole when you see it.

 

[Blackjacks]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

WOW!!!!! that's some good info

 

[Blackjacks]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I didn't realize that Wells was such a poor blocker. I'm surprised they grabbed a guy with questionable blocking ability considering they are one hit away to riding the Leinart train to party town. Supposedly Ray Rice lost a lot of playing time last year because he missed a couple of blocks. If this guy can't block he's not going to see the field. As for Hightower, I love to watch the guy run. Runs with a ton of heart. A lot like Marion Barber IMO. And he has slimmed down this year. If losing 15 pounds can take .2 off his 40 time then he could be a monster. But alas, I doubt that happens. Too bad. The guy is a beast. A slow beast. But a beast....

I'm sure they thought about this before giving him millions of dollars and taking him with their first round pick.Hightower isn't close to the talent MBIII is. He might run hard, which he does, but he just plainly isn't that talented.

 

[PatsWillWin]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

Wow. You'd never think this the way some people talk about Hightower.

 

[David Yudkin]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

Wow. You'd never think this the way some people talk about Hightower.

I guess people remember him for his 100+ yard game against the Rams, but other than that he didn't do very much. He did have another game over 40 yards in the post season, giving him two such games out of the 20 he played last year. From what I remember, he ran hard but just didn't get far very often. I'm sure his work as a short yardage guy hurt his ypc, but he still was overall pretty unremarkable performance wise.

 

[TheFanatic]

I think your total attempts are off.

Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Now on your spread, I would put up Wells a little but give more to HIghtower in the end of the extra 50 I think they could run.

So 255-115-20

I haven't had time to dig into this one yet but this is looking pretty good to me.I could see Wells possibly getting a bigger slice than this but how often do we have 2 rookie RB get more than 250 carries?

Blocking Ability: For all of his power and the punishment he dishes out as a runner, you would think that he would relish hitting defenders back as a blocker, but he fails to set his feet and it is rare to see him use leverage to sustain. He displays good toughness to face up and pop in pass protection, but prefers to just get in a defender's way. He is an average cut blocker downfield, but needs to generate a stronger leg base in rare chances as a lead blocker (gets pushed back in the rush lane at times). GRADE: 4.9

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1117597Wells might be limited if he struggles blocking. CBS scouts give him a pretty poor grade there. I would like to hear other opinions about that.

I think how fast he picks up pass pro is the key here.

If he struggles with this he might not get to 200 carries.

I didn't realize that Wells was such a poor blocker. I'm surprised they grabbed a guy with questionable blocking ability considering they are one hit away to riding the Leinart train to party town. Supposedly Ray Rice lost a lot of playing time last year because he missed a couple of blocks. If this guy can't block he's not going to see the field. As for Hightower, I love to watch the guy run. Runs with a ton of heart. A lot like Marion Barber IMO. And he has slimmed down this year. If losing 15 pounds can take .2 off his 40 time then he could be a monster. But alas, I doubt that happens. Too bad. The guy is a beast. A slow beast. But a beast....

I'm sure they thought about this before giving him millions of dollars and taking him with their first round pick.Hightower isn't close to the talent MBIII is. He might run hard, which he does, but he just plainly isn't that talented.

I never said he was as talented. Not even close. He just runs with the same ferocity that MBIII runs with. That's what I enjoy watching. From just a fans perspective, MBIII is the guy I like to watch play the game. Hightower has that ferociousness himself. Just without the speed or the vision. But I still like to watch him run.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I think your total attempts are off. Arizona had an NFL low 340 last year and Whisnehunt has already stated he wants to run more and he will be running the O. I can see this going to 390 at least which would still be the 5th lowest but much higher than last year. There D gains confidence and with Wells they have a RB who can give them more options.

Thanks for your comments.I think we're on the same page re total attempts. As I mentioned in the last sentence of my original post, I've got the Cardinals down for 392 rushes this year.Warner - 33Leinart - 2Wells - 241Hightower - 86Wright - 17Boldin - 6Breston - 4Doucet - 3

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

As I mentioned in the upcoming staff Over/Under Valued article . . .Hightower had a grand total of ONE game with over 40 rushing yards last year and posted a meager 2.79 ypc on the season. Of backs with at least 140 rushing attempts in a season since 1960, that ranks in the Bottom 10 out of nearly 1,443 total RB seasons.

Sounds like your Hightower blurb will be similar to mine.

 

[BoltzNBrew]

I think as long as Warner is back there the run/pass ratio will continue to be lopsided.

 

[Tau837]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with 21 receptions for Wells, 19 for Hightower, and 13 for Wright.

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower far too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

I would probably drop Wells' carries by 15 and give those to Hightower. But in general the carries projections look reasonable IMO.On the receptions, though, I think you are probably a bit low on Hightower and on the RBs in general. It seems there likely that Hightower will be the RB on the field for most obvious passing situations, given that Wells is supposedly not a good blocker... and I'm not aware that Wells is considered a good receiver either.

Hightower had 34 receptions last season, and averaged 7 ypr. That's pretty solid for a rookie. Meanwhile, James had 12 receptions and Arrington had 29. That's 75 receptions to the top 3 RBs last season, and you're projecting only 53 here. Now, I realize you are projecting a drop of 63 passing attempts, which presumably translates into about 42 fewer completions than last year... but should half of those be taken from the RBs when they caught less than 25% of the completions last year?

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Hightower had 34 receptions last season, and averaged 7 ypr. That's pretty solid for a rookie. Meanwhile, James had 12 receptions and Arrington had 29. That's 75 receptions to the top 3 RBs last season, and you're projecting only 53 here. Now, I realize you are projecting a drop of 63 passing attempts, which presumably translates into about 42 fewer completions than last year... but should half of those be taken from the RBs when they caught less than 25% of the completions last year?

Good catch. When I looked at last year's ARI stats, when I was doing RBs I was looking at receptions when I thought I was looking at targets.If I keep the ratios the same as I had them (for now -- your point about that is well taken), it would be Wells - 29, Hightower - 25, Wright - 17, for 71 total receptions.

 

[Captain Hook]

Whisenhunt would like to run more.............BUT as long as Warner is QB that won't happen > they committed to more Warner, thus more passing. Wells will be lucky to get as many carries as you have him for .......unless/until Leinart is under center and THEN the pass/run ratio will change which is what Whiz is looking at.

Good points about Hightower but he was more effective in the part time role before they made him the starter so I think he will catch more passes and be in on more third downs than you might have him projected for.

 

[FUBAR]

Whisenhunt would like to run more.............BUT as long as Warner is QB that won't happen > they committed to more Warner, thus more passing. Wells will be lucky to get as many carries as you have him for .......unless/until Leinart is under center and THEN the pass/run ratio will change which is what Whiz is looking at.

Good points about Hightower but he was more effective in the part time role before they made him the starter so I think he will catch more passes and be in on more third downs than you might have him projected for.

I'm not sure if you're right or wrong, but why wouldn't the coach game plan for more running, which should lead to less of an emphasis on the D to attack Warner, which in theory, extends his career (or at least health). You don't usually draft a RB in the 1st without the intent to run more.

 

[Biabreakable]

Supposedly Wells has decent hands but we wont know until he plays if that is true or if they will use him that way or not since he was hardly used as a reciever in ohio.

 

[Yitbos69]

Supposedly Wells has decent hands but we wont know until he plays if that is true or if they will use him that way or not since he was hardly used as a reciever in ohio.

The WR's were rarely used as receiver's in Ohio so I don't think that's a knock on Wells...

 

[lyon812]

It's not terribly tough to figure out. Wells and Hightower should get most of the work.

I know people are really down on Hightower, but it's the Peter Principle at work; he was effective enough at a basic role that he was promoted to something role that he isn't suited for (lead back). The Cardinals realized this in the playoffs--I don't really buy any "resting James' legs" excuse--and Hightower was a very useful contributor once he was back in the backup role. Not a stud, no. But he was useful.

One thing I keep seeing is people thinking he's slow. Just to clarify, he isn't. He has good acceleration and solid speed. He ran a 4.51 at his Pro Day, which is the same as Donald Brown and faster than Moreno. Numerous times he showed the ability to break away for long runs. He possesses good acceleration, which helped him take short passes and quickly move them up the field. He has excellent hands and some thump at the end.

What people THINK is physical slowness is actually mental. He hasn't adjusted to how much faster holes close in the NFL. It's not physical slowness, it's that he's unable to process and improvise and winds up running up the back of his lineman (or into a defender) where the hole USED to be. His effort and determination means he can get 1-2 yards from sheer will alone, but that doesn't cut it except in short-yardage situations.

I think this is why he works well as a passing game option. He does well out in space, where he's able to simply burst and go. It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks.

I think a lot of projections are underestimating him. I don't think he'll ever threaten Wells' hold as a starter, but I think he'll continue in his role and take over the majority of Arrrington's as well. Since he's effective in both short yardage and the passing game, he'll be valuable on 3rd downs because the defense will be kept guessing much more than if Well sis in there. I think they'll use Hightower to keep defenses guessing and to give Wells--who is notoriously fragile, whether that will follow him to the NFL or not--a rest.

 

[msommer]

I think Stephens-Howling will beat out both Hightower and Wright for 3rd down work at some point early in the season.

His skill set fits this offense very well and he offers the homerun threat both of his primary competitors lack.

I understand 7th round picks are a longshot, but given the situation and the scheme, I think he's a better bet than most 7th rounders.

I laughed out loud when I saw this. Of course I also misread the player and thought you were pimping This guy - Stephen Hawking

 

[T Bell]

Whisenhunt would like to run more.............BUT as long as Warner is QB that won't happen > they committed to more Warner, thus more passing. Wells will be lucky to get as many carries as you have him for .......unless/until Leinart is under center and THEN the pass/run ratio will change which is what Whiz is looking at.

Good points about Hightower but he was more effective in the part time role before they made him the starter so I think he will catch more passes and be in on more third downs than you might have him projected for.

I'm not sure if you're right or wrong, but why wouldn't the coach game plan for more running, which should lead to less of an emphasis on the D to attack Warner, which in theory, extends his career (or at least health). You don't usually draft a RB in the 1st without the intent to run more.

He's got the most fragile QB in the league, so he's going to run more if he can. The o-line figures to improve with its run-blocking with another offseason under Grimm, and that will take some of the pass pressure and injury risk off of Warner by shortening the games.

 

[Eminence]

Watch Hightower's playoff highlights... when they called his number the guy made plays happen. Remember he was a rookie who performed in the clutch.

The guy has a future on the team.

 

[Orlando RMF]

It's not terribly tough to figure out. Wells and Hightower should get most of the work.

I know people are really down on Hightower, but it's the Peter Principle at work; he was effective enough at a basic role that he was promoted to something role that he isn't suited for (lead back). The Cardinals realized this in the playoffs--I don't really buy any "resting James' legs" excuse--and Hightower was a very useful contributor once he was back in the backup role. Not a stud, no. But he was useful.

One thing I keep seeing is people thinking he's slow. Just to clarify, he isn't. He has good acceleration and solid speed. He ran a 4.51 at his Pro Day, which is the same as Donald Brown and faster than Moreno. Numerous times he showed the ability to break away for long runs. He possesses good acceleration, which helped him take short passes and quickly move them up the field. He has excellent hands and some thump at the end.

What people THINK is physical slowness is actually mental. He hasn't adjusted to how much faster holes close in the NFL. It's not physical slowness, it's that he's unable to process and improvise and winds up running up the back of his lineman (or into a defender) where the hole USED to be. His effort and determination means he can get 1-2 yards from sheer will alone, but that doesn't cut it except in short-yardage situations.

I think this is why he works well as a passing game option. He does well out in space, where he's able to simply burst and go. It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks.

I think a lot of projections are underestimating him. I don't think he'll ever threaten Wells' hold as a starter, but I think he'll continue in his role and take over the majority of Arrrington's as well. Since he's effective in both short yardage and the passing game, he'll be valuable on 3rd downs because the defense will be kept guessing much more than if Well sis in there. I think they'll use Hightower to keep defenses guessing and to give Wells--who is notoriously fragile, whether that will follow him to the NFL or not--a rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYeleDrCaQFor all those who think Wells is soft and not going to hit you, plus he'll be a used more for short yardage need to watch this since you obviously haven't seen much of him. This is also his 2008 season that coaches agree he was playing hurt.

 

[lyon812]

It's not terribly tough to figure out. Wells and Hightower should get most of the work.

I know people are really down on Hightower, but it's the Peter Principle at work; he was effective enough at a basic role that he was promoted to something role that he isn't suited for (lead back). The Cardinals realized this in the playoffs--I don't really buy any "resting James' legs" excuse--and Hightower was a very useful contributor once he was back in the backup role. Not a stud, no. But he was useful.

One thing I keep seeing is people thinking he's slow. Just to clarify, he isn't. He has good acceleration and solid speed. He ran a 4.51 at his Pro Day, which is the same as Donald Brown and faster than Moreno. Numerous times he showed the ability to break away for long runs. He possesses good acceleration, which helped him take short passes and quickly move them up the field. He has excellent hands and some thump at the end.

What people THINK is physical slowness is actually mental. He hasn't adjusted to how much faster holes close in the NFL. It's not physical slowness, it's that he's unable to process and improvise and winds up running up the back of his lineman (or into a defender) where the hole USED to be. His effort and determination means he can get 1-2 yards from sheer will alone, but that doesn't cut it except in short-yardage situations.

I think this is why he works well as a passing game option. He does well out in space, where he's able to simply burst and go. It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks.

I think a lot of projections are underestimating him. I don't think he'll ever threaten Wells' hold as a starter, but I think he'll continue in his role and take over the majority of Arrrington's as well. Since he's effective in both short yardage and the passing game, he'll be valuable on 3rd downs because the defense will be kept guessing much more than if Well sis in there. I think they'll use Hightower to keep defenses guessing and to give Wells--who is notoriously fragile, whether that will follow him to the NFL or not--a rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYeleDrCaQFor all those who think Wells is soft and not going to hit you, plus he'll be a used more for short yardage need to watch this since you obviously haven't seen much of him. This is also his 2008 season that coaches agree he was playing hurt.

Just to clarify, you shouldn't confuse my mentioning he has a reputation for being fragile with "being soft and not going to hit you". Those are two completely disparate concepts. Likewise, a potential lack of durability doesn't mean he lacks effort, or heart, or desire to play when hurt. He has a well-documented history of nagging injuries throughout his college career. Facing tougher, more physical defenses means that a standard three-down workload might work against him. Think Brandon Jacobs. He's clearly an amazing running back, but the Giants know what they're doing by limiting his carries and maximizing his production.

Arizona would be smart to do the same with Wells. Considering that Hightower has demonstrated success in the passing game and short yardage, they'd be crazy not to utilize him.

 

[Orlando RMF]

It's not terribly tough to figure out. Wells and Hightower should get most of the work.

I know people are really down on Hightower, but it's the Peter Principle at work; he was effective enough at a basic role that he was promoted to something role that he isn't suited for (lead back). The Cardinals realized this in the playoffs--I don't really buy any "resting James' legs" excuse--and Hightower was a very useful contributor once he was back in the backup role. Not a stud, no. But he was useful.

One thing I keep seeing is people thinking he's slow. Just to clarify, he isn't. He has good acceleration and solid speed. He ran a 4.51 at his Pro Day, which is the same as Donald Brown and faster than Moreno. Numerous times he showed the ability to break away for long runs. He possesses good acceleration, which helped him take short passes and quickly move them up the field. He has excellent hands and some thump at the end.

What people THINK is physical slowness is actually mental. He hasn't adjusted to how much faster holes close in the NFL. It's not physical slowness, it's that he's unable to process and improvise and winds up running up the back of his lineman (or into a defender) where the hole USED to be. His effort and determination means he can get 1-2 yards from sheer will alone, but that doesn't cut it except in short-yardage situations.

I think this is why he works well as a passing game option. He does well out in space, where he's able to simply burst and go. It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks.

I think a lot of projections are underestimating him. I don't think he'll ever threaten Wells' hold as a starter, but I think he'll continue in his role and take over the majority of Arrrington's as well. Since he's effective in both short yardage and the passing game, he'll be valuable on 3rd downs because the defense will be kept guessing much more than if Well sis in there. I think they'll use Hightower to keep defenses guessing and to give Wells--who is notoriously fragile, whether that will follow him to the NFL or not--a rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYeleDrCaQFor all those who think Wells is soft and not going to hit you, plus he'll be a used more for short yardage need to watch this since you obviously haven't seen much of him. This is also his 2008 season that coaches agree he was playing hurt.

Just to clarify, you shouldn't confuse my mentioning he has a reputation for being fragile with "being soft and not going to hit you". Those are two completely disparate concepts. Likewise, a potential lack of durability doesn't mean he lacks effort, or heart, or desire to play when hurt. He has a well-documented history of nagging injuries throughout his college career. Facing tougher, more physical defenses means that a standard three-down workload might work against him. Think Brandon Jacobs. He's clearly an amazing running back, but the Giants know what they're doing by limiting his carries and maximizing his production.

Arizona would be smart to do the same with Wells. Considering that Hightower has demonstrated success in the passing game and short yardage, they'd be crazy not to utilize him.

I wasn't really picking on you. Except for maybe this "It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks". You were actually somewhat supportive, but my comments were to address the variety of assertations (by others) that he lacks the ability to make people miss, or he's soft, he's not fast, etc.... I think he will do quite well for the Cardinals.

 

[Blackjacks]

A couple of things about Wells.....

1) From the YOUTUBE clip above he made one very nice catch on a screen play and actually made a more impressive catch from an option pitch (hard play in traffic)

2) in his 3 years at Ohio State he never had a very good qb and is use to seeing 8 or 9 in the box since high school. This year he WILL NEVER see that.

I'm excited to see what he can do. I see him getting a large majority of the touches this year. If he can pick up in the blocking scheme I think he could be a top 10-15 rb this year. If he can't pick up the blocking scheme it will be hard for him to be in alot due to alot of paaing plays.

 

[lyon812]

It's not terribly tough to figure out. Wells and Hightower should get most of the work.

I know people are really down on Hightower, but it's the Peter Principle at work; he was effective enough at a basic role that he was promoted to something role that he isn't suited for (lead back). The Cardinals realized this in the playoffs--I don't really buy any "resting James' legs" excuse--and Hightower was a very useful contributor once he was back in the backup role. Not a stud, no. But he was useful.

One thing I keep seeing is people thinking he's slow. Just to clarify, he isn't. He has good acceleration and solid speed. He ran a 4.51 at his Pro Day, which is the same as Donald Brown and faster than Moreno. Numerous times he showed the ability to break away for long runs. He possesses good acceleration, which helped him take short passes and quickly move them up the field. He has excellent hands and some thump at the end.

What people THINK is physical slowness is actually mental. He hasn't adjusted to how much faster holes close in the NFL. It's not physical slowness, it's that he's unable to process and improvise and winds up running up the back of his lineman (or into a defender) where the hole USED to be. His effort and determination means he can get 1-2 yards from sheer will alone, but that doesn't cut it except in short-yardage situations.

I think this is why he works well as a passing game option. He does well out in space, where he's able to simply burst and go. It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks.

I think a lot of projections are underestimating him. I don't think he'll ever threaten Wells' hold as a starter, but I think he'll continue in his role and take over the majority of Arrrington's as well. Since he's effective in both short yardage and the passing game, he'll be valuable on 3rd downs because the defense will be kept guessing much more than if Well sis in there. I think they'll use Hightower to keep defenses guessing and to give Wells--who is notoriously fragile, whether that will follow him to the NFL or not--a rest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYeleDrCaQFor all those who think Wells is soft and not going to hit you, plus he'll be a used more for short yardage need to watch this since you obviously haven't seen much of him. This is also his 2008 season that coaches agree he was playing hurt.

Just to clarify, you shouldn't confuse my mentioning he has a reputation for being fragile with "being soft and not going to hit you". Those are two completely disparate concepts. Likewise, a potential lack of durability doesn't mean he lacks effort, or heart, or desire to play when hurt. He has a well-documented history of nagging injuries throughout his college career. Facing tougher, more physical defenses means that a standard three-down workload might work against him. Think Brandon Jacobs. He's clearly an amazing running back, but the Giants know what they're doing by limiting his carries and maximizing his production.

Arizona would be smart to do the same with Wells. Considering that Hightower has demonstrated success in the passing game and short yardage, they'd be crazy not to utilize him.

I wasn't really picking on you. Except for maybe this "It's when he's forced to anticipate and react to the development of the play that he sucks". You were actually somewhat supportive, but my comments were to address the variety of assertations (by others) that he lacks the ability to make people miss, or he's soft, he's not fast, etc.... I think he will do quite well for the Cardinals.

No problem. I'll stand by the statement you quoted about Hightower, though. I watched most of the AZ games, and am a Hightower owner. He does great when he doesn't have to figure out what's going in in front of him.

 

[footballman_696969]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with [edit] 29 receptions for Wells, 25 for Hightower, and 17 for Wright. [/edit]

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

I'm also having a tough time projecting numbers for the Arizona backfield. I think the pass-run ratio will look more similar to 2007 when Whisenhunt was in his first year coaching the team. I'm excited about Wells and think he is a very talented rb with good size. The Cardinals took him in the first round so they are obviously excited about what the kid can do too. What is really bothering me is figuring out where Hightower fits into the situation. Last year he was put into the game for short yardage and goaline situations. He also started a few games in place of an old Edge, who was being rested for the playoffs. He has been working hard this offseason and even shed some weight. Now the Cardinals have Wells, who is more talented and also a big rb who can be used in goaline and short yardage situations as well.

Right now I have Wells around 15 carries/game & 9 tds and Hightower around 7 carries/game & 5 tds. I will be watching this situation closely in training camp and preseason.

 

[MAC_32]

Tress and Buckeye beat guys have reported in the past re Beanie's unwillingness to block and Tress' lack of desire to ask him to block. Why? Good question, don't have an answer, but whatever the reason I wouldn't expect him in on passing downs this year and possibly ever. Arizona drafted Beanie to be their guy, if he toughens up he can be, but everything I've seen of him since he got to school leads me to believe it won't happen.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

Tress and Buckeye beat guys have reported in the past re Beanie's unwillingness to block and Tress' lack of desire to ask him to block. Why? Good question, don't have an answer, but whatever the reason I wouldn't expect him in on passing downs this year and possibly ever. Arizona drafted Beanie to be their guy, if he toughens up he can be, but everything I've seen of him since he got to school leads me to believe it won't happen.

And in Arizona, every down is a passing down.

 

[Biabreakable]

Tress and Buckeye beat guys have reported in the past re Beanie's unwillingness to block and Tress' lack of desire to ask him to block. Why? Good question, don't have an answer, but whatever the reason I wouldn't expect him in on passing downs this year and possibly ever. Arizona drafted Beanie to be their guy, if he toughens up he can be, but everything I've seen of him since he got to school leads me to believe it won't happen.

The 2 most important skills in football are blocking and tackling.I just don't understand why a coach would not require Wells to block.

 

[MAC_32]

Tress and Buckeye beat guys have reported in the past re Beanie's unwillingness to block and Tress' lack of desire to ask him to block. Why? Good question, don't have an answer, but whatever the reason I wouldn't expect him in on passing downs this year and possibly ever. Arizona drafted Beanie to be their guy, if he toughens up he can be, but everything I've seen of him since he got to school leads me to believe it won't happen.

The 2 most important skills in football are blocking and tackling.I just don't understand why a coach would not require Wells to block.

I think it comes back to that lack of toughness that Tress has hounded Beanie about since he got to school, but that's just a reasonable guess on my part. Beanie's a special talent, but if the want-to is not there what do you have? Willis McGahee.

 

[Blackjacks]

Tress and Buckeye beat guys have reported in the past re Beanie's unwillingness to block and Tress' lack of desire to ask him to block. Why? Good question, don't have an answer, but whatever the reason I wouldn't expect him in on passing downs this year and possibly ever. Arizona drafted Beanie to be their guy, if he toughens up he can be, but everything I've seen of him since he got to school leads me to believe it won't happen.

The 2 most important skills in football are blocking and tackling.I just don't understand why a coach would not require Wells to block.

and I don't understand why the Cardinals would take him in the first round if they didn't intend on him blocking in a pass first offense

 

[Mikey16x]

Personally, I think all of Hightowers value was lost on draft day barring an injury. Beanie needs no relief around the GL and it's not like the Cardinals are financially invested in Hightower, the guy was a late round draft pick that signed for backup money. He did pretty good in relief of the aging James and had a couple of good games, but not enough to drink the kool-aid. Wells is a better runner, better vision and is great at the GL himself, I don't see Hightower taking carries. Wells will be the workhorse with Hightower spelling him for 7-10 carries a game.

 

[kremenull]

Name me one college star RB who spent a lot of time, and more importantly energy, blocking for their QB. Simply doesn't happen, nor should a star RB wear down his body when there aren't many exotic blitzes nor superior pass rushes at the college level to be all that concerned with blocking. Sure, he's gonna block a little bit, but the QB should be able to get rid of the ball in college almost any time. If my future career is looking very bright (and I am a college RB), I sure wouldn't try and be some herculian blocker on pass plays. Just give me the ball and let me run to daylight will be my motto (in college).

Now, when the $$$ gets to rolling in, and you're playing for keeps in the NFL, then yes, you better be a willing and able blocker for your franchise QB. It's a whole different ballgame with blitz pkgs, and the investment in and shortage of elite QBs in the NFL. I say this simply to address the consensus in here that Wells sucks at blocking. I don't buy that.....not at this point. Every RB has to prove himself in this aspect entering the league, and pretty much it's 99% willingess, the technique can be taught.

 

[32 Counter Pass]

I am waiting to make any firm projections on this situation. I have the Cardinal ratios at 585 pass and 389 run. Whisenhunt's comment about running the ball more is meaningless. Every coach that isn't named Mike Martz wants to run the ball more—if it is effective. The Cardinals have not shown the ability to do so since Whisenhunt became coach.

Wells may have the ability to change this situation but I want to see him at least run effectively in the training camp/preseason before committing to any projections. I think I am lot higher than most on Hightower as a value play, depending on his ADP. Worst case scenario for Hightower is that Wells shows the ability to move the chains and becomes the 1st and 2nd down back. Hightower then becomes a change-of-pace RB, third down back, with some goal line opportunities. That is not a bad situation to be in with this offense.

 

[•TheRealMcCoy]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with 21 receptions for Wells, 19 for Hightower, and 13 for Wright.

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower far too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

Wells and the term 'workhorse RB' are mutually exclusive. loads of talent, questionable heart, doesn't play hurt, takes himself out of games at times..he might be another Cedric Benson ( those great Chicago years ) ..30 other teams passed over him in this year's draft...I think we know why.

and the offensive line in Az isn't the best run-blocking unit in the NFL, either..

the potential is there for Wells to succeed...but something tells me the guy might be another Chris Brown in that he'll do well in the first half of a game, and then be seen walking the sidelines in the second half leaving you wondering what is going on..

Man, you couldnt have summed it up any better than this Tanner! I agree 100%. Im on the opposite side of the world on the above comments! For everyone to be down on Hightower is crazy? He looked good in the playoffs! He is in his 2nd year! Wells is a rookie! He is always hurt! And doesnt seem to have that passion most great RBs have! And like you mentioned, 30 other teams passed on him!

Hes a great High risk Very high reward type player. But if I have him on any teams I will pay dearly for Hightower too!!

 

[Jason Wood]

I think this is one of the tough backfields to figure out. (I'll start threads on a couple of others as well.)

Wells is an extremely gifted athlete, and I see him as the workhorse RB.

I'm not all that impressed with Hightower other than as a short-yardage & goal-line back. And with Wells on board, I'm not sure he'll come out of the game at the goal line. So I'm lower on Hightower than a lot of people are.

Wright is a decent backup RB, but I don't think he'll see a lot of playing time if Wells and Hightower are healthy.

Right now, if I had to guess, I'd go with about 241 carries for Wells, 86 for Hightower, and maybe 15-20 for Wright.

In the passing game, I'll go with [edit] 29 receptions for Wells, 25 for Hightower, and 17 for Wright. [/edit]

Do those ratios look reasonable to you, or am I giving Hightower too little credit?

Also -- bonus question -- Arizona had an INSANE 630-340 pass-run ratio last season. Will it be that lopsided again? I'm predicting something more along the lines of 567-392 this season.

I'm certainly in agreement with you MT. I'm even higher on Wells than you, judging by our projections. I have him for 270+ carries and 1,100 yards rushing. I expect the run/pass balance to normalize this year, mainly because they have Wells in place and will now have a reliable option, something they didn't have [or didn't think they had] last year.