If McFadden gets an emphatic "meh" from you, I've lost faith in your ability to judge football talent. Unless, of course, you're not watching him consistently this season. You know what they say about the eye in the sky.
This is a little harsh.
Maybe, but it's also true. I've always appreciated EBF's ability to judge talent, so I'm hoping he just hasn't seen much of McFadden this year.
What is so hard to, believe? EBF made a couple good points: Did the Raiders change, or did DMC change? and: RBs rarely go from bad, or below average, to great. History shows it more likely that Oakland changed, than DMC changed. So lets assume that it is a little of both. DMC is maturing and being more patient, and the OAK scheme, line, and skill players put DMC in a better position.
If you pride yourself of judging talent - so well that you KNOW that an opposing view on McFadden is simply un-thinkably wrong - you also know that RB is one of the hardest spots to judge: there are so many variables. For the same reason that late round runningbacks can regularly perform at high levels,again, external variables. Assuming we all agree on those, and remove them from the "vacuum", there is still one factor that applies to the RB position much more than any other: burst. Again, assuming you are as skilled or practiced as you think you are, you know burst is one of the more subjective, hard-to-define, intagible qualities that a player can have. We can all agree that McFaden has it right now. Under the same assumptions regarding your eability to judge talent: we can also assume that burst + room = production. I can point to any number of backs this year, or any year, really - Torain, Foster, Barber, Bradshaw to name a few.
So let's assume that DMC is a great talent, in a vacuum, independant of our burst + room = production equation. What do we have? What does he have that makes him better than average, better than above average, better than just good? He is faster than most backs in the NFL, elite even. He has good quickness and good vision, which most NFL runningbacks do. He still lacks balance, and while his patience is coming around, it is not above average. Other than that, what makes him great? Please help me understand what I am missing. Because I can tell you why, based on NFL play, McFadden would not be having this resurgence in Dallas, and if Felix was in Oakland, he would.
And before you "lose all faith" in anyone else, you can start with the FBG staff, who has yet to move McFadden in to dyansty RB1 status, even as recently as October.
Your statement re: EBF is FAR more dramatic and unreasonable than his re: McFadden, silly even.
In fact, lets make it easy, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAM2TX1I8yI
Please, do us all a favor and tell us what makes McFadden special, and what top 15 RBs in the NFL couldn't make those plays. These are his highlights from week two (simple Google search). You can use any clip you want, and tell us what RB can't get 10 yards when they aren't touched for 9. Tell us all what EBF is missing that is so clearly obvious. Use your scout lingo; use your own "film" if you want to - just share!