Maurice Drew next year? Top 5-8? (1 Viewer)

[Da Guru]

I did a quick check and going into this week Drew was #9 in my leagues non-ppr league scoring for RBs.

After his huge week he may jump to number five.

With Taylor unhappy about his contract Drew may be the main man in a run oriented offense next year.

The guy seems unstoppable at times.

 

[my man otis]

no. tomlinson, alexander, johnson, jackson, someone else (westbrook, rudi, gore, ronnie, etc).

esp not if taylor is still there. greg jones will be back also taking some touches away even if he's not.

would rather have addai over him. probably maroney and bush also.

solid keeper option though, but definteily not top 5

 

[MLBrandow]

no. tomlinson, alexander, johnson, jackson, someone else (westbrook, rudi, gore, ronnie, etc).esp not if taylor is still there. greg jones will be back also taking some touches away even if he's not.would rather have addai over him. probably maroney and bush also.solid keeper option though, but definteily not top 5

There's no way MJD is going top-5 next year... but he'll definitely finish top-5.People who don't think he's big enough to carry the load are idiots.He's not small, he's compact. He weighs 217lbsHis center of gravity is so low, it gives him the power efficiency of a 250lb running back.That means he can barrell through LBs that have horribly high tackling angles on him, and his low COG also allows him to change direction like Dunn.Combine that with his intangibles (great great great vision), and I wouldn't be surprised to see him crack 2000 next year.Anyone who has actually seen him play is a believer.I want to add that to my knowledge, there has never been a man of his combination of physical measurables & vision play RB in the NFL. He's going to be very very very very very very good next year when they cut Fred Taylor.

 

[RnR]

There's no way MJD is going top-5 next year... but he'll definitely finish top-5.

He's a nice back, but definitely Top 5?

 

[Couch Potato]

I'll say one thing.

I hope to never, ever, ever see the argument made on this board again that a RB can't be good just because he's short. It doesn't mean a damn thing if the guy is built well and has speed. This guy is a player.

 

[my man otis]

no. tomlinson, alexander, johnson, jackson, someone else (westbrook, rudi, gore, ronnie, etc).esp not if taylor is still there. greg jones will be back also taking some touches away even if he's not.would rather have addai over him. probably maroney and bush also.solid keeper option though, but definteily not top 5

There's no way MJD is going top-5 next year... but he'll definitely finish top-5.People who don't think he's big enough to carry the load are idiots.He's not small, he's compact. He weighs 217lbsHis center of gravity is so low, it gives him the power efficiency of a 250lb running back.That means he can barrell through LBs that have horribly high tackling angles on him, and his low COG also allows him to change direction like Dunn.Combine that with his intangibles (great great great vision), and I wouldn't be surprised to see him crack 2000 next year.Anyone who has actually seen him play is a believer.

MLBrandow = official MJD kool aid drinker.2000 what? you must be talking about all purpose b/c rush yards would be a ridiculous prediction.i don't see why he couldn't handle the load. i agree with you on that point.

 

[ExtraPoint]

While I dont believe the stigma placed on short running backs and I believe Drew would make a great NFL starter, that doesnt mean the Jags care to make him an every down back. He's obviously great with limited touches, on third downs, and returning kicks. The Jaguires, like a lot of teams, seem to want a committee using a large back and a small back. Greg Jones or another big back like Michael Bush or TJ Duckett, could replace Taylor if Taylor leaves. With Taylor looking good after a good healthy offseason and limited carries, and Greg Jones coming off a big injury, dont be surprised if Taylor comes back one more year.

You and I can think that Drew should be a starter all day long and it wont make a bit of difference. Its up to the Jacksonville coaches and officials. They've done everything to make me believe that they want a big back as a major part of their offense, and to make me believe that they like to use a committee.

 

[my man otis]

I'll say one thing.I hope to never, ever, ever see the argument made on this board again that a RB can't be good just because he's short. It doesn't mean a damn thing if the guy is built well and has speed. This guy is a player.

good, then ray rice has some promise in the NFL.

 

[MLBrandow]

I'll say one thing.I hope to never, ever, ever see the argument made on this board again that a RB can't be good just because he's short. It doesn't mean a damn thing if the guy is built well and has speed. This guy is a player.

good, then ray rice has some promise in the NFL.

Welcome to the "I didn't know Maurice Drew weighed more than 190lbs" club.He's 217, not 195.Rice has a few inches on Drew as well.And actually, it means a hell of a thing.Center of gravity and power efficiency are huge, and both of which height is a component.The difference is that most RBs that are that short are also small. MJD outweighs most guys his size by about 25lbs.

 

[Da Guru]

I'll say one thing.I hope to never, ever, ever see the argument made on this board again that a RB can't be good just because he's short. It doesn't mean a damn thing if the guy is built well and has speed. This guy is a player.

The guy is quick, fast, hard to tackle, hard to see. Forget Dwilly and Norwood..gas up the Drew bandwagon.

 

[my man otis]

I'll say one thing.I hope to never, ever, ever see the argument made on this board again that a RB can't be good just because he's short. It doesn't mean a damn thing if the guy is built well and has speed. This guy is a player.

good, then ray rice has some promise in the NFL.

Welcome to the "I didn't know Maurice Drew weighed more than 190lbs" club.He's 217, not 195.Rice has a few inches on Drew as well.

i'm already a member. i was agreeing with the point I quoted. not sure what you are replying to.

 

[Marc Levin]

Gore is in the top-5, IMO.

SJax and Rudi may roound out that top-5, I agree.

Westbrook and Addai are safer calls than M J-D.

IMO, M J-D will be selected in the bottom half of the first round in most drafts.

The problem with M J-D as a top-5 draft pick is that, as was mentioned, he will split carries next year. After the back mentioned above, I would have a hard time projecting M J-D to finish below anyone else, but I would have an equally hard time selecting him over any of the RBs already mentioned purely b/c I feel there is a great chance that, in quite a few drafts, M J-D will be a guy who slips.

 

[MLBrandow]

must have misread.

 

[dparker713]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

 

[Marc Levin]

Forget Dwilly and Norwood..gas up the Drew bandwagon.

STOP IT!!!!!

 

[Colt Of Personality]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

This is true - few people ARE LT - but I wouldn't underestimate Drew either. He's had very good games in a partial role against other defenses.

 

[MLBrandow]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

I've been saying this most of the season though.... You can't mitigate his skill just because he had a really good game today.He's scored in 9 of the past 10 games, and several of those he didn't have attempts inside the 10.

That and what's so hard to believe about him being a top-5 RB next year?

He's already a top-10 RB right now.

 

[Marc Levin]

ML, there will always be doubters when someone is a square peg in a round hole.

Here are the various knocks you will be hearing heading into the draft next year:

He's undersized and can't carry a full time load.

He's undersized and will be prone to injury.

Greg Jones will get all th egoal line work

Fred Taylor will get more carries.

etc., etc., etc.

I'd say stop arguing, agree weith everyone, and scoop M J-D up for value.

 

[Da Guru]

Forget Dwilly and Norwood..gas up the Drew bandwagon.

STOP IT!!!!!

My buddy is from Charlotte..they all call him Dwilly.

 

[dparker713]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

I've been saying this most of the season though.... You can't mitigate his skill just because he had a really good game today.He's scored in 9 of the past 10 games, and several of those he didn't have attempts inside the 10.

That and what's so hard to believe about him being a top-5 RB next year?

He's already a top-10 RB right now.

Well, he just had his best game of the year and the week isn't over yet. So things are currently some what skewed. Also, the gap between top 5 and top 10, let alone the gap to LT, is very considerable. Im not saying he's not a good candidate for top 10 next year, but he's not a lock or the second coming based on what we've seen so far.

 

[Cowboys#1]

please keep in mind drew has doen all this despite not having any touches in the first 2 weeks

so his ppg is super..

 

[MLBrandow]

please keep in mind drew has doen all this despite not having any touches in the first 2 weeksso his ppg is super..

 

[billymays]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

I've been saying this most of the season though.... You can't mitigate his skill just because he had a really good game today.He's scored in 9 of the past 10 games, and several of those he didn't have attempts inside the 10.

That and what's so hard to believe about him being a top-5 RB next year?

He's already a top-10 RB right now.

Well, he just had his best game of the year and the week isn't over yet. So things are currently some what skewed. Also, the gap between top 5 and top 10, let alone the gap to LT, is very considerable. Im not saying he's not a good candidate for top 10 next year, but he's not a lock or the second coming based on what we've seen so far.

i think hes awesome but....other than getting a point every 5 carries we have a pretty standard scoring system (ppr) and as of now hes not in the top twenty

so some of it depends on rules

LaDainian Tomlinson

(SD - RB)

Larry Johnson

(KC - RB)

Steven Jackson

(StL - RB)

Willie Parker

(Pit - RB)

Brian Westbrook

(Phi - RB) P

Frank Gore

(SF - RB)

Chester Taylor

(Min - RB) D

Tiki Barber

(NYG - RB)

Kevin Jones

(Det - RB)

Joseph Addai

(Ind - RB)

Rudi Johnson

(Cin - RB)

Reggie Bush

(NO - RB)

Thomas Jones

(Chi - RB)

Fred Taylor

(Jac - RB)

Edgerrin James

(Ari - RB)

Ronnie Brown

(Mia - RB) O

Deuce McAllister

(NO - RB)

Ahman Green

(GB - RB) P

Warrick Dunn

(Atl - RB)

Jamal Lewis

(Bal - RB)

Maurice Jones-Drew

(Jac - RB) P

 

[Marc Levin]

Also, the gap between top 5 and top 10, let alone the gap to LT, is very considerable. Im not saying he's not a good candidate for top 10 next year, but he's not a lock or the second coming based on what we've seen so far.

As support for that statement:The bg drops this year go:1 to 2Then 2 to 3. Then 6 to 7.Then shallow sloping.All the RBs ranked 3 through 6 are relatively similar in fantasy terms.Jumping into the top-10 is not impressive.Jumping into the top-6 is.

 

[MLBrandow]

i think hes awesome but....

other than getting a point every 5 carries we have a pretty standard scoring system (ppr) and as of now hes not in the top twenty

so some of it depends on rules

LaDainian Tomlinson

(SD - RB)

Larry Johnson

(KC - RB)

Steven Jackson

(StL - RB)

Willie Parker

(Pit - RB)

Brian Westbrook

(Phi - RB) P

Frank Gore

(SF - RB)

Chester Taylor

(Min - RB) D

Tiki Barber

(NYG - RB)

Kevin Jones

(Det - RB)

Joseph Addai

(Ind - RB)

Rudi Johnson

(Cin - RB)

Reggie Bush

(NO - RB)

Thomas Jones

(Chi - RB)

Fred Taylor

(Jac - RB)

Edgerrin James

(Ari - RB)

Ronnie Brown

(Mia - RB) O

Deuce McAllister

(NO - RB)

Ahman Green

(GB - RB) P

Warrick Dunn

(Atl - RB)

Jamal Lewis

(Bal - RB)

Maurice Jones-Drew

(Jac - RB) P

That's why he's not in your top-20. He has significantly touches of most of the guys in the top-20.

 

[billymays]

i think hes awesome but....

other than getting a point every 5 carries we have a pretty standard scoring system (ppr) and as of now hes not in the top twenty

so some of it depends on rules

LaDainian Tomlinson

(SD - RB)

Larry Johnson

(KC - RB)

Steven Jackson

(StL - RB)

Willie Parker

(Pit - RB)

Brian Westbrook

(Phi - RB) P

Frank Gore

(SF - RB)

Chester Taylor

(Min - RB) D

Tiki Barber

(NYG - RB)

Kevin Jones

(Det - RB)

Joseph Addai

(Ind - RB)

Rudi Johnson

(Cin - RB)

Reggie Bush

(NO - RB)

Thomas Jones

(Chi - RB)

Fred Taylor

(Jac - RB)

Edgerrin James

(Ari - RB)

Ronnie Brown

(Mia - RB) O

Deuce McAllister

(NO - RB)

Ahman Green

(GB - RB) P

Warrick Dunn

(Atl - RB)

Jamal Lewis

(Bal - RB)

Maurice Jones-Drew

(Jac - RB) P

That's why he's not in your top-20. He has significantly less touches of most of the guys in the top-20.

gotcha brandow jk

 

[billymays]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry rule

drafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs

i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

 

[Da Guru]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry ruledrafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player. Taylor is not the goal line back anymore.

 

[billymays]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry ruledrafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player. Taylor is not the goal line back anymore.

true....but none of that proves that mjd will be anything more than the #2 back he is right now.if he is the clear cut #1 he will be huge. but i think its pretty risky to pick a guy expecting top 10 type numbers when it has yet to be seen if he will get anymore touches than hes getting now.

 

[Marc Levin]

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player.

He can't stay healthy, but he filled in well last year and he is an excellent GL back:11 carries 4 TDs inside the 5 in '04/'05Filling in last year, he had 2 100 yard games, including a 100 yard day v. Bal.He may not be a candidate for doing more than stealing carries from M J-D, but to say he has never been a good NFL player is not 100% accurate.

 

[Marc Levin]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry ruledrafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player. Taylor is not the goal line back anymore.

true....but none of that proves that mjd will be anything more than the #2 back he is right now.if he is the clear cut #1 he will be huge. but i think its pretty risky to pick a guy expecting top 10 type numbers when it has yet to be seen if he will get anymore touches than hes getting now.

If FRed T is gone, I think it is abundantly clear that M J-D will be the primary balll carrier with one of th eopther back spellin ghim often.IU;d guess that iof FredT is gone next year, M J-D will be a 275 carry/40 rec. back. Plenty of touches for him to be top-10, and probably enough for him to flirt with top-5 if he plays this year like last year.Kid seems unstoppable when he gets to the 2nd level or the corner.

 

[Da Guru]

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player.

He can't stay healthy, but he filled in well last year and he is an excellent GL back:11 carries 4 TDs inside the 5 in '04/'05Filling in last year, he had 2 100 yard games, including a 100 yard day v. Bal.He may not be a candidate for doing more than stealing carries from M J-D, but to say he has never been a good NFL player is not 100% accurate.

"He can't stay healthy" That is the key Marc..two ACLs. You are right though..a healthy Greg Jones may have been a great NFL player..but health rules in the NFL.

 

[billymays]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry ruledrafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player. Taylor is not the goal line back anymore.

true....but none of that proves that mjd will be anything more than the #2 back he is right now.if he is the clear cut #1 he will be huge. but i think its pretty risky to pick a guy expecting top 10 type numbers when it has yet to be seen if he will get anymore touches than hes getting now.

If FRed T is gone, I think it is abundantly clear that M J-D will be the primary balll carrier with one of th eopther back spellin ghim often.IU;d guess that iof FredT is gone next year, M J-D will be a 275 carry/40 rec. back. Plenty of touches for him to be top-10, and probably enough for him to flirt with top-5 if he plays this year like last year.Kid seems unstoppable when he gets to the 2nd level or the corner.

i agree with that

 

[Marc Levin]

P.S. - and for those thinking he is boom or bust, he has only 13 carries ON THE YEAR (not including this past game) with negative or 0 yardage.

For an RB, that is impressive.

 

[Marc Levin]

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player.

He can't stay healthy, but he filled in well last year and he is an excellent GL back:

11 carries 4 TDs inside the 5 in '04/'05

Filling in last year, he had 2 100 yard games, including a 100 yard day v. Bal.

He may not be a candidate for doing more than stealing carries from M J-D, but to say he has never been a good NFL player is not 100% accurate.

"He can't stay healthy" That is the key Marc..two ACLs. You are right though..a healthy Greg Jones may have been a great NFL player..but health rules in the NFL.

Correct - but that's whay I said the bolded part above.I do not imagine Greg Jones being the team's primary back - if FredT is gone, M J-D = Jags' primary RB.

 

[Wadsworth]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

What about his performance the rest of the season? I'm not saying he's top 5 but the guy has been super productive with limited touches, especially when you consider he hardly played in the first 2 games.

 

[OneEastRiver]

He's running well right now, but try not to go over board. His performance today was in large part due to horrible tackling by a bad defense. Do go anointing him the heir to LT just yet.

What about his performance the rest of the season? I'm not saying he's top 5 but the guy has been super productive with limited touches, especially when you consider he hardly played in the first 2 games.

MJD has been pretty much spectacular the entire season despite playing behind Fred T.

 

[Wadsworth]

move him ahead of ronnie brown if you take away the point per 5 carry ruledrafting him any higher than what hes at right now depends on fred taylors future and how greg jones rehabs i dont think anyone will really know where to pick him until about the end of august next year

Greg Jones has never been a good NFL player. Taylor is not the goal line back anymore.

Greg Jones has never been a good fantasy player maybe, but he has been an very good NFL fullback, short yardage back and decent as a fill in at RB.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

MJD outweighs most guys his size by about 25lbs.

actually, since most people drew's size use booster seats in restaurants and are 8 years old, he probably outweighs most humans his height by 150 lbs... dude is a freakin bridge troll... just playin, MLB... he has really opened my eyes this season, i hadn't unequivocally ruled him out as potential feature RB, but i thought odds were SERIOUSLY stacked against him (and yes, i had seen him at UCLA being from LA)... joe morris is about the only feature RB i can think of in last few decades or more that was that small, correction, short (now i'm doing it )... i think floyd little was pretty short (bow-legged), but that was like in the 60s-70s, which was a different era...he is a proof of concept/living embodiment that you can be 5'7", and as long as you are big & strong enough & have the speed, quickness & open field moves, you can not only play in the NFL, but play at an extremely high level...as to saying there has never been anybody like him, i think barry sanders was about 5'8" 210, so they are arguably pretty close in stature, and i'm not prepared to put drew ahead of him... perhaps you were thinking they are a lot different in terms of physical traits and basing your statement on that...extra point did bring up an interesting point... but then again, i'm not sure if anybody, even JAX & drew himself expected this level of success this early. so perhaps it does increase the chance that even if it is a RBBC with greg jones, for instance, they might at least give him a chance to earn more carries and see how he does...no matter how you look at it, he really has been a revelation to almost everybody this year... i'm not sure if he finishes top 5 next year, either, like a lot of people, but you are right to highlight him, he is having a spectacular rookie debut and is vastly exceeding expectations...

 

[thatguy]

I believed everyone who said he'd never be an every down RB and traded him away around week 4 or 5, and every week he makes me regret it. Even if he never becomes an every down RB, he's beast and I really wish I still owned him.

That said, it's still likely that Jax uses a committee next season. It seems to be working well right now, and one reason MJD has been so successful with limited touches is that he's been fresh. I'm not saying he can't carry the full load, but I think it's probably in the Jags' best interest to keep his role the same and try to get Taylor to come back.

 

[x260bm]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

 

[Couch Potato]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

They'll continue to mix it up and keep both guys fresh. It's working so there's no reason to change it. Some coaches believe in the workhorse approach, but that's becoming less predominant. The Jags did this last year with Greg Jones and Taylor, and now again this year. I don't see the next 3 games or the playoffs (if they make it) being handled differently.

 

[Michael Fox Fan]

The real test next year, if he's the feature RB, will be to see how defenses game-plan against Drew. It's pretty obvious that teams aren't specifically scheming against him, or else he wouldn't be busting so many long TDs -- regardless of how talented he is.

Top 5 next year isn't out of the question, but more likely he'll be top 10-15. Count me shocked - I honestly didn't believe he'd be a stud, certainly not this early. Congrats to all who bought him early this season at a low cost.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

Why on earth would the Jags do that given that their rushing attack is effective with both backs?

 

[my man otis]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

no, since neither are "feature" backs now.only way is thru injury, and as you saw today after taylor went out it was still MJD and pearman, not just MJD. admittedly MJD was dehydrated as well.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

no, since neither are "feature" backs now.only way is thru injury, and as you saw today after taylor went out it was still MJD and pearman, not just MJD. admittedly MJD was dehydrated as well.

Can you define "feature back" for us.

 

[Team Legacy]

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...722&hl=drew

It left a LONG time ago..... but glad to see you get on after the blow up...

 

[Wadsworth]

It looks like Drew is going to end up on the outside looking in for the OROY this season. He might not deserve it anyways, but Jacksonville playing in a small market, MJD being a second round pick and getting off to a slow start made it an up hill battle for him all season. I bet Reggie Bush would be the frontrunner right now if he had the exact same stats as MJD has, while sharing time with McAllister. MoJo might learn early in his Jaguars career what Fred Taylor(who has never been to a Pro Bowl) figured out a while ago; the national awards are hard to get from Jacksonville.

 

[Couch Potato]

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...722&hl=drew

It left a LONG time ago..... but glad to see you get on after the blow up...

Hey, thanks for referencing that old thread. I just learned something. In post #3 of that thread, Mario Kart said:"Im on board. I am really hoping to draft him at pick 1.12 in the MOX I rookie draft this coming weekend. I am sure he will fall to 12."

I'm in that league, and he must have changed his mind. MJD did drop to 12 but Mario Kart traded up to take another player, and the new guy at 12 needed a QB so he took Cutler. That left MJD to yours truly to add to LT and SJax, making him a very nice flex player for this #1 seeded playoff team this year.

 

[ExtraPoint]

Does anyone else think MJD could become the feature back by the end of this year? He had more carries in the first half than Taylor. Usually MJD doesn't do anything in the first half of games. Could this be a shift by the coaching staff?

Apparently Taylor had an injury.In the thread at the beginning of the year where we picked which backups would earn the starting job this year, I had picked Drew to do so at the end of the year after Jacksonville was eliminated from the playoffs. Looks like the Jags will be fighting til the end and Taylor is running well. So unless Taylor's injury keeps him out, my prediction probably wont come true. I think only a couple other people picked Drew to become the starter in that thread. While he probably wont start, Drew should see lots of action for the rest of the year with Jacksonville fighting for a wildcard. They want to make the playoffs. They have to give this playmaker the ball.