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Reggie Bush Bulking Up (1 Viewer)

bumpman

Footballguy
According to Peter King, Bush has been working to bring his weight up.

"My biggest question about Bush has been -- and continues to be -- this: Can he be an every-down player in the NFL? This is a guy who rushed more than 20 times twice in a three-year USC career and who, playing at around 198 pounds, will have massive durability questions in the NFL.

'It's the same question we're asking ourselves internally, quite frankly,' said Casserly. 'He didn't do it in college, and you don't know if he can do it in the NFL. I guess here's what I would say: Is Randy Moss, ability-wise, worth the No. 1 pick in a draft? I think you'd have to say yes, based on ability and nothing else -- and he'll touch the ball eight or nine times in a game. Sometimes you have to look at how a guy can affect a game. When I came back from scouting him, I told [owner] Bob [McNair], 'The coach will have to go on the board and tell us how he's going to use him.' If he's a 17-touch-a-game guy [touching it 17 times rushing, receiving and returning combined, on average], is he worth it?'

It's clear Casserly thinks Bush is. 'When I came back from scouting him, I thought he was one of the better players I've scouted in my career. It's like some college coaches have told me: You look at the tape and he's really good, and then you see him in person and he's faster. His separation from linebackers is unique. He'll create a really difficult matchup problem for defenses out of the backfield or split out.'

Not many people know this yet, but a slightly different Bush will show up at the Combine this week. He's put on eight pounds since season's end. He weighs 207, more than he ever weighed as a college player. He's put the weight on using a personal chef and working out to bulk up. 'He knows what people are saying about him,' someone close to Bush told me. 'They're saying he's not big enough to take the punishment in the NFL. He's out to combat the idea that he won't stand up to the punishment.'

Bush will be hard for the Texans to turn down. He really wants to play in Houston. The players he's spoken to say it's a good place to play, with a strong owner and coaches ... and with no state income tax. That could save him several hundred thousand dollars of his guaranteed money, which will be somewhere around $22 million. He'll be pretty bulletproof, even to the most right-wing of NFL conservatives. No tattoos. No cadre of hangers-on. Personable. Bright. Loves football. Interviews well. Unselfish.

Houston's pick should not be in much doubt, even with the push to take Young. It'll be interesting to see how intense the local pressure will be to take the hometown kid, Young. I can't see it making McNair's decision for him. But lots can happen in 68 days. Let the game begin.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...9/mmqb/?cnn=yes

 
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I doubt it will, but hopefully the extra weight doesn't affect his speed. In addition to the durability question, there are some who wonder if his speed will enable to him to be the home run threat he was in college. If he comes in and runs a 4.47, is he still the sure-fire pick for Houston?

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I don't remember Warrick Dunn ever being as good as Reggie in college. :no:
 
Our awesome Footballgus BLOGGER ran this article Monday.

February 20, 2006, 10:12

NCAA :: Texans :: RB

RB R.Bush Bulking Up

Don Banks, CNN/Sports Illustrated - [Full Article]

Not many people know this yet, but a slightly different RB Reggie Bush will show up at the Combine this week. He's put on eight pounds since season's end. He weighs 207, more than he ever weighed as a college player. He's put the weight on using a personal chef and working out to bulk up. "He knows what people are saying about him,'' someone close to Bush told me. "They're saying he's not big enough to take the punishment in the NFL. He's out to combat the idea that he won't stand up to the punishment.'' Bush will be hard for the Texans to turn down. He really wants to play in Houston.LINK

A lot of folks had these very concerns about Barry Sanders too :D

RW

 
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Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I don't remember Warrick Dunn ever being as good as Reggie in college. :no:
4014 rushing yards with a 7.0 YPC average. 37 rush TD's.1314 receiving with a 10.0 average. 37 receiving TD's.

He wasn't too bad...

But at the same time, he also weighs 180. Even a 195 lb Reggie Bush is a monster compared to him.

 
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Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I'll take a 25 pound heavier, faster, stronger, Warrick Dunn any day of the week.I've always said Bush would be a monster in the NFL. Even when few others agreed with me.

I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I'll take a 25 pound heavier, faster, stronger, Warrick Dunn any day of the week.I've always said Bush would be a monster in the NFL. Even when few others agreed with me.

I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
I'm with you Dave :thumbup: RW

 
Reminds me of when everyone jumped on the Portis bandwagon because he had "bulked" up to around 205-210 from 195 predraft, and by the end of his rookie season he was down around 190.

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I'll take a 25 pound heavier, faster, stronger, Warrick Dunn any day of the week.I've always said Bush would be a monster in the NFL. Even when few others agreed with me.

I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
Going out a on real limb there arent you Dave?I agree with you btw.

 
Peter King is a little off by calling this "bulking up". Reggie weighed in before the Rose Bowl, in front of Dan Fouts, who said he was over 200 pounds. UCLA is infamous for lying about players' height and weights, but USC is pretty straight with the process. They said Reggie was 6-0 205 beginning year, and I think that's about right. He's probably 5-11 bare footed, as he'll be measured for the NFL.

 
Peter King: the Norm Peterson look w/o the brains. scary.

Casserly: overrated GM who will screw up HOU for years if he drafts Bush.

Bush: overrated RB....yeah could be great....or could easily end up injured more than DD behind that sieve of a line, even if he CAN come close to living up to the billing. Which I doubt.

GB not a Texan fan.

 
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Reminds me of when everyone jumped on the Portis bandwagon because he had "bulked" up to around 205-210 from 195 predraft, and by the end of his rookie season he was down around 190.
I was thinking that this could be how Bush's weight pans out (as long as we are going to overanalyze everything during this downtime :P )If his "natural" weight is 195, and he gains 15 pounds by the start of the season, I would be surprised if he didn't lose most of that as the season wears on.

On the other hand, if he can manage to gain a net of 3-5 pounds annually, after a few years he should be able to withstand the pounding much better.

 
somehow, I am okay with Bush being compared to Portis... Dunn, well, not really..

Michael Vick without the annoying QB stuff.. ;)

 
I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
This kind of talk just has to stop right now.....You people need to stay away from the :banned: :banned: :banned: How about we let the kid play a down in the NFL before we put his bust over Sayers and Faulk since he's the two of them rolled into one :rolleyes:

 
good point, dave, about the 25 lb disparity between bush & dunn...

for instance, that is the same as the difference between bush right now (between 205 & 210) and 230-235 lb RBs like deuce, fred taylor, corey dillon, steven jackson, etc... BIG DIFFERENCE...

bush almost looks skinny, but he is extremely well put together... at 5'11", he is taller than an emmitt smith... i think he was about 5'9"-5"10" & was listed at around 210 in his prime... so they are actually about same weight, with bush a little more high cut...

they are obviously proportioned differently... smith had a thick, incredibly powerful lower body with squat, tree-trunk thighs...

in this respect, i think bush has a powerful upper body (he breaks a LOT of arm tackles in open field)... in which case, the payton comp, which i don't recall hearing before, may prove an apt one...

bennett/bell speed... sayers moves... faulk hands... payton power...

= OUCH!

* BTW... come to think of it, faulk was plenty powerful... if he has faulk's hands & strength... that would be plenty...

also, sometimes there seems to be an exasperated response when comp like faulk is used... when his name comes up, it doesn't necessarily mean others are saying he is going to have identical career with point-to-point correspondence in every respect (how could we project THAT? :) )... but that significant elements of his skill set seem to be aligned in terms of natural talent & ability...

in this case, i think the comparison to faulk & westbrook's ability to split out wide, run pro routes, get separation & catch the ball like a WR, as faulk in his prime & now westbrook are able to do... is what separates him from almost all other RBs (ronnie brown, incidentally does have phenomenal hands... among best i have seen from RB in past decade... but i'm not sure if he has elite route running chops of above trio)... anybody who disagrees with the assessment of bush's hands & route running ability, imo, just hasn't seen him play the last three seasons.

maybe he WON"T run as big or strong as likes of payton & faulk... but with his open field elusiveness, breakaway speed & hands... he probably won't need to & can still be a blue chip, elite NFL RB... or as you say... a MONSTER!! :)

 
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I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
This kind of talk just has to stop right now.....You people need to stay away from the :banned: :banned: :banned: How about we let the kid play a down in the NFL before we put his bust over Sayers and Faulk since he's the two of them rolled into one :rolleyes:
How often do you post here without making an opinion? That's all I'm doing. And if you know anything about my past postings (and I would imagine you wouldn't...why would you), you'd know that I very rarely (if ever) make such proclamations.It's just that I've followed Bush since high school, and he's just that rare of a player IMO.

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I'll take a 25 pound heavier, faster, stronger, Warrick Dunn any day of the week.I've always said Bush would be a monster in the NFL. Even when few others agreed with me.

I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
I'm with you Dave :thumbup: RW
Agreed completely. My official bandwagon has been warming up in the garage all offseason. I cant' way to get it out on the road. :thumbup:

 
I think he is Sayers and Faulk rolled into one, but hits as hard as Payton.
This kind of talk just has to stop right now.....You people need to stay away from the :banned: :banned: :banned: How about we let the kid play a down in the NFL before we put his bust over Sayers and Faulk since he's the two of them rolled into one :rolleyes:
I don't think people are stating he is better than Sayers/Faulk at this point. The comparison is how he has perfomred at the collegiate level and the type of player he is (size, speed, etc). I've watched him play probably 12 times over the past two years and I'm telling you right now, he is not the next Warrick Dunn. All this kid needs is a sliver of a hole and he's off to the races. He's going to be good! Great? Only time will tell.
 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I was wholly against the Bucs drafting Cadillac Williams all offseason for that same reason. I said 205 was too small to do what he did on an NFL level for an entire season. And what did he do? He got up to 217 and made the adjustment.It's funny though that every yea r we talk about how guys are too small to play at the next level, forgetting that a lot of these guys can put on about 10 football pounds and not lose any real mobility.

Bush at 215 is definite feature back quality.

Just to point out.... Dunn is only 180, not 195.... but that just serves more to his credit to be able to do what he does.

This would raise a tangential, but logically deduced question though:

If Bush is capable of being a 25 touch feature back, would an NFL team really want him to split time with a bull-rusher?

 
Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I was wholly against the Bucs drafting Cadillac Williams all offseason for that same reason. I said 205 was too small to do what he did on an NFL level for an entire season. And what did he do? He got up to 217 and made the adjustment.It's funny though that every yea r we talk about how guys are too small to play at the next level, forgetting that a lot of these guys can put on about 10 football pounds and not lose any real mobility.

Bush at 215 is definite feature back quality.

Just to point out.... Dunn is only 180, not 195.... but that just serves more to his credit to be able to do what he does.

This would raise a tangential, but logically deduced question though:

If Bush is capable of being a 25 touch feature back, would an NFL team really want him to split time with a bull-rusher or another aptly skilled RB (Dom Davis, Deuce McAllister, a LenDale White, Ricky Williams etc etc) ?

 
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Easy to gain weight in the offseason, even with workouts coming up.

How's the weight going to stay on during the regular season? I have my doubts about Bush ever being a featured RB. As a member of a RBBC you're going to get some decent to very good games from him, but he's not going to be playing against PAC 10 defenses in the NFL and his speed advantage will be mitigated. I could see him being a real rollercoaster as far as production.

Bewteen the weight/mass issue and the difference in moving up a level against stud D players & NFL D schemes, I know I'm in the minority, but I think he won't justify his 1.01 position in either the NFL draft of FF dynasty drafts.

 
but I think he won't justify his 1.01 position in either the NFL draft of FF dynasty drafts.
Minor hijack, but who do you think would justify 1.01. Just curious. Fwiw, I think Bush is a must at 1.01 in the NFL draft, but given that makes him a Texan, I don't think he's a must at 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts.

 
but I think he won't justify his 1.01 position in either the NFL draft of FF dynasty drafts.
Minor hijack, but who do you think would justify 1.01. Just curious. Fwiw, I think Bush is a must at 1.01 in the NFL draft, but given that makes him a Texan, I don't think he's a must at 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts.
That's a good question. Are you asking me if I were the Texans' GM, or just in general?If you're asking me as the Texans' GM, I'm trading my 1.01 to the Jets for their 1.04 plus whatever else I can get, and then I take D'Brickashaw with 1.04, letting te Jets have Bush. The Texans don't need a RB (or a QB) nearly as desparately as they need O-line help. They've got the skill guys in place if they can find a way to keep Carr alive & someone to tuck in behind and get a sure 3rd & 2 conversion - and I think Ferguson fits that bill as an OT anchor for a decade or so for their O-line.

If you're asking me in general, I'd take either Leinart or Young, depending upon what kind of O I want to run. If I'm running a classic pro-style O, I'm going with Leinart. If I'm trying to establish a modified WCO, I'm going with Young - who I see as the guy that everyone has wanted Vick to be since he came into the league.

 
but I think he won't justify his 1.01 position in either the NFL draft of FF dynasty drafts.
Minor hijack, but who do you think would justify 1.01. Just curious. Fwiw, I think Bush is a must at 1.01 in the NFL draft, but given that makes him a Texan, I don't think he's a must at 1.01 in dynasty rookie drafts.
That's a good question. Are you asking me if I were the Texans' GM, or just in general?If you're asking me as the Texans' GM, I'm trading my 1.01 to the Jets for their 1.04 plus whatever else I can get, and then I take D'Brickashaw with 1.04, letting te Jets have Bush. The Texans don't need a RB (or a QB) nearly as desparately as they need O-line help. They've got the skill guys in place if they can find a way to keep Carr alive & someone to tuck in behind and get a sure 3rd & 2 conversion - and I think Ferguson fits that bill as an OT anchor for a decade or so for their O-line.

If you're asking me in general, I'd take either Leinart or Young, depending upon what kind of O I want to run. If I'm running a classic pro-style O, I'm going with Leinart. If I'm trying to establish a modified WCO, I'm going with Young - who I see as the guy that everyone has wanted Vick to be since he came into the league.
I was asking in general. Your answer is fair enough. There's a problem trying to trade with the Jets for D'Brick though. I doubt they are in a position to sign #1 overall, and would prefer moving down themselves. But something could be worked out with a little multi-team draft day gymnastics. The Jets are probably very excited about D'Brick though.
 
Easy to gain weight in the offseason, even with workouts coming up.

How's the weight going to stay on during the regular season? I have my doubts about Bush ever being a featured RB. As a member of a RBBC you're going to get some decent to very good games from him, but he's not going to be playing against PAC 10 defenses in the NFL and his speed advantage will be mitigated. I could see him being a real rollercoaster as far as production.

Bewteen the weight/mass issue and the difference in moving up a level against stud D players & NFL D schemes, I know I'm in the minority, but I think he won't justify his 1.01 position in either the NFL draft of FF dynasty drafts.
I obviously disagree. Bush is much more than a speed back. He's got power and moves like crazy. He hits hard. Maybe not Earl Campbell hard, but he's not easy to tackle. I see a possibility for Bush as a RBBC very early, but he's just too good in too many ways to not succeed in a big way and to be limited in a RBBC.The comparisons to Faulk are made at least partially because of Bush's ability to catch the ball, either lining up wide or from the backfield. And for all of Faulk's wild success in the NFL, he only had one year when he averaged 20+ carries a game. In 1999, when he had career high numbers for total yards, he only rushed about 15 times per game.

PB, I remember how much you salivated over Clinton Portis when he came out. Not so coincidentally, Portis was the same size as Bush when he came out. And personally, I think Bush is more talented than Portis. Better straight speed and even better dazzling moves with equal strength.

To be honest, I picture Bush as someone you'd jump on as an owner.

 
Reminds me of when everyone jumped on the Portis bandwagon because he had "bulked" up to around 205-210 from 195 predraft, and by the end of his rookie season he was down around 190.
...a 190 lb rookie of the year. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I would think you could come up with a better knock on him than comparing him to Portis if that's what you're trying to do.

 
Reminds me of when everyone jumped on the Portis bandwagon because he had "bulked" up to around 205-210 from 195 predraft, and by the end of his rookie season he was down around 190.
...a 190 lb rookie of the year. Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I would think you could come up with a better knock on him than comparing him to Portis if that's what you're trying to do.
:goodposting: My point was that weight gain at this point in the offseason is meaningless.

 
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Good post, bm.

This has been my biggest question with him.

While everyone is annointing him the next Gale Sayers, he looked more like the next Warrick Dunn at 195. I'll be very interested to see how this affects him.

J
I was wholly against the Bucs drafting Cadillac Williams all offseason for that same reason. I said 205 was too small to do what he did on an NFL level for an entire season. And what did he do? He got up to 217 and made the adjustment.It's funny though that every yea r we talk about how guys are too small to play at the next level, forgetting that a lot of these guys can put on about 10 football pounds and not lose any real mobility.

Bush at 215 is definite feature back quality.

Just to point out.... Dunn is only 180, not 195.... but that just serves more to his credit to be able to do what he does.

This would raise a tangential, but logically deduced question though:

If Bush is capable of being a 25 touch feature back, would an NFL team really want him to split time with a bull-rusher or another aptly skilled RB (Dom Davis, Deuce McAllister, a LenDale White, Ricky Williams etc etc) ?
His point was about how good a 195 lb Warrick Dunn would be, and how Bush is that type of player.
 
PB, I remember how much you salivated over Clinton Portis when he came out. Not so coincidentally, Portis was the same size as Bush when he came out. And personally, I think Bush is more talented than Portis. Better straight speed and even better dazzling moves with equal strength.

To be honest, I picture Bush as someone you'd jump on as an owner.
Well, I've sure been wrong before, GL. I was sold lock, stock, & barrel on Portis. I just am not seeing Bush the same way. I'm trying to figure out if I have any personal bias in this, but I can't find it.I guess time will tell...

 
This shows the committment you like to see from a rookie. Sometimes bulking up really helps a player, sometimes it seems to make no difference, and yes sometimes it backfires. Its still something I like to see.

Bush is great for the NFL. He might not ever become the fantasy force we want him to. Bulking up already is a seriously good start though.

 
I'm trying to figure out if I have any personal bias in this, but I can't find it.

I guess time will tell...
The first step is to admit you have a problem. :P
Hi, my name is Pony, and I'm a Bush hater...Wait just a minute, did I really just say that?

;)

 
I'll gladly eat some crow for saying that Bush would weigh in at 205-215. I really thought he'd show up at about 210, but I guess he really is smaller than I thought.

 
According to Peter King, Bush has been working to bring his weight up.

"My biggest question about Bush has been -- and continues to be -- this: Can he be an every-down player in the NFL? This is a guy who rushed more than 20 times twice in a three-year USC career and who, playing at around 198 pounds, will have massive durability questions in the NFL.

'It's the same question we're asking ourselves internally, quite frankly,' said Casserly. 'He didn't do it in college, and you don't know if he can do it in the NFL. I guess here's what I would say: Is Randy Moss, ability-wise, worth the No. 1 pick in a draft? I think you'd have to say yes, based on ability and nothing else -- and he'll touch the ball eight or nine times in a game. Sometimes you have to look at how a guy can affect a game. When I came back from scouting him, I told [owner] Bob [McNair], 'The coach will have to go on the board and tell us how he's going to use him.' If he's a 17-touch-a-game guy [touching it 17 times rushing, receiving and returning combined, on average], is he worth it?'

It's clear Casserly thinks Bush is. 'When I came back from scouting him, I thought he was one of the better players I've scouted in my career. It's like some college coaches have told me: You look at the tape and he's really good, and then you see him in person and he's faster. His separation from linebackers is unique. He'll create a really difficult matchup problem for defenses out of the backfield or split out.'

Not many people know this yet, but a slightly different Bush will show up at the Combine this week. He's put on eight pounds since season's end. He weighs 207, more than he ever weighed as a college player. He's put the weight on using a personal chef and working out to bulk up. 'He knows what people are saying about him,' someone close to Bush told me. 'They're saying he's not big enough to take the punishment in the NFL. He's out to combat the idea that he won't stand up to the punishment.'

Bush will be hard for the Texans to turn down. He really wants to play in Houston. The players he's spoken to say it's a good place to play, with a strong owner and coaches ... and with no state income tax. That could save him several hundred thousand dollars of his guaranteed money, which will be somewhere around $22 million. He'll be pretty bulletproof, even to the most right-wing of NFL conservatives. No tattoos. No cadre of hangers-on. Personable. Bright. Loves football. Interviews well. Unselfish.

Houston's pick should not be in much doubt, even with the push to take Young. It'll be interesting to see how intense the local pressure will be to take the hometown kid, Young. I can't see it making McNair's decision for him. But lots can happen in 68 days. Let the game begin.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writ...9/mmqb/?cnn=yes
Did you guys hear that?!?! It was a loud pop. Oh...wait...it's Bush's ACL. Everybody wave bye-bye to atleast his first year. :bye: Elusive backs and more weight has never been a good combo. :no:

 
The size argument is always so stupid, and yet we have the debate every year. Look around the NFL, some of the best backs are far, far smaller than Bush. And most of these guys put on 10 pounds as they transition into the NFL anyway.

I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day.

Babe...

I got you babe...

 
The size argument is always so stupid, and yet we have the debate every year. Look around the NFL, some of the best backs are far, far smaller than Bush. And most of these guys put on 10 pounds as they transition into the NFL anyway.
:goodposting:
 
Is a 5 pound difference really that significant?
What I find interesting is King reported just yesterday that he was up to 207, now he's 201 as of today? The 5 pounds doesn't make much of a difference to me in the big picture but how the heck did he lose 6 pounds between King's press time and this morning? Waterweight?
 
Is a 5 pound difference really that significant?
What I find interesting is King reported just yesterday that he was up to 207, now he's 201 as of today? The 5 pounds doesn't make much of a difference to me in the big picture but how the heck did he lose 6 pounds between King's press time and this morning? Waterweight?
King had bad information. I didn't like that article and said as much above.
 
Bush: overrated RB....yeah could be great....or could easily end up injured more than DD behind that sieve of a line, even if he CAN come close to living up to the billing. Which I doubt.
You do realize Houston's run blocking last year was 9th in yards per attempt despite the starting RB missing a few games, right?
 

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