Isiah Pead>Darryl Richardson. (2 Viewers)

[Inspiration]

The title of this thread is wrong, do you even watch the tape?
The Rams RBs remind me of Ten RBs, in that Pead/Greene can be the battering rams to wear down the D.

Apparently you haven't.

 

[Mr E]

Those quotes seem to give opposite messages to some degree.

They did at first glance, but then I realized that Brian is just keeping them motivated to compete. It will be D Rich as the starter.

 

[Mr E]

The title of this thread is wrong, do you even watch the tape?
The Rams RBs remind me of Ten RBs, in that Pead/Greene can be the battering rams to wear down the D.

Apparently you haven't.

I'm speaking on the 2012 season tape. D Rich looked great. What did Pead do?

 

[Inspiration]

The title of this thread is wrong, do you even watch the tape?
The Rams RBs remind me of Ten RBs, in that Pead/Greene can be the battering rams to wear down the D.

Apparently you haven't.

I'm speaking on the 2012 season tape. D Rich looked great. What did Pead do?

Not look like a battering ram who could wear down a defense?

I'm honestly not sure if you have ever seen Isaiah Pead play football.

 

[Mr E]

The title of this thread is wrong, do you even watch the tape?
The Rams RBs remind me of Ten RBs, in that Pead/Greene can be the battering rams to wear down the D.

Apparently you haven't.

I'm speaking on the 2012 season tape. D Rich looked great. What did Pead do?

Not look like a battering ram who could wear down a defense?

I'm honestly not sure if you have ever seen Isaiah Pead play football.

I guess I didn't pay him much mind. He seemed like a plodder to me. And I think plodders are good for wearing down a defense if they are used enough.

Maybe Zac Stacy is the better bet for that role.

 

[Blackjacks]

Pead is definetly not a plodder

 

[cstu]

Pead is definetly not a plodder

No, but he certainly hasn't looked as shifty as he did in college.

 

[EBF]

Pead stinking up the joint again. Been nothing but bad since St. Louis drafted him.

Stacy nowhere to be seen yet.

Might have to grab Daryl in my redraft league this year. Could be a decent RB2-RB3 in ppr formats.

 

[Casting Couch]

Looking forwarc to seeing what Benny Cunningham can do.

 

[teal]

^this^

 

[Billy Ball Thorton]

Pead is terrible.

 

[Nero]

I suspect we will only see Richardson(starter) and Stacy(top backup) in the first half next week.

 

[ShaHBucks]

Holy ####, I just noticed Pead avoids contact. He's ducking and turning his back bracing for hits. He might be the worse RB in the league to me. Anyone else notice this or am I seeing ghost?

 

[Bob Magaw]

i want to see what blocking was like...

one of first negative plays pead was tackled five yards behind LOS as he took handoff and had no chance...

reportedly pead was good in pass protection (haven't heard that was issue with richardson, so that could be wash)... as i'm watching replay, holt noted pead made nice blitz pickup on best play of game for rams, 50+ yard pass to mike wallace 2.0... it was on LB stunt or twist where i think brad jones looped around hawk, pead had feet set, delivered a blow, held his ground enough to give bradford extra spilt second needed to step into the pass and fire it 60+ yards in the air...

i've seen pead run better when in space, but he hasn't had a ton of those opportunities, as he barely played last year...

in theory, if the passing attack improves and begins to draw more attention, richardson and pead could have more room to operate...

don't recall if fisher, or more importantly schottenheimer, like to employ screens (reid in PHI an example of HC that likes screen a lot)... i think both RBs could do well ini that context...

this brings up maybe difference between two RBs...

i've seen pead when at his best (which again hasn't had much opportunity to flash it, no doubt some would say because he lacks talent and didn't deserve it), look dangerous and borderline explosive in space (and dating back to college)... but he doesn't look like a powerful inside runner, and may never be... due to his size (200-205 lbs?), it was presumed he would most likely be situational, RBBC-type in wake of 2012 draft... later, unexpectedly, news from STL was that they viewed him as potential feature RB?

in retrospect, apart from whatever general, multiple skills others think richardson has over pead, richardson looks like he may be better at keeping team on schedule... though he can be explosive, too, and get to edge, it appears he may be better at getting something when it isn't blocked, and though smaller, better inside runner...

other than fact he is slightly smaller, richardson (fisher removed some of the drama characterizing other NFL situations in flux around the RBBC-scape, by already stating richardson is presumptive starter, he earned it last year and has done nothing to lose it, paraphrasing), looks less like situational, RBBC back than pead...

nobody knows how much of a RBBC it will be, but richardson may be more likely to earn bigger percentage if given the opportunity, not just because he is entrenched, if that is clear... but maybe more importantly, because he could have better skill set (this could include, but not be restricted to, attributes like temperment, inclination, want to, toughness?) to be able to run inside, too, and thereby being more well rounded, complete RB...

maybe others have already come to similar conclusions and none of this will be revelation to them, but i hadn't thought about it in quite these terms previously, so passing it long in case where it migtht be relevant...

another possibility is with more opportunity, better blocking, pead can begin to flash inside more... but i can only base this on what i've seen so far, and i've seen it from richardson more (not just because of admitted volume imbalance and dicrepancy, but even accounting for that, on percentage basis)...

 

[jsharlan]

I'm growing weary of waiting for Pead to stop sucking.

 

[TheFanatic]

So, it's a bad thing that Richardson is the week one starter?

How many preseason week 1 starting RBs ended up not starting the regular season (outside of injury) last year or in the last 5 years?

Just last year Donald Brown and Kevin Smith were starters week 1.

You didn't answer the question.....your bias is obvious and it is causing you to take silly positions. I own both, but if I only had one of them I would want my guy to be #1 right now

I'd want my guy to be #1 in September, but hey, that's just me....

Sept isn't very far away

I definitely agree. Richardson is running circles around this guy. I still think he is too small and slow to be an every down back. I think his ceiling is Steve Slaton.

 

[Faust]

Rotoworld:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes Daryl Richardson "lengthened his already considerable lead" over Isaiah Pead for starting duties despite playing only four snaps in Saturday's preseason game.
It was the obvious takeaway after Saturday's game, where Pead could muster just 21 yards on 11 carries. "We have a good feel for what Daryl can do, obviously," said coach Jeff Fisher. "So Daryl’s in good shape as far as camp goes right now." Expect Richardson to run as the starter in Saturday's regular season dress rehearsal against the Broncos, with Pead serving as a change-of-pace back.

Related: Isaiah Pead

Source: St Louis Post-Dispatch

 

[JFS171]

Traded Richardson over the summer cause I didn't want to be part of the committee mess.

Feeling rather stupid about that now, even though it wasn't a bad deal.

I wouldn't feel bad about that. What's Richardson's ceiling? Pead will get looks, Stacy will likely get goalline carries, Austin will likely be in the backfield some of the time. I'm a Richardson owner, but have a tough time finding a situation where he breaks 1000 rushing yards or half a dozen touchdowns.

Still feeling rather dumb about this. Thanks to this board I grabbed Richardson last year when he was lighting up camp, and I held him for dear life all year. Just when it was about to pay off, I sold him thinking between Pead, Stacy, Cunningham, and DRich it would end up as a dreaded committee.

Ugh. Trying to get him back now...

Just reinforces my golden rule of Fantasy Football - always go with your gut. Knew I should have trusted my eyes with DRich.

 

[bucsbaby]

Love DRich at his current ADP...

 

[Markus P Dub]

ESPN's Nick Wagoner doesn't expect Daryl Richardson to receive more than 15 carries in a game often.

 

[Otis]

I remember when Jamaal Charles was just a change of pace back too.

 

[Touchdown There]

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

Let me get this straight. You have 28 posts on this board and you are calling out individuals who have put down opinions on the 2013 NFL season prior to week 1? It is still August. You do know they play 17 games?

WOW GUY

This backfield is not going to be fantasy relevant. 60-40, 55-45, 50-50, who cares? Richardson is at best a flex play during bye weeks.

 

[ILUVBEER99]

I remember when Jamaal Charles was just a change of pace back too.

Did Richardson all of a sudden learn how to run a 4.3? He is quick but lacks long track speed which is the difference between Charles being a run of the mill talent and an elite one.

 

[Chaka]

Pead takes over as lead back but this may be more commitee than fantasy owners like.

What has Pead done to deserve a lead back role? At least Richardson flash some goods last year, which is more than I can say about Pead.

What did Ahmad Bradshaw do to lose his job? Was it his production?Why didn't Ronnie Hillman take over for McGahee in Denver? Just because a guy is listed second on the depth chart it does not mean he gets the lead role as next in line. Look at it as two different roles although there is only one position. Richardson will maintain his role from last year. Pead will take over for Sjax.

You were saying....

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

I have no horse in this race but it's a little early to be crowing. The job is Richardson's now but Fisher stated pretty clearly that he doesn't see him being used as a feature back. Other RBs on the roster will have opportunities to shine during this season.

While I like Richardson because he is the starter but barring him blowing up out of the gate (anything is possible particularly with a much improved o-line) I think his upside is going to be limited with the way the Rams say they are approaching the RB position.

 

[Chaka]

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

Let me get this straight. You have 28 posts on this board and you are calling out individuals who have put down opinions on the 2013 NFL season prior to week 1? It is still August. You do know they play 17 games?

WOW GUY

This backfield is not going to be fantasy relevant. 60-40, 55-45, 50-50, who cares? Richardson is at best a flex play during bye weeks.

Actually they play 16 games.

Just sayin'.

 

[sbonomo]

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

Let me get this straight. You have 28 posts on this board and you are calling out individuals who have put down opinions on the 2013 NFL season prior to week 1? It is still August. You do know they play 17 games?

WOW GUY

This backfield is not going to be fantasy relevant. 60-40, 55-45, 50-50, who cares? Richardson is at best a flex play during bye weeks.

Easy there turbo...Some of us play in deep dynasty and 12 team plus leagues where he could be a weekly contributer and/or valuable depth at a very thin position.

 

[Touchdown There]

Easy there turbo...Some of us play in deep dynasty and 12 team plus leagues where he could be a weekly contributer and/or valuable depth at a very thin position.

This is true, but I think you have to look at discussion on this board in terms of standard PPR 12 team scoring. If not, then every statement/projection would have to be wrapped in league scoring context.

 

[sbonomo]

Easy there turbo...Some of us play in deep dynasty and 12 team plus leagues where he could be a weekly contributer and/or valuable depth at a very thin position.

This is true, but I think you have to look at discussion on this board in terms of standard PPR 12 team scoring. If not, then every statement/projection would have to be wrapped in league scoring context.

[SIZE=9.5pt]I actually think that proves my point...In a 12 team (ppr) league there needs to be 36 RB's off the board just to have two starters and backup/bye week starter. If you decide to draft a WR, QB or a TE in the first three rounds this is definitely a player that is going to add value to your team. Let say you have the second pick and draft D Martin. Then on the turn (assuming no third reversal) crazy value has dropped to me in the form of Julio Jones and Aaron Rodgers. That leaves a load of players off the board before my next pick. Do i like rolling the dice with him as my 2nd RB? No but to say he is irrelevant is very short sighted. [/SIZE]

 

[TheFanatic]

This is going to be very interesting with all the bumping already going on and we haven't even gotten to the 3rd preseason game! Wow!

 

[sho nuff]

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

Let me get this straight. You have 28 posts on this board and you are calling out individuals who have put down opinions on the 2013 NFL season prior to week 1? It is still August. You do know they play 17 games?

WOW GUY

This backfield is not going to be fantasy relevant. 60-40, 55-45, 50-50, who cares? Richardson is at best a flex play during bye weeks.

Actually they play 16 games.

Just sayin'.

 

[JayJay328]

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

Let me get this straight. You have 28 posts on this board and you are calling out individuals who have put down opinions on the 2013 NFL season prior to week 1? It is still August. You do know they play 17 games?

WOW GUY

This backfield is not going to be fantasy relevant. 60-40, 55-45, 50-50, who cares? Richardson is at best a flex play during bye weeks.

Let me get this straight, you have been here for a whole 3 years and think because you post a bunch that what you say holds more merit than anyone else? <_<

 

[TheFanatic]

This is going to be very interesting with all the bumping already going on and we haven't even gotten to the 3rd preseason game! Wow!

I thought it was already interesting with all the cocky (so far wrong) predictions prior to the 1st and or 2nd preseason game.

Here is mine...DRich will be a top 24 RB (RB2) in standard PPR this year....and btw...please bump this in 19 weeks. If you don't I will...probably several times during the season

And if he gets injured week 4 and misses 6 weeks, where will you be? Or by week six he's part of a full on committee? Where will you be?

You point out that the predictions are wrong so far. Duh. So is yours. See both have to wait for actual games to be played to be fulfilled...

 

[Otis]

This is going to be very interesting with all the bumping already going on and we haven't even gotten to the 3rd preseason game! Wow!

I thought it was already interesting with all the cocky (so far wrong) predictions prior to the 1st and or 2nd preseason game.

Here is mine...DRich will be a top 24 RB (RB2) in standard PPR this year....and btw...please bump this in 19 weeks. If you don't I will...probably several times during the season

Dangerous out on that limb.

 

[FF Ninja]

Pead takes over as lead back but this may be more commitee than fantasy owners like.

What has Pead done to deserve a lead back role? At least Richardson flash some goods last year, which is more than I can say about Pead.

What did Ahmad Bradshaw do to lose his job? Was it his production?Why didn't Ronnie Hillman take over for McGahee in Denver? Just because a guy is listed second on the depth chart it does not mean he gets the lead role as next in line. Look at it as two different roles although there is only one position. Richardson will maintain his role from last year. Pead will take over for Sjax.

You were saying....

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

I remember when Jamaal Charles was just a change of pace back too.

I don't own anyone in this backfield, but figured I'd have a look at this thread for redraft purposes. There's some pretty shameless "patting myself on the back" going on in this thread for mid-August. Normally this is not justified until week 7 or 8 of the regular season. Good to see you guys are ahead of the game after just week 2 of the preseason...

 

[TheFanatic]

Pead takes over as lead back but this may be more commitee than fantasy owners like.

What has Pead done to deserve a lead back role? At least Richardson flash some goods last year, which is more than I can say about Pead.

What did Ahmad Bradshaw do to lose his job? Was it his production?Why didn't Ronnie Hillman take over for McGahee in Denver? Just because a guy is listed second on the depth chart it does not mean he gets the lead role as next in line. Look at it as two different roles although there is only one position. Richardson will maintain his role from last year. Pead will take over for Sjax.

You were saying....

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

I remember when Jamaal Charles was just a change of pace back too.

I don't own anyone in this backfield, but figured I'd have a look at this thread for redraft purposes. There's some pretty shameless "patting myself on the back" going on in this thread for mid-August. Normally this is not justified until week 7 or 8 of the regular season. Good to see you guys are ahead of the game after just week 2 of the preseason...

Yeah, Bazinga is a pro here. He's way ahead of the rest of us.

 

[Man of Zen]

Pead takes over as lead back but this may be more commitee than fantasy owners like.

What has Pead done to deserve a lead back role? At least Richardson flash some goods last year, which is more than I can say about Pead.

What did Ahmad Bradshaw do to lose his job? Was it his production?Why didn't Ronnie Hillman take over for McGahee in Denver? Just because a guy is listed second on the depth chart it does not mean he gets the lead role as next in line. Look at it as two different roles although there is only one position. Richardson will maintain his role from last year. Pead will take over for Sjax.

You were saying....

I had Pead and Richardson and I feel so confident that Pead is the going to be the guy I moved D-rich in a trade and kept Pead by himself.

Oooops

I have no horse in this race but it's a little early to be crowing. The job is Richardson's now but Fisher stated pretty clearly that he doesn't see him being used as a feature back. Other RBs on the roster will have opportunities to shine during this season.

While I like Richardson because he is the starter but barring him blowing up out of the gate (anything is possible particularly with a much improved o-line) I think his upside is going to be limited with the way the Rams say they are approaching the RB position.

Lost me at the idea that Fisher stated anything pretty clearly. A couple decades as a HC has honed his evasiveness to a razor fine edge.

 

[JFS171]

I have no clue if the actual stats would back me up, but I wonder if going to a small school and signing with a small agency (Team Sports Agency) limited Richardson's exposure on how to properly run a 40 for time.

We see a lot of higher round picks focus a lot on their 40 time because a tenth of a second can be shaved off with proper technique. Richardson may not have had the resources to train for the 40 in the proper manner and may have run a "football" 40 instead of a "track" 40.

Total spitballing on my part. It is really tough though to determine how good small-school players (Abilene Christian is a D2 school) from their play against inferior opponents and Pro-Day numbers (as opposed to combine numbers) have to be taken with a grain of salt.

That's a thought that would blow this height weight theory out of the water. Can they take a guy from 4.47 to 4.3? I have no idea.

I always heard that proper form could take you down a tenth of a second (properly getting off the line and what not.) No idea how much, if any, work Richardson did in focusing on sprints. He may have been lettered in the 60 meter sprint all four years in high school for all I know. But, small school guy, with a pretty minor agency...it does make me wonder.

Hypothetically, had he ran a 4.37, we'd be thinking about him a lot differently. Curious to see him run more against NFL defenses. It'll be pretty apparent if he can't separate from linebackers, is getting chased down by DBs. I just tend to give small school guys and small agency guys (Richardson was the only NFL player from his agency drafted) a little more leeway because they may not have had the benefit of proper coaching for the combine-type drills.

So I was digging into this a little more as I've been kicking myself for selling DRich and trying to evaluate just how much I believe in him and how hard I need to push to get him back. I found this article on NFL.com about the Abilene Christian Pro-Day...

...with this little nugget that we somehow all overlooked:

Prospects ran outside on FieldTurf in wet and slippery conditions. Representatives from 16 NFL teams were there, and 28 players worked out.

Daryl Richardson, RB, Abilene Christian, (5-foot-10 3/8, 192 pounds) — Richardson ran the 40-yard dash on the slippery track, finishing in 4.49 and 4.50 seconds. He recorded a 40 1/2-inch vertical, an 11-foot-3 broad jump, a 4.29-second short shuttle and a 7.03-second three-cone, and did 16 strength lifts. Richardson was worked out as a hybrid back, doing running back and receiving drills. He had a successful workout and caught the ball well. Richardson will likely be selected in the seventh round of April’s draft or be a priority free agent.

Then there's this from Daryl Richardson himself:

"I think I did OK (today)," Richardson said. "I ran a 4.35 last week during training, so I came in here expecting to go 4.3 seconds so I'm a little bit disappointed in my time."

So let's review - we've got a guy with the following times on a turf field in "wet and slippery conditions" as described by Gil Brandt:

Long Shuttle: 11.24 (11.59)

Short Shuttle: 4.29 (4.12)

3-Cone: 7.03 (7.09)

Vertical: 40.5" (41")

Broad: 135" (132")

The numbers in parentheses above are the combine numbers of David Wilson, a guy EVERYONE subscribes to as an athletic freak. Isn't it conceivable that Richardson, on a wet field, may have taken a little extra care to ensure his footing on the short and long shuttle and 40-yard dash? On the non-running measures where the slippery conditions had zero effect, Richardson arguably out-performed Wilson, and he still beat him on the 3-cone in those same conditions.

How would we be evaluating this guy if he came to Indy and blew up the drills on a dry, controlled track, running a 4.35 in the process? His stock is way up in my book, and I'm trying like hell to get him back.

 

[Gawain]

I have no clue if the actual stats would back me up, but I wonder if going to a small school and signing with a small agency (Team Sports Agency) limited Richardson's exposure on how to properly run a 40 for time.

We see a lot of higher round picks focus a lot on their 40 time because a tenth of a second can be shaved off with proper technique. Richardson may not have had the resources to train for the 40 in the proper manner and may have run a "football" 40 instead of a "track" 40.

Total spitballing on my part. It is really tough though to determine how good small-school players (Abilene Christian is a D2 school) from their play against inferior opponents and Pro-Day numbers (as opposed to combine numbers) have to be taken with a grain of salt.

That's a thought that would blow this height weight theory out of the water. Can they take a guy from 4.47 to 4.3? I have no idea.

I always heard that proper form could take you down a tenth of a second (properly getting off the line and what not.) No idea how much, if any, work Richardson did in focusing on sprints. He may have been lettered in the 60 meter sprint all four years in high school for all I know. But, small school guy, with a pretty minor agency...it does make me wonder.

Hypothetically, had he ran a 4.37, we'd be thinking about him a lot differently. Curious to see him run more against NFL defenses. It'll be pretty apparent if he can't separate from linebackers, is getting chased down by DBs. I just tend to give small school guys and small agency guys (Richardson was the only NFL player from his agency drafted) a little more leeway because they may not have had the benefit of proper coaching for the combine-type drills.

So I was digging into this a little more as I've been kicking myself for selling DRich and trying to evaluate just how much I believe in him and how hard I need to push to get him back. I found this article on NFL.com about the Abilene Christian Pro-Day...

...with this little nugget that we somehow all overlooked:

Prospects ran outside on FieldTurf in wet and slippery conditions. Representatives from 16 NFL teams were there, and 28 players worked out.

Daryl Richardson, RB, Abilene Christian, (5-foot-10 3/8, 192 pounds) — Richardson ran the 40-yard dash on the slippery track, finishing in 4.49 and 4.50 seconds. He recorded a 40 1/2-inch vertical, an 11-foot-3 broad jump, a 4.29-second short shuttle and a 7.03-second three-cone, and did 16 strength lifts. Richardson was worked out as a hybrid back, doing running back and receiving drills. He had a successful workout and caught the ball well. Richardson will likely be selected in the seventh round of April’s draft or be a priority free agent.

Then there's this from Daryl Richardson himself:

"I think I did OK (today)," Richardson said. "I ran a 4.35 last week during training, so I came in here expecting to go 4.3 seconds so I'm a little bit disappointed in my time."

So let's review - we've got a guy with the following times on a turf field in "wet and slippery conditions" as described by Gil Brandt:

Long Shuttle: 11.24 (11.59)

Short Shuttle: 4.29 (4.12)

3-Cone: 7.03 (7.09)

Vertical: 40.5" (41")

Broad: 135" (132")

The numbers in parentheses above are the combine numbers of David Wilson, a guy EVERYONE subscribes to as an athletic freak. Isn't it conceivable that Richardson, on a wet field, may have taken a little extra care to ensure his footing on the short and long shuttle and 40-yard dash? On the non-running measures where the slippery conditions had zero effect, Richardson arguably out-performed Wilson, and he still beat him on the 3-cone in those same conditions.

How would we be evaluating this guy if he came to Indy and blew up the drills on a dry, controlled track, running a 4.35 in the process? His stock is way up in my book, and I'm trying like hell to get him back.

Thanks for doing the work that I was too lazy to do.

 

[Hoss Style]

I have no clue if the actual stats would back me up, but I wonder if going to a small school and signing with a small agency (Team Sports Agency) limited Richardson's exposure on how to properly run a 40 for time.

We see a lot of higher round picks focus a lot on their 40 time because a tenth of a second can be shaved off with proper technique. Richardson may not have had the resources to train for the 40 in the proper manner and may have run a "football" 40 instead of a "track" 40.

Total spitballing on my part. It is really tough though to determine how good small-school players (Abilene Christian is a D2 school) from their play against inferior opponents and Pro-Day numbers (as opposed to combine numbers) have to be taken with a grain of salt.

That's a thought that would blow this height weight theory out of the water. Can they take a guy from 4.47 to 4.3? I have no idea.

I always heard that proper form could take you down a tenth of a second (properly getting off the line and what not.) No idea how much, if any, work Richardson did in focusing on sprints. He may have been lettered in the 60 meter sprint all four years in high school for all I know. But, small school guy, with a pretty minor agency...it does make me wonder.

Hypothetically, had he ran a 4.37, we'd be thinking about him a lot differently. Curious to see him run more against NFL defenses. It'll be pretty apparent if he can't separate from linebackers, is getting chased down by DBs. I just tend to give small school guys and small agency guys (Richardson was the only NFL player from his agency drafted) a little more leeway because they may not have had the benefit of proper coaching for the combine-type drills.

So I was digging into this a little more as I've been kicking myself for selling DRich and trying to evaluate just how much I believe in him and how hard I need to push to get him back. I found this article on NFL.com about the Abilene Christian Pro-Day...

...with this little nugget that we somehow all overlooked:

Prospects ran outside on FieldTurf in wet and slippery conditions. Representatives from 16 NFL teams were there, and 28 players worked out.

Daryl Richardson, RB, Abilene Christian, (5-foot-10 3/8, 192 pounds) — Richardson ran the 40-yard dash on the slippery track, finishing in 4.49 and 4.50 seconds. He recorded a 40 1/2-inch vertical, an 11-foot-3 broad jump, a 4.29-second short shuttle and a 7.03-second three-cone, and did 16 strength lifts. Richardson was worked out as a hybrid back, doing running back and receiving drills. He had a successful workout and caught the ball well. Richardson will likely be selected in the seventh round of April’s draft or be a priority free agent.

Then there's this from Daryl Richardson himself:

"I think I did OK (today)," Richardson said. "I ran a 4.35 last week during training, so I came in here expecting to go 4.3 seconds so I'm a little bit disappointed in my time."

So let's review - we've got a guy with the following times on a turf field in "wet and slippery conditions" as described by Gil Brandt:

Long Shuttle: 11.24 (11.59)

Short Shuttle: 4.29 (4.12)

3-Cone: 7.03 (7.09)

Vertical: 40.5" (41")

Broad: 135" (132")

The numbers in parentheses above are the combine numbers of David Wilson, a guy EVERYONE subscribes to as an athletic freak. Isn't it conceivable that Richardson, on a wet field, may have taken a little extra care to ensure his footing on the short and long shuttle and 40-yard dash? On the non-running measures where the slippery conditions had zero effect, Richardson arguably out-performed Wilson, and he still beat him on the 3-cone in those same conditions.

How would we be evaluating this guy if he came to Indy and blew up the drills on a dry, controlled track, running a 4.35 in the process? His stock is way up in my book, and I'm trying like hell to get him back.

Good find. Those of you that ran back in school for any reason (track, drills during football practice, etc) can probably relate at some point to running on a wet surface. You don't just slow down on purpose to be safe - you're actually slower no matter how hard you try. Your feet slip just a smidge out of the blocks and as you're accelerating early.

I wasn't there for DRich's Pro Day and I didn't see it - but if the field was indeed wet that could easily shave off a tenth of a second or more.

 

[JFS171]

I think it's completely reasonable to project a mid-4.3s time for the kid considering the explosion scores far outpace the agility scores. May also help explain why he fell so far in the draft - small college, solid if unspectacular agility and speed...

Considering Fisher's record for RBs, I'm honestly thinking Richardson could see 200 carries and 40+ receptions. 900-1000 rushing with another 250-400 in receiving, and you've got a rock solid RB2, especially in PPR.

I'm seriously debating overpaying here… adding to Ingram to land Richardson before he explodes tonight in the dress rehearsal.

 

[opensourcebeer]

At what point does Pead become a drop in dynasty leagues?

 

[miqws]

At what point does Pead become a drop in dynasty leagues?

After first few games, either he gets on the field and you can evaluate based on film, or he does not get on the field which makes him droppable. He's on my roster and can afford to wait a bit, but current data says drop him and move on.

 

[Bob Magaw]

didn't see usage and distribution in the game, but by box score...

i think pead was close to 6-24, richardson about 5-10?

 

[cstu]

didn't see usage and distribution in the game, but by box score...

i think pead was close to 6-24, richardson about 5-10?

Pead was 4 for 25 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (3rd quarter)

Richardson was 4 for 10 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (1st half)

 

[bulger2holt]

didn't see usage and distribution in the game, but by box score...

i think pead was close to 6-24, richardson about 5-10?

Pead was 4 for 25 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (3rd quarter)

Richardson was 4 for 10 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (1st half)

The Rams won 26-0 besides the 27 points Denver scored

 

[cstu]

didn't see usage and distribution in the game, but by box score...

i think pead was close to 6-24, richardson about 5-10?

Pead was 4 for 25 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (3rd quarter)

Richardson was 4 for 10 besides the carry he got stuffed on (-3). (1st half)

The Rams won 26-0 besides the 27 points Denver scored

I didn't see the particular plays by each of them but plays were a RB has no chance to make a play are meaningless.

Edit: I just checked and like I thought both were hit in the backfield as soon as they got the handoff.

 

[plastik]

The vast majority of a back's carries will be less than 20 yards. Initial burst and acceleration are more important than pure track speed. I don't think Richardson has a great second gear when he breaks into the open field, but he has the instant explosiveness. The 40"+ vert and 11'3" broad jump suggest as much.

40 time is the only combine number that gets ink from the mainstream media, so it's the main thing that people latch onto. There's a reason why they do all the other drills every year though. They also tell you a lot about what a player can do. The vertical will tell you something about leg strength and explosiveness. The broad jump will tell you something about straight-line explosiveness and hip flexibility. 11'3" in that drill is a crazy mark. You rarely see players go over 11' in this drill and when you do it's usually a tall player (tall players have a natural edge in this drill because of their longer legs). To jump 11'3" at 5'10" is one of the best marks I've seen in recent years.

Here are some other top performers in that drill, along with their height (rounded up to the nearest inch).

Calvin Johnson - 11'7" (6'5")

Justin Fargas - 11'5" (6'1")

Justin Hunter - 11'4" (6'4")

Dez Bryant - 11'1" (6'2")

Da'Rick Rogers - 11'0" (6'2")

David Wilson - 11'0" (5'10")

Marquise Goodwin - 11'0" (5'9")

Chris Johnson - 10'10" (5'11")

Darren McFadden - 10'8" (6'1")

CJ Spiller - 10'6" (5'11")

Nobody shorter than Richardson jumped farther than him. You should also notice that most of the guys on this list are explosive track types. People who excel in this drill also tend to run fast because it draws on a lot of the same mechanics. The fact that Richardson "only" runs a high 4.4 in the 40 would be a slight concern when you look at his height/weight ratio, but his numbers in the jumps offset that to some extent. He clearly isn't lacking in fast twitch explosiveness.

As far as there being no similar success stories, I think part of that is because it's so rare to find a player who has elite broad jump numbers without elite speed. Goodwin, Chris Johnson, Justin Fargas, Calvin Johnson...they were 4.3 guys. The only established commodity on this list who didn't run sub 4.4 is Dez Bryant. He turned out more than fine, albeit at a different position and with a much different height/weight ratio.

I wouldn't say that Richardson is a lock for success, but I don't think speed will be a huge limiting factor for him. I'd be more worried about his lack of bulk, as I don't think it's ideal to run a sub 200 pound sub 27.5 BMI back 15-20 times per game over a full season. I think he will probably be more of a committee guy long term.

Uhh, that last part is the whole point. It isn't ideal and just doesn't happen for sub 200 lb RBs to run 15-20 times/game UNLESS (wait for it)......you have elite speed. Warrick Dunn. CJ Spiller. Jamaal Charles. Chris Johnson. These guys have done it and it's their ridiculous speed that has allowed them to get away with it.

I'm not even going to try and give a reason why it matters because I don't know why. I don't know what's special about that extra 1/10th of a second or those 5 lbs. And it could be that you find some cutoff for verts/broad jumps and his size that might say he should be able to succeed.

But the correlation with his weight and 40 time is clear. These aren't crazy cutoffs either. Is it possible it's somehow flawed and if we got enough guys at 199 lbs that ran a 4.42 and started giving them 200 carries that they could do it? Sure, I think it's not only possible but likely. But as of right now, those are the numbers. And we're not talking about only like 5% of RBs that have defied it. We're not talking about a few exceptions. We're talking about one exception....ever. I mean, it's not often we see something so clear cut. And when you see so many guys that came in at his size/speed and most of them ended up adding weight (Ray Rice, Bradshaw, etc.) and the ones that didn't failed miserably, then there's probably a very good reason for it. The fact that Richardson hasn't added the weight is telling that he probably can't add much more to his frame. Plus, the guy is 5'10 so it's not as if he's short and stocky.

A lot of people here are looking for the starting RB in St. Louis for fantasy purposes. If that's what you're hoping for in Richardson and trying to land the clear lead ball carrier, then I think you really need to look elsewhere.

Not sure where they're getting it, as most sites (including NFL.com) list him in the mid 190s, but Google claims he weighs 205.

That's interesting. I can't find that anywhere else or any reports about him gaining weight (we usually see those).

It's no exaggeration that if his weight was actually up that my interest in him would change DRAMATICALLY. If he were to bulk up to 205 or 210 somehow, his outlook changes significantly and I think we'd have to look at him in a completely different light. Might be something to keep an eye out for so thanks for posting that.

NFL.com listing Richardson at 206 now... and he looked pretty good week 1. I'm excited to see what he can do as teams start to respect the STL passing game a bit more.

 

[gianmarco]

The vast majority of a back's carries will be less than 20 yards. Initial burst and acceleration are more important than pure track speed. I don't think Richardson has a great second gear when he breaks into the open field, but he has the instant explosiveness. The 40"+ vert and 11'3" broad jump suggest as much.

40 time is the only combine number that gets ink from the mainstream media, so it's the main thing that people latch onto. There's a reason why they do all the other drills every year though. They also tell you a lot about what a player can do. The vertical will tell you something about leg strength and explosiveness. The broad jump will tell you something about straight-line explosiveness and hip flexibility. 11'3" in that drill is a crazy mark. You rarely see players go over 11' in this drill and when you do it's usually a tall player (tall players have a natural edge in this drill because of their longer legs). To jump 11'3" at 5'10" is one of the best marks I've seen in recent years.

Here are some other top performers in that drill, along with their height (rounded up to the nearest inch).

Calvin Johnson - 11'7" (6'5")

Justin Fargas - 11'5" (6'1")

Justin Hunter - 11'4" (6'4")

Dez Bryant - 11'1" (6'2")

Da'Rick Rogers - 11'0" (6'2")

David Wilson - 11'0" (5'10")

Marquise Goodwin - 11'0" (5'9")

Chris Johnson - 10'10" (5'11")

Darren McFadden - 10'8" (6'1")

CJ Spiller - 10'6" (5'11")

Nobody shorter than Richardson jumped farther than him. You should also notice that most of the guys on this list are explosive track types. People who excel in this drill also tend to run fast because it draws on a lot of the same mechanics. The fact that Richardson "only" runs a high 4.4 in the 40 would be a slight concern when you look at his height/weight ratio, but his numbers in the jumps offset that to some extent. He clearly isn't lacking in fast twitch explosiveness.

As far as there being no similar success stories, I think part of that is because it's so rare to find a player who has elite broad jump numbers without elite speed. Goodwin, Chris Johnson, Justin Fargas, Calvin Johnson...they were 4.3 guys. The only established commodity on this list who didn't run sub 4.4 is Dez Bryant. He turned out more than fine, albeit at a different position and with a much different height/weight ratio.

I wouldn't say that Richardson is a lock for success, but I don't think speed will be a huge limiting factor for him. I'd be more worried about his lack of bulk, as I don't think it's ideal to run a sub 200 pound sub 27.5 BMI back 15-20 times per game over a full season. I think he will probably be more of a committee guy long term.

Uhh, that last part is the whole point. It isn't ideal and just doesn't happen for sub 200 lb RBs to run 15-20 times/game UNLESS (wait for it)......you have elite speed. Warrick Dunn. CJ Spiller. Jamaal Charles. Chris Johnson. These guys have done it and it's their ridiculous speed that has allowed them to get away with it.

I'm not even going to try and give a reason why it matters because I don't know why. I don't know what's special about that extra 1/10th of a second or those 5 lbs. And it could be that you find some cutoff for verts/broad jumps and his size that might say he should be able to succeed.

But the correlation with his weight and 40 time is clear. These aren't crazy cutoffs either. Is it possible it's somehow flawed and if we got enough guys at 199 lbs that ran a 4.42 and started giving them 200 carries that they could do it? Sure, I think it's not only possible but likely. But as of right now, those are the numbers. And we're not talking about only like 5% of RBs that have defied it. We're not talking about a few exceptions. We're talking about one exception....ever. I mean, it's not often we see something so clear cut. And when you see so many guys that came in at his size/speed and most of them ended up adding weight (Ray Rice, Bradshaw, etc.) and the ones that didn't failed miserably, then there's probably a very good reason for it. The fact that Richardson hasn't added the weight is telling that he probably can't add much more to his frame. Plus, the guy is 5'10 so it's not as if he's short and stocky.

A lot of people here are looking for the starting RB in St. Louis for fantasy purposes. If that's what you're hoping for in Richardson and trying to land the clear lead ball carrier, then I think you really need to look elsewhere.

Not sure where they're getting it, as most sites (including NFL.com) list him in the mid 190s, but Google claims he weighs 205.

That's interesting. I can't find that anywhere else or any reports about him gaining weight (we usually see those).

It's no exaggeration that if his weight was actually up that my interest in him would change DRAMATICALLY. If he were to bulk up to 205 or 210 somehow, his outlook changes significantly and I think we'd have to look at him in a completely different light. Might be something to keep an eye out for so thanks for posting that.

NFL.com listing Richardson at 206 now... and he looked pretty good week 1. I'm excited to see what he can do as teams start to respect the STL passing game a bit more.

Thanks for this update. I agree that he looked pretty decent (despite the numbers not being great).

I'm surprised nothing was written about or posted on this prior to this change. Usually a 10lb weight gain by a small RB like him is "news" and at least reported by someone, especially when it's a significant weight gain like this.

 

[ShaHBucks]

The vast majority of a back's carries will be less than 20 yards. Initial burst and acceleration are more important than pure track speed. I don't think Richardson has a great second gear when he breaks into the open field, but he has the instant explosiveness. The 40"+ vert and 11'3" broad jump suggest as much.

40 time is the only combine number that gets ink from the mainstream media, so it's the main thing that people latch onto. There's a reason why they do all the other drills every year though. They also tell you a lot about what a player can do. The vertical will tell you something about leg strength and explosiveness. The broad jump will tell you something about straight-line explosiveness and hip flexibility. 11'3" in that drill is a crazy mark. You rarely see players go over 11' in this drill and when you do it's usually a tall player (tall players have a natural edge in this drill because of their longer legs). To jump 11'3" at 5'10" is one of the best marks I've seen in recent years.

Here are some other top performers in that drill, along with their height (rounded up to the nearest inch).

Calvin Johnson - 11'7" (6'5")

Justin Fargas - 11'5" (6'1")

Justin Hunter - 11'4" (6'4")

Dez Bryant - 11'1" (6'2")

Da'Rick Rogers - 11'0" (6'2")

David Wilson - 11'0" (5'10")

Marquise Goodwin - 11'0" (5'9")

Chris Johnson - 10'10" (5'11")

Darren McFadden - 10'8" (6'1")

CJ Spiller - 10'6" (5'11")

Nobody shorter than Richardson jumped farther than him. You should also notice that most of the guys on this list are explosive track types. People who excel in this drill also tend to run fast because it draws on a lot of the same mechanics. The fact that Richardson "only" runs a high 4.4 in the 40 would be a slight concern when you look at his height/weight ratio, but his numbers in the jumps offset that to some extent. He clearly isn't lacking in fast twitch explosiveness.

As far as there being no similar success stories, I think part of that is because it's so rare to find a player who has elite broad jump numbers without elite speed. Goodwin, Chris Johnson, Justin Fargas, Calvin Johnson...they were 4.3 guys. The only established commodity on this list who didn't run sub 4.4 is Dez Bryant. He turned out more than fine, albeit at a different position and with a much different height/weight ratio.

I wouldn't say that Richardson is a lock for success, but I don't think speed will be a huge limiting factor for him. I'd be more worried about his lack of bulk, as I don't think it's ideal to run a sub 200 pound sub 27.5 BMI back 15-20 times per game over a full season. I think he will probably be more of a committee guy long term.

Uhh, that last part is the whole point. It isn't ideal and just doesn't happen for sub 200 lb RBs to run 15-20 times/game UNLESS (wait for it)......you have elite speed. Warrick Dunn. CJ Spiller. Jamaal Charles. Chris Johnson. These guys have done it and it's their ridiculous speed that has allowed them to get away with it.

I'm not even going to try and give a reason why it matters because I don't know why. I don't know what's special about that extra 1/10th of a second or those 5 lbs. And it could be that you find some cutoff for verts/broad jumps and his size that might say he should be able to succeed.

But the correlation with his weight and 40 time is clear. These aren't crazy cutoffs either. Is it possible it's somehow flawed and if we got enough guys at 199 lbs that ran a 4.42 and started giving them 200 carries that they could do it? Sure, I think it's not only possible but likely. But as of right now, those are the numbers. And we're not talking about only like 5% of RBs that have defied it. We're not talking about a few exceptions. We're talking about one exception....ever. I mean, it's not often we see something so clear cut. And when you see so many guys that came in at his size/speed and most of them ended up adding weight (Ray Rice, Bradshaw, etc.) and the ones that didn't failed miserably, then there's probably a very good reason for it. The fact that Richardson hasn't added the weight is telling that he probably can't add much more to his frame. Plus, the guy is 5'10 so it's not as if he's short and stocky.

A lot of people here are looking for the starting RB in St. Louis for fantasy purposes. If that's what you're hoping for in Richardson and trying to land the clear lead ball carrier, then I think you really need to look elsewhere.

Not sure where they're getting it, as most sites (including NFL.com) list him in the mid 190s, but Google claims he weighs 205.

That's interesting. I can't find that anywhere else or any reports about him gaining weight (we usually see those).

It's no exaggeration that if his weight was actually up that my interest in him would change DRAMATICALLY. If he were to bulk up to 205 or 210 somehow, his outlook changes significantly and I think we'd have to look at him in a completely different light. Might be something to keep an eye out for so thanks for posting that.

NFL.com listing Richardson at 206 now... and he looked pretty good week 1. I'm excited to see what he can do as teams start to respect the STL passing game a bit more.

Thanks for this update. I agree that he looked pretty decent (despite the numbers not being great).

I'm surprised nothing was written about or posted on this prior to this change. Usually a 10lb weight gain by a small RB like him is "news" and at least reported by someone, especially when it's a significant weight gain like this.

Really? I thought he almost cost them the game.

 

[Hoss Style]

I read somewhere that Richardson had gained a few pounds of muscle this offseason. I think that 196lbs was last years weight. I thought I saw he's 200 or so now. I'll try to find a link.

*Edited* to add that I can't find the link on Richardson gaining a few pounds. I felt sure that I read he'd put on 3-5 pounds, but I've read so much lately that I could have him mixed up with someone else.

I posted this on Aug 11th but couldn't find the link. I had read it a month before but couldn't for the life of me remember where. I wish I had found that link.