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***Official*** MARK WALTON Thread....Miami RB (1 Viewer)

E

eoMMan

Footballguy
Per Rotoworld:

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis confirmed Mark Walton will be the No. 2 running back while Joe Mixon is sidelined.

"Giovani [Bernard] and Mark Walton will shoulder the load for the next few weeks," Lewis told SiriusXM's Ross Tucker. The quote could be read as the coach promising a timeshare, but it would still be surprising if Bernard did not handle the majority of the work. Even so, Walton is worth stashing on the bench to see how this situation shakes out. Sep 20 - 11:20 AM

From when he was drafted:

Bengals selected Miami RB Mark Walton with the No. 112 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Walton (5’10/202) operated as the Hurricanes’ 2016 feature back before missing all but four games as a 2017 junior with injuries to both ankles. He turned pro with a career 395/2,006/5.1/26 rushing line and 56 receptions. Walton’s NFL evaluation is clouded by injuries, but NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah passed along scout comparisons for Walton to Devonta Freeman. Walton’s stock took a hit in Indy with 4.60 speed and a 9-foot-10 broad jump. Walton’s exciting game tape remains the reason he’s worth a shot. Unfortunately, Walton is buried in Cincinnati behind Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard.

If he plays well, this backfield could be a mess.  Or if Mixon misses more time than expected, Walton could be be a great pickup.......NOW!

 
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Gio gets almost all the carries. Walton comes in to give him a breather is my guess. He's no threat to a healthy Mixon at all.

 
Walton is only valuable to Mixon and Gio owners, because Gio will get almost all the carries and Walton a handful.  When Mixon comes back he becomes irrelevant again.

 
JohnnyU said:
Walton is only valuable to Mixon and Gio owners, because Gio will get almost all the carries and Walton a handful.  When Mixon comes back he becomes irrelevant again.
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Correct, but picked him up for the end of my dynasty bench just in case he gets some run until Mixon returns.  Definitely worth stashing...always leave one spot available for someone like this if possible.

 
Walton arguably had a worse preseason than Ronald Jones.

Week 1 : 7 carries 13 yards

Week 2 : 3 carries -7 yards

Week 3 : 2 carries -2 yards

Week 4 : 10 carries 17 yards 1 rec 5 yards

As a Mixon owner that handcuffed him with Gio I am not worried about Mark Walton at all. I am a firm believer in handcuffing but if Gio was to get hurt I'll be looking for a replacement in another backfield.

 
 Anyone else think this may be a good "shot in the dark" pick up as a last bench spot this week?

 I'm thinking that if Mixon comes back and gets reinjured (entirely possible since hes had a quick turnaround) that with Gio out 2-4 weeks, if something happens to Mixon then everyone will be rushing to the wire to get this guy.

I went over a few scenarios this morning, and it stood out this is a very possible scenario.

 NOTE - Not that i think he would be a great start at any given week, but with Dalton seemingly doing well, the run game has taken off a bit. Most every week thusfar they have had success on the ground.  Obviously, if Mixon does go down, Walton would be much more important to the Mixon owners.

If something does indeed happen to Mixon, I for one would love to have this guy on the end of my bench.

I'm surprised no one else is talking about this Cincy backfield.

TZM

 
BobbyLayne said:
Trash bag
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 Well that he may be.

 But I like having those "hot wire pickups" on my benches when the starters go down and the owners panic.  The majority of us here know better, but a few of my league mates DO NOT.

Because of my roster construction in most places currently, I likely won't own him. But its nice to have those "flashy names of the week" on your bench in the event of something happening.

 TZM

 
As a Mixon owner he seems like a must add at this moment unless you have plenty of other options on the bench. 

 
He had a really nice catch and run last week.  i think the talent is there to make some plays.

But Mixon's a star.  They'll probably lean on him moreso with Gio out.  Gio's out 2-4 weeks.  Walton could be a spot start if Mixon reinjures.  But overall, you're stashing in case of injury imo. 

 
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the Bengals are counting on Mark Walton to "fill in on more snaps."

Walton played sparingly behind Giovani Bernard the last two weeks but made a few highlights with his touches. With Joe Mixon coming off knee surgery and not in great conditioning, he's in line for his biggest workload of the year. Bernard's MCL sprain likely locks Walton into the No. 2 role for the next month. There's handcuff value with Walton if Mixon suffers another setback.

Source: Cincinnati Enquirer 

Oct 6 - 2:19 PM
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Bengals waived RB Mark Walton.

The Bengals were ultimately left with no choice but to sever ties with Walton, the No. 112 overall pick in last year's draft, following the 22-year-old's third arrest this year. Currently facing felony charges (and having already been slapped with two misdemeanors), Walton will likely be out of football for some time.

RELATED: 

Cincinnati Bengals

SOURCE: Cincinnati Bengals on Twitter

Apr 6, 2019, 11:03 AM
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Dr. Dan said:
I wonder if this means the Bengals will draft a RB in the 4-5 round range. Gio is a FA after this year.
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Maybe if the value is there but they could also just sign one of the handful of decent vets still out there (Ware, Yeldon, Ajayi, etc.) for depth if they pass during the draft. Finding a long term backup behind Mixon shouldn't necessarily be a priority for them.

 
The Miami Herald believes Dolphins RB Mark Walton has a "real chance" at earning No. 3 duties behind Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage.

Ace reporter Barry Jackson considers seventh-rounder Myles Gaskin Walton's primary competition. Waived by the Bengals following an offseason arrest spree, Walton spent more than a month on the open market before the Dolphins took a flier. He has "impressed as a receiver" in OTAs, which is not surprising since that is his calling card out of the backfield. Walton maintains end-of-bench appeal in Dynasty leagues.

SOURCE: Miami Herald

May 30, 2019, 3:55 PM ET
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The Palm Beach Post's Joe Schad reports the Dolphins' third running back job is "Mark Walton's to lose."

Kenyan Drake and Kalen Ballage are atop the depth chart, but there are nothing but question marks behind them. The Dolphins took a chance on Walton after he was waived by the Bengals following three offseason arrests. He will likely face a suspension because of those off-field incidents, but he is at least a name to know, especially in Dynasty formats.

SOURCE: Joe Schad on Twitter

Aug 5, 2019, 11:17 AM ET
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Mark Walton scuffled to just eight yards on five carries while snaring his lone target for a 12-yard pickup in Miami’s second preseason game Friday at Tampa Bay.

Walton spent the evening running into brick walls, managing a long run of just five yards in the loss to Tampa. The sophomore ball-carrier has underwhelmed during the preseason, averaging a meager 1.8 yards per carry with one catch on three targets through two appearances. Luckily for Walton, Myles Gaskin—his primary competition for the No. 3 role in Miami's backfield—has been similarly ineffective (2.5 yards per attempt).

Aug 16, 2019, 11:02 PM ET
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Dolphins RB Mark Walton is expected to have a bigger role going forward.

Walton appeared to pass Kalen Ballage on the depth chart after Ballage committed yet another egregious drop in Week 4. Walton handled the ball eight times for 34 yards against the Chargers. "Mark has really impressed me both running the football and pass receiving; he runs hard and takes prides catching the football," OC Chad O’Shea said. "We’re impressed with the way he prepares. He will have opportunities if he continues to play at a consistent level." The Dolphins' expansion-level talent makes Walton a low-upside flier for running back desperados, but he's a flier nonetheless.

SOURCE: Miami Herald

Oct 8, 2019, 5:21 PM ET
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I am hoping for a productive week where he doesn't explode -- I won't have high waiver priorities, but I think he makes for a terrific speculative stash for ROS. 

Can imagine MIA trying out a bunch of depth guys in second half of the season to see what they have as they round out their tanking season.

 
Drake will be gone

Think he should be scooped up by a playoff team wanting to upgrade, 

The Chiefs could solve a lot of problems in their back field. This guy hasn't missed a game, relatively cheap thru 2020, can recoup a compensatory pick, 25 vs McCoy 31 yrs+ old, better runner by leaps n bounds over pick a Williams...they never really replaced the explosiveness Hunt brought to the table. Drake is not Hunt but a better offense, I think he could be a top 10 guy with even 250 touches total. He can catch and he has speed. 

But yeah Walton is a good grab if you are RB starved. He will be starting in Miami most of the rest of the way until he gets hurt or whatever. He played in Hard Rock in college so he should feel right at home. 

 
I grabbed in him three leagues - hoping he can cover bye weeks for my starters. If I get more than that, yay me.

That offense is so horrible, but if he can continue to catch passes and get 10 or so carries a game he will at least be servicable. 

 
What are people's thoughts going forward?  He has a great playoff schedule (NYJ/NYG/Cin).  Trying to figure which rookie has a better shot at relevancy Walton or Singletary.  Miami won't have many positive game scripts but that playoff schedule looks like they'll be in those games.

 
TheAssassin said:
What are people's thoughts going forward?  He has a great playoff schedule (NYJ/NYG/Cin).  Trying to figure which rookie has a better shot at relevancy Walton or Singletary.  Miami won't have many positive game scripts but that playoff schedule looks like they'll be in those games.
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walton isnt a rookie, but I'd bank on Singletary 

 
TheAssassin said:
What are people's thoughts going forward?  He has a great playoff schedule (NYJ/NYG/Cin).  Trying to figure which rookie has a better shot at relevancy Walton or Singletary.  Miami won't have many positive game scripts but that playoff schedule looks like they'll be in those games.
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Walton has a 1 year contract. I think the team wants to see if he's worthy of a cheap extension, since they have so many needs and Walton could be an ok filler next year. He has good vision and a little burst between the tackles. He's an adequate receiver. Looks like Ballage is the GL back, so a good Walton line would be 80 total yards and no TDs. If Rosen gets another look in the last games, Walton's stats would take a hit.

 
TheAssassin said:
What are people's thoughts going forward?  He has a great playoff schedule (NYJ/NYG/Cin).  Trying to figure which rookie has a better shot at relevancy Walton or Singletary.  Miami won't have many positive game scripts but that playoff schedule looks like they'll be in those games.
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I'm actually starting to think Walton is a must add at this point. It's clear they are phasing Drake out. Dolphins tried to extend Drake and his agent won't even pick up the phone. They will trade Drake for anything soon enough. Walton has a great playoff schedule and the dolphins look less pathetic as a team every week. 

 
Weebs210 said:
I'm actually starting to think Walton is a must add at this point. It's clear they are phasing Drake out. Dolphins tried to extend Drake and his agent won't even pick up the phone. They will trade Drake for anything soon enough. Walton has a great playoff schedule and the dolphins look less pathetic as a team every week. 
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As long as Fitzpatrick starts, I agree.

 
Trying to gauge value here.

Walton or Ty Johnson? Miami O is more pathetic, but more competition in Detroit with a better O.?

Walton or Edmunds in Ari?

 
Dr. Dan said:
Tough between ty and walton but I'd go walton. 

Edmonds for sure
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Edmunds is gone, but that is what I'd guess too.

Walton over Ty due to Kerryeon Johnson not blowing things up when he WAS healthy and Ty not being able to beat him out?

 
Scooby1974 said:
Edmunds is gone, but that is what I'd guess too.

Walton over Ty due to Kerryeon Johnson not blowing things up when he WAS healthy and Ty not being able to beat him out?
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Ty has a very tough schedule, there are rumors of detroit wanting to trade for.a rb, and detroit didnt have a strong running game to begin with.

 
TheAssassin said:
What are people's thoughts going forward?  He has a great playoff schedule (NYJ/NYG/Cin).  Trying to figure which rookie has a better shot at relevancy Walton or Singletary.  Miami won't have many positive game scripts but that playoff schedule looks like they'll be in those games.
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With the rumor of a Drake trade if that happens I wonder if we have something here? I’ve never watched him play, wonder if he has a chance to take the lead and if he does well can he be the guy next year? Playoff schedule is juicy this year. 

 
If they trade Drake who, despite what happened last week, has doubled up Walton on opportunities this season then, yes he has a very nice fantasy playoff schedule.

Then again he got 15 touches for 58 yards last week, which is pretty much starter volume. And that's a pretty meh outcome.

How many of us would actually put any Miami player in our lineups right now to help take us to the playoffs? And assuming the answer is "Uhhhh...no one." How many of us who make the playoffs would then rely on any Miami player to help us win a championship regardless of matchups?

I mean, at what level would he have to perform on average from this point forward before any of us would consider him anything other than an emergency "I literally, literally not figuratively, have no other options. As in every other player on my roster has Space Herpes." play? I would hope more than 15 for 58.

And please don't bore us with how the reception for -8 yards wasn't his fault (if you suggest that then I get to take away his long run of 19 yards). Either way it doesn't matter this team is epically bad.

I think we all need to see 1) Drake actually get traded (probable IMO) and 2) Walton actually do something more than 15 for 58, more than once before most of us need to be concerned about a land rush to acquire him.

 
Why Mark Walton has probably passed Kenyan Drake for good on Miami Dolphins’ depth chart

Mark Walton, just six games into his Dolphins, already seems like a keeper.

And he seems to just keep getting better.

The former Booker T. Washington, University of Miami and Cincinnati Bengals running back quietly had a career game Sunday.

What’s even more encouraging: He did it against one of the league’s better run defenses.

Walton had career highs in carries (14), yards (66) and longest carry from scrimmage (19) Sunday against the Bills.

And so if anything, his grip on the Dolphins’ RB1 job — he started each of the last two weeks — is stronger than it’s ever been.

He’s moved past not only Kalen Ballage, but also Kenyan Drake on the depth chart. Walton had 38 snaps Sunday; Drake had only 30. All of this has made it easier for the Dolphins to trade Drake before next week’s deadline, if they find an offer that they find acceptable.

“I think it’s clear to anyone who watches that if you’re a Dolphins fan, you want to see Mark Walton get the football a little bit more,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. “I like all of our backs. Drake has gone in there and made plays, Ballage has gone in there and made plays. But Mark has definitely been playing well the last couple of weeks.”

Walton’s emergence is exactly the kind of thing the Dolphins need in this strangest of seasons. 

All along, the idea of a playoff push was a pipe dream. But it’s now a near-impossibility just seven weeks into the season (the Dolphins are an absurd six games back of the New England Patriots in the AFC East).

So the real priority should be identifying, developing and playing guys who will be part of the hoped-for good times in 2020 and beyond.

Walton — whose 4.6 yards-per-carry average leads the team — seems to be one of those guys.

“I have to do my job each and every day,” Walton said. “I can’t get too high on myself or too low on myself. I just have to do my job. Hey anything could switch any time of the week. I’m just trying to do my job.”

Walton has a ton to play for this season, beyond helping the Dolphins win. 

He is still rehabbing a reputation badly damaged this offseason, when he was cut by the Bengals after three arrests in less than three months. That all seems behind him at this point. The NFL surprisingly never suspended Walton, and his attorney cut a deal with prosecutors that got him little more than a slap on the wrist.

But the damage to his bank account was done. No team claimed him off the waiver wire, so he signed a one-year, minimum contract with the Dolphins.

That’s given the Dolphins great value. Walton and fellow reclamation project Preston Williams combine to earn just a little over $1 million this year — and yet they together accounted for 37 percent of Miami’s yards from scrimmage Sunday.

Walton’s play-making ability got him on the field. Doing the little things right will keep him on it. His work in pass protection was a big reason why the Bills did not sack Ryan Fitzpatrick all Sunday.

“I think one of his greatest strengths is his toughness,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said. “I think both physically and mentally I see a very tough player and person. That’s something we really have seen in him. It’s been a great trait.”

Added Walton: “I think as the game goes on and knowing the situation, my energy and intensity rises. It gets intense. So I try to do anything I can to help this team win. As the game goes on I don’t get stronger but I think my mentality in the game picks up.”
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How ex-UM star Mark Walton revived his seemingly doomed NFL career with Dolphins

The football field has usually been Mark Walton’s place of refuge from his personal pain and frustration because no matter how hard the opponent hits the Miami Dolphins tailback, it wasn’t harder than life has.

That’s what happens when you discover your father was murdered at the age of 7, and when you watch your grandmother and older brother die during your teenage years.

Or when complications force the early birth of your daughter, Ma’Lani Nicole, who had to spent weeks in the hospital after being born.

Not long after, Walton’s mother — Kimberly Rogers — suffered a stroke in 2017, and died due to complications from it.

That’s a lot for a 22 year old to handle.

“I think one of his greatest strengths is his toughness,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Chad O’Shea said of Walton on Tuesday. “I think both physically and mentally I see a very tough player and person.”

You’d have to be to endure all that pain while becoming a standout performer at the University of Miami, where Walton rushed for 2,006 yards and scored 28 touchdowns in three seasons.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Walton in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft despite him only playing four games in his final college season due to an ankle injury.

Walton played mostly on special teams during his rookie season with Cincinnati, but the Bengals released him in March shortly after he was arrested three separate times in the first few months of the year.

In March, Walton was charged with reckless driving, marijuana possession and carrying a concealed weapon.

Walton was also arrested in February on a battery charge after police said he got into an argument about a parking situation, and there was a marijuana possession charge in January.

The charges were dismissed or pleaded out, and Walton received six months probation in September, with the possibility his sentence could be reduced to three months in a negotiated resolution.

“I thank God for this situation cause I was down low,” Walton said, referring to the months he spent unemployed as his agent tried to get teams to give him a workout.

The Dolphins had Walton participate in their rookie camp and signed him shortly after with the vision of him competing for a spot on the 53-man regular-season roster.

Walton didn’t just make the team. He’s taken the starting role from Kalen Ballage and Kenyan Drake, rising up from third stringer on the depth chart after four games.

“The Dolphins brought me back in the league. I couldn’t have been more down on myself than that,” Walton said of his offseason ordeal. “I was down at that moment, but with time I’m up again. It’s proof there’s a God above.”

And proof second chances do payoff.

The Dolphins offense finally passed the 100-yard rushing mark in Sunday’s 31-21 loss to a stingy Bills defense.

The Dolphins gained 109 yards on 30 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. Walton, whose 4.6 yards per carry average leads the team, was responsible for 66 of those yards. His steady performance the past three games explains why Miami’s coaches view him as the new focal point for the offense.

“I think it’s clear to anyone who watches,” coach Brian Flores said in an emphatic endorsement of Walton. “If you’re a Dolphins fan, you want to see Mark Walton get the football a little bit more.”

The Dolphins offensive linemen praise Walton for his ability to find running lanes, the creases they open between tackles.

Flores said Walton’s small stature — he’s 5 foot 10, 200 pounds — allows him to hide behind his blockers until it’s too late for defenders because yards have already been gained.

Walton’s the type of runner who allows the offense to stay on schedule because he shortens the distance needed to convert on third downs, which explains why Miami has shown slight improvement in that area — converting 10-of-27 third-down opportunities — during his two starts.

“He’s got really good vision, a low center of gravity, good burst through the hole and he’s just got a good feel for running the football, setting up blocks,” Flores said. “I think he’s been running the ball well for the last few weeks. We’ll keep giving it to him since he’s being productive, and hopefully he’ll continue to develop and get better.”

This is Walton’s time, his chance to prove he can be the NFL player he has always envisioned himself being. This is his chance to make everyone who has lifted him up when he was down proud.
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You have to envision Miami winning a football game. most RBs have their bertter games when they are called upon to salt the games away in the 2nd half...when is that happening in Miami. You can never trust starting this guy and if you make it deep in the playoffs it's because of better players you own. 

Not sure why the Week 14-16 schedule is looked upon like a heroin addict on Homeless Ave in Anycity USA...

 
It's pretty simple really. You pick him up and see what happens to Drake before the trade deadline and see how he performs over the next few weeks.

 
Chaka said:
I think we all need to see 1) Drake actually get traded (probable IMO) and 2) Walton actually do something more than 15 for 58, more than once before most of us need to be concerned about a land rush to acquire him.
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Oh cool.  You play in one those leagues where a guy can take over a starter role, get starter volume, and put up 2+ good fantasy games before anyone bothers to pick him up.

For the rest of us playing in larger than 4 team leagues these kind of adds have to be made speculatively.  And there's been a lot more spent on guys who've had a lot less clear of a path to a starting role and who have looked a lot less able in their path to it.

FWIW that "starter volume" came against the league's #3 defense, but the Fins get the league's #19, #28, and #32 defenses during the fantasy playoffs.  And obviously the passing down reps that Drake was taking were among the most valuable kind of reps.  It's not like Ballage is going to take them if they become available.

 
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