Leon Washington (1 Viewer)

[Sugar Huddle]

Washington and Westbrook are very simliar in style. Both are 5'8" 205lbs range and super quick. Both can take it the distance on any given play. Washington is being used much the same as Westbrook was early on. It took Westbrook three years or so to establish himself. Does anyone else see the similarities?

 

[redman]

He could also be the next Mewelde Moore.

 

[Warhogs]

The first name that came to mind for me was that he could be more like Kevin Faulk.

I do think he could be successful being a main ballcarrier if ever given the chance.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

He could also be the next Mewelde Moore.

something like that. He's a little more explosive than Moore, but not nearly as shifty or explosive as Westbrook. That's not a knock on Washington, he's still an excellent threat on outside runs, receptions, and returns, he's just not elite like Westbrook, and the lack of the elite playmaking ability means that he's not worth the large share of touches that Westbrook earned in the Eagles offense.

 

[Chunky Soup]

Washington and Westbrook are very simliar in style. Both are 5'8" 205lbs range and super quick. Both can take it the distance on any given play. Washington is being used much the same as Westbrook was early on. It took Westbrook three years or so to establish himself. Does anyone else see the similarities?

It was in Westbrook's 3rd year when things really started to click. The biggest thing was opportunity. I think with TJones in there, it will take quite a bit for Washington to become established.

 

[zamboni]

Washington and Westbrook are very simliar in style. Both are 5'8" 205lbs range and super quick. Both can take it the distance on any given play. Washington is being used much the same as Westbrook was early on. It took Westbrook three years or so to establish himself. Does anyone else see the similarities?

It was in Westbrook's 3rd year when things really started to click. The biggest thing was opportunity. I think with TJones in there, it will take quite a bit for Washington to become established.

Agreed, although Jones isn't exactly that young. TJ looks to be the guy of the near future, but if he falters this year while Leon continues to play well, don't be surprised to see Leon get more of an opportunity down the line.

 

[zadok]

I like Washington, but other than having similar bodies and being very quick, I don't see too many similarities with Westbrook. Washington doesn't seem to be nearly the receiver Westbrook was/is and his ability to make people miss seems to be less as well. They both seem to be deceptively powerful, though.

 

[Chase Stuart]

He's got the same height and weight as Mike Archie, Avon Cobourne, Kevin Faulk and Brian Westbrook. We'll see.

 

[Z-Dog]

Stats-wise, Washington's season compares well with Westbrook's second season. Like other people have said, the numbers bear out that Westbrook appears more explosive (more TDs, more 20+ yard plays, more ypc).

Still, the gap is small, and unlike a Mwelde Moore or Kevin Faulk, Leon Washington has elite speed. However, Thomas Jones will stand in his way for a bit - Jones is talented and versatile, which will limit LW's touches.

 

[switz]

No

 

[Reaper]

GREAT Leon Article...

If he doesn't become the Next "Whoever" I doubt it's going to be cuz of lack of effort..

LEON

 

[pablito]

GREAT Leon Article...

If he doesn't become the Next "Whoever" I doubt it's going to be cuz of lack of effort..

LEON

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[LBH]

Leon Washington is the real deal, but TJ will be the main rb for a few years IMO. I still think the Jets will get him involved a lot. I could see a mix like Jax did with Taylor, and Jones-Drew

 

[kensat30]

Isn't Westbrook up to around 210 or 220 now? The guy is compact, not small. He's got some massive legs.

Leon has the same build almost, but he's not as explosive as Westbrook IMO.

That's why Westbrook is so good. He has the explosiveness of a smaller guy like Warrick Dunn, but he's not small.

 

[Reaper]

HMMMM,, they changed the link.. I'll find it..

Leon Washington isn’t required to work on Wednesdays during the Jets' off-season program. The weekly workout regimen is four days long with players having the option of coming in on their own on the hump day.

Washington, who led the Jets with 650 yards on the ground as a rookie, was one of many members of the Green & White who refused the time off this week.

“During the off-season I learned that to be a winner, you must do things that losers don’t like to do. That means coming in on Wednesday, our off-day, to get extra work,” he said. “When you look around and see Jerricho Cotchery, Hank Poteat and Frisman Jackson coming in on a Wednesday, it definitely tells you the championship attitude they have.”

The shifty Washington said his teammates are in good physical condition heading into the spring season.

“A lot of guys came back in pretty good shape just like the way they left last year,” he said. “They are looking slim and trim, so I can definitely tell a lot of guys learned from Coach Mangini last year about how to be a better athlete and a better player.”

Speaking from a first-floor public relations office at Weeb Ewbank Hall, Washington appeared relaxed while sporting white shorts and a white conditioning T-shirt. He talked about taking boxing classes offered in the program and explained the similarities between the sweet science and football.

“If we have a linebacker blitz, that is an individual thing. You are one-on-one with that linebacker, so it’s kind of like boxing,” he said. “You are trying to block that guy, so you are throwing a punch. The hand-eye coordination with the boxing helps you coordinate your hands better to attack your block better. And it’s also a one-on-one block, so I can’t blame anybody else for the block. It is just me and that person. Who wants it more?”

The Jets used a committee approach at running back a year ago but obtained Thomas Jones on March 6 from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a swap of second-round selections in April’s draft. Jones, in his eighth season out of Virginia, averaged 1, 272 rushing yards and 31 receptions his final two seasons in Chicago. Washington praised the Jones acquisition and said it will make the Jets a better team.

“It was great. That is the first thing Coach Mangini emphasizes, that this is a team,” he said. “We are going to do whatever we can to give us the best chance of winning.

“I met Thomas, and he is smiling all the time and giving me high-fives. That is the attitude we need on this team, a championship attitude. I am all down for it. I look forward to working with him and winning games with him. He played in a Super Bowl last year, so he definitely knows what it takes.”

Admittedly, it took Washington a little while to adjust to the professional game before excelling. In a story Mangini often recounts, the 5’8”, 202-pound Florida State product played a little hot potato with the ball early in training camp. But Washington remembers one particular series of plays when his fortitude was tested by running backs coach Jimmy Raye.

“I remember Coach Raye must have run me eight or nine plays in a row, and I was tired and exhausted,” he said. “He was basically showing me the hard work you put in now will help you to a late run. I had a lot of my struggles in training camp.”

But Washington was not deterred. When he played in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., in Week 5, he rushed for 101 yards against the Jaguars, becoming the first Jets rookie to rush for more than 100 yards in 16 years. Two weeks later, he was named the club’s Offensive Player of the Week after amassing 129 yards and his first two professional touchdowns against the Lions. He became a fixture in the offensive backfield in starting eight of the final 11 regular-season games.

Washington said he has learned to place a major emphasis on time management away from the field.

“In college, you go home and rest and hang out with your friends and play video games,” he said. “But now you are a member of the National Football League and this is your profession. Every single thing you do extra gives you an edge over your opponent. If you come in and get in extra work and extra film work, you get that edge. There is no substitute for hard work. If you work hard and do the right things, most of the time things are going to work out positively for you.”

The Jets’ 2006 draft class became a tight unit. Washington said communal living led to a bond that still exists.

“We were pretty tight. We were over there at the hotel together and we were over there at the dorms together,” he said. “That allowed us to be tighter as a unit. Just the other day we were playing cards, hanging out, having a good time. When you are on the field and you look next to you and see a friend, you can trust each other. That is what it’s all about — developing that camaraderie.”

When you like who you work with, then work becomes fun. A tested yet refreshed Washington isn’t in need of a day off and is eager to begin his second professional season.

 

[LHUCKS]

= Underrated

 

[Jason Wood]

NO

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Highly doubt it, but he is going to have a nice long career as a Change of Pace/3rd down back.

 

[kevin iverson]

hes gonna be good he needs to be stronger

 

[brednbuddah]

The comparison to Westbrook is a bit premature, but not entirely off-base. Both had similar rush/rec numbers in terms of yards per touch:

06 Westbrook 240/1217/5.1/7; 72/699/9.1/4

06 Washington 151/650/4.3/4; 25/270/10.8/0

The difference in total touches is almost double (317 vs 176), so I understand maintaining that pace over 141 extra touches is a question mark, but keep in mind Westbrook had a career year last year and for Washington to match half of that is encouraging.

Washington's 06 yards per touch projected over 317 touches? I come up with, 272/1170/4.3; 45/486/10.8. It's clear that Washington isn't the receiver Westbrook is. That would be difficult for most RBs, but again, pretty encouraging.

Fantasy-wise: TJ will touch the ball ~275 times in 07, which will keep Washington around the same number of touches as 06, so I don't see a huge increase in fantasy production for Washington in 07. Hence, the Westbrook theory will have to wait at least one more year.

 

[Bri]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

 

[Sugar Huddle]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

 

[Sugar Huddle]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

Just checked play-by-play. It wasn't a TD but the catch and run went for 64 yards.

 

[Rovers]

It's possible..... but crystal balling like this is usually dumb luck one way or the other.

Washington had big problems in his first training camp, and it took him a half season to get those problems corrected. Having said that, he's a REALLY great kid with a perfect work ethic and approach to football, both mentally and physically.

He has football speed, and dare I say in the same ballpark with Westbrook in that regard. Do I think he's Westbrook II? No, but it would not shock me if he were to become that either. He's certainly showed enough flashes in his rookie year to rule a Westbrook comaparison out completely though.

 

[Domination]

I think it is possible that he could develpo into a Westbrook type, but the thing about Westbrook is the way that the Eagles use him. Last year was the first yerar that he got extensive work running the ball. He had made a name for himself by cstching the ball out of the backfield and making plays with it. Washington has the ability to do this, but it is yet to be seen if the Jets use him in this way.

 

[LBH]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

He didnt score on that run. It led to a game winning FG by the Jets. I agree that Wahington does have that extra gear though. He also has great burst, and is very shifty

 

[redman]

I think it is possible that he could develpo into a Westbrook type, but the thing about Westbrook is the way that the Eagles use him. Last year was the first yerar that he got extensive work running the ball. He had made a name for himself by cstching the ball out of the backfield and making plays with it. Washington has the ability to do this, but it is yet to be seen if the Jets use him in this way.

This is the key. Nobody throws the ball more than the Eagles do, especially to their RB's. Now, that said, Mangini worked with Belichick and the Pats have shown a willingness to throw the ball, but their passes with Brady have tended to be more to WR's and TE's. A major question for me is how much will Mangini have his offense emulate the NE offense? I would think Pennington's weak arm would tend to lead to more passes to RB's, but I really don't have a feel for this one.

 

[Traders2001]

I think he is nt even the second best RB on his team , i would take Houston before Washington anytime .

So no he is nt the next Westbrook.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

He has football speed, and dare I say in the same ballpark with Westbrook in that regard. Do I think he's Westbrook II? No, but it would not shock me if he were to become that either. He's certainly showed enough flashes in his rookie year to rule a Westbrook comaparison out completely though.

He's got equivalent straight line speed to Westbrook, but not nearly the lateral agility and suddenness of westbrook, and thats where i think the comparison falls flat, but in an overall way, the comparison is apt.

 

[Routilla]

NO

 

[Bri]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

He didnt score on that run. It led to a game winning FG by the Jets. I agree that Wahington does have that extra gear though. He also has great burst, and is very shifty

maybe you guys are right but I gotta say then he'd better get into that 5th gear more often if he's to be like Tiki and Westy. They are two of the best "two way" rush-receiving backs ever and that's a considerable jump from how he performed in 06.

 

[Sugar Huddle]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

He didnt score on that run. It led to a game winning FG by the Jets. I agree that Wahington does have that extra gear though. He also has great burst, and is very shifty

maybe you guys are right but I gotta say then he'd better get into that 5th gear more often if he's to be like Tiki and Westy. They are two of the best "two way" rush-receiving backs ever and that's a considerable jump from how he performed in 06.

My thinking is that all he needs is the opportunity. It took time for both Westbrook and Tiki to get their chance. Maybe Leon won't ever measure up to these two, but I like his chances. In fact, I think playing behind/with T.Jones will give him the time he needs to get well-grounded and learn the NFL game. Year three or four will tell the tale.

 

[brednbuddah]

Tiki and Westbrook (IMO) had similar hands and quickness. Leon has good hands and quickness but he's not at their level yet. Unless he can get faster I don't see it happenning. He doesn't have a 5th gear like those guys did/do.

No he's not Westbrook or Tiki yet, but I'm not sure I agree that Leon does not possess a 5th gear. Does anyone remember him kicking it into high gear against Miami late last year? I believe it was a 60+ yard TD with plenty of shifty moves. Wish I had the video.

here ya go. screen play all on his own, didn't score, but some pretty hot moves.

 

[EBF]

My experience in FF has taught me that anything can happen. Every year seems to bring a few major out-of-nowhere surprises like Willie Parker, Reuben Droughns, Marques Colston, and Domanick Davis. But right now, I don't see any reason to expect greatness from Leon Washington. I think Thomas Jones is a much better back and I think he's going to get the lion's share of the work for the Jets.