[DYNASTY] 2011 Top 24 Rookies (1 Viewer)

[loose circuits]

What are the chances BJGE remains on the team? What are the chances Woodhead ever has a role bigger than he had last year? I still like Vereen in this situation. I think he's the best back on NE's roster and that will equal points. I'm not sure Thomas is any better than a 29 yo Ronnie Brown (granted he did nothing last year), and I am pretty certain he's not as good as DeAngelo Williams (in the doomsday scenario for Thomas). I don't see NE or Det adding any other options anytime soon.If both Vereen and Thomas are big share of committee backs, I think I'd rather have Vereen.

I'd say the odds BGE stays on the team are 100% in fact I'd argue he'll be on the active 45 for 16 weeks if he stays healthy. He plays the specials, he plays FB, he'll do whatever they ask of him. There is at least 2 new roster spots for RB's with Morris & Tayor departing with Woodhead replacing Faulk. still a chance he gets a share and I think that is one situation to avoid. Maybe it's caused me to miss on Shane Vereen as I picked Leshoure at 1.07 and Helu ahead at 1.09 because I was hoping to catch Vereen at 1.10 in the 2nd league to tandem him with BGE but he went one spot ahead and I ended up with Helu again. They are even to me, but I'm from Nebraska and know that Roy Helu is one of the good guys. He's going to work every day and do the right things off the field. He's definitely one of the good guys.either way, they are all pretty good lottery tickets. At that point last year some were grabbing RB's with far lesser situations.

 

[Rodeojones]

Great post EBF...thanks.

 

[BigTex]

14. RB DeMarco Murray, Cowboys - I'm an admitted DeMarco Murray hater. People have been hyping him for years and I've just never understood what the fuss was about. He has an unconventional build for a pro RB and an awkward running style. I thought he would go quietly, but then he blew up at the Senior Bowl and put on a show at the combine. There's no denying that Murray is vertically explosive. He's fast in a straight line and an interesting prospect as a pass catcher out of the backfield. On the other hand, I've seen him at his 1 YPC worst. He lacks power and just doesn't look like a fluid rusher to me. I don't like him, but he was a high pick and if a uniquely-built runner like Darren McFadden can achieve some success in the NFL then I can't totally write off Murray. I don't really see how he fits in with Dallas because there's a lot of skill overlap with Felix Jones, but they didn't draft him to watch him sit on the bench, so if nothing else he should get some carries as a COOP back. Is he the long-term answer at RB for this team or your FF squad? I'd be surprised.

If I had a magic time machine to see any 2011 rookie's future, this would be the guy. Guy seems to have about a 25% approval rating in this forum and I just don't get it. So he's not powerful, but he definitely does not shy away from contact, he has elite (or near elite) physical attributes and his vision/instinct seems excellent. Can't wait to see what develops.

When used to get A LOT of hype in this forum but after his injury people cooled on him as he clearly wasn't the same runner for some time. This year he has a fairly decent year and you can see some of the flashes he had before the injury.

 

[squistion]

14. RB DeMarco Murray, Cowboys - I'm an admitted DeMarco Murray hater. People have been hyping him for years and I've just never understood what the fuss was about. He has an unconventional build for a pro RB and an awkward running style. I thought he would go quietly, but then he blew up at the Senior Bowl and put on a show at the combine. There's no denying that Murray is vertically explosive. He's fast in a straight line and an interesting prospect as a pass catcher out of the backfield. On the other hand, I've seen him at his 1 YPC worst. He lacks power and just doesn't look like a fluid rusher to me. I don't like him, but he was a high pick and if a uniquely-built runner like Darren McFadden can achieve some success in the NFL then I can't totally write off Murray. I don't really see how he fits in with Dallas because there's a lot of skill overlap with Felix Jones, but they didn't draft him to watch him sit on the bench, so if nothing else he should get some carries as a COOP back. Is he the long-term answer at RB for this team or your FF squad? I'd be surprised.

If I had a magic time machine to see any 2011 rookie's future, this would be the guy. Guy seems to have about a 25% approval rating in this forum and I just don't get it. So he's not powerful, but he definitely does not shy away from contact, he has elite (or near elite) physical attributes and his vision/instinct seems excellent. Can't wait to see what develops.

The below is from Pro Football Talk today:

DeMarco Murray could challenge for big role right away

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on May 5, 2011, 10:46 AM EDT

Dallas’ pick of Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray in the third round took a lot of people by surprise.

It was earlier than some draftniks thought he should go. More importantly, Dallas appeared to have bigger needs. Now that Murray is in the fold, however, it’s clear the Cowboys think very highly of him.

So does Jacques-Jean Taylor of the Dallas Morning News, who thinks Murray could wind up starting for Dallas. Right away.

“DeMarco Murray will challenge Felix Jones for the starting running back position, and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t expect to win the job. Jones has been a disappointment, and the Cowboys have provided a catalyst for him to play his best football,” Taylor writes.

PFT 05-05-11

 

[AngryPatriot]

good post, what a crap shoot it is...

 

[jurb26]

14. RB DeMarco Murray, Cowboys - I'm an admitted DeMarco Murray hater. People have been hyping him for years and I've just never understood what the fuss was about. He has an unconventional build for a pro RB and an awkward running style. I thought he would go quietly, but then he blew up at the Senior Bowl and put on a show at the combine. There's no denying that Murray is vertically explosive. He's fast in a straight line and an interesting prospect as a pass catcher out of the backfield. On the other hand, I've seen him at his 1 YPC worst. He lacks power and just doesn't look like a fluid rusher to me. I don't like him, but he was a high pick and if a uniquely-built runner like Darren McFadden can achieve some success in the NFL then I can't totally write off Murray. I don't really see how he fits in with Dallas because there's a lot of skill overlap with Felix Jones, but they didn't draft him to watch him sit on the bench, so if nothing else he should get some carries as a COOP back. Is he the long-term answer at RB for this team or your FF squad? I'd be surprised.

If I had a magic time machine to see any 2011 rookie's future, this would be the guy. Guy seems to have about a 25% approval rating in this forum and I just don't get it. So he's not powerful, but he definitely does not shy away from contact, he has elite (or near elite) physical attributes and his vision/instinct seems excellent. Can't wait to see what develops.

When used to get A LOT of hype in this forum but after his injury people cooled on him as he clearly wasn't the same runner for some time. This year he has a fairly decent year and you can see some of the flashes he had before the injury.

Murray has always had superb physical tools as a RB. You're dead on in that injuries have really diminished his success in college. I was extremely high on Murray after his 1st season but over time I began to feel he would simply never be the player he once was due to injuries. I still don't think he was the player he once was even last year, but he has gotten closer to it. Dal was a great landing spot for him in that he will be part of a rotation.

 

[beto]

It's interesting to see how EBF and Bloom have treated Helu. Bloom had him in the 90s predraft and has him at 50 in postdraft. I don't remember where EBF had him predraft but based on the write up it looks like he shot up for EBF based on situation and he has Helu about where he is going in most PPR drafts. Personally I believe Bloom is missing the boat on Helu and it looks like others in the pool agree.

 

[Football Jones]

Murray is one of my favorite players in this draft. What I see is an outstanding RB prospect. I'm probably the only person to have him rated as my #2 RB behind Ingram. I believe Murray is one of those guys who'll be a better pro than college player (& he was plenty good as a collegian). He's a prototypical feature back in today's NFL, IMO.

I rarely get super-high on local players (Oklahoma/Oklahoma St./Tulsa). Previous to this year, Sam Bradford is one of the very few "homies" I've ever drafted in my dynasty leagues. In fact, I can't remember another one (although, I might be forgetting somebody). Maybe it's because I know them so well (not personally) I can see every flaw. I try not to let it affect my rankings, but I could be doing it subconsciously. I guess I'm just the opposite of the FFers who give an edge to their local players when drafting. Yeah, I know...I'm weird, LOL.

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

 

[T with T]

I just don't see the comparison of Dion Lewis to Ray Rice. Lewis' lower body build is gaunt compared to Rice and their running style appears completely dissimilar to me. Sproles? Sure. Rice? I don't see it.

well what do you expect from a guy that is saying Torrey smith, D. murray and hankerson as busts... Consider the source and I wouldn't base my whole draft on one guys analysis.... People alwasy have their favorites and hate on certain players... I dont see how u can't like Murray, hankerson or smith... all of these players are clearly studs in the making and I would not just take anyones word for it

 

[T with T]

Murray is one of my favorite players in this draft. What I see is an outstanding RB prospect. I'm probably the only person to have him rated as my #2 RB behind Ingram. I believe Murray is one of those guys who'll be a better pro than college player (& he was plenty good as a collegian). He's a prototypical feature back in today's NFL, IMO.

I rarely get super-high on local players (Oklahoma/Oklahoma St./Tulsa). Previous to this year, Sam Bradford is one of the very few "homies" I've ever drafted in my dynasty leagues. In fact, I can't remember another one (although, I might be forgetting somebody). Maybe it's because I know them so well (not personally) I can see every flaw. I try not to let it affect my rankings, but I could be doing it subconsciously. I guess I'm just the opposite of the FFers who give an edge to their local players when drafting. Yeah, I know...I'm weird, LOL.

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

 

[Bandite]

Kendricks > Rudolph for fantasy

When was the last time a TE in a Josh McDaniels' offense did well in fantasy leagues? To expect a fantasy star out of Kendricks is hoping for a lot given McDaniels history with the TE position.

Bradford to Kendricks is better than Ponder to Rudolph Don't be so quick to play the McDaniels with TEs card. It's not a strong argument because he's not had a decent TE to throw to and that includes Denver and NE.

McDaniels offense is constantly changing, he's always innovating and changing his offense to what is working in the NFL and the players that he has.

McDaniels runs a lot of 3 WR sets, thats why the TE has never been a big part. Kendricks isnt big enough to be the in-line blocking TE on a 3-WR set running play. So unless McDan incorporates more 2 TE sets or else decides to play Kendricks split out or in the slot, I dont see the value

 

[offdee]

Kendricks > Rudolph for fantasy

When was the last time a TE in a Josh McDaniels' offense did well in fantasy leagues? To expect a fantasy star out of Kendricks is hoping for a lot given McDaniels history with the TE position.

Bradford to Kendricks is better than Ponder to Rudolph Don't be so quick to play the McDaniels with TEs card. It's not a strong argument because he's not had a decent TE to throw to and that includes Denver and NE.

McDaniels offense is constantly changing, he's always innovating and changing his offense to what is working in the NFL and the players that he has.

McDaniels runs a lot of 3 WR sets, thats why the TE has never been a big part. Kendricks isnt big enough to be the in-line blocking TE on a 3-WR set running play. So unless McDan incorporates more 2 TE sets or else decides to play Kendricks split out or in the slot, I dont see the value

STL - McDaniels updating system to feature Kendricks?Source: FRSN - Footballguys.com - Cecil Lammey

Cecil Lammey, NFL Insider for FRSN and senior writer at Footballguys.com, reports via Twitter that the Rams are hopeful to use rookie TE Lance Kendricks the way the Patriots use Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels doesn't usually feature a Tight End in his offense but could tweak his system as he was intrigued by what the Patriots did with their TEs last year.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Kendricks plays like a super sized wide receiver and creates mismatches every time he's on the field. He's so athletic that he even ran reverses for Wisconsin from the TE position. Kendricks can attack the middle seam of the defense in a hurry and should quickly become a trusted target for Sam Bradford. We think he could be a sneaky play as a TE2 in fantasy leagues.

 

[squistion]

Kendricks > Rudolph for fantasy

When was the last time a TE in a Josh McDaniels' offense did well in fantasy leagues? To expect a fantasy star out of Kendricks is hoping for a lot given McDaniels history with the TE position.

Bradford to Kendricks is better than Ponder to Rudolph Don't be so quick to play the McDaniels with TEs card. It's not a strong argument because he's not had a decent TE to throw to and that includes Denver and NE.

McDaniels offense is constantly changing, he's always innovating and changing his offense to what is working in the NFL and the players that he has.

McDaniels runs a lot of 3 WR sets, thats why the TE has never been a big part. Kendricks isnt big enough to be the in-line blocking TE on a 3-WR set running play. So unless McDan incorporates more 2 TE sets or else decides to play Kendricks split out or in the slot, I dont see the value

STL - McDaniels updating system to feature Kendricks?Source: FRSN - Footballguys.com - Cecil Lammey

Cecil Lammey, NFL Insider for FRSN and senior writer at Footballguys.com, reports via Twitter that the Rams are hopeful to use rookie TE Lance Kendricks the way the Patriots use Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. New offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels doesn't usually feature a Tight End in his offense but could tweak his system as he was intrigued by what the Patriots did with their TEs last year.

[ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ [ OUR VIEW ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ] ]

Kendricks plays like a super sized wide receiver and creates mismatches every time he's on the field. He's so athletic that he even ran reverses for Wisconsin from the TE position. Kendricks can attack the middle seam of the defense in a hurry and should quickly become a trusted target for Sam Bradford. We think he could be a sneaky play as a TE2 in fantasy leagues.

Yeah, I saw this too..Bloom and Hoss may be right about Kendricks prospects. I stand corrected.

 

[Spike]

Where would you be comfortable taking Baldwin in a Zealots (non-PPR) rookie draft?

 

[Caveman_Nick]

I wonder if that means good things for Fendi as well.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

I wonder if that means good things for Fendi as well.

Probably not. I've been debating dropping him, now that they've invested in a talented TE. Fendi was always a lottery ticket. Not really seeing it paying off now. But I might keep him on my Practice Squad another year, if I have the roster space.

 

[EBF]

Where would you be comfortable taking Baldwin in a Zealots (non-PPR) rookie draft?

Zealots is pretty RB heavy. I might drop him down to 1.06 (behind Williams and Thomas). Not sure I'd take LeShoure over him, though I might consider it.

 

[Spike]

Where would you be comfortable taking Baldwin in a Zealots (non-PPR) rookie draft?

Zealots is pretty RB heavy. I might drop him down to 1.06 (behind Williams and Thomas). Not sure I'd take LeShoure over him, though I might consider it.

So you'd be lovin' seeing him available in the mid-second?What about Randall Cobb?

 

[Spike]

Where would you be comfortable taking Baldwin in a Zealots (non-PPR) rookie draft?

Zealots is pretty RB heavy. I might drop him down to 1.06 (behind Williams and Thomas). Not sure I'd take LeShoure over him, though I might consider it.

I was lucky enough to get him at 2.05.

 

[EBF]

Where would you be comfortable taking Baldwin in a Zealots (non-PPR) rookie draft?

Zealots is pretty RB heavy. I might drop him down to 1.06 (behind Williams and Thomas). Not sure I'd take LeShoure over him, though I might consider it.

So you'd be lovin' seeing him available in the mid-second?What about Randall Cobb?

Yea, Baldwin is great value anywhere outside the top 6-7 picks, even in that format. Cobb in Zealots? Maybe with the 2.01-2.05. I'm not quite as high on him, so might be inclined to reach for a RB or QB instead since they're important in that format.

 

[Sudoku_in_the_Bathtub]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

 

[Billy Ball Thorton]

You don't see much difference between AJ and D.Thomas and think Green is a bit overrated? Well I think you couldn't be more wrong. AJ has all the physical tools as Thomas but is light years ahead of him in route running and game play. I think your missing the boat here big time.

 

[Football Jones]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

Murray has a sick juke move. I think a lot of the people who are down on Murray need to evaluate him without bias (not saying you have a bias). I hear stuff about him I simply don't see, LOL. The injury-prone thing is kind of a joke, as well. He missed a BCS Champion ship game with a hamstring injury & all of a sudden he gets labeled. Murray has missed all of about 3 games in his 4-year career.I believe he's easily the 2nd most talented RB behind Ingram. Murray's pro prospects stick out like a sore thumb, IMO (in a good way). He reminds me a lot of Chris Johnson. CJ doesn't use a lot of lateral movement, either, relying on his blazing speed to gash the D. Murray is much the same, but he's bigger & stronger.

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

Murray has a sick juke move. I think a lot of the people who are down on Murray need to evaluate him without bias (not saying you have a bias). I hear stuff about him I simply don't see, LOL. The injury-prone thing is kind of a joke, as well. He missed a BCS Champion ship game with a hamstring injury & all of a sudden he gets labeled. Murray has missed all of about 3 games in his 4-year career.I believe he's easily the 2nd most talented RB behind Ingram. Murray's pro prospects stick out like a sore thumb, IMO (in a good way). He reminds me a lot of Chris Johnson. CJ doesn't use a lot of lateral movement, either, relying on his blazing speed to gash the D. Murray is much the same, but he's bigger & stronger.

Thanks for the thoughts sir. I also like what I've seen from murray,but, I haven't watched enough of him or researched him enough to know if he is actually, in fact, injury prone or thats just a bunch of malarky.... the NFL world is kinda like high school with all the ridiculous rumors that get started nowadays...

 

[Mister CIA]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

I'm no great analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but that Murray does not show a lot of lateral movement when running between the tackles is part of the appeal. I like a high north/south to east/west ratio. To the naked eye, his running style reminds me of Tony Dorsett, especially running between the tackles.

Murray

 

[Go deep]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

I'm no great analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but that Murray does not show a lot of lateral movement when running between the tackles is part of the appeal. I like a high north/south to east/west ratio. To the naked eye, his running style reminds me of Tony Dorsett, especially running between the tackles.

While i am not ready to compare Murray to Dorsett, i will say that sometimes when youre so good at one thing it makes it appear youre not very good at another. Which may be the case with Murray. He doesnt waste alot of motion going side to side and is a very fluid straight ahead runner. Kind of reminds me when Blount owners got excited when the stat came out that he led the league in broken tackles. What they were missing is he was breaking alot of tackles on plays that most RB's wouldnt have been touched.

 

[moderated]

Why did Murray have such a pedestrian YPC?

Not knocking him just wondering as it doesn't make sense for a guy with 4.39 speed to average a mid 4 YPC in college on a decent team.

 

[Football Jones]

Why did Murray have such a pedestrian YPC?Not knocking him just wondering as it doesn't make sense for a guy with 4.39 speed to average a mid 4 YPC in college on a decent team.

The short answer is it's dangerous to scout by YPC. That goes for evaluating RBs in the pros by their YPC, as well. Murray did have almost a 5.0 YPC for his career facing tough competition, but still, each situation is different. He was statistically much better as a freshman & sophomore, but YPC is a minor tool in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Football Jones]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

I'm no great analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but that Murray does not show a lot of lateral movement when running between the tackles is part of the appeal. I like a high north/south to east/west ratio. To the naked eye, his running style reminds me of Tony Dorsett, especially running between the tackles.

I totally agree. CJ reminded me of Dorsett & Murray reminds me of CJ. And it can't hurt that Murray is bigger & stronger than either & almost as fast. All three RBs basically gash with their speed instead of using lateral moves. Murray does have a nice hard-cut, though.

 

[spider321]

 

[T with T]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

Murray has a sick juke move. I think a lot of the people who are down on Murray need to evaluate him without bias (not saying you have a bias). I hear stuff about him I simply don't see, LOL. The injury-prone thing is kind of a joke, as well. He missed a BCS Champion ship game with a hamstring injury & all of a sudden he gets labeled. Murray has missed all of about 3 games in his 4-year career.I believe he's easily the 2nd most talented RB behind Ingram. Murray's pro prospects stick out like a sore thumb, IMO (in a good way). He reminds me a lot of Chris Johnson. CJ doesn't use a lot of lateral movement, either, relying on his blazing speed to gash the D. Murray is much the same, but he's bigger & stronger.

 

[T with T]

Anyway, I recently took Murray in several dynasty leagues. It'll be interesting to see how things play out in Dallas. Eventually, I think both Murray & Felix will be feature backs (when one leaves via FA).

Never been impressed with the guy after his knees issues. Decent college RB, nothing more to me. Lacks lateral movement in the worst way. I think he is the 3rd best back in Dallas. I give him 0% chance of ever being a featured RB.

I'm no great analyst by any stretch of the imagination, but that Murray does not show a lot of lateral movement when running between the tackles is part of the appeal. I like a high north/south to east/west ratio. To the naked eye, his running style reminds me of Tony Dorsett, especially running between the tackles.

So It looks like what we learned today folks, is that Demarco Murray Reminds many of Dorsett, CJ and that is a good thing so quit hating on him.. I saw one replier saying he is the 3rd best back in dallas?? get real, Demarco is gonna be a stud... 4.3 guy that is bigger then CJ. Watch out.

Also as for the guy who isn't high on Torrey Smith, Most scouts and me alike think he reminds us of Roddy White. I can see Roddy In torrey smith as they are both physical, even have the same hair due LOL

 

[bonesman]

WR Jerrel Jernigan, Giants - Similar to Kerley. I like what he does, but his upside is suspect. I'm slightly more optimistic about Jernigan because he's a little more dynamic. At times he reminds me of Santonio Holmes. Jernigan is shorter though and he has yet to show me the same downfield game.

This guy has approximately the same dimensions as Welker and Steve Smith (Car) and he has a higher BMI than Percy Harvin. He was pretty high on a lot of pre-draft lists but seems to have taken a hit. Do people not like his chances in NY?

 

[rabidfireweasel]

There is some silliness in here comparing Murray's "4.3" speed to Chris Johnson's "4.3". Chris Johnson ran a legit 4.24 forty. Murray ran a 4.38 forty. That is a huge difference. (the same difference between a 4.38 and a 4.52)

THere are quite a few guys in the league who can run down someone with 4.38 track speed who is slowed by carrying the football. There are far, far fewer guys who can run down someone who runs a 4.24. Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson, frankly had a disappointing year last year and he still ran for 1350+ and 11. Let' not get ahead of ourselves with Murray.

 

[EBF]

Murray looked like a bum every time I saw him play, including a dreadful performance in the Sun Bowl in which he managed approximately 1 YPC. Wouldn't touch that guy with a ten foot pole. Maybe Dallas knows something I don't, but I don't see it.

WR Jerrel Jernigan, Giants - Similar to Kerley. I like what he does, but his upside is suspect. I'm slightly more optimistic about Jernigan because he's a little more dynamic. At times he reminds me of Santonio Holmes. Jernigan is shorter though and he has yet to show me the same downfield game.

This guy has approximately the same dimensions as Welker and Steve Smith (Car) and he has a higher BMI than Percy Harvin. He was pretty high on a lot of pre-draft lists but seems to have taken a hit. Do people not like his chances in NY?

Jernigan's problem is that he's 5'8" with good, but not elite speed (4.4 range). How many players achieve sustained fantasy relevance with that combination of attributes? Smith is stronger and faster (believe he ran in the 4.3 range). Welker is, IMO, a one-trick pony whose success is largely the result of a perfect storm of situation, scheme, and supporting cast. In Miami he was just a guy, which is what he'd be for 95% of the teams in the league. So I see him as a fluky outlier rather than a reasonable example of success. Having said that, Jernigan is routinely falling DEEP into rookie drafts considering that he was a third round NFL draft pick (higher than Helu, Powell, Carter, etc). I think he's going to be an effective NFL player and a nice weapon for NYG. He's a very fluid runner with a nice little initial burst. He was one of the guys whose highlights initially stood out to me, but I've downgraded him slightly because it's just really hard to become a full-time starter at WR in the NFL when you're a little guy and you don't have that freakish DeSean Jackson speed. I do think Jernigan reminds a bit of Santonio Holmes though and I love the value in the late 3rd-early 4th of rookie drafts, which is where I've been able to snag him (I've got him on multiple teams).

 

[Football Jones]

There is some silliness in here comparing Murray's "4.3" speed to Chris Johnson's "4.3". Chris Johnson ran a legit 4.24 forty. Murray ran a 4.38 forty. That is a huge difference. (the same difference between a 4.38 and a 4.52)THere are quite a few guys in the league who can run down someone with 4.38 track speed who is slowed by carrying the football. There are far, far fewer guys who can run down someone who runs a 4.24. Chris Johnson Chris Johnson, frankly had a disappointing year last year and he still ran for 1350+ and 11. Let' not get ahead of ourselves with Murray.

Murray isn't as fast as CJ, but he's in the same league. Lots of guys who are really fast don't transfer it to the field. Murray has blazing speed & it shows. He also runs tough. I believe he's going to surpass all RBs from this class except Ingram in time.

 

[bonesman]

WR Jerrel Jernigan, Giants - Similar to Kerley. I like what he does, but his upside is suspect. I'm slightly more optimistic about Jernigan because he's a little more dynamic. At times he reminds me of Santonio Holmes. Jernigan is shorter though and he has yet to show me the same downfield game.

This guy has approximately the same dimensions as Welker and Steve Smith (Car) and he has a higher BMI than Percy Harvin. He was pretty high on a lot of pre-draft lists but seems to have taken a hit. Do people not like his chances in NY?

Jernigan's problem is that he's 5'8" with good, but not elite speed (4.4 range)

He measured in at 5'8.875"... I think it's safe to round up to 5'9", which is the same as Smiff and Welker. I agree his size will be a difficult hurdle though. His route running apparently isn't super crisp and he sometimes takes plays off too I hear. I still like his prospects for how far he's falling though.

 

[Time Kibitzer]

There is some silliness in here comparing Murray's "4.3" speed to Chris Johnson's "4.3". Chris Johnson ran a legit 4.24 forty. Murray ran a 4.38 forty. That is a huge difference. (the same difference between a 4.38 and a 4.52)

THere are quite a few guys in the league who can run down someone with 4.38 track speed who is slowed by carrying the football. There are far, far fewer guys who can run down someone who runs a 4.24. Chris Johnson

Chris Johnson, frankly had a disappointing year last year and he still ran for 1350+ and 11. Let' not get ahead of ourselves with Murray.

Murray isn't as fast as CJ, but he's in the same league. Lots of guys who are really fast don't transfer it to the field. Murray has blazing speed & it shows. He also runs tough. I believe he's going to surpass all RBs from this class except Ingram in time.

First off, Murray ran a 4.41 40 at the combine not a 4.38. At least according to the NFL website, which I can only assume to be as official as it gets. Secondly, a 4.38 is NOT in the same league as a 4.24, that's a huge difference. CJ's 4.24 makes him the #1 fastest player in the league, DeMarco's 4.41 doesn't even put him in the top 10 of this 2011 draft class.As for my opinions on DeMarco, I think he looked extremely fast on the field in his freshman season before all the injuries, but as the seasons wore on and the injuries piled up I think he has slowed down. And watching his senior season highlights I think he looks a lot slower than he used to be. Though his good 40 gives some reason to believe maybe he's feeling more comfortable and can is running more naturally as he isn't so afraid of being injured, who knows. I'm still hesitant about his speed, but his good 40 time alleviated some of my worries. Ignoring his speed for a second, I like DeMarco's other skills and think he can be a workhorse 3 down back in the NFL. Not sure what his ADP is right now, but he's someone I'd definitely be targeting in the 2nd round of drafts.

 

[Prussian]

Kendricks > Rudolph for fantasy

When was the last time a TE in a Josh McDaniels' offense did well in fantasy leagues? To expect a fantasy star out of Kendricks is hoping for a lot given McDaniels history with the TE position.

Bradford to Kendricks is better than Ponder to Rudolph Don't be so quick to play the McDaniels with TEs card. It's not a strong argument because he's not had a decent TE to throw to and that includes Denver and NE.

Not if he doesn't get the targets. And I did think that Ben Watson and Tony Scheffler were both pretty good, but underutilized by McDaniels.

Watson had 650 yards in 06 and Scheffler and Graham had 700 yards combined.

Maybe because they were underutilized And Watson just had, in many respects, his best year ever after leaving NE, with 68 catches for 763 yards, 3 TDs in Cleveland (not exactly an offensive powerhouse).

Watson had the same year last year as 2006 and his 2007 #s aren't too far off but he missed more time due to injury

I was correct in saying that in many respects last year was his best ever, in 2006 he had 49 catches for 643 yards and 3 TDs in a Josh McDaniels offense. The only category in 2010 which did not represent a career high would be in the TD category, he had 6 TDs in 2007, and contrary to what you stated, the rest of the numbers are not really that close, 36 catches for 389 yards roughly about half of his 2010 totals.

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. IF, big IF at this point, the Vikings resign Sydney Rice, he is the tallest and most athletic option in the receiving game. He is 6'1". Kleinsasser (blocking) and Shiancoe (receiving) are both long in the tooth and dragging a plow. The best season between them was Shiancoe's with Favre and that was clearly a career outlier - even a one year "fluke"(?). Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin). Red Zone monster in the making and a security blanket for whoever is the QB in the offense. (Especially a rookie comfort toss.) I suspect we will see really nice numbers out of Rudolph and the reason the Vikings went "off their board" to take him in the second round.

He was still available in one of the leagues I drafted in this last week at 3.02 and jumped when I realized it. He will be a top five TE inside two years.

Just my $0.02.

 

[Prussian]

By the way ... nice write up.

I love the time people take to develop and share in these forums. It may be your opinion, and not everyone will agree, but you put it out there with well thought rationale and not just some rant or soft banter.

This I can respect.

Thanks.

 

[Go deep]

Kendricks > Rudolph for fantasy

When was the last time a TE in a Josh McDaniels' offense did well in fantasy leagues? To expect a fantasy star out of Kendricks is hoping for a lot given McDaniels history with the TE position.

Bradford to Kendricks is better than Ponder to Rudolph Don't be so quick to play the McDaniels with TEs card. It's not a strong argument because he's not had a decent TE to throw to and that includes Denver and NE.

Not if he doesn't get the targets. And I did think that Ben Watson and Tony Scheffler were both pretty good, but underutilized by McDaniels.

Watson had 650 yards in 06 and Scheffler and Graham had 700 yards combined.

Maybe because they were underutilized And Watson just had, in many respects, his best year ever after leaving NE, with 68 catches for 763 yards, 3 TDs in Cleveland (not exactly an offensive powerhouse).

Watson had the same year last year as 2006 and his 2007 #s aren't too far off but he missed more time due to injury

I was correct in saying that in many respects last year was his best ever, in 2006 he had 49 catches for 643 yards and 3 TDs in a Josh McDaniels offense. The only category in 2010 which did not represent a career high would be in the TD category, he had 6 TDs in 2007, and contrary to what you stated, the rest of the numbers are not really that close, 36 catches for 389 yards roughly about half of his 2010 totals.

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. IF, big IF at this point, the Vikings resign Sydney Rice, he is the tallest and most athletic option in the receiving game. He is 6'1". Kleinsasser (blocking) and Shiancoe (receiving) are both long in the tooth and dragging a plow. The best season between them was Shiancoe's with Favre and that was clearly a career outlier - even a one year "fluke"(?). Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin). Red Zone monster in the making and a security blanket for whoever is the QB in the offense. (Especially a rookie comfort toss.) I suspect we will see really nice numbers out of Rudolph and the reason the Vikings went "off their board" to take him in the second round.

He was still available in one of the leagues I drafted in this last week at 3.02 and jumped when I realized it. He will be a top five TE inside two years.

Just my $0.02.

i can tell you are excited about Rudolph, but lets not get carried away.

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. .........Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin).

Kendricks is the TE to have, not Rudolph. Also, Rudolph isn't nearly as athletic as you make him out to be. I would compare Rudolph to last year's Pettigrew and Kendricks to Jimmy Graham. Now that isn't a knock on Rudolph, because Pettigrew is a fine TE, but I think Kendricks has more long term upside than Rudolph. Also, throw in the fact that Minnesota doesn't have a decent QB and that makes the decision even easier, not that it was hard to begin with.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. .........Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin).

Kendricks is the TE to have, not Rudolph. Also, Rudolph isn't nearly as athletic as you make him out to be. I would compare Rudolph to last year's Pettigrew and Kendricks to Jimmy Graham. Now that isn't a knock on Rudolph, because Pettigrew is a fine TE, but I think Kendricks has more long term upside than Rudolph. Also, throw in the fact that Minnesota doesn't have a decent QB and that makes the decision even easier, not that it was hard to begin with.

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. .........Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin).

Kendricks is the TE to have, not Rudolph. Also, Rudolph isn't nearly as athletic as you make him out to be. I would compare Rudolph to last year's Pettigrew and Kendricks to Jimmy Graham. Now that isn't a knock on Rudolph, because Pettigrew is a fine TE, but I think Kendricks has more long term upside than Rudolph. Also, throw in the fact that Minnesota doesn't have a decent QB and that makes the decision even easier, not that it was hard to begin with.

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

Not sure why not, because Kendricks is a very athletic pass catching TE, just like Graham."He's really athletic, he's got great hands, he's extremely smart," HC Steve Spagnuolo said. "We can use him in a lot of ways, on the line off the line, in the backfield. He gives you the flexibility to do some different things." New Rams OC Josh McDaniels fully intends to utilize his tight ends in St. Louis, and Kendricks could be someone to watch sooner rather than later.

 

[The Real Hipster Doofus]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. .........Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin).

Kendricks is the TE to have, not Rudolph. Also, Rudolph isn't nearly as athletic as you make him out to be. I would compare Rudolph to last year's Pettigrew and Kendricks to Jimmy Graham. Now that isn't a knock on Rudolph, because Pettigrew is a fine TE, but I think Kendricks has more long term upside than Rudolph. Also, throw in the fact that Minnesota doesn't have a decent QB and that makes the decision even easier, not that it was hard to begin with.

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

Not sure why not, because Kendricks is a very athletic pass catching TE, just like Graham.

I watch a lot of Big Ten football and Kendricks never stuck out to me as that level of an athlete. I could be wrong about that, but that is the impression I got.

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. .........Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin).

Kendricks is the TE to have, not Rudolph. Also, Rudolph isn't nearly as athletic as you make him out to be. I would compare Rudolph to last year's Pettigrew and Kendricks to Jimmy Graham. Now that isn't a knock on Rudolph, because Pettigrew is a fine TE, but I think Kendricks has more long term upside than Rudolph. Also, throw in the fact that Minnesota doesn't have a decent QB and that makes the decision even easier, not that it was hard to begin with.

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

Not sure why not, because Kendricks is a very athletic pass catching TE, just like Graham.

I watch a lot of Big Ten football and Kendricks never stuck out to me as that level of an athlete. I could be wrong about that, but that is the impression I got.

The Rams HC calls him very athletic and the videos I watch shows the same thing. That's why I compared him to Graham. I also like the Pettigrew comparision to Rudolph.

 

[thriftyrocker]

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

Not sure why not, because Kendricks is a very athletic pass catching TE, just like Graham."He's really athletic, he's got great hands, he's extremely smart," HC Steve Spagnuolo said. "We can use him in a lot of ways, on the line off the line, in the backfield. He gives you the flexibility to do some different things." New Rams OC Josh McDaniels fully intends to utilize his tight ends in St. Louis, and Kendricks could be someone to watch sooner rather than later.

Kendricks is a carbon copy of Aaron Hernandez. McDaniels is cribbing from his mentor, and its obvious. Graham is much more of a freak. His vert is 4" more than either Hernandez or Kendricks and he's 3" taller. Can't really compare Kendricks to Graham except for the ridiculous upside if Bradford becomes an elite QB.

 

[Rockchild]

Waaaaay too much discussion about McDaniel's offenses for Kendricks and not enough focus on Kyle Rudolph. IF, big IF at this point, the Vikings resign Sydney Rice, he is the tallest and most athletic option in the receiving game. He is 6'1". Kleinsasser (blocking) and Shiancoe (receiving) are both long in the tooth and dragging a plow. The best season between them was Shiancoe's with Favre and that was clearly a career outlier - even a one year "fluke"(?). Now add Rudolph at 6'6" and just as athletic as the WRs (Rice\Harvin). Red Zone monster in the making and a security blanket for whoever is the QB in the offense. (Especially a rookie comfort toss.) I suspect we will see really nice numbers out of Rudolph and the reason the Vikings went "off their board" to take him in the second round.

He was still available in one of the leagues I drafted in this last week at 3.02 and jumped when I realized it. He will be a top five TE inside two years.

Just my $0.02.

Rice is actually 6'4" according to his NFL profile.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Not sure I buy those comparisons. Graham is a freak athlete, Kendricks is a tweener. Kendricks could end up being a star in PPR leagues, but he doesn't strike me as in any way comparable to Graham.

Not sure why not, because Kendricks is a very athletic pass catching TE, just like Graham."He's really athletic, he's got great hands, he's extremely smart," HC Steve Spagnuolo said. "We can use him in a lot of ways, on the line off the line, in the backfield. He gives you the flexibility to do some different things." New Rams OC Josh McDaniels fully intends to utilize his tight ends in St. Louis, and Kendricks could be someone to watch sooner rather than later.

Kendricks is a carbon copy of Aaron Hernandez. McDaniels is cribbing from his mentor, and its obvious. Graham is much more of a freak. His vert is 4" more than either Hernandez or Kendricks and he's 3" taller. Can't really compare Kendricks to Graham except for the ridiculous upside if Bradford becomes an elite QB.

Nowhere near as athletic or fluid as Hernandez. It's not even close.

 

[EBF]

The Hernandez comparison isn't a terrible one, as they have similar size and speed. Both are TE/WR tweeners who lack the size to hold up against DEs. I think Kendricks might be a little bit stronger whereas Hernandez looked more elusive. Hernandez is also probably a better pure pass catcher. He is known for having very good hands and innate receiving skills.

The Kendricks/Rudolph debate is a tough one. Kendricks is a better athlete, but that's to be expected because he's over 3 inches shorter and fifteen pounds lighter. Rudolph figures to have more success as a blocker, making him a more versatile player and a better bet to stay on the field for every down. The risk with Kendricks is that he ends up being solely a move TE/h-back who's only used as a bit player.

Given that NFL teams have found ways to use those guys effectively (Clark, Cooley, etc), there's cause for optimism. On the other hand, Kendricks could end up spending his entire career in the kind of role that Hernandez played last season, which is part-time duty alongside a bigger TE who's more capable in blocking situations.

I'm not wild about Rudolph's skill set, as he seems to lack special upside, but he seems like a reasonably safe bet to become a fringe starter at TE (think Greg Olsen or Heath Miller). I think Kendricks is more of a boom-or-bust pick. He has a little more difference-maker potential (though I never see him becoming Dallas Clark), but is more likely to be useless 3 years from now. He is not as physically talented as guys like Clark and Keller.

Deciding between the Rudolph/Kendricks? I think it really just depends on what you need for your team/league.