Yes, I've watched. I've seen the spectacular.
But, someone explain to me why Bush will be a better NFL running back than White?
Would you rather have a young LaDainian Tomlinson or a young Stephen Davis? These are the best comparisons to current NFL RBs, imo. White runs like Davis did when Davis was younger, at full speed and strength, and twice looked like a league MVP. I'm not disrespecting Davis or White with the comparison. White is very good and belongs in this draft's upper tier with Williams and Bush. Bush measures and looks exactly like LT did when he was 20 and in college (I've posted the
skinny LT picture before), 5-11 205, very young, still developing, work out warrior, mad moves, exceptional speed, very versatile, amazing highlight reel. Bush is physically stronger at 20 than LT was. If you doubt this, the Combine results (should Bush go), will prove it.
Bush is really, really good. However, I just do not see him as an every down RB in the NFL.
I have an issue with the notion of an
every down back. I've wanted to get this off my chest all season, so I'll do it here (hope this isn't too long,
eta but it is). I think the whole idea is
misunderstood and overblown .
I admit there are cases of players being suited to situational play
at every position. But, I've seen enough of Dunn, Barber, Portis, Martin, Emmitt, Holmes, Faulk, Sanders and others to know,
not think, that backs around 200 pounds (even under in some cases) can be featured with tremendous success in the NFL. Do you remember Joe Morris's 21 TD season? I think it's a little shameful that Mewelde and Tatum haven't had the opportunity to be featured. However, Bell may have an endurance issue, cardiovascular, but that wouldn't apply to Bush who gets stronger and more dangerous as defenses wear down. He's in phenomenal condition. It seems players get labeled because they share RB work with another or play behind a poor line. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown are every down backs sharing the job.
Talent is talent, and most any NFL RB is capable of
carrying the load if
given the the load. Some just aren't very good, which doesn't mean that they couldn't do a poor job of toting it 25 times a game. Some are much better than others and Bush is in
this category. Some are not given the opportunity because they have a teammate near equal in ability and coaches determine not to feature one back for a variety of reasons, hoping to keep both healthy and keeping them fresh being primary concerns, but also considering different abilities for different situations. Holmes/Johnson early this season is a current example, and we know both are extremely capable
every down backs when healthy. While Parcells was using JJ with Barber word got out that JJ wasn't an every down back, but he has proven several times that if given the load, he will carry it. Any back of any size can be injured on any play, be it his 1st or 31st carry. Many people didn't think Portis was an every down NFL back coming into the league. Bush will be playing at 210-215, like Portis, in a couple a years.
The list of smaller,
featured, NFL backs who have enjoyed long productive careers is longer than the list of big backs (who take a much worse pounding). This year we saw Ahman and Deuce go down to injury and Dunn and Barber
carry the load near the top of the yardage rankings. Bigger backs like Foster and Taylor cannot seem to stay healthy any better than smaller backs like Westbrook and Dunn.
I have another theory about
pigeon toed runners and injury but will spare the details, noting, Foster and Taylor run with their toes in. So does DeAngelo Williams. Track coaches know the fastest runners often run this way. I think it is very hard on knees and ankles and isn't conducive to being knocked down repeatedly. DeAngelo has a long history of injury and could be very similar to Foster and Taylor in this regard.
The only thing stopping a very high percentage of non-featured backs from being
every down backs is talent and coaching-- ability and opportunity. Reggie Bush absolutely has the talent and ability, the question is whether he will have the coaching and opportunity. I'm sure he will. He has a long history of blowing minds in practice. Pete Carroll, Norm Chow, Matt Leinart, and Carson Palmer have all called Bush the best football player they have ever seen, and they coached or played with LenDale White.
That's the quick version of my case against the
myth of the every down back. I know some here concur, but most regularly talk about who can and can't carry the load. I think it's a canard 95% of the time, and I know Reggie Bush isn't in the 5%, but very capable of being featured in any offense.
Bush's greatest success has been on the corner. You can do that in college, I just don't know if he can have the same/similar success in the NFL against that level of speed. Speed on the corner on defense is why you don't see the option in the NFL.
White, on the other hand, has his success in the middle. Hitting the line hard, finding a hole, cutting back, side stepping the LB.
Certainly Bush has had more opportunity to run outside and White more to run inside. They've both had success with their opportunities. With the exception of short yardage plays, Reggie has
been better both inside and outside. And LenDale has been very good on the outside too. A very good example is the ASU game this year. Check it out.
Check out the 2nd half TD runs.
Bush broke two long TD runs
up the middle. White broke two long TD runs
around the left corner. Anybody watching knows Bush would have scored on all 4 carries, but there's no way LenDale has the burst and acceleration to have scored on Reggie's two rips right up the gut. They were incredible, and few backs at any level make those runs and those moves at that speed. I can provide tons of examples from the last three seasons' of p by ps, and I'm talking about examples of Reggie being
the better back between the tackles.
Likewise, in the Rose Bowl, White had a 12-15 yard run up the gut. My immediate comment in the game thread was that Reggie scores on that run
from any distance on the field. I've seen it so many times. White veered left into a cornerback, where Reggie would have already been further down the field and smoked the safety to the right-- off to the races. Reggie's 40 yard burst and stupid lateral was between the tackles (and no way does LenDale make that run). Reggie's TD was a play designed between the tackles but busted outside. There was no hole. That was an amazing play LenDale loses yardage on and Reggie scored. Can you name any other back of whom you're certain scores on that run? I can't other than a very healthy LT.
I'm comparing Bush to LT because I think it's very valid, so is Marshall, and in a very important aspect, I compare him to Tiki. All of these backs make offensive lines and wrs better by being great receiving threats themselves. Bush appears to take that to another level, but we can't be sure until we see it at another level. The thing he and Tiki share is incredible vision. I've argued before that Tiki has the best vision in the NFL, and it's why he's been so great these past few years. He seems to always go the right way. Often viewers wonder why a back didn't, or wish a back did, go through a hole visible from the camera. Tiki almost always hits that hole or heads for that opening. So does Reggie, but he is much more dangerous, and we've all seen how dangerous Tiki is.
In the Rose Bowl, Texas had a month to prepare for Lord Heisman, and they were not about to let him beat them. Huff (who will be great) was spying on Reggie in the backfield and following him when split out. The corners were left in man coverage with a single safety. The LBs were run blitzing if he stayed in the backfield. Everything was shut down in the run game. USC should have thrown deep more with Reggie in the game, and thrown deep to Reggie. Against White they were mostly double teaming Jarrett and in zone coverage, the LBs playing straight up. Thus, White had some gaping holes up the gut that Reggie never saw. When Texas adjusted they still struggled with LenDale and the run blockers, but the opportunity to win the game came by stuffing LenDale. LenDale did make two nice runs that Reggie could not make, one being the stiff arm TD. Reggie goes down where LenDale scores. But, LenDale had several very nice runs where he was a few steps beyond the line of scrimmage before he had to do his thing, and those runs Reggie would have been even better with if the defense was the same. Reggie has always been very good between the tackles. He just often ends up racing down the sideline after bursting through the hole and breaking some safety's ankles.
I wouldn't judge these two very good backs on this game. It's way too small a sample.
I just can't get excited about my Titans taking Bush.
That's fine, but I would be excited about the possibility if I were a Titan fan. That team needs a playmaker and game changer in the worst way. Young is going to need time to develop, but could eventually be the best prospect in this draft. Bush can start next September, and he's been awesome at every level so far.
If I were going to compare them, I'd likely use more of a Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown at Auburn comparison.
