[Dynasty] 2015 Draft Prospects (1 Viewer)

[cloppbeast]

Ridiculous move by Jay Ajayi.

I'd say he's easily the 3rd best RB.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

Ridiculous move by Jay Ajayi.

I'd say he's easily the 3rd best RB.

I'm having a hard time separating Abdullah, Ajayi, and Coleman in my rankings. Need to see more I guess.

 

[cloppbeast]

Just with respect to flexibility for changing direction, compare Coleman getting started to Ajayi at full speed. Perhaps Coleman can match in speed, but Ajayi has much more fluidity. Is there any question as to has more power?

Abdullah's ranking depends a lot on his landing spot, as he probably won't succeed as a traditional running back. Getting with the wrong coaching staff could ruin his prospects like CJ Spiller. I'd be giddy If he gets with Green Bay, Philadelphia, Detroit, or especially New Orleans.

 

[EBF]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

 

[Faust]

Sources Tell Us: What we're hearing about top NFL prospects

Rotoworld:

Washington State redshirt senior WR Vince Mayle is "the best-kept secret on the West Coast," said an NFC scout.
The scout told NFL.com that Mayle is "one of the biggest risers on draft boards" after a huge senior season. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound Mayle hauled in 106 passes for 1,483 yards and nine touchdowns this year. "Mayle is a big, physical pass catcher with strong hands and impressive ball skills," wrote NFL.com. "Although he is a raw, unpolished route runner, he has many of the physical traits NFL teams covet in developmental prospects. If placed in the right environment with a 'teacher' as his position, Mayle could grow from a special teams player to a solid contributor on offense early in his career."

Source: NFL.com
Dec 10 - 7:23 PM

 

[tdmills]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

That's really all he has though. Coleman/Ajayi are faster IMO and have 30 pounds on Abdullah.

 

[jurb26]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

That's really all he has though. Coleman/Ajayi are faster IMO and have 30 pounds on Abdullah.

I pretty much agree. Though, I haven't liked the running instincts of Ajayi a great deal from the games I've seen.

 

[tdmills]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

That's really all he has though. Coleman/Ajayi are faster IMO and have 30 pounds on Abdullah.

I pretty much agree. Though, I haven't liked the running instincts of Ajayi a great deal from the games I've seen.

Ajayi's vision/instincts/ball security are his downfalls. Good hands, good speed, great determination, good at breaking tackles.

 

[cloppbeast]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

 

[cloppbeast]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

That's really all he has though. Coleman/Ajayi are faster IMO and have 30 pounds on Abdullah.

I pretty much agree. Though, I haven't liked the running instincts of Ajayi a great deal from the games I've seen.

This is the only thing which gives me pause with Ajayi. He's sort of hit or miss at finding seams.

At least though, when he finds it he can do some damage.

 

[EBF]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

 

[ZWK]

I'm not sure where to rank Ajayi. He has very good elusiveness numbers, a good size/speed combo, and good receiving numbers, but his rushing stats are pretty mediocre for an NFL prospect.

 

[tdmills]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

The NFL has a weight limit though(you're a BMI guy, i'm not) for dynasty rankings. Charles/Shady/Gio/Ellington all are heavier(some not by much). Everyone brings up Warrick Dunn or Darren Sproles, but being a small RB in the NFL doesn't equate FF success. Charles/Shady have elite traits that abdullah doesn't possess.

Lorenzo Booker

Dexter McCluster

CJ Spiller

Jahvid Best

Joe McKnight

Garrett Wolfe

LaMichael James

Isaiah Pead

David Wilson

Ronnie Hillman

All of the RBs above were coveted at one point during their careers some very much so, but they never lived up to expectations. Mainly it was due to they couldn't withstand the pounding of the league. If i'm going to gamble with a RB prospect, i'm going 215+ if most things are equal.

 

[cloppbeast]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

In a lot of ways, I think Abdullah does belong in the conversation with McCoy. But you have to consider that he has had the benefit of playing in NFL systems which fit perfectly with his skill set by getting him in space. Pending the same good fortune, Abdullah could have as much success.

After watching him vs the Michigan St defense, I don't think he'll succeed grinding it out between the tackles 20+ times. Not only does he lack the power, but I think he lacks the decisiveness and tenacity for such a role. He can run around and by a defender as good as anybody, but he's definitely not anywhere near capable as a grinder.

 

[cloppbeast]

Charles/Shady have elite traits that abdullah doesn't possess.

Do these traits go further than hight/weight? I really don't think so.

Except maybe Charles has more top end. Otherwise, I think they live in the same realm of physical ability.

 

[Spike]

I honestly didn't see much from Gordon that made me separate him from Hyde or Sankey last year if he were to come out. I likely would have had him as my #1RB but that could be my 20/20 hindsight after seeing him this year. I've seen so much improvement from Gordon that you can color me impressed. Is it just me that didn't see it a year ago?

Gurley is still my #1 though ha

Agreed, Gurley is still my #1 as well. His injury never scared me away. I'm still riding that train.

If they were both healthy, I would prefer Gurley.

It will be a more complicated decision at the 1.01 if Gordon goes in the top 20 of the draft and Gurley slips to the 2nd round.

Why? Won't it matter more (not that it should matter much) where they go and the health of Gurley?

 

[SayWhat?]

Now that bowl season is upon us, let's see some top 12 lists for ppr and/or nonppr.

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Now that bowl season is upon us, let's see some top 12 lists for ppr and/or nonppr.

question, for rookie rankings what's the point of separate PPR and NON-PPR rankings? i mean i get the difference but there is so much projecting with college prospects trying to split them that way is kind of pointless.

 

[SayWhat?]

Now that bowl season is upon us, let's see some top 12 lists for ppr and/or nonppr.

question, for rookie rankings what's the point of separate PPR and NON-PPR rankings? i mean i get the difference but there is so much projecting with college prospects trying to split them that way is kind of pointless.

Wouldn't someone like Abdullah has a far brighter outlook in ppr as opposed to nonppr?

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Now that bowl season is upon us, let's see some top 12 lists for ppr and/or nonppr.

question, for rookie rankings what's the point of separate PPR and NON-PPR rankings? i mean i get the difference but there is so much projecting with college prospects trying to split them that way is kind of pointless.

Wouldn't someone like Abdullah has a far brighter outlook in ppr as opposed to nonppr?

maybe, but when projecting top 12 prospects i think you gotta look at it as they will either be good solid NFL players or not, in some cases the non-ppr or ppr thing might matter, but overall i think it's splitting hairs trying to separate them on that basis for rookie drafts.

I'm not taking a guy in the top 12 of my rookie draft if i think their game is going to be drastically different whether my league is PPR or NON-PPR.

 

[ConnSKINS26]

My current top-12:

1. Gordon

2. Gurley

3. Cooper

4. Parker

5. White

6. Coleman

7. DGB (subject to go up or down more drastically than anyone else on this list obviously)

8. Duke Williams

9. Funchess

10. Abdullah

11. Strong

12. One of Ajayi/Duke Johnson/Yeldon. My RB tiers are messy right now and I need to see more. Situation will play a huge role for the RB's for me.

 

[EBF]

Way too early for me to get attached to any specific rankings, but here's a list of draft-eligible players sorted by where I think they're likely to go in the NFL draft:

Likely Day One Picks in GREEN

Likely Day Two Picks in ORANGE

Likely Day Three Picks in RED

LIkely Fringe Prospects/UDFAs in BLACK

QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon (2015)

QB Jameis Winston, Florida State (2015)

QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi State (2015)

QB Garrett Grayson, Colorado State (2015)

QB Connor Cook, Michigan State (2015)
QB Brett Hundley, UCLA (2015)

RB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin (2015)

RB Todd Gurley, Georgia (2015)

RB Cameron Artis-Payne, Auburn (2015)

RB Tevin Coleman, Indiana (2015)

RB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska (2015)

RB TJ Yeldon, Alabama (2015)

RB Duke Johnson, Miami (FL) (2015)

RB Mike Davis, South Carolina (2015)
RB Jay Ajayi, Boise State (2015)

RB Byron Marshall, Oregon (2015)

RB David Cobb, Minnesota (2015)

RB Michael Dyer, Louisville (2015)
RB Javorious Allen, USC (2015)
RB Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (2015)
RB Jahwan Edwards, Ball State (2015)

RB DeAndre Washington, Texas Tech (2015)

RB Jeremy Langford, Michigan State (2015)

RB Josh Robinson, Mississippi State (2015)
RB DJ Foster, Arizona State (2015)

RB Shock Linwood, Baylor (2015)
RB Johnathan Gray, Texas (2015)
RB Dee Hart, Colorado State (2015)
RB Robert Lowe, Texas State (2015)
RB Kevin Parks, Virginia (2015)

WR Amari Cooper, Alabama (2015)

WR DeVante Parker, Louisville (2015)

WR Tyreek Hill, Oklahoma State (2015)

WR Kevin White, West Virginia (2015)

WR Devin Funchess, Michigan (2015)

WR Ty Montgomery, Stanford (2015)

WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Knucklehead U (2015)
WR Devin Smith, Ohio State (2015)

WR Sammie Coates, Auburn (2015)

WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State (2015)

WR Vince Mayle, Washington State (2015)

WR D'haquille Williams, Auburn (2015)

WR Stefon Diggs, Maryland (2015)

WR Titus Davis, Central Michigan (2015)

WR Antwan Goodley, Baylor (2015)

WR Phillip Dorsett, Miami (2015)

WR Leonte Carroo, Rutgers (2015)
WR Corey Coleman, Baylor (2015)

WR Rashad Greene, Florida State (2015)
WR Justin Hardy, East Carolina (2015)
WR Kenny Bell, Nebraska (2015)
WR Travin Dural, LSU (2015)
WR Rokeem Williams, Miami (OH) (2015)

TE Steven Scheu, Vanderbilt (2015)

TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota (2015)
TE Ben Koyack, Notre Dame (2015)

I see a few of those borderline day three WRs sneaking into the first three rounds when all is said and done, but it's hard to predict all of that movement without seeing the all-star games or combine results. I do put Tyreek Hill as a first rounder because even though he's raw, at the end of the day I don't think teams will be able to resist his speed/upside in the late first if he declares. No clue whether or not he will be in the draft though.

 

[BuckeyeChaos]

If that's how I've come across then that's unfortunate. I'm less and less interested in posting on FF forums these days because so much of it degenerates into...

"I'm right."

"No, I'm right."

"You're wrong!"

"No! You're wrong!"

And that's just a tremendous waste of time and energy. Maybe I haven't succeeded yet, but I'm trying to focus more of my energy on making good calls to serve my own interests, putting a certain amount of my analysis out there for people to consider, and not getting caught up in the tug-of-war of trying to "win" arguments about specific players. Such an epic waste of time and totally irrelevant to my goals, which are simply to make good predictions and do well in my leagues.

I've often said that one of the nice things about this game is that you get to put your money where your mouth is. If you think Coates, Dyer, Brian Quick, or whoever is destined for greatness then you can act accordingly and reap the rewards without needing the peanut gallery's approval. If anything, it serves your interests best when they disagree with you and happen to be wrong.

I for one appreciate your information as it comes from such a different place than my own thinking. this is tough to do, but you have to simply ignore the posts or responses that infuriate you. it messes a person up and gets you focused on the wrong stuff. unfortunately, just as in society, the silent masses are not normally represented by the loud minority try to remember that and keep posting

 

[cloppbeast]

I'm not sure where to rank Ajayi. He has very good elusiveness numbers, a good size/speed combo, and good receiving numbers, but his rushing stats are pretty mediocre for an NFL prospect.

Sort of concerning, eh? Especially when many of the other RBs in the this class have better numbers against better competition.

Ajayi's two games available for viewing at draftbreakdown.com show him as a complete boss, imo. Does lack of rushing instincts account for the poor efficiency, or some other reason out of his control?

 

[MAC_32]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

That's really all he has though. Coleman/Ajayi are faster IMO and have 30 pounds on Abdullah.

I pretty much agree. Though, I haven't liked the running instincts of Ajayi a great deal from the games I've seen.

Ajayi's vision/instincts/ball security are his downfalls. Good hands, good speed, great determination, good at breaking tackles.

This is why I've got Coleman 3rd right now. From a real life stand point I prefer Abdullah to Ajayi, but I'm wary about his fantasy upside.

 

[mcintyre1]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

In a lot of ways, I think Abdullah does belong in the conversation with McCoy. But you have to consider that he has had the benefit of playing in NFL systems which fit perfectly with his skill set by getting him in space. Pending the same good fortune, Abdullah could have as much success.

After watching him vs the Michigan St defense, I don't think he'll succeed grinding it out between the tackles 20+ times. Not only does he lack the power, but I think he lacks the decisiveness and tenacity for such a role. He can run around and by a defender as good as anybody, but he's definitely not anywhere near capable as a grinder.

If you're limiting your opinion of Abdullah's ability as a "grinder" to his showing against Michigan State this year, you're doing yourself an incredible disservice. I'm not joking when I say that both of the things that you linked Ajayi as doing are things that Abdullah does routinely and better. Neither of those plays were anything special when compared to watching Abdullah over his career. I know, I know, homerism etc. But this guy is easily the best Nebraska RB to step on the field since Ahman Green, and personally I think he's better than Ahman. I'll do my best to find clips of Abdullah doing some of those things, but seriously. This guy should be your #1 RB, above Gordon or Gurley, IMO. Don't blame him for the poor execution of Pelini's teams. He really does everything.

 

[mcintyre1]

Here's a few Abdullah plays I've found on draftbreakdown, but they're missing a lot of his games.

http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=244228&gif=MealyHeavenlyBushsqueaker

http://draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=253740&gif=CrispSeparateGoldenretriever

http://draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=253740&gif=ForkedImaginativeCarpenterant

http://www.draftbreakdown.com/gif-embed/?clip=246459&gif=WhisperedHiddenEuropeanfiresalamander

https://gfycat.com/FlusteredJampackedDungenesscrab

 

[tdmills]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

In a lot of ways, I think Abdullah does belong in the conversation with McCoy. But you have to consider that he has had the benefit of playing in NFL systems which fit perfectly with his skill set by getting him in space. Pending the same good fortune, Abdullah could have as much success.

After watching him vs the Michigan St defense, I don't think he'll succeed grinding it out between the tackles 20+ times. Not only does he lack the power, but I think he lacks the decisiveness and tenacity for such a role. He can run around and by a defender as good as anybody, but he's definitely not anywhere near capable as a grinder.

If you're limiting your opinion of Abdullah's ability as a "grinder" to his showing against Michigan State this year, you're doing yourself an incredible disservice. I'm not joking when I say that both of the things that you linked Ajayi as doing are things that Abdullah does routinely and better. Neither of those plays were anything special when compared to watching Abdullah over his career. I know, I know, homerism etc. But this guy is easily the best Nebraska RB to step on the field since Ahman Green, and personally I think he's better than Ahman. I'll do my best to find clips of Abdullah doing some of those things, but seriously. This guy should be your #1 RB, above Gordon or Gurley, IMO. Don't blame him for the poor execution of Pelini's teams. He really does everything.

These two statements don't go together if you're honest "it's not because I'm a homer" and "he should be rb1 over gurley/Gordon"

 

[BigTex]

Abdullah makes cuts like that in his sleep though.

I agree completely. Abdullah has special talent in space. Definitely the most flexible, and agile, with the most burst of this class of running backs.

But he doesn't do this.

In general, I think speed and mobility work better in the NFL than sheer power. Consider Trent Richardson vs. Jamaal Charles vs. LeSean McCoy. Elite quickness or speed seems to trump elite power. A hybrid like Lynch, Lacy, or Martin can be pretty effective, but IMO Ajayi isn't that good.

Whether or not Abdullah belongs in the same sentence with McCoy is also very questionable. I'm just saying that average size and speed aren't necessarily a big problem if he's dynamite in space and nobody can get a clean hit on him. He makes a lot of cuts that Coleman and Ajayi aren't capable of. He's not as fast as Coleman or as big as Ajayi, but overall he might be the better back.

In a lot of ways, I think Abdullah does belong in the conversation with McCoy. But you have to consider that he has had the benefit of playing in NFL systems which fit perfectly with his skill set by getting him in space. Pending the same good fortune, Abdullah could have as much success.

After watching him vs the Michigan St defense, I don't think he'll succeed grinding it out between the tackles 20+ times. Not only does he lack the power, but I think he lacks the decisiveness and tenacity for such a role. He can run around and by a defender as good as anybody, but he's definitely not anywhere near capable as a grinder.

If you're limiting your opinion of Abdullah's ability as a "grinder" to his showing against Michigan State this year, you're doing yourself an incredible disservice. I'm not joking when I say that both of the things that you linked Ajayi as doing are things that Abdullah does routinely and better. Neither of those plays were anything special when compared to watching Abdullah over his career. I know, I know, homerism etc. But this guy is easily the best Nebraska RB to step on the field since Ahman Green, and personally I think he's better than Ahman. I'll do my best to find clips of Abdullah doing some of those things, but seriously. This guy should be your #1 RB, above Gordon or Gurley, IMO. Don't blame him for the poor execution of Pelini's teams. He really does everything.

Mc1, I like you man but there's no way he should be above both Gurley and Gordon.

What about his game that's better than those two guys?

Tex

 

[mcintyre1]

He's a better player than them, and I think he'll prove it in the NFL. We're all just giving our opinions based on our own experience and knowledge. I've been doing dynasty for over ten years now and I've evaluated a lot of players for myself. Abdullah is one of the best I've ever looked at.

People here called me nuts for ranking Wilson as equal to RG3 or Luck shortly after the draft. I'm used to making out of the norm proclamations. You don't have to believe me.

 

[tdmills]

He's a better player than them, and I think he'll prove it in the NFL. We're all just giving our opinions based on our own experience and knowledge. I've been doing dynasty for over ten years now and I've evaluated a lot of players for myself. Abdullah is one of the best I've ever looked at.

People here called me nuts for ranking Wilson as equal to RG3 or Luck shortly after the draft. I'm used to making out of the norm proclamations. You don't have to believe me.

Again, what does he do better than them?

Sure we all have our opinions and everything is subjective. I could say jalean strong will be the best wr that ever lived(he's not) but if I don't add reasons/context... it has less validity.

 

[steveski]

If that's how I've come across then that's unfortunate. I'm less and less interested in posting on FF forums these days because so much of it degenerates into...

"I'm right."

"No, I'm right."

"You're wrong!"

"No! You're wrong!"

And that's just a tremendous waste of time and energy. Maybe I haven't succeeded yet, but I'm trying to focus more of my energy on making good calls to serve my own interests, putting a certain amount of my analysis out there for people to consider, and not getting caught up in the tug-of-war of trying to "win" arguments about specific players. Such an epic waste of time and totally irrelevant to my goals, which are simply to make good predictions and do well in my leagues.

I've often said that one of the nice things about this game is that you get to put your money where your mouth is. If you think Coates, Dyer, Brian Quick, or whoever is destined for greatness then you can act accordingly and reap the rewards without needing the peanut gallery's approval. If anything, it serves your interests best when they disagree with you and happen to be wrong.

I for one appreciate your information as it comes from such a different place than my own thinking. this is tough to do, but you have to simply ignore the posts or responses that infuriate you. it messes a person up and gets you focused on the wrong stuff. unfortunately, just as in society, the silent masses are not normally represented by the loud minority try to remember that and keep posting

Agree with this. I really appreciate the in depth analysis that I see from EBF and others on this board regarding prospects. If there was only one guy posting and everyone agreed, we wouldn't get the detailed discussion going on that we get. This is only my 2nd year in dynasty and last year was really my first year paying attention to college prospects, but it's by far the most exciting part of fantasy for me. I don't have much to contribute so I don't post in this thread much, but I'm always in here reading. Keep up the quality stuff, guys!

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I try pretty hard not to form strong opinions about guys until after the combine, but I'll be shocked if I like Ajayi when all is said and done. If forced to pick today there are at least 5 or 6 RBs I'd have ahead of him.

 

[mcintyre1]

He's a better player than them, and I think he'll prove it in the NFL. We're all just giving our opinions based on our own experience and knowledge. I've been doing dynasty for over ten years now and I've evaluated a lot of players for myself. Abdullah is one of the best I've ever looked at.

People here called me nuts for ranking Wilson as equal to RG3 or Luck shortly after the draft. I'm used to making out of the norm proclamations. You don't have to believe me.

Again, what does he do better than them?Sure we all have our opinions and everything is subjective. I could say jalean strong will be the best wr that ever lived(he's not) but if I don't add reasons/context... it has less validity.

I'm at lunch, so I can't expand fully, but Abdullah has better vision, change of direction, and receiving skills than either of them and I would put him on equal footing at breaking tackles. He lacks bulk, but he's the best at avoiding taking the big shot that I've seen since Barry Sanders. He's a consummate professional already and has had a chip on his shoulder about being too small since high school. He runs smart and efficiently and I think he's exactly the type of running back that will see success in the NFL moving forward. The current climate of the league devalues big backs like Gurley. Not to say they (Gurley and Gordon) can't or won't succeed, they are both very good running backs and light years ahead of last year's class.

Literally the only negatives that Abdullah has in my mind is lack of ideal size (though I'd argue that compact RBs are going to become more in favor in the coming years as the passing game continues to be emphasized) and top end speed. He's going to run a "disappointing" time at the combine, probably mid 4.5's, but he'll put up top or near top numbers in agility drills. I'm guessing he goes late 1st round or in the 2nd round of the real draft. I don't ever expect him to actually go #1 in rookie drafts, but I think over the course of their careers, you can't do much better than Abdullah.

 

[MAC_32]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

 

[BigTex]

He's a better player than them, and I think he'll prove it in the NFL. We're all just giving our opinions based on our own experience and knowledge. I've been doing dynasty for over ten years now and I've evaluated a lot of players for myself. Abdullah is one of the best I've ever looked at.

People here called me nuts for ranking Wilson as equal to RG3 or Luck shortly after the draft. I'm used to making out of the norm proclamations. You don't have to believe me.

I'm not knocking you, I've been playing dynasty for 13 years but it's not about that. I watch well over 80 college games a year (I can provide a link from a few years ago if necessary) but it's not about that because on this board we have many posters who contribute greatly to this board. Not once have you seen me mock anyone for their opinion.....EVER.

It is a simple as this, YOU made a VERY BOLD statement and I wanted to know why you said it, that's it. Don't look too much into my question. I simply thought you could point out something to me that I may have missed in his game that you can bring to the light but you went in another direction, yet my question was still not answered.

Look at MY remarks about Abdullah in this thread and my 2015 Running Back Class Thread and you will discover that I'm a supporter, just thought you could give me something.

My bad,

Tex

 

[BigTex]

I try pretty hard not to form strong opinions about guys until after the combine, but I'll be shocked if I like Ajayi when all is said and done. If forced to pick today there are at least 5 or 6 RBs I'd have ahead of him.

Do you think he's a product of the system? I have him around 4-6.

Tex

 

[BigTex]

By the way Mc1, I drafted Luck over RG3 and I have Wilson and that same squad....just saying. (Dynasty)

Tex

 

[BigTex]

He's a better player than them, and I think he'll prove it in the NFL. We're all just giving our opinions based on our own experience and knowledge. I've been doing dynasty for over ten years now and I've evaluated a lot of players for myself. Abdullah is one of the best I've ever looked at.

People here called me nuts for ranking Wilson as equal to RG3 or Luck shortly after the draft. I'm used to making out of the norm proclamations. You don't have to believe me.

Again, what does he do better than them?Sure we all have our opinions and everything is subjective. I could say jalean strong will be the best wr that ever lived(he's not) but if I don't add reasons/context... it has less validity.

I'm at lunch, so I can't expand fully, but Abdullah has better vision, change of direction, and receiving skills than either of them and I would put him on equal footing at breaking tackles. He lacks bulk, but he's the best at avoiding taking the big shot that I've seen since Barry Sanders. He's a consummate professional already and has had a chip on his shoulder about being too small since high school. He runs smart and efficiently and I think he's exactly the type of running back that will see success in the NFL moving forward. The current climate of the league devalues big backs like Gurley. Not to say they (Gurley and Gordon) can't or won't succeed, they are both very good running backs and light years ahead of last year's class.

Literally the only negatives that Abdullah has in my mind is lack of ideal size (though I'd argue that compact RBs are going to become more in favor in the coming years as the passing game continues to be emphasized) and top end speed. He's going to run a "disappointing" time at the combine, probably mid 4.5's, but he'll put up top or near top numbers in agility drills. I'm guessing he goes late 1st round or in the 2nd round of the real draft. I don't ever expect him to actually go #1 in rookie drafts, but I think over the course of their careers, you can't do much better than Abdullah.

Even though I don't totally agree, this is what I was asking for.

Thnx,

Tex

 

[Xue]

Abdullah is a healthier Andre Ellington and Kendall Hunter.

 

[ZWK]

Here's my first pass at a WR leaderboard, going strictly by the numbers (more in this thread):

Rtg Player Team

8.44 Amari Cooper Alabama
8.40 DeVante Parker Louisville

7.26 Sammie Coates Auburn

6.09 Leonte Carroo Rutgers
5.61 Phillip Dorsett Miami (Fl)
5.53 Rashard Higgins CSU
5.30 Devin Smith Ohio State
5.27 Corey Coleman Baylor
5.22 John Harris Texas
5.10 Ty Montgomery Stanford
4.93 Devante Davis UNLV
4.85 Vince Mayle Wash St
4.61 Tyler Boyd Pittsburgh

4.04 Kevin White WVU
3.98 Stefon Diggs Maryland
3.97 Sterling Shepard Oklahoma
3.74 Titus Davis C Mich
3.58 Tyler Lockett Kansas St

 

[cloppbeast]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

I appreciated these plays (1)(2)(3)(4) posted by mcintyre1 showing Abdullah at least has some power, but no way it's his strength. Too often he gets stopped in his tracks even when he has a head of steam.

 

[mcintyre1]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

I'm curious what you mean by that? If you're talking about quality of team, Nebraska has been incredibly hit or miss under Pelini, which is why I'm ecstatic to see him go. They can look dominant on offense against teams they don't often play (Miami, OOC games in general), but against the big in conference teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, or Ohio State Pelini's lack of ability to adjust strategies was glaringly obvious. Michigan State knew that Abdullah was our only big piece on offense, they game planned to shut him down and Tommy Armstrong doesn't have the passing chops to make them pay for it with the weather as it was that night. He's inconsistent on a good day, much less in the cold, rain and wind. On top of Armstrong's ####ty passing that night, the offensive line was getting mauled all game. So while, yes, I agree that Abdullah's performance against Michigan State that night was poor, I don't put that on him. The team failed to execute. Not even Adrian Peterson can produce when he's getting hit in the backfield or at the line every play.

Ultimately, here's where I land on Ameer vs. Michigan State:

Ameer Abdullah vs Michigan State 2012 - 22 carries 110 yards and 1 rec 2 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2013 - 22 carries 123 yards, 1 rec 12 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2014 - 24 carries 45 yards 2 TDs, 2 rec 22 yds

I consider the 2014 game to be an aberration versus the longer trend as a result of poor game planning and execution by the team, not Abdullah.

 

[miqws]

By the way Mc1, I drafted Luck over RG3 and I have Wilson and that same squad....just saying. (Dynasty)

Tex

Well I drafted TRich over Luck so that's why I am researching deeper these days. Thanks all for the insight and differing opinions, much better than reading consensus stuff.

 

[mcintyre1]

When I watch Gurley and Gordon play, I see clearly talented RBs, but I also see them get their yardage by being outright faster than most of the guys on the field. Their big runs tend to come when they've got a good head of speed and a decent hole with decent blocking (no real surprise there, that's probably true for most good runs at all levels of football), and they exploit the hole by creating space from defenders with their speed. Now, certainly, that will work sometimes when they transition to the pro level, but they will have to adjust to not being able to create space just by running fast and widening out a bit.

Abdullah, on the other hand, hasn't ever been known as having great speed on long runs. His game is based on his quickness, his ability to avoid taking big hits by contorting himself out of taking a direct shot, and his incredible leg drive. In my opinion, that type of game translates better. He'll certainly have a large adjustment as well, but he doesn't need to develop the ability to make people miss without speed because he's already been doing that for four years.

All of these posts to say: trade away your pick to someone coveting Gurley or Gordon and secure Abdullah later in your rookie draft. Abdullah + other assets > Gurley or Gordon.

 

[MAC_32]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

I'm curious what you mean by that? If you're talking about quality of team, Nebraska has been incredibly hit or miss under Pelini, which is why I'm ecstatic to see him go. They can look dominant on offense against teams they don't often play (Miami, OOC games in general), but against the big in conference teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, or Ohio State Pelini's lack of ability to adjust strategies was glaringly obvious. Michigan State knew that Abdullah was our only big piece on offense, they game planned to shut him down and Tommy Armstrong doesn't have the passing chops to make them pay for it with the weather as it was that night. He's inconsistent on a good day, much less in the cold, rain and wind. On top of Armstrong's ####ty passing that night, the offensive line was getting mauled all game. So while, yes, I agree that Abdullah's performance against Michigan State that night was poor, I don't put that on him. The team failed to execute. Not even Adrian Peterson can produce when he's getting hit in the backfield or at the line every play.

Ultimately, here's where I land on Ameer vs. Michigan State:

Ameer Abdullah vs Michigan State 2012 - 22 carries 110 yards and 1 rec 2 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2013 - 22 carries 123 yards, 1 rec 12 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2014 - 24 carries 45 yards 2 TDs, 2 rec 22 yds

I consider the 2014 game to be an aberration versus the longer trend as a result of poor game planning and execution by the team, not Abdullah.

I didn't see the 2012 game but I thought the 2013 game was more of a letdown after embarrassing Michigan by Michigan State than it was Abdullah dominating. Abdullah was getting Michigan State's A game this year as they hadn't played a meaningful game in four weeks. Wanted to see Abdullah produce despite that and deficiencies around him. He didn't. He crumbled at the line throughout the night. He had a shot at a mulligan vs Wisconsin who is pretty good vs the run themselves, but didn't step up. I'm not being as quick to criticize that game because of what happened when Wisconsin had the ball though. Happy to see they drew USC in the bowl game as they have some stout players on the line, curious how he does vs them when the opportunity presents itself.Power isn't his game, but if he is going to be a lead back in the nfl he needs to have at least some. That's the difference between him, Gordon, and Coleman IMHO. Due to his size he is going to be typecast as a scat back until he proves otherwise. A bad situation for Coleman and a great situation for Abdullah could cause me to flip flop come May, but prior? Nope.

 

[mcintyre1]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

I'm curious what you mean by that? If you're talking about quality of team, Nebraska has been incredibly hit or miss under Pelini, which is why I'm ecstatic to see him go. They can look dominant on offense against teams they don't often play (Miami, OOC games in general), but against the big in conference teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, or Ohio State Pelini's lack of ability to adjust strategies was glaringly obvious. Michigan State knew that Abdullah was our only big piece on offense, they game planned to shut him down and Tommy Armstrong doesn't have the passing chops to make them pay for it with the weather as it was that night. He's inconsistent on a good day, much less in the cold, rain and wind. On top of Armstrong's ####ty passing that night, the offensive line was getting mauled all game. So while, yes, I agree that Abdullah's performance against Michigan State that night was poor, I don't put that on him. The team failed to execute. Not even Adrian Peterson can produce when he's getting hit in the backfield or at the line every play.

Ultimately, here's where I land on Ameer vs. Michigan State:

Ameer Abdullah vs Michigan State 2012 - 22 carries 110 yards and 1 rec 2 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2013 - 22 carries 123 yards, 1 rec 12 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2014 - 24 carries 45 yards 2 TDs, 2 rec 22 yds

I consider the 2014 game to be an aberration versus the longer trend as a result of poor game planning and execution by the team, not Abdullah.

I didn't see the 2012 game but I thought the 2013 game was more of a letdown after embarrassing Michigan by Michigan State than it was Abdullah dominating. Abdullah was getting Michigan State's A game this year as they hadn't played a meaningful game in four weeks. Wanted to see Abdullah produce despite that and deficiencies around him. He didn't. He crumbled at the line throughout the night. He had a shot at a mulligan vs Wisconsin who is pretty good vs the run themselves, but didn't step up. I'm not being as quick to criticize that game because of what happened when Wisconsin had the ball though. Happy to see they drew USC in the bowl game as they have some stout players on the line, curious how he does vs them when the opportunity presents itself.Power isn't his game, but if he is going to be a lead back in the nfl he needs to have at least some. That's the difference between him, Gordon, and Coleman IMHO. Due to his size he is going to be typecast as a scat back until he proves otherwise. A bad situation for Coleman and a great situation for Abdullah could cause me to flip flop come May, but prior? Nope.

I guess I just don't see the same things. Here's a video of all of his carries in this year's Michigan State game. On all but maybe 3-4 carries, he's hit behind or at the line of scrimmage by one or multiple defenders and surprise, he gets good yardage on the plays where he's not hit immediately. Nebraska's offensive line featured multiple players in their own backfield being driven back on most running plays. You show me a RB that can make something out of those plays and I'll show you a future Hall of Famer.

Power isn't his key strength, but I disagree wholeheartedly that it isn't a part of his game. I just don't know how you can extensively watch Abdullah play and determine that he doesn't have "at least some" power.

 

[tdmills]

I like Abdullah, and I don't like to over emphasize one game, but given what he's working with he really needed to perform better against Sparty for me to feel good about him translating to the pros.

Health withstanding, he won't be higher than 4th on my RB board pre draft.

I'm curious what you mean by that? If you're talking about quality of team, Nebraska has been incredibly hit or miss under Pelini, which is why I'm ecstatic to see him go. They can look dominant on offense against teams they don't often play (Miami, OOC games in general), but against the big in conference teams like Wisconsin, Michigan State, or Ohio State Pelini's lack of ability to adjust strategies was glaringly obvious. Michigan State knew that Abdullah was our only big piece on offense, they game planned to shut him down and Tommy Armstrong doesn't have the passing chops to make them pay for it with the weather as it was that night. He's inconsistent on a good day, much less in the cold, rain and wind. On top of Armstrong's ####ty passing that night, the offensive line was getting mauled all game. So while, yes, I agree that Abdullah's performance against Michigan State that night was poor, I don't put that on him. The team failed to execute. Not even Adrian Peterson can produce when he's getting hit in the backfield or at the line every play.

Ultimately, here's where I land on Ameer vs. Michigan State:

Ameer Abdullah vs Michigan State 2012 - 22 carries 110 yards and 1 rec 2 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2013 - 22 carries 123 yards, 1 rec 12 yds 1 TD

vs Michigan State 2014 - 24 carries 45 yards 2 TDs, 2 rec 22 yds

I consider the 2014 game to be an aberration versus the longer trend as a result of poor game planning and execution by the team, not Abdullah.

I didn't see the 2012 game but I thought the 2013 game was more of a letdown after embarrassing Michigan by Michigan State than it was Abdullah dominating. Abdullah was getting Michigan State's A game this year as they hadn't played a meaningful game in four weeks. Wanted to see Abdullah produce despite that and deficiencies around him. He didn't. He crumbled at the line throughout the night. He had a shot at a mulligan vs Wisconsin who is pretty good vs the run themselves, but didn't step up. I'm not being as quick to criticize that game because of what happened when Wisconsin had the ball though. Happy to see they drew USC in the bowl game as they have some stout players on the line, curious how he does vs them when the opportunity presents itself.Power isn't his game, but if he is going to be a lead back in the nfl he needs to have at least some. That's the difference between him, Gordon, and Coleman IMHO. Due to his size he is going to be typecast as a scat back until he proves otherwise. A bad situation for Coleman and a great situation for Abdullah could cause me to flip flop come May, but prior? Nope.

I guess I just don't see the same things. Here's a video of all of his carries in this year's Michigan State game. On all but maybe 3-4 carries, he's hit behind or at the line of scrimmage by one or multiple defenders and surprise, he gets good yardage on the plays where he's not hit immediately. Nebraska's offensive line featured multiple players in their own backfield being driven back on most running plays. You show me a RB that can make something out of those plays and I'll show you a future Hall of Famer.

Power isn't his key strength, but I disagree wholeheartedly that it isn't a part of his game. I just don't know how you can extensively watch Abdullah play and determine that he doesn't have "at least some" power.

I agree that he has some power, he does break some arm tackles. Although he gets brought down by just an arm sometimes too.

 

[tdmills]

When I watch Gurley and Gordon play, I see clearly talented RBs, but I also see them get their yardage by being outright faster than most of the guys on the field. Their big runs tend to come when they've got a good head of speed and a decent hole with decent blocking (no real surprise there, that's probably true for most good runs at all levels of football), and they exploit the hole by creating space from defenders with their speed. Now, certainly, that will work sometimes when they transition to the pro level, but they will have to adjust to not being able to create space just by running fast and widening out a bit.

Abdullah, on the other hand, hasn't ever been known as having great speed on long runs. His game is based on his quickness, his ability to avoid taking big hits by contorting himself out of taking a direct shot, and his incredible leg drive. In my opinion, that type of game translates better. He'll certainly have a large adjustment as well, but he doesn't need to develop the ability to make people miss without speed because he's already been doing that for four years.

All of these posts to say: trade away your pick to someone coveting Gurley or Gordon and secure Abdullah later in your rookie draft. Abdullah + other assets > Gurley or Gordon.

This is just a complete no from me.

Watching his best day vs Rutgers. He had 5 runs of completely huge holes. Great blocking + poor angles from the defense led to about 150 of his 225 yards that day. He made 1 person miss, which he had 5 yards of area to do it and I think most top backs could do, and broke one diving arm tackle.

Yet Gordon/Gurley just run around everyone by widening a bit and using their speed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQkHP5BxxMU I counted 1 run where he just bounced outside and ran around everyone "widening a bit" using his speed. Every other run he broke some kind of tackle. What do you see?

 

[mcintyre1]

When I watch Gurley and Gordon play, I see clearly talented RBs, but I also see them get their yardage by being outright faster than most of the guys on the field. Their big runs tend to come when they've got a good head of speed and a decent hole with decent blocking (no real surprise there, that's probably true for most good runs at all levels of football), and they exploit the hole by creating space from defenders with their speed. Now, certainly, that will work sometimes when they transition to the pro level, but they will have to adjust to not being able to create space just by running fast and widening out a bit.

Abdullah, on the other hand, hasn't ever been known as having great speed on long runs. His game is based on his quickness, his ability to avoid taking big hits by contorting himself out of taking a direct shot, and his incredible leg drive. In my opinion, that type of game translates better. He'll certainly have a large adjustment as well, but he doesn't need to develop the ability to make people miss without speed because he's already been doing that for four years.

All of these posts to say: trade away your pick to someone coveting Gurley or Gordon and secure Abdullah later in your rookie draft. Abdullah + other assets > Gurley or Gordon.

This is just a complete no from me.

Watching his best day vs Rutgers. He had 5 runs of completely huge holes. Great blocking + poor angles from the defense led to about 150 of his 225 yards that day. He made 1 person miss, which he had 5 yards of area to do it and I think most top backs could do, and broke one diving arm tackle.

Yet Gordon/Gurley just run around everyone by widening a bit and using their speed?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQkHP5BxxMU I counted 1 run where he just bounced outside and ran around everyone "widening a bit" using his speed. Every other run he broke some kind of tackle. What do you see?

Rutgers was a blowout. Of course he had great blocking. If I remember correctly, he barely played in the 4th quarter.

Look, I'm not saying Gurley is bad. I think he's quite good. I just think you're all sleeping on how good Abdullah is because you think he's too small. He's the Russell Wilson of RBs. I think I've talked about this enough. Believe me or don't, I don't care.