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Jacquizz Rodgers update (1 Viewer)

plasticman

Footballguy
Atlanta Falcons

By Pat Yasinskas | ESPN.com

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- As you first watch and listen to the Atlanta Falcons in training camp, you quickly realize something is different.

They’ve got a bunch of marquee players (Matt Ryan, Roddy White, Julio Jones, Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner, John Abraham and Asante Samuel), but the buzz isn’t about them. Instead, most of the talk is about two new assistant coaches -- offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. That’s understandable, because a lot of people thought the Falcons needed some major changes after they got thumped by the New York Giants in the first round of last season’s playoffs.

With offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey (now head coach in Jacksonville) and defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder (now defensive coordinator at Auburn) leaving, Koetter and Nolan are big storylines. They might not have star power all by themselves, but watch and listen a little more and you’ll see the two new coaches have plenty of star power behind them.

“Mike Nolan and Dirk Koetter have done a fine job of bringing their respective systems to the table and working with (coach) Mike Smith and the rest of the staff and developing a system that is melding well with all of our coaching opinions,’’ general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “It’s a collaborative effort. It’s not just one stamp from one coordinator or the other. It’s been really interesting seeing everyone come together on the respective sides of the football to develop this new system.’’

In conversations with Smith and Dimitroff, each repeatedly emphasized that key players (the guys listed above and a few others) have had extensive input into what the Falcons will do on each side of the ball. As soon as league rules allowed coaches and players to get together in the offseason, Ryan and Koetter began meeting regularly and discussing what the playbook should look like.

“There are a lot of things we’ve done well over the last few years and the first thing Dirk asked me was what I liked and what I felt most comfortable with,’’ Ryan said. “Then, we took the things I said and looked at our production in those situations and some of it was surprising because we didn’t have as much success as I would have thought in some of the things I said I was most comfortable with, and we had some pretty good success with some of the things I didn’t necessarily think I liked."

"We also watched a lot of film of Jacksonville (where Koetter was offensive coordinator last year) and we talked a lot about why they did certain things at certain times. There was a lot of very good give and take. He’s extremely open to input, which is great for players, and I know he sat down and did the same thing with some other guys. But he also has his own opinions and is firm on his own opinions and I like that about him.’’

The Falcons have been very public about some of the ways their offense will change. They said they don’t want Turner having to endure a 300-carry season. They said they want to use the screen pass more after almost completely ignoring it in recent years. And they’ve made it very clear they want to improve their downfield passing game.

What the actual playbook looks like is likely to be a combination of what both Koetter and the Falcons have done in the past.

The changes on defense are likely to be similar because Nolan also has consulted extensively with his key players. Nolan has spent 14 years as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, seven of them in the 4-3 defense and seven in the 3-4. The Falcons will continue to use the 4-3 as their base, but there could be some 3-4 looks and principles.

“We just have a lot of different things that we can do,’’ outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon said. “We’re going to be aggressive. We’re not being passive at all. Our mindset is that we want to go out there and dictate. We don’t want to adjust to what an offense is doing. We want to put it on them to make changes.’’

That would be a change from the VanGorder days, when the Falcons had some individual talent and a fair amount of overall success, but never really had an identity as a defense. The Falcons will be different on both sides of the ball.

“When you have new eyes, so to speak, you get a different view,’’ Smith said. “We may have had a view that this guy’s strengths are A, B and C and his weaknesses are D, E and F, and a new guy comes in and, because he’s coming from a different perspective, he sees it differently. I think that’s interesting in terms of evaluating your roster because you have two new sets of eyes.’’

Maybe the eyes will have it. Maybe the new coordinators and new playbooks will be enough to help the Falcons win a playoff game for the first time since Smith, Dimitroff and Ryan arrived in 2008.

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. The running game with Turner’s limit on carries. Despite all the talk about the downfield passing game, I don’t think the Falcons want to suddenly just abandon the running game. Turner still is powerful and can help open things up for the passing game. The Falcons just don’t want to wear him out. They’ve used Jason Snelling at times to give Turner some rest, and Snelling will be involved again this season. But I don’t think he’s really the guy the Falcons are looking at to pick up a big chunk of Turner’s carries.



I’m almost certain they have big plans for second-year pro Jacquizz Rodgers,and I think those plans might be a lot bigger than people realize. That’s largely because Rodgers is bigger than the Falcons realized when they drafted him last year.

“Jacquizz is not little,’’ Smith said. “He’s short, but he’s thick. People projected him to be a third-down back, a change-of-pace back. I think the guy has the skill set to play on all three downs. One of the things that stood out to me more than anything is his ability to pass protect. A lot of times, your change-of-pace back, you’ve got to get him the ball and not ask him to be a part of the protection. I don’t think that’s the case with Jacquizz. I think Jacquizz is an all-around back that can play on all three downs.’’

Translation: The Falcons aren’t looking for Rodgers to be what Jerious Norwood once was. They want him to be more like what Warrick Dunn once was.

2. Positive reinforcement. I don’t know if they were veiled shots at Mularkey, VanGorder and former middle linebacker and defensive leader Curtis Lofton, but I think it was significant that Smith and Dimtroff repeatedly used the word “positive’’ when they talked about the coaching styles of Koetter and Nolan and as they talked about the leadership qualities Samuel brings and what kind of leader they expect Weatherspoon to become.

“Sean is such a positive guy,’’ Smith said. “He is vocal, but he’s never negative in the way he speaks. He’s always very positive.’’

Samuel was described in the same way. So were Nolan and Koetter.

I never sensed a lot of negativity from Mularkey, VanGorder or Lofton, but I also never sensed any of them were rah-rah guys. It sure seems like Smith and Dimitroff feel their team needed more positive reinforcement.

3. The pass rush. For far too long, Atlanta’s pass rush has consisted of Abraham and almost nothing else. Maybe fellow defensive end Ray Edwards steps up after an injury-filled season that helped limit him to 3.5 sacks. Or maybe reserves Lawrence Sidbury or Kroy Biermann produce more. But I get the sense Nolan isn’t looking to have only defensive ends rush the passer.

“The way practice is going right now, we’re really excited about getting the linebackers more involved in rushing the passer,’’ Weatherspoon said. “Even in seven-on-seven, we’re going. That will help those guys out there on the edge because now offenses are going to have to account for us all day. It’ll be better because we’ll be able to keep them on their heels.’’

And it won’t be just the linebackers. Look for the cornerbacks and safeties to also get plenty of opportunities to blitz.

REASON FOR OPTIMISM

Time to fly. A lot of great young quarterbacks have seemed to hit a wall early in their careers. Even Peyton Manning had a reputation for not being able to win the big one early in his career, and look how that’s worked out. I’m not saying Ryan is going to turn into the second coming of Manning, but I think this is the year in which Ryan finally can earn a firm spot in the category of elite quarterbacks.

The guy has done some very good things in his first four seasons and he’s worked very hard to bulk up this offseason, so that he’s not worn down when the playoffs roll around. Ryan has a good arm, excellent mental skills and a strong work ethic. But, for some reason, he just hasn’t been able to take the next step. Last year, the Falcons brought in Jones to give him another weapon to go with White and Gonzalez. This year, they brought in Koetter, who has obvious instructions to get the most out of Ryan’s skills.

When you keep doing things the right way, sooner or later it’s all bound to click.

REASON FOR PESSIMISM

The offensive line. This was a big problem spot last year. Ryan frequently didn’t have enough time to throw the deep ball. The Falcons got rid of offensive line coach Paul Boudreau and replaced him with Pat Hill, who has a nice history with offensive lines. They also used their second-round pick on guard Peter Konz.

But were those two moves enough to bring dramatic improvement up front? Should the Falcons really be sticking with Sam Baker at left tackle? And even if they want to give Baker another shot, shouldn’t they at least have brought in a viable alternative in case he struggles?

I know a lot of fans think the Falcons should have done more up front. But the Falcons think they’ve done enough. We’ll find out which is right soon enough.

OBSERVATION DECK

The Falcons lost a steady return man when Eric Weems left as a free agent. They’ve thrown out a lot of names, including some undrafted rookies, as candidates to take Weems’ spot as the punt and kickoff returner. But this is a team with a lot at stake this season and I don’t see the Falcons handing either job to an untested rookie. I think they play it safe and go with third receiver Harry Douglas as their punt returner. He could also be an option on kickoff returns. If not, reserve cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Christopher Owens, as well as Rodgers, could be possibilities.

Ever since he was drafted in 2010, I’ve been expecting to see some flash from wide receiver Kerry Meier. Part of that is because the Atlanta coaches still talk about the former college quarterback as a guy that can play just about any position. Meier missed his rookie season with an injury and didn’t get a lot of playing time last year. But I did see him make a couple of nice catches in camp and also saw him getting work as the backup holder on field goals and extra points. Meier may have a tough time getting much playing time at wide receiver because the Falcons are so deep. But Koetter might be able to throw off some defenses by lining up Meier at H-back, fullback and tight end at various times.

I don’t want to raise hopes artificially, but I saw defensive tackle Peria Jerry working with the first team defense while I was at camp. He seemed to show a little of the burst that made him a first-round pick in 2009. But Jerry tore up his knee early in his rookie season and has been reduced to a role player. He’s getting the first-team work because Corey Peters is temporarily sidelined with an injury. Peters’ starting job will be there when he gets back. But the Falcons would get a tremendous boost if Jerry can give them some production as a backup.

Veteran center Todd McClure has been getting all the first-team work early in camp. But I think the Falcons would be wise to take a long look at Joe Hawley and maybe even start him in a preseason game or two. McClure is 35 and there is no question he’s slowing down. I can see a scenario in which McClure wears out or gets hurt as the season goes on and Hawley gets thrown into the starting lineup. The better long-term approach might be to go with Hawley as the starter and have McClure as a fallback option.

I don’t know what the Falcons are going to do about a No. 3 tight end after Gonzalez and Michael Palmer. They have six tight ends in camp. At least while I was there, the one that seemed to stand out was Tommy Gallarda. He looks like he can catch the ball a bit. More importantly, he’s 6-foot-5 and 259 pounds and looks like he can block.

A lot of fans are excited about third-round pick Lamar Holmes. They believe he could end up beating out Baker for the starting left tackle job in training camp. That’s not going to happen. The Falcons are going to give Baker every benefit of the doubt. If he’s injured or really struggles, they’ll turn to Will Svitek. Holmes is viewed as a project and it could be a couple of years before he gets on the field.

Since the arrival of Samuel, the common assumption among many fans is that Dunta Robinson will be the nickelback and Samuel will start opposite Brent Grimes. That’s not as automatic as most think. Yes, Robinson will play the nickel position, lining up inside against slot receivers on passing downs. But that doesn’t mean Robinson won’t be starting and playing the outside on running downs. Samuel’s age, 31, is a concern and the Falcons may not want to overuse him. They may start Robinson and, when they go to the nickel package, insert Samuel on the outside and slide Robinson inside.

It looks like D.Cox is not the only one seeing that in Peria.... We will see what he can do... This is his year to show something or......

The Don™ likes this Like This

 
I thought in PPR leagues this might be interesting, I'm a big Falcons fan and this the first I've ever heard of Rodgers being a three down back.

 
I usually don't complain about this kind of thing, but couldn't this have been put in one of the five J.Rodgers threads already out there? I'm getting tired of :blackdot: every one of them.

 
Yasinkas used to write for the Bucs, seen him cover the Panthers, now the Falcons...I'm not that big a fan to be honest. Warrick Dunn does not mean a damn thing to Mike Smith right now.

Fact is Rodgers did virtually nothing last year so until i see him carry the ball at least 100-150 times a season or 200+ touches, until that happens I have very little optimism. he was not pushing for any type of playing time last year.

 
According to NFL.com, MJD is 5'7'', 210 lbs. and Rodgers is 5'6'', 196 lbs.
I'd say that Rodgers is more Sproles than MJD.
Problem is, no one will mistake Sproles for a 3 down back...that is where the problem lies...I also think it is interesting they want him to be "warrick Dubb" since no one (sans the owner) was there during that era...it would be like Rex Ryan talking about making Stephen Hill the next Wesley Walker.
 
Yasinkas used to write for the Bucs, seen him cover the Panthers, now the Falcons...I'm not that big a fan to be honest. Warrick Dunn does not mean a damn thing to Mike Smith right now. Fact is Rodgers did virtually nothing last year so until i see him carry the ball at least 100-150 times a season or 200+ touches, until that happens I have very little optimism. he was not pushing for any type of playing time last year.
No Dunn doesn't mean diddly to Smith, but if you will re-read the article, there is lot's of question marks regarding the effectiveness of the previous offensive coach of the Falcons. The new OF coach is the same coach as MJD's...Kinda makes you wonder??? Especially with Smith's statement...I have no dog in this fight other than I'm a Falcon fan.
 
Love the preseason hype. Sell high. When the game is on the line, Turner will be on the field.

 
I'm not seeing that much hype about Rodgers being a three down back. I agree Turner still has a little gas in the tank, but I'm not sure next year is promised. Don't get me wrong I'd much rather own Turner, but Rodgers as late as he's being drafted, just makes you think?

 
Yasinkas used to write for the Bucs, seen him cover the Panthers, now the Falcons...I'm not that big a fan to be honest. Warrick Dunn does not mean a damn thing to Mike Smith right now.

Fact is Rodgers did virtually nothing last year so until i see him carry the ball at least 100-150 times a season or 200+ touches, until that happens I have very little optimism. he was not pushing for any type of playing time last year.
Agreed. I have not seen anything (flashes last year, special traits/abilities....etc) other than "words" suggesting this guy is going to be a difference maker this year. I am holding in dynasty but am prepared to be disappointed....just don't see what others see I guess.
 
Rodgers does have impressive leg strength (obviously nothing like Turner), but I've seen nothing yet that indicates he's going to be much running the football. I think he can be a nice receiving outlet and nightmare match up in space against linebackers.

There's nothing special about him. He's just different than what they have (RB receiving back, that can make plays in space). With Julio, Roddy, Gonzo, he's not going to be given a lot of defensive attention. I could see him having 50+ catches this year. I would just be surprised if he got 100 carries.

 
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I like Rodgers a lot this year, and I like him more in 2013. The coaching staff seems pretty excited about using him

 
Yasinkas used to write for the Bucs, seen him cover the Panthers, now the Falcons...I'm not that big a fan to be honest. Warrick Dunn does not mean a damn thing to Mike Smith right now. Fact is Rodgers did virtually nothing last year so until i see him carry the ball at least 100-150 times a season or 200+ touches, until that happens I have very little optimism. he was not pushing for any type of playing time last year.
Spiller was a first round pick 2 years ago and literally did nothing, and looked horrible doing it. All of the sudden it clicked in for the kid last year when Jackson went down, and now Spiller is easily one of the more sought after young running backs by teams that are rebuilding. Rodgers may or may not be like this, but it seems recently that a lot of rookie running backs struggle their first year or two. (Ryan Matthews, Spiller, Daniel Thomas, Stevan Ridley, Donald Brown)
 
if hes really 5'6" 196 thats pretty thick considering he weighs the same as CJ and more than Sproles. I might call BS though as Sproles looks all around bigger

 
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Here's one pic going away.http://www.atlantafalcons.com/media/photo/501866ffb6973d447a130000.jpg?width=728&height=410&ratio=16:9&portraitOkay=trueHere's one pic coming at you.http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/418674_10150991469492842_1828664432_n.jpgThat's what I would consider extremely thick??
Typical exaggeration to try and make a point. Nobody said extremely thick. The Dunn/Sproles comparisons are plenty fair.
 
Dunn was 5'9 187lbs...I agree with the Sproles comparison. Not trying to make a point, I'm 6'3 225lbs, I look like a skeleton next to Rodgers.

 
'plasticman said:
Dunn was 5'9 187lbs...I agree with the Sproles comparison. Not trying to make a point, I'm 6'3 225lbs, I look like a skeleton next to Rodgers.
Personally, all these comparisons mean little to me. Some guys are big and huge wusses. Some guys are small and tough as nails (B Sanders, MJD). Every guy is different. I want to know toughness and speed, not whether he weighs the same as Sproles or whatever.
 
Every time I think of 'quizz, I think of that one play (forgot the team, i'm sorry) where he banged bodies and broke 2 tackles to gain an incredibly important 1st down on a 3rd and 5 conversion. I think he has the ability to be a huge impact player.

 
I don't understand the love for him. Just because he's short, doesn't mean he's the next Sproles or MJD or Ray Rice. He's never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have.

This is all preseason coach speak to me.

 
I don't understand the love for him. Just because he's short, doesn't mean he's the next Sproles or MJD or Ray Rice. He's never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have.This is all preseason coach speak to me.
Rodgers was a rookie with no training camp, and a full slate of Turner last year left very little time to show much of anything as a rookie. To say he has "never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have." is a ridiculously definitive statement given the tiny amount of work he's been given. Nobody is saying he is Sproles, MJD, or Rice because he is short.... an equally ridiculous statement. With so many different people saying ATL is changing up their offensive philosophy it seems to reason that a stone handed Turner must see his carries reduced at the expense of the passing game. Is Snelling going to get those receptions? Not likely as Rodgers is taking those reps in camp. You're hearing things that people simply aren't saying.
 
I don't understand the love for him. Just because he's short, doesn't mean he's the next Sproles or MJD or Ray Rice. He's never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have.This is all preseason coach speak to me.
Rodgers was a rookie with no training camp, and a full slate of Turner last year left very little time to show much of anything as a rookie. To say he has "never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have." is a ridiculously definitive statement given the tiny amount of work he's been given. Nobody is saying he is Sproles, MJD, or Rice because he is short.... an equally ridiculous statement. With so many different people saying ATL is changing up their offensive philosophy it seems to reason that a stone handed Turner must see his carries reduced at the expense of the passing game. Is Snelling going to get those receptions? Not likely as Rodgers is taking those reps in camp. You're hearing things that people simply aren't saying.
:goodposting: Not to mention Atlanta loves him and that is all that matters, they are going to give him the chance so he is worth a stash or a 10th or later round pick
 
I don't understand the love for him. Just because he's short, doesn't mean he's the next Sproles or MJD or Ray Rice. He's never demonstrated the combination of speed and strength (and awareness) that these players have.This is all preseason coach speak to me.
I'm hardly in love with him, but his situation is ripe to average 3-4 receptions/game on a very good up and coming offense. That will have value in fantasy leagues as a Rb3I think he's more Leon Washington (as far as offensive standpoint) that will have a defined passing back role in this offense.I think where some are misguided is saying Jacquizz will get 200+ carries this year. It's not happening. Turner wouldn't even on the team if that were going to be the case. Turner shouldn't get 300 carries again -- but he's not done and he's a far better inside runner than Quizz is ....or ever will be.I don't think he's as talented as any of the 3 you mentioned, but opportunity/situation is more than half the battle. If Quizz was in a lesser situation, in Cleveland/KC/Wash/Miami/etc.., I don't even think we'd be discussing him.
 
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So where do you rank him?
i think he is in the same tier as mike goodson in the 14th or so but it would ot surprise me at all for him to have a big impact in ppr leages.koetter loves screen plays.
PPR target for sure. Standard leagues I'd agree he is a late round pick barring some big preseason flashes. But unlike Goodson he is not a Turner handcuff but a pick similar to what Sproles offered in drafts LAST year. Difference that even things out is Sproles showed some big potential in San Diego (though never looked like a lead back). And ironically, Sproles breakout last year pushes expectations up for someone like Rodgers.
 
Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.

 
Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.
:confused: MJD: 5-8, 205 lbs

All of these guys are within 2 inches and 5 lbs of him

C Martin: 5-10, 210 lbs; 4th leading rusher in NFL history

B Sanders: 5-8, 203 lbs; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history

W Payton: 5-10, 200 lbs; 2nd leading rusher in NFL history

E Smith: 5-9, 210 lbs; leading rusher in NFL history

T. Thomas: 5-10, 200 lbs: 12000+ rush yards, 5 straight seasons of 1500+ YFS

T Barber: 5-10, 200 lbs; 10000+ rush yards, 3 straight seasons of 2000+ YFS

Furthermore, Tony Dorsett was 5-11, 192 lbs (#8 leading rusher-3 inches taller, 13 lbs lighter)& M Faulk was 5-10, 211 lbs (2 inches taller, and 6 lbs heavier, #10 leading rusher); so the NFL's top-4 career rushing leaders, and 3 of the single-season YFS leaders are guys who "succeeded at that size" or pretty close to it.

I'm not saying that Rodgers is going to have a career like MJD, or any of these guys, but to suggest that RBs similar in size to MJD haven't been successful in the NFL is completely false.

 
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Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.
:confused: MJD: 5-8, 205 lbs

All of these guys are within 2 inches and 5 lbs of him

C Martin: 5-10, 210 lbs; 4th leading rusher in NFL history

B Sanders: 5-8, 203 lbs; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history

W Payton: 5-10, 200 lbs; 2nd leading rusher in NFL history

E Smith: 5-9, 210 lbs; leading rusher in NFL history

T. Thomas: 5-10, 200 lbs: 12000+ rush yards, 5 straight seasons of 1500+ YFS

T Barber: 5-10, 200 lbs; 10000+ rush yards, 3 straight seasons of 2000+ YFS

Furthermore, Tony Dorsett was 5-11, 192 lbs (#8 leading rusher-3 inches taller, 13 lbs lighter)& M Faulk was 5-10, 211 lbs (2 inches taller, and 6 lbs heavier, #10 leading rusher); so the NFL's top-4 career rushing leaders, and 3 of the single-season YFS leaders are guys who "succeeded at that size" or pretty close to it.

I'm not saying that Rodgers is going to have a career like MJD, or any of these guys, but to suggest that RBs similar in size to MJD haven't been successful in the NFL is completely false.
Jones-Drew is not 5' 8". The NFL lists him at 5' 7" and in college he was often listed at 5' 6". To say his body is comparable to Martin, Payton, Thomas, Barber, or Dorsett is laughable. Sanders and Smith maybe, but even then you're stretching it as they too were a good 1-2 inches taller than MJD. MJD is a unique player who overcame odds that most players are not capable of. I do not believe Rogers has a good enough skill-set to overcome those odds.

 
Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.
:confused: MJD: 5-8, 205 lbs

All of these guys are within 2 inches and 5 lbs of him

C Martin: 5-10, 210 lbs; 4th leading rusher in NFL history

B Sanders: 5-8, 203 lbs; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history

W Payton: 5-10, 200 lbs; 2nd leading rusher in NFL history

E Smith: 5-9, 210 lbs; leading rusher in NFL history

T. Thomas: 5-10, 200 lbs: 12000+ rush yards, 5 straight seasons of 1500+ YFS

T Barber: 5-10, 200 lbs; 10000+ rush yards, 3 straight seasons of 2000+ YFS

Furthermore, Tony Dorsett was 5-11, 192 lbs (#8 leading rusher-3 inches taller, 13 lbs lighter)& M Faulk was 5-10, 211 lbs (2 inches taller, and 6 lbs heavier, #10 leading rusher); so the NFL's top-4 career rushing leaders, and 3 of the single-season YFS leaders are guys who "succeeded at that size" or pretty close to it.

I'm not saying that Rodgers is going to have a career like MJD, or any of these guys, but to suggest that RBs similar in size to MJD haven't been successful in the NFL is completely false.
Most of those guys are bad comparisons, it was a different game back then and players are bigger and stronger than they used to be. I don't know the stats off hand but I bet the average linebacker and safety are at least 10 lbs heavier from when most of those guys played in the 80's or 90's
 
One thing I hear all the time is that coaches adjust in the NFL. They adjust to the Wildcat, they'll adjust to 2TE sets, etc. They better adjust and make the "smaller" backs productive because it looks like these guys are becoming the new trend in NFL RBs. Look at this years draft with early picks on Pead, Hillman and LMJ. GMs are seeing something in these guys and drafting them to have a main role. I havent started 2013 prep yet but I know theres some "smaller"guys guys being highly regarded. Coaches will find a way to make them productive or at least give them a shot. This arguement about size might be outdated in a couple years.

 
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If you watched Quizz in college, you would not question his skillset, strength, or toughness.

Everyone seems to be writing him off already. I think this is a mistake. He's 22 years old, and he had 57 attempts as a rookie. I'm going to give him a bit more time to prove himself.

 
Guys like Ray Rice, Maurice Drew, and Darren Sproles are proving that weight-per-height is a better gauge of RB size than weight alone. If you just look at the weight, all of those guys are small compared to the average pro RB. But if you look at weight-per-height, Rice and Sproles are right in line with the typical starting NFL back, and MJD is actually a big back.

I think it will be interesting to see how JacQuizz Rodgers and Dion Lewis fare in the NFL because they both have the skills to be starters and they both have good weight-per-height, but they're both on the extremely short end of the scale at 5'5" and 5'6".

 
Yasinkas used to write for the Bucs, seen him cover the Panthers, now the Falcons...I'm not that big a fan to be honest. Warrick Dunn does not mean a damn thing to Mike Smith right now. Fact is Rodgers did virtually nothing last year so until i see him carry the ball at least 100-150 times a season or 200+ touches, until that happens I have very little optimism. he was not pushing for any type of playing time last year.
Yasinkas used to be a Panthers beat writer for the Charlotte Observer, before getting a job covering the entire NFL South for ESPN. So he now covers all four teams.He sucked as a beat writer, and seemed to always be the last local writer to find out about a story...and when he was first, he was typically wrong, so I've generally avoided his stuff with ESPN as well. He couldn't cover a single team well, so I can't imagine he's doing a great job with four of them.
 
'Shanahanigans said:
'Bayhawks said:
'Shanahanigans said:
Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.
:confused: MJD: 5-8, 205 lbs

All of these guys are within 2 inches and 5 lbs of him

C Martin: 5-10, 210 lbs; 4th leading rusher in NFL history

B Sanders: 5-8, 203 lbs; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history

W Payton: 5-10, 200 lbs; 2nd leading rusher in NFL history

E Smith: 5-9, 210 lbs; leading rusher in NFL history

T. Thomas: 5-10, 200 lbs: 12000+ rush yards, 5 straight seasons of 1500+ YFS

T Barber: 5-10, 200 lbs; 10000+ rush yards, 3 straight seasons of 2000+ YFS

Furthermore, Tony Dorsett was 5-11, 192 lbs (#8 leading rusher-3 inches taller, 13 lbs lighter)& M Faulk was 5-10, 211 lbs (2 inches taller, and 6 lbs heavier, #10 leading rusher); so the NFL's top-4 career rushing leaders, and 3 of the single-season YFS leaders are guys who "succeeded at that size" or pretty close to it.

I'm not saying that Rodgers is going to have a career like MJD, or any of these guys, but to suggest that RBs similar in size to MJD haven't been successful in the NFL is completely false.
Jones-Drew is not 5' 8". The NFL lists him at 5' 7" and in college he was often listed at 5' 6". To say his body is comparable to Martin, Payton, Thomas, Barber, or Dorsett is laughable. Sanders and Smith maybe, but even then you're stretching it as they too were a good 1-2 inches taller than MJD. MJD is a unique player who overcame odds that most players are not capable of. I do not believe Rogers has a good enough skill-set to overcome those odds.
I was using pro-footballreference.com, as it has all the NFL's leaders in one place. It listed MJD as being 5'8" But if you want to use nfl.com, then it also lists him as being 210 lbs. Emmitt Smith & Barry Sanders, two of the greatest RBs in NFL history are pretty close to MJD's height/weight (within 2 inches and 7 lbs). The exact same "fudging" of MJD's height/weight occurred with these two players as well, so it's not a stretch at all, as those extra 1-2 inches would disappear in person just as quickly as MJD's extra inch. Again, none of this means Rodgers is going to perform like MJD, Smith, or Sanders, but your statement that "before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size;" is clearly false, as two of the most successful NFL RBs were almost exactly the same size.

 
'Chazzhawk said:
'Bayhawks said:
'Shanahanigans said:
Count me in the camp of those who think this guy is getting overhyped. Watching him last year I came away thoroughly unimpressed. IMO he just does not have the speed or burst to overcome his lack of size. He's a third down back without speed and that will lead to a very average NFL career and irrelevancy in fantasy.

It's always trendy to say these smaller backs are the next MJD, but before MJD there was no one who had succeeded at that size. MJD is the exception, not the rule, and more than likely there wont be another like him for quite some time if ever.
:confused: MJD: 5-8, 205 lbs

All of these guys are within 2 inches and 5 lbs of him

C Martin: 5-10, 210 lbs; 4th leading rusher in NFL history

B Sanders: 5-8, 203 lbs; 3rd leading rusher in NFL history

W Payton: 5-10, 200 lbs; 2nd leading rusher in NFL history

E Smith: 5-9, 210 lbs; leading rusher in NFL history

T. Thomas: 5-10, 200 lbs: 12000+ rush yards, 5 straight seasons of 1500+ YFS

T Barber: 5-10, 200 lbs; 10000+ rush yards, 3 straight seasons of 2000+ YFS

Furthermore, Tony Dorsett was 5-11, 192 lbs (#8 leading rusher-3 inches taller, 13 lbs lighter)& M Faulk was 5-10, 211 lbs (2 inches taller, and 6 lbs heavier, #10 leading rusher); so the NFL's top-4 career rushing leaders, and 3 of the single-season YFS leaders are guys who "succeeded at that size" or pretty close to it.

I'm not saying that Rodgers is going to have a career like MJD, or any of these guys, but to suggest that RBs similar in size to MJD haven't been successful in the NFL is completely false.
Most of those guys are bad comparisons, it was a different game back then and players are bigger and stronger than they used to be. I don't know the stats off hand but I bet the average linebacker and safety are at least 10 lbs heavier from when most of those guys played in the 80's or 90's
I wasn't comparing the RBs, merely refuting the statement that, prior to MJD, RBs with comparable size had not been effective. It's not an accurate statement.
 

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