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RB Kimani Vidal, LAC (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Faust
- Start date
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Funny how it goes from possibly being a roster cut by some to not only making the team, but having a role.x.com
x.com
Kimani Vidal's Roster Spot in Danger? | Fantasy Football News | Draft Sharks
Kimani Vidal's Roster Spot in Danger? | Fantasy Football News | Draft Sharks
www.draftsharks.com
The Athletic's Daniel Popper left Chargers RB Kimani Vidal off his latest 53-man roster projection. Popper has RBs Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Jaret Patterson, and Isaiah Spiller making the team over Vidal, the sixth-round rookie.
What They're Saying
Popper: "Patterson has impressed the coaching staff, and he appears to have grasped the RB3 role right now. Of the four backs competing behind Edwards and Dobbins, Patterson has gotten the most reps with the first team in practice. He was also the first running back in the [preseason] game Saturday, ahead of both Spiller and Dotson. ... Of course, it is a bit jarring to see a sixth-round pick left off the roster. But, as always, I am just basing this projection on what I am seeing. ... Vidal has also been dealing with an injury and missed four full days of practice earlier this month, including the joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams. That injury likely influenced Vidal sitting out the preseason game. This competition is still wide open. Right now, I think Patterson and Spiller have the edge over Vidal. That could change through the final two weeks of camp and, most importantly, the last two preseason games."2024 Fantasy Football Impact
As Popper notes, this battle is not decided yet. But Vidal had a quiet spring and start to training camp before getting hurt, seemingly doing little to earn the No. 3 job.Patterson and Spiller are not stiff competitors. But Vidal rookie has a lot of ground to make up -- and the sixth-round draft capital probably isn't enough to save him.
It's tough to make a case for using a draft pick on Vidal right now. We'll see if he climbs the depth chart ahead of final cuts.
Faust
MVP
@JohnnyU
I think Daniel Popper was the main writer who did a 180 turn on originally projecting for Vidal to not make the 53-man roster projection to now saying that he is the projected RB3 for the Chargers.
Did you see any other sources that were also pushing this narrative or were they just parroting what Popper was saying?
I think Daniel Popper was the main writer who did a 180 turn on originally projecting for Vidal to not make the 53-man roster projection to now saying that he is the projected RB3 for the Chargers.
Did you see any other sources that were also pushing this narrative or were they just parroting what Popper was saying?
JohnnyU
Footballguy
I don't know if anyone else felt this way, but my point is there is a lot of noise in the preseason. Plus late round RBs are always risky. I remember when DeWayne McBride was getting some hype last off-season and look what happened to him. He wound up on the practice squad and hasn't been heard from since. I'm not saying that will be Vidal's fate however.
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BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Liked this kids tape a lot. Not sure he'll ever get a fair shake. IMO he's very capable of carving out a role if he maximizes his opportunity.
FarFromHome
Footballguy
Same. I'm in two leagues and made room for him in both with Gus news. At this point why not. He is a Dobbins injury from being the lead RB. Weird how quickly football changes
Pietaster2
Footballguy
Haskins truthers will tell you that’s wrong. Don’t listen to them.
hamsterdam
Footballguy
One unknown is Haskins. He could end up the RB2 here in front of Vidal and get touches ahead of him. Still worth a stash if you have room.
Pietaster2
Footballguy
It’s looking like Cook isn’t that hurt and is probably playing anyway, so not a bad move.
Proteus
Footballguy
Would it be safe to say if anyone can get him going in the NFL, Jim Harbs is among the best coaches to give him that shot?
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
Just did the same. Vidal intrigues me and I have Dobbins as well (also have Cook but prefer Vidal to Davis as a prospect).
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
from Dane Brugler's The Beast
21. KIMANI VIDAL | Troy (AL) 5077 | 213 lbs. | 4th Yr SR Marietta, Ga. (Marietta) d.o.b. 8/28/2001 (age 22.66) #28
BACKGROUND: Kimani Vidal, who has one sister (Kaylin), grew up in the Atlanta area. Because of his father Kwame’s athletic background, Vidal was introduced to sports at a young age and started playing football at age 6. After playing at the pee-wee level, he started to blossom in rec leagues for the Wolverines, and in middle school at Woodward Academy.
Vidal attended Marietta High School, where he was the only freshman to start on varsity and played both ways as a linebacker and running back. As a sophomore, he finished with 63 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles on defense and 481 rushing yards, 308 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on offense. As a junior, Vidal rushed for 954 yards (6.2 average) and 11 touchdowns, setting a single -game school record with five touchdowns against Kennesaw Mountain High. After three losing seasons, Vidal led Marietta to a 13-2 record and the 2019 7A state championship, the school’s first state title since 1967 (he earned MVP honors in the championship game). He finished his senior season with 1,589 rushing yards (6.8 average) and 24 touchdowns, adding 25 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdown grabs to earn honorable mention All-State and first team All-Conference honors. Vidal also ran track at Marietta and set personal bests of 11.25 seconds in the 100 meters, 24.13 in the 200 and 51’1” in the shot put during his junior year.
A three-star recruit, Vidal was the No. 61 running back in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 103 recruit in Georgia. He played for a stacked Marietta squad that attracted a lot of recruiting eyes —Vidal had six teammates ranked ahead of him in the 2020 class, and they all have amazing stories:
He is the great-nephew of MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, one of the greatest athletes in sports history. Vidal graduated with his degree in exercise science (December 2023). He accepted his invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) CAR YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2020: (9/2) 101 516 5.1 4 26 225 8.7 0 Honorable mention All-SBC; Led team in rushing; Pandemic-shortened season
2021: (11/11) 152 701 4.6 5 22 134 6.1 0 Honorable mention All-SBC; Led team in rushing; Missed one game (injury)
2022: (14/13) 231 1,132 4.9 10 26 140 5.4 0 Second team All-SBC; Led team in rushing
2023: (14/14) 297 1,661 5.6 14 18 201 11.2 1 Third team All-American; SBC Offensive POY; First team All-SBC; Led SBC in rushing
Total: (48/40) 781 4,010 5.1 33 92 700 7.6 1
COMBINE / PRO DAY
HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
5077 213 9 3/8 30 3/8 73 1/4 4.46 2.59 1.53 37 1/2 10’0” 4.15 7.01 18
5076 214 9 3/8 30 3/4 73 1/8 - - - - - - - - (position drills only — choice)
STRENGTHS: Compactly built with a stout frame that’s evenly layered with muscle … runs with leg drive, low pads and lower-body strength on inside carries …maintains his run balance while absorbing contact to frustrate would-be tacklers (ranked No. 2 in the FBS with 94 forced missed tackles in 2023) … quick in and out of the hole and able to pick and slide with burst through congested areas … scraps for extra yardage and doesn’t throw up the white flag … alert in pass protection and does a nice job finding pressure, then squaring and stoning blitzers … effective pass catcher on short-area routes (pivots, flats, etc.) and didn’t have a drop on his 2023 tape … led the Sun Belt in rushing as a senior and had three 200-yard rushing performances, including a career-best outing in the conference championship game (233 rushing yards and five touchdowns).
WEAKNESSES: His timed speed is better than his play speed … can get tracked down on the perimeter when he tests the corner … makes too much contact with blockers inside … tight hips hinder his ability to transition from cut to cut … average lateral quickness and doesn’t have the open-field elusiveness to consistently make NFL defenders miss in space … had a relatively low fumble rate (seven career fumbles), but he can do a better job covering up the ball … limited route runner and doesn’t have the versatility to work in the slot or run downfield routes … has avoided major injury, but his mileage (873 offensive touches) is higher than what most teams want … doesn’t offer much value on special teams.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Troy, Vidal was a workhorse back in former offensive coordinator Joe Craddock’s balanced run scheme. His production improved in each of his four seasons with the program, including a school-record 1,661 rushing yards during the 2023 season, which ranked No. 2 in the FBS. Vidal finished as Troy’s all-time leading rusher (4,010 career yards). Although he didn’t put a ton of home runs on film, Vidal hit plenty of singles and doubles (led the FBS with 47 carries of 10-plus yards in 2023), thanks to his low center of gravity and quick feet to pinball off contact. He offers third-down value with his blocking skills, but he might be limited as a screen-only target as a receiver.
Overall, Vidal isn’t the most dynamic in the open field, but his contact balance, run power and pass-pro skills will appeal to a team searching for an instinctive between-the-tackles back. He will have a chance to earn a rotational spot in camp.
GRADE: 7th Round
NFL.com draft profile (it's not quite the wild ride above) - Lance Zierlein gave him a pre-draft grade of 5.85, average backup or special teamer.
PFF only included 12 running backs in their Draft Guide this year, and he didn't make the cut. However Conner Rogers and Trevor Sikkema brought him up often on their podcast.
Out of 723 running backs from 167 FBS schools, Vidal's 93.2 ranked 6th in PFF rushing grade. His overall offensive grade of 92.4 was 7th best amongst RBs. Of his 1661 yards, he gained 1056 after contact.
This summer he had a strong TC. In PS games, he went 11-49 with 3 forced missed tackles, and 2-8 receiving. Out of 42 LAC offensive players who took a snap in the 3 PS games, his overall PFF grade ranked 7th on the team.
edit
sorry about the wonky formatting, it's the one thing I hate about The Beast - for some reason it's always a hot mess
21. KIMANI VIDAL | Troy (AL) 5077 | 213 lbs. | 4th Yr SR Marietta, Ga. (Marietta) d.o.b. 8/28/2001 (age 22.66) #28
BACKGROUND: Kimani Vidal, who has one sister (Kaylin), grew up in the Atlanta area. Because of his father Kwame’s athletic background, Vidal was introduced to sports at a young age and started playing football at age 6. After playing at the pee-wee level, he started to blossom in rec leagues for the Wolverines, and in middle school at Woodward Academy.
Vidal attended Marietta High School, where he was the only freshman to start on varsity and played both ways as a linebacker and running back. As a sophomore, he finished with 63 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles on defense and 481 rushing yards, 308 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on offense. As a junior, Vidal rushed for 954 yards (6.2 average) and 11 touchdowns, setting a single -game school record with five touchdowns against Kennesaw Mountain High. After three losing seasons, Vidal led Marietta to a 13-2 record and the 2019 7A state championship, the school’s first state title since 1967 (he earned MVP honors in the championship game). He finished his senior season with 1,589 rushing yards (6.8 average) and 24 touchdowns, adding 25 receptions for 397 yards and five touchdown grabs to earn honorable mention All-State and first team All-Conference honors. Vidal also ran track at Marietta and set personal bests of 11.25 seconds in the 100 meters, 24.13 in the 200 and 51’1” in the shot put during his junior year.
A three-star recruit, Vidal was the No. 61 running back in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 103 recruit in Georgia. He played for a stacked Marietta squad that attracted a lot of recruiting eyes —Vidal had six teammates ranked ahead of him in the 2020 class, and they all have amazing stories:
- TE Arik Gilbert (Gatorade Football Player of the Year) - played for LSU, UGA 2x national champs, and Nebraska - career ended because he participated in a series of smash n grab robberies
- DE BJ Ojulari (No. 12) - 2nd round pick (41) NYG 2023
- QB Harrison Bailey (No. 15) - 5 year career at Tennessee, UNLV, and Louisville
- DB Rashad Torrence II (No. 32) - after 3 freshman seasons at Florida, has played in the XFL and AFL (Houston)
- WR Ricky White (No. 40) - 2 years at Michigan State, 3 years at UNLV - actually a redshirt Junior, could come back in 2025; First Team All-Mountain West in 2023
- OT Jake Wray (No. 72) - played at Colorado, now a filmmaker in Brooklyn. Mental health advocate who struggled with suicide ideation.
He is the great-nephew of MLB Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, one of the greatest athletes in sports history. Vidal graduated with his degree in exercise science (December 2023). He accepted his invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.
YEAR (GP/GS) CAR YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2020: (9/2) 101 516 5.1 4 26 225 8.7 0 Honorable mention All-SBC; Led team in rushing; Pandemic-shortened season
2021: (11/11) 152 701 4.6 5 22 134 6.1 0 Honorable mention All-SBC; Led team in rushing; Missed one game (injury)
2022: (14/13) 231 1,132 4.9 10 26 140 5.4 0 Second team All-SBC; Led team in rushing
2023: (14/14) 297 1,661 5.6 14 18 201 11.2 1 Third team All-American; SBC Offensive POY; First team All-SBC; Led SBC in rushing
Total: (48/40) 781 4,010 5.1 33 92 700 7.6 1
COMBINE / PRO DAY
HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
5077 213 9 3/8 30 3/8 73 1/4 4.46 2.59 1.53 37 1/2 10’0” 4.15 7.01 18
5076 214 9 3/8 30 3/4 73 1/8 - - - - - - - - (position drills only — choice)
STRENGTHS: Compactly built with a stout frame that’s evenly layered with muscle … runs with leg drive, low pads and lower-body strength on inside carries …maintains his run balance while absorbing contact to frustrate would-be tacklers (ranked No. 2 in the FBS with 94 forced missed tackles in 2023) … quick in and out of the hole and able to pick and slide with burst through congested areas … scraps for extra yardage and doesn’t throw up the white flag … alert in pass protection and does a nice job finding pressure, then squaring and stoning blitzers … effective pass catcher on short-area routes (pivots, flats, etc.) and didn’t have a drop on his 2023 tape … led the Sun Belt in rushing as a senior and had three 200-yard rushing performances, including a career-best outing in the conference championship game (233 rushing yards and five touchdowns).
WEAKNESSES: His timed speed is better than his play speed … can get tracked down on the perimeter when he tests the corner … makes too much contact with blockers inside … tight hips hinder his ability to transition from cut to cut … average lateral quickness and doesn’t have the open-field elusiveness to consistently make NFL defenders miss in space … had a relatively low fumble rate (seven career fumbles), but he can do a better job covering up the ball … limited route runner and doesn’t have the versatility to work in the slot or run downfield routes … has avoided major injury, but his mileage (873 offensive touches) is higher than what most teams want … doesn’t offer much value on special teams.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Troy, Vidal was a workhorse back in former offensive coordinator Joe Craddock’s balanced run scheme. His production improved in each of his four seasons with the program, including a school-record 1,661 rushing yards during the 2023 season, which ranked No. 2 in the FBS. Vidal finished as Troy’s all-time leading rusher (4,010 career yards). Although he didn’t put a ton of home runs on film, Vidal hit plenty of singles and doubles (led the FBS with 47 carries of 10-plus yards in 2023), thanks to his low center of gravity and quick feet to pinball off contact. He offers third-down value with his blocking skills, but he might be limited as a screen-only target as a receiver.
Overall, Vidal isn’t the most dynamic in the open field, but his contact balance, run power and pass-pro skills will appeal to a team searching for an instinctive between-the-tackles back. He will have a chance to earn a rotational spot in camp.
GRADE: 7th Round
NFL.com draft profile (it's not quite the wild ride above) - Lance Zierlein gave him a pre-draft grade of 5.85, average backup or special teamer.
PFF only included 12 running backs in their Draft Guide this year, and he didn't make the cut. However Conner Rogers and Trevor Sikkema brought him up often on their podcast.
Out of 723 running backs from 167 FBS schools, Vidal's 93.2 ranked 6th in PFF rushing grade. His overall offensive grade of 92.4 was 7th best amongst RBs. Of his 1661 yards, he gained 1056 after contact.
This summer he had a strong TC. In PS games, he went 11-49 with 3 forced missed tackles, and 2-8 receiving. Out of 42 LAC offensive players who took a snap in the 3 PS games, his overall PFF grade ranked 7th on the team.
edit
sorry about the wonky formatting, it's the one thing I hate about The Beast - for some reason it's always a hot mess
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FarFromHome
Footballguy
Wonderful post. Thanks for sharing.
FarFromHome
Footballguy
I think for me. I'm not this Vidal is awesome Guy. Hell. I'm not even that Vidal is good guy. It's more about that we just dont know how he will translate. I love mysteries. Especially when they are free. If he is bad for two weeks we simply move on to the next guy.
zamboni
Footballguy
Picked him up a few days ago when I mentioned him upthread. Became intrigued when Gus missed practice and thought maybe sometimes guys get opportunities coming off a bye. Also recall some positive buzz around him in camp.
For a team that loves to run the ball as much as anyone and with only Dobbins ahead of him on the depth chart, why not take a chance. If he’s nothing, didn’t really cost anything to begin with.
sushinsky4tsar
Footballguy
Easily, the rookie in dynasty and I lean that way for re-draft too. I think there's about a 5% possibility that Vidal establishes himself as the best RB on the Chargers tomorrow. Heck, maybe Tucker has a slim possibility of doing that too, but undrafted guy. Kudos for sticking on the roster. But they got their look at him and decided to go back to the well with a 4th round pick to put ahead of him.
TheWinz
Footballguy
Absolutely positively not. While I would love to share your enthusiasm as someone who just picked up Vidal, he is not on the same level with Dobbins. Dobbins has spent most of his NFL career hurt, but in what would amount to a single decent season's worth of carries in BAL (234) he averaged 5.8 YPC. Then he comes to LAC and is running at 6.1 YPC. I only picked up Vidal in case of a Dobbins injury, and am under no illusion that Vidal will overtake Dobbins. I am a realist though, and Dobbins staying healthy is not something I would bet on.
sushinsky4tsar
Footballguy
Not sure 5% is quite as bullish as you seem to be suggesting. I mean, isn't there about a 5% chance of Dobbins having a season-ending injury tomorrow based on historical data?
If you think Dobbins knees are back to being as good as the day he entered the league, full steam ahead, you're right, there's no chance a 6th round talent is catching that when JK hasn't turned 26 yet. Personally, I think there might be a little bit more of a "partially damaged goods" factor there, that would give a 23 year-old with a lot of fans a chance greater than zero. But no, 5% is not a ringing endorsement that Vidal > Dobbins, and that's pretty self-explanatory.
However, there's a longshot possibility that Vidal is the clear #1 in that backfield after tomorrow. Yeah, maybe that longshot does involve another Dobbins setback, but that's clearly not something that's off the table.
TheWinz
Footballguy
I think I misunderstood. I was only saying Dobbins is the better talent. But there is a reason I rostered Vidal, and it has everything to do with Dobbins injury history. He has never played a full season, and I doubt this year is going to be it.
wickster33
Footballguy
Picked him up today without any great expectations other than he’ll probably cost me at least $5 in FAAB next Wednesday. I Always try to get a jump on the waiver wire.
Man In The Box
Footballguy
Well that escalated quickly
Pietaster2
Footballguy
Looking good so far, like Ekeler 2.0. Hope you all picked him up before this week.
RenegadeRoy
Footballguy
lol of course my opponent desperation started him this week.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
i'm coming out
I want the world to know
On my bench (of course) but happy for Vidal
7th rounder from Troy has to show out if he's gonna keep getting opps
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
So tiny
Pietaster2
Footballguy
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
Yeah just seeing him next to guys, reminds me of Litttle Train James
JohnnyU
Footballguy
That is a very good question. I'm starting to warm up to Vidal.
zamboni
Footballguy
I'd rather have Vidal. I think he may actually have some standalone value as the passing down option, and they run the ball a ton. Plus they may want to limit the wear and tear on Dobbins - while he's recovered impressively, I doubt they want to run him 25-30 times every game. And if Dobbins goes down, boom.
Corum is really a high upside contingency if Kyren gets hurt. Could happen, but I wouldn't want to bank on that.
Panda13
Footballguy
I agree, and I'm also curious to see how much more if any run Corum gets coming out of the bye. He got a series in the last game in the redzone and even got a goaline carry but wasn't able to punch it in. He definitely looked spry running the ball.
