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RB Tony Jones Jr., NO (2 Viewers)

Cranjis

Footballguy
The New Orleans Saints may have a different No. 2 running back this year. Last season, Latavius Murray was the primary ball carrier behind superstar Alvin Kamara. This year, it could be Notre Dame product Tony Jones Jr. He started ahead of Murray in the team’s second preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and head coach Sean Payton reportedly favors him over the bruising back.
If Murray is cut, Jones could have some value as a compliment to Kamara.

 
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Murray is a solid back though.  Does anyone believe that this is more than just preseason hype?

 
Murray is a solid back though.  Does anyone believe that this is more than just preseason hype?
i see it as a consideration for a potential change.  There is always turnover in NFL and this could be NOS exploring the idea. 

Not sure of the financial impact L Murray has, but with multiple changes being implemented in NOS (Brees gone & new QB competition, MT on way out?), shifting to a younger (cheaper) RB could be part of the whole transition.  Budget concerns with trying to keep MT?  

 
i see it as a consideration for a potential change.  There is always turnover in NFL and this could be NOS exploring the idea. 

Not sure of the financial impact L Murray has, but with multiple changes being implemented in NOS (Brees gone & new QB competition, MT on way out?), shifting to a younger (cheaper) RB could be part of the whole transition.  Budget concerns with trying to keep MT?  
Agree with this…Murray is 31 years old and the clock is ticking on him…if Jones is legit they get a much younger and cheaper alternative and with the money Kamara is making the less they have to spend for other RBs the better off they are…I think there is a competition between Jones and Murray right now and the big question is if Jones wins it will they keep Murray on the roster.

 
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Murray is a solid back though.  Does anyone believe that this is more than just preseason hype?


No. He looks washed, this matches up his limited usage in training camp reports and a team as cash strapped as the Saints can allocate their resources better.

 
We have drafted and he was available on the waiver wire.  I dropped baker mayfield and picked him up.  

If he is getting the Murray carries this year he could be extremely valuable

 
Latavius is 31 years old. 

He could be gone any day, and never get picked up again.  Duke Johnson is a free agent right now.  

 
I am feeling this dude, big time...

https://youtu.be/ykjcAO1Q0So

Looks like a prime example of why underwear measurables aren't the end all. Jones has very nice burst and decisiveness, and displays good vision too.

5'11 225 is the perfect size, especially for an RB with this kind of burst. He looks way better than even prime Murray, let alone the washed-up version we see now.

 
Assume that he does supplant Murray and becomes Kamara's backup...I don't see how he has much value outside of an injury handcuff.  He'll have to compete with Kamara and Hill for rushes/touches on a team that lost their HOF QB and their all-pro WR is out for a decent portion of the season.   Am I missing something?

 
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Assume that he does supplant Murray and becomes Kamara's backup...I don't see how he has much value outside of an injury handcuff.  He'll have to compete with Kamara and Hill for rushes/touches on a team that lost their HOF QB and their all-pro WR is out for a decent portion of the season.   Am I missing something?
Ingram and Murray have had some useful stretches as the complement to Kamara, so if you're in a deep league or have some injury bad luck the NO RB2 is ok in a pinch. NO looks like a ground and pound team post Brees, and I don't think they want to give Kamara 20 carries a game. 

But the real upside is an injury to Kamara. Murray won his teams a couple weeks filling in there the last 2 seasons.

 
Ingram and Murray have had some useful stretches as the complement to Kamara, so if you're in a deep league or have some injury bad luck the NO RB2 is ok in a pinch. NO looks like a ground and pound team post Brees, and I don't think they want to give Kamara 20 carries a game. 

But the real upside is an injury to Kamara. Murray won his teams a couple weeks filling in there the last 2 seasons.
Agreed…the home run is if Kamara gets hurt but he has nice value even without out that…as the season wears on and the RB injuries pile up you will be very thankful you have a talented RB that you can roll out that will get a guaranteed 10-12 touches a game…it could be the difference in winning or losing a big game.

 
I agree that NO is likely to focus more on the running game this year to ease the pressure on their new QB. Their OL is outstanding and their schedule looks favorable to such an approach. All of the above combined with the juice that TJJ seems to have and we could see a guy that vultures quite a bit of Kamara's fantasy points this season (or at least moreso than what Murray was able to) with as little as 8-10 touches per game.

That sounds like a decent RB5 to me, and the bonus is if something happens to AK41 (not wishing that at all - love that dude), then TJJ looks like the type of guy that could step right in and explode with some top-5 RB PPG weeks while carrying the torch. Format and roster sizing are key, but I've found an end-of-bench spot for TJJ for now, and will try to hold him for as long as I can to see how this plays out.

 
Deep at WR and still need a kicker,  so I dropped Mims to park on him in an Empire.   If he takes the #2 spot free and clear, he's definitely worth holding on a 24-man roster.

 
If Tony Jones Jr. wins the backup role BUT Latavius Murray remains on the roster, how much value does Jones have?  It seems to me that Jones' real value only exists if Murray is sent packing, otherwise, this could be a 2a and 2b situation.

 
If Tony Jones Jr. wins the backup role BUT Latavius Murray remains on the roster, how much value does Jones have?  It seems to me that Jones' real value only exists if Murray is sent packing, otherwise, this could be a 2a and 2b situation.


Good point, but they owe Murray $8.5 MM cap over the next two seasons (age 31, 32) and can get out of that now with a $1.85 MM dead-cap charge (saving $2.3 MM in cap this year and $4.3 MM next). If undrafted-rookie-contract TJJ keeps playing like this, Lat has to be a prime cut candidate. And even if he stays, just look at the difference in how these two are playing right now - one has his hair on fire, while the other plods. May take a few weeks, but if that continues, there's no way Lat will keep this hungry young lion off the field.

 
If Tony Jones Jr. wins the backup role BUT Latavius Murray remains on the roster, how much value does Jones have?  It seems to me that Jones' real value only exists if Murray is sent packing, otherwise, this could be a 2a and 2b situation.
Personally, this would make me question if Jones really won the #2 job.   I can see NO keeping Murray at $3.187M for the 2A, but not for a 2B.

As a guy who just gave up on a pretty talented WR stash to get him, I think Murray's presence might make Jones my kicker drop.    However, I would still really like to see what the week 1 carries look like, and to see if Jones makes any noise with the touches that he gets.     

 
So I was hoping to watch the NO last preseason game tonight to further get a feel on Jones and Murray but that's a no go. Took Latavius in the 13th round (14 team, 5 man bench) and was toying with dropping him and grabbing Tony as a FA for a flier. Guess I'll have to sit tight for now. Bad thing is if TJ does well week one I'll miss out on him on waivers most likely (Kamara owner is ahead of me). Is there a date that NO would have to decide by if they were to release Murray?

Prayers for the folks down there on the Gulf Coast.

 
So I was hoping to watch the NO last preseason game tonight to further get a feel on Jones and Murray but that's a no go. Took Latavius in the 13th round (14 team, 5 man bench) and was toying with dropping him and grabbing Tony as a FA for a flier. Guess I'll have to sit tight for now. Bad thing is if TJ does well week one I'll miss out on him on waivers most likely (Kamara owner is ahead of me). Is there a date that NO would have to decide by if they were to release Murray?

Prayers for the folks down there on the Gulf Coast.
https://bfy.tw/RY1E

Prior to the 2021 NFL regular season, all 32 teams must meet three roster-cut deadlines set by the league:

Tuesday, August 17: Down to 85

Tuesday, August 24: Down to 80

Tuesday, August 31: Down to 53

 
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Been waiting for any news on this situation as well. Got decent size benches and have both Jones and Murray, but I'm kinda wanting to just go ahead and dump Murray already. Not sure he has much value anymore, even if he stays.

 
So I was hoping to watch the NO last preseason game tonight to further get a feel on Jones and Murray but that's a no go. Took Latavius in the 13th round (14 team, 5 man bench) and was toying with dropping him and grabbing Tony as a FA for a flier. Guess I'll have to sit tight for now. Bad thing is if TJ does well week one I'll miss out on him on waivers most likely (Kamara owner is ahead of me). Is there a date that NO would have to decide by if they were to release Murray?

Prayers for the folks down there on the Gulf Coast.


We know what we have in Lat Murray, his ceiling is relatively low. I'm rolling the dice with Tony Jones instead, a gamble worth taking imo.

 
Personally, this would make me question if Jones really won the #2 job.   I can see NO keeping Murray at $3.187M for the 2A, but not for a 2B.

As a guy who just gave up on a pretty talented WR stash to get him, I think Murray's presence might make Jones my kicker drop.    However, I would still really like to see what the week 1 carries look like, and to see if Jones makes any noise with the touches that he gets.     
As of now, this looks to be where Sean Payton has left us. 

 
Houston turmOiler said:
As of now, this looks to be where Sean Payton has left us. 


Kind of disappointing that Murray is still around.   This isn't the slam dunk that I was hoping for, but Jones still seems like the back to own.   Feels like Murray's days might still be numbered unless guarantees now kick in on the contract(?)   If the week 1 carries behind Kamara say something different and if it doesn't smell like a trade showcase, I'm sure there will be guys on waivers I want to add.

 
Tough to see the #2 job having the standalone value it used to have (with Murray) with both in the mix now. Not sure I want to hold either. Holding Jones for the time being due to perceived upside and decent-sized rosters, but if I need to make a move he's on the bubble.

 
Tough to see the #2 job having the standalone value it used to have (with Murray) with both in the mix now. Not sure I want to hold either. Holding Jones for the time being due to perceived upside and decent-sized rosters, but if I need to make a move he's on the bubble.
Good word. I almost picked up, but would rather not pick up and drop so as to put him on other's radars if he isn't already. Disappointing.

 
^^^ Here is one take...

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1640782-the-anatomy-of-a-53-man-roster-in-the-nfl

Running backs (4)

With the NFL becoming a passing league, most teams still keep four backs on the 53-man roster due to injury history at the position.  Most NFL teams employ a backfield by committee approach and most teams include a fullback in this number

Special teams play a huge role in this number as well.  Most running backs have speed and can be a force on special teams. 


Washington plays special teams, whereas Murray doesn't. Also, cutting Murray today would free ~$2.3 MM in cap space this year and another $4.3 MM next. Let's see what happens by day's end...

 
Crap..  released him when it looked like Murray was staying. Needed the spot for Ty'son Williams. Seemed to make sense at the time as I also have Gus, and not Kamara. Oh well

 
Cut him this morning for another cuff who had a clearer lane to carries and luckily he was still on the wire so I scooped him back up! WHEW! 

 

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