Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
The question is, will he be the key because you shrewdly selected him, or because you let someone else steal him?
I'm convinced that his 27-carry, 177-yard effort in week 17 against Tampa Bay will be closer to the norm going forward rather than a statistical anomaly. Let's look at his competition for carries. Justin Fargas is a good kid. He's a scrappy, tough kid. You'd want him in your foxhole. But he's not an elite talent. He will not stand in Bush's way. He'll be a perfect change of pace back, and he won't complain about it. Darren McFadden IS an elite talent, but he is a specialized talent... Reggie Bush west. His skill set is clearly defined. He'll run the stretch plays; the toss sweeps; catch screen passes; he'll be the single-wing in the Wildcat every now and again. But he's not a hammer. He will not pound the ball between the tackles 20 times. That's just not how he's built. McFadden carried the ball more than 14 times only ONCE all season last year, and I expect that trend to continue. And that was with Bush being largely a non-factor most of the year.
Now that Michael is healthy and up to speed on the offense, I expect big things. Don't forget that Bush was clearly a 1st-round talent coming out of Louisville had he not broken his leg his final college season. He is extremely talented. Let's get to Tom Cable. Most people view him as the village idiot... nothing more than Al's latest lackey. That may all be true, but if there's one thing the man knows how to do, it's coach up the offensive line and create an effective running game. His power ZBS is shaping up exactly the way he pictured it. We're not quite there yet, but I'm not losing sleep over it. (I'm losing sleep over the run defense, but that's for another thread).
Oakland traded for Miami center Samson Satele, who should be perfect for this team. He had a down year with the Fins last season, but that was due more to being a poor fit in their scheme. Robert Gallery is now a fixture at left guard. He is no longer a penalty flag machine, and he has quietly become one of the best guards in the league. The other line spots figure to be manned by Mario Henderson, Khalif Barnes and Cooper Carlisle. Not exactly the 1993 Cowboys, but for what we are looking to do they are more than serviceable. Not to mention, there is always a chance the team will grab one of the premier O-tackles in the draft with the 1.07 selection.
So the question you're going to ask me is, "Okay smart guy, when should I draft Bush?" Unfortunately, I cannot answer that. Every draft is different. You have to have a feel for the room, and know the guys you're drafting with. If you think he won't be there at your next pick, take him. I fully expect Bush to end up with the kind of numbers that RBs drafted in rounds 1 & 2 will put up, and you'll get him at a much cheaper price. Just hope Oakland sits on him a bit in the preseason. If he tears it up, his value will skyrocket.
I'm convinced that his 27-carry, 177-yard effort in week 17 against Tampa Bay will be closer to the norm going forward rather than a statistical anomaly. Let's look at his competition for carries. Justin Fargas is a good kid. He's a scrappy, tough kid. You'd want him in your foxhole. But he's not an elite talent. He will not stand in Bush's way. He'll be a perfect change of pace back, and he won't complain about it. Darren McFadden IS an elite talent, but he is a specialized talent... Reggie Bush west. His skill set is clearly defined. He'll run the stretch plays; the toss sweeps; catch screen passes; he'll be the single-wing in the Wildcat every now and again. But he's not a hammer. He will not pound the ball between the tackles 20 times. That's just not how he's built. McFadden carried the ball more than 14 times only ONCE all season last year, and I expect that trend to continue. And that was with Bush being largely a non-factor most of the year.
Now that Michael is healthy and up to speed on the offense, I expect big things. Don't forget that Bush was clearly a 1st-round talent coming out of Louisville had he not broken his leg his final college season. He is extremely talented. Let's get to Tom Cable. Most people view him as the village idiot... nothing more than Al's latest lackey. That may all be true, but if there's one thing the man knows how to do, it's coach up the offensive line and create an effective running game. His power ZBS is shaping up exactly the way he pictured it. We're not quite there yet, but I'm not losing sleep over it. (I'm losing sleep over the run defense, but that's for another thread).
Oakland traded for Miami center Samson Satele, who should be perfect for this team. He had a down year with the Fins last season, but that was due more to being a poor fit in their scheme. Robert Gallery is now a fixture at left guard. He is no longer a penalty flag machine, and he has quietly become one of the best guards in the league. The other line spots figure to be manned by Mario Henderson, Khalif Barnes and Cooper Carlisle. Not exactly the 1993 Cowboys, but for what we are looking to do they are more than serviceable. Not to mention, there is always a chance the team will grab one of the premier O-tackles in the draft with the 1.07 selection.
So the question you're going to ask me is, "Okay smart guy, when should I draft Bush?" Unfortunately, I cannot answer that. Every draft is different. You have to have a feel for the room, and know the guys you're drafting with. If you think he won't be there at your next pick, take him. I fully expect Bush to end up with the kind of numbers that RBs drafted in rounds 1 & 2 will put up, and you'll get him at a much cheaper price. Just hope Oakland sits on him a bit in the preseason. If he tears it up, his value will skyrocket.
Last edited by a moderator:
If I'm wrong on this, it won't be the first time. But I do love the kid.
Because none of you are in my league, for starters.
or 
