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RB Leonard Fournette, FA (1 Viewer)

Peterson is taking visits and not signing anywhere. That means he's either not passing physicals or he's asking for too much money. Either way it doesn't have anything to do with his perceived skill-set. These teams have seen the tape, they and his agent wouldn't be wasting anyone's time if they weren't interested in signing him at the right price/absent a failed physical. It's the only thing that makes sense or he wouldn't be taking visits.

 
ConnSKINS26 said:
Peterson is taking visits and not signing anywhere. That means he's either not passing physicals or he's asking for too much money. Either way it doesn't have anything to do with his perceived skill-set. These teams have seen the tape, they and his agent wouldn't be wasting anyone's time if they weren't interested in signing him at the right price/absent a failed physical. It's the only thing that makes sense or he wouldn't be taking visits.
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It's visit, not visits. He's had one, with Seattle.

 
Look at the history of production for 32 year old RBs and you'll know why nobody is in a rush to sign him. Plus, this is the deepest RB class in years, why sign a 32 year old when you can draft a rookie for a fraction of the cost.

 
petekrum said:
Look at the history of production for 32 year old RBs and you'll know why nobody is in a rush to sign him. Plus, this is the deepest RB class in years, why sign a 32 year old when you can draft a rookie for a fraction of the cost.
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This is the key.  Lots of teams are holding off on signing the older backs because there's a reasonable chance of a good young back falling their way in the draft.

I expect after the draft, the teams that don't land a hot rookie will start snapping up AP, Charles, etc.

If the draft goes by, and AP is still sitting at home for weeks, then all these other hypotheses start to be more viable, imo.

 
menobrown said:
I've been having this thought about Fournette lately and wondered if anyone else had the same.

I'd like to preface this by saying that Fournette might be a lot better in the passing game than we realize but it's fair to at least speculate he might be more of what is known as a conventional two down back. The other issue some have with him is he might struggle running out a shotgun formation.

So you might have guessed were I'm heading with this post. Adrian Peterson. We get caught in wanting to project these incoming stud RB's as the next AP but I'm sitting around watching Peterson seemingly struggle to land a job. And yes I know he's 32  and coming off horrendous season but he barely played last year so when people conclude he's lost it based on last season I wholeheartedly reject that opinion. The age in an issue and maybe he's truly lost a lot from 2015 till now but that was the last  time he was healthy for a season and he rolled to close to 1500 rushing yards in an offense no one is confusing for being a juggernaut.  Maybe he's lost something since that time? Quite possible and I sure would not pay him a lot or guarantee much if any pay past the 2017 season but the reasons I keep hearing this guy is struggling to land a job is not out of fear he lost his ability but because his style of play is not a fit for anyone. The reasons are the same exact two primary concerns as Fournette, possible negative in passing game and need to not run out of shotgun which to a degree ties into the first negative.

So this for me is somewhat of a concern for fantasy but I'm also finding a hard time wrapping my head around it from an NFL perspective.  You rarely see Fournette get mocked out of the top 10 and you often see 3 landing spots for him. So how on earth is a guy who has similar questions about his game as an all-time great get picked as a top 10 pick but no one wants the all-time great when he's just sitting there for the taking? 
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I dont really believe that is a serious question

 
menobrown said:
Yet a 32 versatile RB in Woodhead who fits the modern game more was the first or second RB to sign this FA period. I think the Raiders interest in 32 year old Lynch is legit and 33 year old Marshall got quickly snapped and yes he's a WR and ages better but he did not look last season.

We can never know this stuff for sure but I'm really not getting a sense money is the issue but again hard for us to know these things for sure.
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Lynch is only 30.

ETA: He turns 31 at the end of April so for the purposes of this discussion he is 31 - but still younger than Peterson and likely more fresh after sitting out a season, non-injury based.

 
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So multiple people replied it was age but chose to ignore Woodhead was the first RB to sign in FA.

A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.

That along with a few responses that I'm making up crap to argue about or some BS. . I simply keep hearing people comment on why they think Peterson is not signed, reasons for him being a poor fit that are not age or salary related. Read articles like his on PFF alluding to same stuff I've been saying for why Peterson is unsigned:Why is Peterson unsigned  You could read that article and most places that is not discussing exact Peterson related stats and sub in the name Fournette and the article would make perfect sense. You could also sub Blount in most of that article and is also unsigned and I've not even heard of a visit.

So sounds like this means zero to all of you, that's fine. I like Fournette but I'm worried about making a long term investment in a RB whose style of play could be a poor fit for a lot of NFL teams, especially with 4 of my top 5 other RB's in this draft are more ideally suited for todays' NFL.

 
menobrown said:
So multiple people replied it was age but chose to ignore Woodhead was the first RB to sign in FA.

A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.

That along with a few responses that I'm making up crap to argue about or some BS. . I simply keep hearing people comment on why they think Peterson is not signed, reasons for him being a poor fit that are not age or salary related. Read articles like his on PFF alluding to same stuff I've been saying for why Peterson is unsigned:Why is Peterson unsigned  You could read that article and most places that is not discussing exact Peterson related stats and sub in the name Fournette and the article would make perfect sense. You could also sub Blount in most of that article and is also unsigned and I've not even heard of a visit.

So sounds like this means zero to all of you, that's fine. I like Fournette but I'm worried about making a long term investment in a RB whose style of play could be a poor fit for a lot of NFL teams, especially with 4 of my top 5 other RB's in this draft are more ideally suited for todays' NFL.
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WHO CARES? Take it to the AP vs Woodhead thread. And yeah, a 22 year old AP would go undrafted, you nailed it, everyone else is insane. thread/, i mean wrongthread/

 
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menobrown said:
So multiple people replied it was age but chose to ignore Woodhead was the first RB to sign in FA.

A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.

That along with a few responses that I'm making up crap to argue about or some BS. . I simply keep hearing people comment on why they think Peterson is not signed, reasons for him being a poor fit that are not age or salary related. Read articles like his on PFF alluding to same stuff I've been saying for why Peterson is unsigned:Why is Peterson unsigned  You could read that article and most places that is not discussing exact Peterson related stats and sub in the name Fournette and the article would make perfect sense. You could also sub Blount in most of that article and is also unsigned and I've not even heard of a visit.

So sounds like this means zero to all of you, that's fine. I like Fournette but I'm worried about making a long term investment in a RB whose style of play could be a poor fit for a lot of NFL teams, especially with 4 of my top 5 other RB's in this draft are more ideally suited for todays' NFL.
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Bad teams sign 32 year old RBs.

 
Can some informed posters comment about Fournette's productivity out of shotgun? Keep reading he's an I-formation back. How true is that?

 
menobrown said:
So multiple people replied it was age but chose to ignore Woodhead was the first RB to sign in FA.

A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.

That along with a few responses that I'm making up crap to argue about or some BS. . I simply keep hearing people comment on why they think Peterson is not signed, reasons for him being a poor fit that are not age or salary related. Read articles like his on PFF alluding to same stuff I've been saying for why Peterson is unsigned:Why is Peterson unsigned  You could read that article and most places that is not discussing exact Peterson related stats and sub in the name Fournette and the article would make perfect sense. You could also sub Blount in most of that article and is also unsigned and I've not even heard of a visit.

So sounds like this means zero to all of you, that's fine. I like Fournette but I'm worried about making a long term investment in a RB whose style of play could be a poor fit for a lot of NFL teams, especially with 4 of my top 5 other RB's in this draft are more ideally suited for todays' NFL.
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Woodhead almost plays a different position than AP.  Compare Peterson to Blount, who also isn't signed.

From a fantasy perspective, I also would like Fournette to be more involved in the passing game, but if choosing between the better runner vs receiver as a RB, I will take the runner.  Mixon is the most rounded of the RBs, if he didn't have the off field stuff, he is the only RB would take over Fournette.

 
Comments about specific game tape:

  • Miss St 2015 - Usually had extra defenders in the box and the O-line got 0 push against a stout D-line.  Fournette still broke some good runs through tight holes and had good awareness.  On one TD he was able to keep his knees off the ground and extend for the TD before going down.  Has the speed to break it outside if the OLB/DE over-commits.  Has a very quick and compact spin move.  He spins on a dime, some players spin wide and get blasted in their back, but his tight spin makes it hard to grab hold if you don't have a good angle.  Near the end of the game they regularly had 9 in the box and just focused on the run, and he still got decent yardage, pretty impressive.
  • Bama 2015 - Almost every single play the entire offensive line gets pushed back 3-5 yards right as the play starts, kind of hard to run in those situations.  Also, there are usually 8 or 9 players in the box because the threat of pass is minimal. With 1:30 left in the first Fournette ran a great route that could have been a huge pickup, but the QB threw it 2 yards in front of him so he barely got a fingertip on it, could have been a TD.  This game tape makes me feel bad for Fournette. When he rushes there's usually 8-9 in the box, and when he goes out for screens he's usually wide open, but the QB throws bombs downfield or just misses him by 3-4 ft, which anyone would have issues with.
  • Ole Miss 2016 - He's got good game speed and runs well with pads on. In his first TD he outruns some players in the secondary who should have caught 4.5 speed... while nursing leg injuries.  Caught a screen pass out of the backfield with his hands away from his body, good form, then quickly turns up field.  Has great ability to hit holes that have been opened quickly, has issues waiting for blocks to develop. Has ok use of a stiff arm, causes defenders to reach out and leads to some face masks, which may or may not be called.  
  • Bama 2016 - The Bama D just overpowered the LSU line on many plays.  There were a couple plays where Bama stacked the box and Fournette still was able to find space to gain 7-8 yards against 9 defenders. Not bad.  Any time they only used 7 or less up front he was able to get good chunks of yardage.  


Overall Fournette Comments based on Game Tape:

  • Shows good burst but needs a couple yards to get going, similar to Demarco Murray.  Doesn't seem to show ability to shoot off instantly and therefore has issues if defenders quickly penetrate into the backfield.
  • Needs to improve his vision.  Too many times he'll approach the line and put his head down and barrel forward.  Getting small when hitting a gap is good, but he needs to do better at maintaining awareness.  Usually he does this when his O-line is completely overrun, but in the pros they could still be setting up blocks and he needs to be able to see holes that open up.
  • Wasn't used as a pass catcher often, but was capable when they went to him, if the throw was in the area.
  • Not a great pass blocker, but he can get the QB an extra couple seconds when needed. Definitely needs to work on his blocking form.
  • He needs to do better about getting his feet up.  Sometimes he sweeps his feet just above the grass, which can be good for speed, but allows him to get tripped up by defenders reaching out, when higher stepping could avoid some of these tackles.  Yes, this is nit picking.
  • Overall player comparisons to Trent Richardson are ludicrous.  He has the ability to locate and hit holes created by the O-line, rare as they may be.  I have yet to see a play with a wide open hole that he fails to run through. T Rich would often just bash into the line, while avoiding the lane.  That isn't happening with Fournette. If he's bottled up, it's almost always because there is no lane to run in.


Biggest takeaway, teams specifically game planned for him.  

Average NCAA RB - 7 Defender or less in box = 75% of snaps

Dalvin Cook - 7 Defenders or less = 58% of snaps

Fournette - 7 Defenders or less = 33% of snaps

Fournette had 9 defenders in the box on almost 1 out of every 4 snaps (22%).  That's insane!  That usually only happens on goal line stands, and it happened almost 25% of the time to him.  A lot of people say he had a bad 2016 (or at least worse than 2015), but if you actually watch the game tape he got many more yards than most any other RB would have facing the same odds while dealing with injuries.

People that say he's not very impressive aren't taking into account opposing defenses.

 
menobrown said:
A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Packers "mulled" a visit with free agent Adrian Peterson but ultimately decided against it.

According to Fowler, Peterson's asking price is believed to be too high. One of the best running backs in the history of the league, Peterson doesn't seem to realize he's a 32-year-old running back in an NFL that is devaluing the position. He's not going to get top-end money. Peterson will likely have to settle for something around $5-6 million or he's going to be without a team.
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menobrown said:
No and I find it annoying when people say things like I'm arguing to argue or schtick, I don't have time for that nonsense and you are wrong on Woodhead. He got a little over $3M guaranteed, his base is the only thing that is $1M and basically the contract is set up so he'll make about $3M every year they want to keep him.

You have no idea what kind of money Peterson is asking, none.
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ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports free agent Adrian Peterson is looking for $8 million in the first year of his new contract.
He can keep dreaming. That would make Peterson the third highest-paid running back in the league behind Le'Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy. Previous reports have suggested teams are reluctant to even pay Peterson $5 million annually, making his $8 million asking price downright laughable. Aging, fragile and fumble-prone, Peterson's stock has never been lower.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
Mar 24 - 2:22 PM

 
Boone22 said:
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports free agent Adrian Peterson is looking for $8 million in the first year of his new contract.
He can keep dreaming. That would make Peterson the third highest-paid running back in the league behind Le'Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy. Previous reports have suggested teams are reluctant to even pay Peterson $5 million annually, making his $8 million asking price downright laughable. Aging, fragile and fumble-prone, Peterson's stock has never been lower.

 
 
Source: ESPN.com 
Mar 24 - 2:22 PM
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I'm shocked no one has signed him yet. Shocked.

 
steelers1080 said:
Comments about specific game tape:

  • Miss St 2015 - Usually had extra defenders in the box and the O-line got 0 push against a stout D-line.  Fournette still broke some good runs through tight holes and had good awareness.  On one TD he was able to keep his knees off the ground and extend for the TD before going down.  Has the speed to break it outside if the OLB/DE over-commits.  Has a very quick and compact spin move.  He spins on a dime, some players spin wide and get blasted in their back, but his tight spin makes it hard to grab hold if you don't have a good angle.  Near the end of the game they regularly had 9 in the box and just focused on the run, and he still got decent yardage, pretty impressive.
  • Bama 2015 - Almost every single play the entire offensive line gets pushed back 3-5 yards right as the play starts, kind of hard to run in those situations.  Also, there are usually 8 or 9 players in the box because the threat of pass is minimal. With 1:30 left in the first Fournette ran a great route that could have been a huge pickup, but the QB threw it 2 yards in front of him so he barely got a fingertip on it, could have been a TD.  This game tape makes me feel bad for Fournette. When he rushes there's usually 8-9 in the box, and when he goes out for screens he's usually wide open, but the QB throws bombs downfield or just misses him by 3-4 ft, which anyone would have issues with.
  • Ole Miss 2016 - He's got good game speed and runs well with pads on. In his first TD he outruns some players in the secondary who should have caught 4.5 speed... while nursing leg injuries.  Caught a screen pass out of the backfield with his hands away from his body, good form, then quickly turns up field.  Has great ability to hit holes that have been opened quickly, has issues waiting for blocks to develop. Has ok use of a stiff arm, causes defenders to reach out and leads to some face masks, which may or may not be called.  
  • Bama 2016 - The Bama D just overpowered the LSU line on many plays.  There were a couple plays where Bama stacked the box and Fournette still was able to find space to gain 7-8 yards against 9 defenders. Not bad.  Any time they only used 7 or less up front he was able to get good chunks of yardage.  


Overall Fournette Comments based on Game Tape:

  • Shows good burst but needs a couple yards to get going, similar to Demarco Murray.  Doesn't seem to show ability to shoot off instantly and therefore has issues if defenders quickly penetrate into the backfield.
  • Needs to improve his vision.  Too many times he'll approach the line and put his head down and barrel forward.  Getting small when hitting a gap is good, but he needs to do better at maintaining awareness.  Usually he does this when his O-line is completely overrun, but in the pros they could still be setting up blocks and he needs to be able to see holes that open up.
  • Wasn't used as a pass catcher often, but was capable when they went to him, if the throw was in the area.
  • Not a great pass blocker, but he can get the QB an extra couple seconds when needed. Definitely needs to work on his blocking form.
  • He needs to do better about getting his feet up.  Sometimes he sweeps his feet just above the grass, which can be good for speed, but allows him to get tripped up by defenders reaching out, when higher stepping could avoid some of these tackles.  Yes, this is nit picking.
  • Overall player comparisons to Trent Richardson are ludicrous.  He has the ability to locate and hit holes created by the O-line, rare as they may be.  I have yet to see a play with a wide open hole that he fails to run through. T Rich would often just bash into the line, while avoiding the lane.  That isn't happening with Fournette. If he's bottled up, it's almost always because there is no lane to run in.


Biggest takeaway, teams specifically game planned for him.  

Average NCAA RB - 7 Defender or less in box = 75% of snaps

Dalvin Cook - 7 Defenders or less = 58% of snaps

Fournette - 7 Defenders or less = 33% of snaps

Fournette had 9 defenders in the box on almost 1 out of every 4 snaps (22%).  That's insane!  That usually only happens on goal line stands, and it happened almost 25% of the time to him.  A lot of people say he had a bad 2016 (or at least worse than 2015), but if you actually watch the game tape he got many more yards than most any other RB would have facing the same odds while dealing with injuries.

People that say he's not very impressive aren't taking into account opposing defenses.
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Excellent job. One tip/lesson I learnt and one example of something I think you missed. 

Long response:

 Tip: Watch out for over committing to evaluation of getting skinny through holes/finding the crease on inside runs. I'm guessing you're watching Draft Breakdowns, which use broadcast film, and sometimes the broadcast angles distort what the hole actually looks like. I've caught myself a few times thinking "wow PlayerX got through that mess?!?" Only to see the replay or coaches film and it's a 4 foot gap. I'm not saying your wrong about LF and sometimes we don't have the film we want and have to just do our best. Just a heads up from something I learnt. 

The other thing is watch the Wisconsin (2016) game. *Realize this isn't a game you listed* You'll see a few more flaws. One is he gets caught behind the line by a backside defender who is just scraping the line. Fournette can't find a hole but isn't hard enough pressing outside either. So, no one on the defense has to turn and sprint to the outside. Thus, the OL not creating a cut back lane. Another is on a pass, he has time to catch turn and start to run. He has a blocker in front of him who has the outside shoulder of the LB. LF gets to far to the inside and the LB is able to dive forward and make the tackle. He doesn't read/use the block properly.

There's also a few times throughout his 2016 games that he chooses to bounce outside and loses yards rather than just cut north and take the two yard pick up.
 
Rhythmdoctor said:
I've watched a good amount of Fournette tape but it's been a couple of months, so I just watched some more.  I'm sorry folks but he's not special.  He's just not.  He needs a runway to be effective.  If his O-line doesn't create a lane or if he has to make sharp cuts, he's  a 2 yard RB.  He cannot think quick on his feet.  If he's not mentally prepared to make a cut a second or two in advance, he's going to trip over his own feet.  He's good at subtle cuts while running at full speed but that's not really saying much.  I think people so bad want that bruising, fast, dominant RB that they're forcing their will on Fournette and I'm not buying.  This guy will be an ok NFL RB probably but nothing special.  I'd draft McCaffrey, Mixon, Cook and Kamara all ahead of him easily.  He's barely in my top 10 at this point.  Seriously.  And some people are throwing out the AP comp??  Please.
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So glad you know more than all these scouts and GMs calling him special. 

Just curious besides being a FBG poster and watching YouTube highlights what is your Football qualifications? 

And no winning your fantasy football league does not qualify. 

 
menobrown said:
A few say it's money but have no idea how much money wants and we got at least flail at thinking his child abuse charge is still an issue.
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 Gary Myers of the New York Daily News doesn't believe the Giants are an option for free agent Adrian Peterson.

Peterson was arrested on charges of child abuse after hitting and injuring his child in 2014. After last year's PR nightmare involving Josh Brown, the Giants are staying far away from any player that might generate controversy. The Giants could use another back after releasing Rashad Jennings, but for now, it looks like they're content splitting the work between Paul Perkins and Shane Vereen. Peterson's market continues to be nonexistent.[\quote]
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How do people feel about rookie year Karlos Williams as an NFL Fournette comparison? Saw that thread bumped onto the first page and it popped into my head. 

 
Borden said:
Excellent job. One tip/lesson I learnt and one example of something I think you missed. 

Long response:

 Tip: Watch out for over committing to evaluation of getting skinny through holes/finding the crease on inside runs. I'm guessing you're watching Draft Breakdowns, which use broadcast film, and sometimes the broadcast angles distort what the hole actually looks like. I've caught myself a few times thinking "wow PlayerX got through that mess?!?" Only to see the replay or coaches film and it's a 4 foot gap. I'm not saying your wrong about LF and sometimes we don't have the film we want and have to just do our best. Just a heads up from something I learnt. 

The other thing is watch the Wisconsin (2016) game. *Realize this isn't a game you listed* You'll see a few more flaws. One is he gets caught behind the line by a backside defender who is just scraping the line. Fournette can't find a hole but isn't hard enough pressing outside either. So, no one on the defense has to turn and sprint to the outside. Thus, the OL not creating a cut back lane. Another is on a pass, he has time to catch turn and start to run. He has a blocker in front of him who has the outside shoulder of the LB. LF gets to far to the inside and the LB is able to dive forward and make the tackle. He doesn't read/use the block properly.

There's also a few times throughout his 2016 games that he chooses to bounce outside and loses yards rather than just cut north and take the two yard pick up.
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Thanks for the tip, I did notice that a couple of the runs they showed multiple angles and the different viewpoints allowed for much better analysis.  I think I remember the run I specifically referred to and it was an angle straight back from the O-line.  The hole looked tiny, but it could have been larger on the diagonal, no real way to know without more tape.

And I would agree that even in the games I saw, he definitely missed some opportunities to take yards given in order for the chance for the homerun.  Sometimes the homeruns worked out, and other times he lost 2-5 yards.  That might get coached out of him in the pros, but there have been plenty of pro backs who do the same thing to the frustration of fans.  He also needs to work on his patience and vision, but most rookie backs do.  Leaving yards on the field sucks, but hopefully he learns from his mistakes and finds the proper lane or waits for the block to develop the next time he gets on the field.

 
Billy Ball Thorton said:
So glad you know more than all these scouts and GMs calling him special. 

Just curious besides being a FBG poster and watching YouTube highlights what is your Football qualifications? 

And no winning your fantasy football league does not qualify. 
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This is a forum for discussion and opinions, if you don't like someone's opinion fine, but don't berate them.  Shows no class, tact, or appreciation for their efforts in getting a PERSONAL grasp on a player.  All you're doing is ruining the forum like many have done in the past by crapping on someone's thoughts.  Provides no encouragement for sharing opinions in the future.

 
Zyphros said:
This is a forum for discussion and opinions, if you don't like someone's opinion fine, but don't berate them.  Shows no class, tact, or appreciation for their efforts in getting a PERSONAL grasp on a player.  All you're doing is ruining the forum like many have done in the past by crapping on someone's thoughts.  Provides no encouragement for sharing opinions in the future.
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Very true.  Sometimes people are just contrarian for the sake of riling people up, and that's annoying. But in this case he gave his reasoning behind his ranking, which is appreciated.  People are obviously going to have differing views on players, such as people who thought that T Rich was the next AP... oops. 

There's almost never a player that 100% of people agree on.  The closest thing from this draft might be OJ Howard, but some people like the upside of Engram and Njoku more.  

I'd say that throwing out views that are uncommon or unpopular (in this case) is great, but only if you say why.  If someone just posts Fournette is trash, not a top 10 RB and gives 0 reasoning behind their view, most will view it as a Troll tryin to troll.

 
ConnSKINS26 said:
How do people feel about rookie year Karlos Williams as an NFL Fournette comparison? Saw that thread bumped onto the first page and it popped into my head. 
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Was Karlos Williams a consensus Top 10 pick?

I think I'm missing the comparison here...

 
Skoo said:
Was Karlos Williams a consensus Top 10 pick?

I think I'm missing the comparison here...
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An NFL comparison isn't a draft position comparison. It's a style comparison, I guess. 

Karlos is/was a big back with surprising speed. Able to pick up big chunks with power and relatively good speed but didn't dance around anyone. Functional enough in the passing game. 

 
Skoo said:
Was Karlos Williams a consensus Top 10 pick?

I think I'm missing the comparison here...
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Play style. An approximation of a similar skill-set making plays in the NFL. 

Maybe you don't remember but he was seen by many as someone who could take McCoy's job the next year. I shudder to think what his value would have been if he'd had a 1st round pedigree and made all those plays. 

Obviously we hope Fournette isn't splitting carries with someone like McCoy, and a 1st round pedigree should help ensure that. Also, I'd hope he's a rich man's version of Karlos Williams, if the comparison fits

 
The more I watch of him, the more I think a good comparison would be an "under-25" Jamal Lewis; prior to him wearing down. They're both big backs that seem to use their size as an advantage, most times falling forward, and often able to slug out an extra yard or two at the end of a run using their momentum.

The other thing that stands out to me is they both run with a low center of gravity; keeping their feet close to the ground and constantly churning. I think this is really important for backs that well inside the tackles. Long striders make for a larger target, don't change direction as quickly, struggle more with initial contact, and have trouble  getting through the garbage at the LOS, On the flipside though, I could see Fournette not being able to turn the corner in the NFL as well as he did in college, because he doesn't have that sprinter's burst or great initial acceleration.

I think he's gonna be good; possibly great. I do think it depends on where he goes and how he's used. If he ends up somewhere he can be a bell-cow on early downs, and a team has patience to get him the ball 18-20 times a game, I can see him consistently gaining decent chunks of yardage, and having enough long speed to break off the occasional 20+ yarder. On the flipside, he was hardly used as a receiver out of the backfield, and I couldn't find hardly any video of him pass-blocking. A team could end up with a strictly two-down runner, and if his skills carrying the ball don't translate to the pro's, he might not have much value at all.

 
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports the Ravens "love" LSU RB Leonard Fournette.

Zrebiec believes the only way the Ravens take a running back in the first round is if Fournette falls to them at pick No. 16. That seems unlikely, but Baltimore looks like the running back's floor. The Panthers at No. 8 appear to be a strong candidate to land Fournette.

Related: Ravens, Panthers
 
Source: Baltimore Sun 
Mar 30 - 10:58 AM
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Faust said:
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports the Ravens "love" LSU RB Leonard Fournette.

Zrebiec believes the only way the Ravens take a running back in the first round is if Fournette falls to them at pick No. 16. That seems unlikely, but Baltimore looks like the running back's floor. The Panthers at No. 8 appear to be a strong candidate to land Fournette.
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As a Steelers fan, this better not f*cking happen!  As a fan of fantasy, this would be awesome.

 
As a fresh owner of the 1.01 via trade, I'm suddenly a lot more interested in figuring out Fournette as a prospect. I tried looking back to early March in the thread and didn't think I saw this video get posted:

The Film Room Ep. 20: Leonard Fournette Scouting Report

I wasn't particularly familiar with this youtube guy's channel, but he reminds me a bit of Matt Waldman in terms of how he approaches analyzing prospects and the video is very well done. Goes in to depth about his strengths and weaknesses, including that he sometimes has trouble running zone plays from the shotgun due to reading the gaps backwards. Overall, the guy is probably higher on Fournette than I am, but I'd be curious to see people's reaction to the video. He makes reference to Fournette being a 4.4 guy as it was made before the combine which isn't accurate (though I guess a low 4.5 is basically the same thing), but he does have a clip comparing on-field game speed to NFL players on scoring plays in 2016.

 
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mcintyre1 said:
As a fresh owner of the 1.01 via trade, I'm suddenly a lot more interested in figuring out Fournette as a prospect. I tried looking back to early March in the thread and didn't think I saw this video get posted:

The Film Room Ep. 20: Leonard Fournette Scouting Report

I wasn't particularly familiar with this youtube guy's channel, but he reminds me a bit of Matt Waldman in terms of how he approaches analyzing prospects and the video is very well done. Goes in to depth about his strengths and weaknesses, including that he sometimes has trouble running zone plays from the shotgun due to reading the gaps backwards. Overall, the guy is probably higher on Fournette than I am, but I'd be curious to see people's reaction to the video. He makes reference to Fournette being a 4.4 guy as it was made before the combine which isn't accurate (though I guess a low 4.5 is basically the same thing), but he does have a clip comparing on-field game speed to NFL players on scoring plays in 2016.
Click to expand...
I like what this guy does and he has some good football knowledge. His video on Harrison Smith is very good from last year.

I disagree with some of his statements.

Peterson actually ran out of a single set in college and early on in his career he said he would prefer to not have a FB in front of him. After his 2012 season, where he gained a lot of his yards with FB Jerome Felton in front of him. This did cause him to change his tune about that somewhat, because of the evidence of his success with a FB compared to runs without one.

I disagree with his comparison to Earl Campbell who I think clearly demonstrates more power than Fournette. While I agree Fournette is good at getting yards after contact, it is too high praise in my opinion to make that comparison to Campbell.

Still enjoyed the video and thanks for sharing it. Seems like he made these prior to the combine.

 
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Saw the video of Fournette catching passes at his pro day. He didn't look like a natural but he didn't look bad either. He's not a zero in the passing game imo which is the biggest knock on him. He would be my pick at 1.01 if he goes anywhere he's goungvto start right away.

 
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mcintyre1 said:
As a fresh owner of the 1.01 via trade, I'm suddenly a lot more interested in figuring out Fournette as a prospect. I tried looking back to early March in the thread and didn't think I saw this video get posted:

The Film Room Ep. 20: Leonard Fournette Scouting Report

I wasn't particularly familiar with this youtube guy's channel, but he reminds me a bit of Matt Waldman in terms of how he approaches analyzing prospects and the video is very well done. Goes in to depth about his strengths and weaknesses, including that he sometimes has trouble running zone plays from the shotgun due to reading the gaps backwards. Overall, the guy is probably higher on Fournette than I am, but I'd be curious to see people's reaction to the video. He makes reference to Fournette being a 4.4 guy as it was made before the combine which isn't accurate (though I guess a low 4.5 is basically the same thing), but he does have a clip comparing on-field game speed to NFL players on scoring plays in 2016.
Click to expand...
Fournette on the field is really fast.

Whether he hits 4.4 something on a track is nice, but he's really fast.  

 
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