Mendenhall - prospects? (1 Viewer)

[TheFanatic]

I thought the knock on Addai was that he was an average back in a great system. And Bush is a horrible running back so I'll remove those numbers from the sample, but I see your point.

That's what people around here like to say, but it's not really the case. Addai is an elite RB. Many missed on him and favored guys like DeAngelo Williams, which is why they try to defer his success to his team, instead of him. But Addai so far has put up solid numbers his rookie season as a part time player, and his second season while struggling with injuries. We've yet to see him play the full time role when healthy outside of the end of his rookie season where he looked amazing, and the first 4 game of his second season where he also looked amazing.Guy is a really really good RB. He just gets knocked by people too proud to admit they were wrong about him. Just ask NFL defense what they think of him, he's legit.

Oh, I know. One of the few things you and I agree on. I was laughed at when I drafted Addai in the 4th round of an initial Dynasty draft his rookie season. Bush went like 3rd overall and Maroney went at the end of the first round....

 

[Burning Sensation]

I thought the knock on Addai was that he was an average back in a great system. And Bush is a horrible running back so I'll remove those numbers from the sample, but I see your point.

That's what people around here like to say, but it's not really the case. Addai is an elite RB. Many missed on him and favored guys like DeAngelo Williams, which is why they try to defer his success to his team, instead of him. But Addai so far has put up solid numbers his rookie season as a part time player, and his second season while struggling with injuries. We've yet to see him play the full time role when healthy outside of the end of his rookie season where he looked amazing, and the first 4 game of his second season where he also looked amazing.Guy is a really really good RB. He just gets knocked by people too proud to admit they were wrong about him. Just ask NFL defense what they think of him, he's legit.

He is a good RB, but he would not be considered a top 5 RB on any other team outside of the Colts. I also dont think he is a full time back, and he is at his best when he is splitting carries, which is probably why the Colts brought Rhodes back. In the nine games after week 9, Addai failed to rush for more than 72 yards in in a game, and rushed for less than 45 in 6 of the 9. His dynasty value is very dependant on TD's, which is why being on a team like the Colts puts him in the top 5-8 RB's.

He had a freak injury in week 4, and played injured the rest of the season. I hardly think that's a fair judgement on him to use the last 9 weeks of last season (a few of which he was rested for the playoffs, as the Colts do with MOST of their starters). In addition to the injury, the team itself was in shambles.But your post is in line with exactly what I was saying. You want to think Addai isn't any good, so you use statistics without context to support a negative view of him.

Not true, i drafted him in two of my four dynasty league rookie drafts(1.3 in both) and traded him this offseason as i firmly believe what i stated above. You obviously disagree, but you seem to fall in love with your players and become blind to any faults/downside they might have. With that said, i will stop discussing Addai, especially since this is a Mendenhall thread.

 

[pyite76]

With that said, i will stop discussing Addai, especially since this is a Mendenhall thread.

 

[treat88]

I would imagine the draw play will find its way into your red-zone playbook after last year.

Arians: "Yeah. It's been there. You know, Willie's a good power back, too. He's a small stature guy, but he'll pound it up in there. He can put it in at the goal line."

In a perfect world, what do you see Rashard doing?

Arians: The change-of-pace guy that when you take your starter out, your Pro-Bowl runner out, you're putting in the same quality guy. You don't lose expectations of what you're trying to do. If your backup guy is not the same (type of player as your starter), you might throw it too much. Mendenhall will give us the ability to keep doing what we're doing. He might work as our goal-line runner if he shows the vision and patience for that. And he'll kill the clock at the end of the game, where we were great in September and October, had a couple of injuries, and then we didn't do a very good job of it in a couple of losses where we had the ball in the last three minutes and we gave it back to the other team, which has never been our M.O. We've always been able to run out the clock. He should have fresh legs at that point in the game.

http://fantasynews.sportsline.com/fantasyf.../story/10916468From an interview with Bruce Arians.

I see it as a true starter/handcuff situation. Starter = Parker. Handcuff = Mendenhall. Likely no clear SY/GL specialist.

I have high hopes for Mendenhall, but I think his closest comp talent wise is Cedric Benson. Edge to Mendenhall in the character dept. So we'll see if it works out.

 

[ratbast]

What was his history before Illinois? Did he overachieve in college?Would a comparison of pedigree help when drafting rookie RBs? ADP and Gore were considered "stud" rbs throughout their football careers and I listened, was McFadden or Stewart or Mendenhall, or Smith or Forte?Side note:The reverse hype might be pushing down some of these RBs in the fantasy world. I'm liking almost ALL these rookie Rbs. This might be the best RB class EVER!

He was a blue chip athlete in a well to do area on Chicago's north shore. He committed to U of I during his junior year when the Illini signed his older brother Walter to a scholarship. I coached against both of these kids in HS. Walter was talented, but not nearly a Big 10 back. U of I got him thinking Rashard would commit too, and he did. i see no other reason to believe anything else, why would he have verbally committed so early to the Illini? he was a top recruit and presumably could have found a ride anywhere. as for overachieving at Illinois, I would say he did very well when given the opportunity, Pierre Thomas was very good as well.

Wow, straight from the Coach! thanks

 

[ajopiela]

That is not encouraging....

 

[TheFanatic]

This is promising:

Mendenhall running on instinct

Willie Parker and teammates ease off giving advice to the Steelers' No. 1 draft choice in order to let his ball-carrying instincts take over

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana / Post-Gazette

Mendenhall Suffering Information Overload

Willie Parker said he is done tutoring Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers' No. 1 pick this year. Parker said he has stopped giving the rookie running back advice about playing in the National Football League and won't do so again unless he is asked.

But, before anyone accuses the two-time Pro Bowl running back of being selfish or feeling threatened about Mendenhall's development, consider the reason: Parker said he thinks Mendenhall is getting too much advice and just needs to go out and run the football, unencumbered and without thinking too much.

"I told him I'm going to stay away from him a little bit because everybody is telling him too much right now," Parker said yesterday. "Then your mind gets clouded and he makes mistakes he normally wouldn't make. You don't want to tell him too much, so I told him I'm going to step back a little bit and have everybody else leave him alone and let him go out and play football."

Coach Mike Tomlin issued a similar critique several weeks ago after the first goal-line drill of training camp, saying Mendenhall needed to think less and run more instinctively in short-yardage opportunities.

Now, after two preseason games, Parker is saying the same thing, all with the direct purpose of letting Mendenhall's running style -- a combination of power, speed and wiggle -- freely start to blossom.

The Steelers already have seen some flashes, including the easy manner in which Mendenhall scored on a 6-yard run against the Buffalo Bills -- his first touchdown of the preseason.

"To have a feeling like that, that you haven't had in a while, gives you a little confidence," said Mendenhall, who rushed for 22 touchdowns in two seasons at Illinois. "It's something to move forward on."

None of this is to suggest the Steelers are disappointed in the pace of Mendenhall's development or that he has not progressed quickly enough to somehow alter their plans for him when the regular season begins.

Rather, offensive coordinator Bruce Arians said Mendenhall, the 21st overall pick in the draft, has been everything the team hoped and more.



"He's violent running down there," Arians said. "He made the one guy miss and he ran over the safety. There's going to be one of those guys you have to take care of yourself, and he's starting to understand that and get yards."

Then Arians added, "It's nice to not have to throw him into the fire. He can go bits and pieces until we have to [use him].

"I have no problems using him in any phase right now, whether it's first-and-10, short-yardage, goal-line or third-down. But we're still two weeks away. He'll find his actual role."

There are several possibilities.

The most intriguing involves a same-backfield pairing with Parker, a two-back formation that Arians has said he would like to use. Another option would be to utilize Mendenhall, who is 6 feet, 225 pounds, in short-yardage situations.

It is unlikely, however, that he will be used as a third-down back, a role that will be filled by newcomer Mewelde Moore, who was signed in free agency from the Minnesota Vikings.

No matter the role, though, Mendenhall is beginning to excite his teammates.

"His feet ... he has very, very quick feet," said fullback Carey Davis. "For a bigger guy, you wouldn't expect that from him. He's able to get in and out of holes and make cuts that some people may not see.

"But maybe he's a little tentative, just because things are moving so fast when you're trying to learn things. When it's new to you, you kind of hesitate a little trying to make everything right."

Little by little, Mendenhall said he is starting to understand.

"It's been what you expected, but getting through it is a different story," he said. "You hear about how difficult it is, but it's different when you play out there. It's getting accustomed to everything and gaining experience."

Some of it, he will have to do on his own

I love the line in bold...

 

[big0mar]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

 

[switz]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

Do you feel the same way about all the RBs drafted in the first? Or just Mendenhall?

 

[AB in DC]

Oh, they'll use him. But how much?

 

[TheFanatic]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

Do you feel the same way about all the RBs drafted in the first? Or just Mendenhall?

Someone did a study about 1st round RB's over the last few years and the vast majority still had jobs. Some were relegated to backup roles. Some were cut (Benson), but most of them got chance after chance to succeed. Just look at Ron Dayne. I don't think anyone is drafted in the NFL in the 1st round that is not expected to be a bog contributor on either side of the ball except for QB's if the team has the luxury of bringing him along slowly.

 

[switz]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

Do you feel the same way about all the RBs drafted in the first? Or just Mendenhall?

Someone did a study about 1st round RB's over the last few years and the vast majority still had jobs. Some were relegated to backup roles. Some were cut (Benson), but most of them got chance after chance to succeed. Just look at Ron Dayne. I don't think anyone is drafted in the NFL in the 1st round that is not expected to be a bog contributor on either side of the ball except for QB's if the team has the luxury of bringing him along slowly.

I'm not disagreeing... I just happen to see people use this argument in favor of guys like McFadden, Stewart, and MendenhallBut then are fully convinced that Felix Jones will be an afterthought for the Cowboys and not see the ball at all

 

[IndyHavoc]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

Do you feel the same way about all the RBs drafted in the first? Or just Mendenhall?

Indeed. I figure MBIII is pretty much on the way out...he's done and I won't draft him until the 5th round. I'm glad the Steelers F.O. and coaches are NOT FF players...the expectations would crush the Incredible Hulk, much less a rookie RB.

 

[TheFanatic]

You don't draft a RB in the first round unless you plan on using him.

Do you feel the same way about all the RBs drafted in the first? Or just Mendenhall?

Someone did a study about 1st round RB's over the last few years and the vast majority still had jobs. Some were relegated to backup roles. Some were cut (Benson), but most of them got chance after chance to succeed. Just look at Ron Dayne. I don't think anyone is drafted in the NFL in the 1st round that is not expected to be a bog contributor on either side of the ball except for QB's if the team has the luxury of bringing him along slowly.

I'm not disagreeing... I just happen to see people use this argument in favor of guys like McFadden, Stewart, and MendenhallBut then are fully convinced that Felix Jones will be an afterthought for the Cowboys and not see the ball at all

Yeah, I don't get that either. I guess part of the reason for that is I'm not so sure why they selected Jones in the 1st. Or any RB for that matter. They give Barber the big K and then want to relegate him to a RBBC role? MBIII is my favorite player to watch hands down right now. I just love the way the guy runs. So I think that lends itself to why people doubt the impact that Jones will have. I for one am avoiding MBIII in all of my leagues. I love to watch the kid run but they don't draft a RB in the first round just to be a 3rd down back...