So who is faster ... Spiller or Best? (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

Reading the new FF Index.

On page 138, they are comparing Spiller and Best.

Both have excellent lateral quickness and start-stop ability, and both have a breakaway gear. They were the two fastest running backs at the combine, with Best clocking in at 4.35 and Spiller at 4.37.

On page 124, they make a comment about Spiller's speed.

He doesn't enter the league with quite the same sizzle as Sanders, Faulk or Tomlinson; those guys were top-5 picks. But Spiller appears to be the 3rd-fastest running back ever selected in the first round (behind Bo Jackson and Chris Johnson) and he makes people miss.

What's up with the bolded comment?

Best was selected in the 1st round, and the first snippet indicates he ran faster than Spiller.

 

[Lash]

Spiller is faster

at the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

 

[Raider Nation]

Spiller is fasterat the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Got it, thanks. He's gonna need every bit of his speed behind that O-line.

 

[jurb26]

Spiller is fasterat the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Weren't both of Spiller's sub 4.30 times unofficial hand times, thus his average later proving to be 4.37? So in reality, Spiller never ran any sub 4.30 times.Regardless I think Spiller is faster. If you lined them up on a track and had them run I'd place $$$ on Spiller to win.

 

[Donsmith753]

Spiller is faster

at the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Weren't both of Spiller's sub 4.30 times unofficial hand times, thus his average later proving to be 4.37? So in reality, Spiller never ran any sub 4.30 times.Regardless I think Spiller is faster. If you lined them up on a track and had them run I'd place $$$ on Spiller to win.

Three dollars, you don't sound confident.

 

[bigmarc27]

I can't speak for Best, but I can speak pretty intelligently on Spiller and Jacoby Ford. Being a Clemson alum, I've watched all of their games and I can say without a doubt than in pads, Spiller is faster. Jacoby is faster in shorts on a track but with the pads on carrying a football, Spiller is faster.

Jacoby ran the fastest time at the combine - so think what you will about Spiller's speed.

 

[rzrback77]

I can't speak for Best, but I can speak pretty intelligently on Spiller and Jacoby Ford. Being a Clemson alum, I've watched all of their games and I can say without a doubt than in pads, Spiller is faster. Jacoby is faster in shorts on a track but with the pads on carrying a football, Spiller is faster.Jacoby ran the fastest time at the combine - so think what you will about Spiller's speed.

Always appreciate local guys that eyewitness repeated play and provide their opinions. Thanks!

 

[gehazi]

How can anyone just know that Spiller is faster? Best and Spiller ran on the same track the same day and the computer controlled stopwatch said Best was faster. It was only 2 hundredths of a second faster so really not much difference. And the next day maybe the times reverse. But wouldn't it be safest and most rational to say they are pretty much equally as fast? Believing Spiller is faster just because everyone thought he was the fastest back in the draft and wanted him to be the next Chris Johnson is silly.

If everyone just "knows" Spiller is faster then what the heck was the point of them running in the first place?

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

How can anyone just know that Spiller is faster? Best and Spiller ran on the same track the same day and the computer controlled stopwatch said Best was faster.

There's a difference between track speed and football speed.

 

[footballman_696969]

Its VERY close, but I'd say that:

Best = quicker

Spiller = faster

 

[EBF]

I would say Spiller is faster in terms of game speed. I have only seen a few guys in the past several drafts who had the ability to pull away like he does (Ted Ginn, Darren McFadden, and Chris Johnson are the offensive players who come to mind).

Best's high school track times ranked among the fastest in the nation. He was running in the 10.3-10.4 range in the 100 meters in high school, which is world class speed for that age group. He's very fast, but I don't quite put him on Spiller's level. I would say his speed is more like that of another former CA prep sprint star, Reggie Bush. Bush rarely gets caught from behind at the NFL level, but he doesn't quite have the insane pull-away speed of Chris Johnson. Spiller does.

I still rate Best as the better overall NFL prospect because I think he has superior change of direction skills and pass-catching potential. Spiller is more of a boom-or-bust proposition to me.

 

[Garts]

I would say Spiller is faster in terms of game speed. I have only seen a few guys in the past several drafts who had the ability to pull away like he does (Ted Ginn, Darren McFadden, and Chris Johnson are the offensive players who come to mind). .

Not to be argumentive ...but I haven't seen any of that speed from McFadden yet in the pros. He has seemed to get caught from behind by safeties and players that just shouldn't catch him.Coming in, he was super fast.

 

[JPeso]

Spiller is fasterat the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Got it, thanks. He's gonna need every bit of his speed behind that O-line.

Buffalo has a solid offensive line.

 

[CalBear]

Best ran a 10.31 100 meter in high school at age 18. Spiller's best time was 10.22, when he was age 21. I think it's safe to say that Best is as fast as Spiller.

Anyway, they're both faster than almost anyone who'll try to tackle them, but that's not what will determine their NFL success.

 

[gehazi]

I totally agree that neither one's track speed will be what makes or breaks them in the NFL. It's just the whole proposition of stating someone is faster than another when they actually did run a worse time. ESPECIALLY when both are doing nothing but training to run as fast as they can for several months for a specific event. It's just so non-sensible.

 

[lynx4ben]

Its VERY close, but I'd say that:Best = quickerSpiller = faster

Best has much better suddenness in small areas. But I would bet on spiller in a dead sprint with pads.

 

[Raider Nation]

Spiller is fasterat the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Got it, thanks. He's gonna need every bit of his speed behind that O-line.

Buffalo has a solid offensive line.

Name five teams with a worse O-line than Buffalo.

 

[Nagle2998]

I don't get all these people who bring up forty times when your wearing shorts and a tee shirt plus your in a three points stance and determine that means your faster on the football field where it matters. I think Best and Spiller on the field are very close but what will determine their success is how they can break tackles and make people miss in the open field.

 

[Mr. Peterson]

Spiller is fasterat the combine he clocked under 4.30 twice (this the mention as the third fastest), for some reason his "Official" time came in at 4.37 as his average

Got it, thanks. He's gonna need every bit of his speed behind that O-line.

Buffalo has a solid offensive line.

Name five teams with a worse O-line than Buffalo.

We have two good guards.... But that's about it. I think Bell can become a good OT someday (he does have the potential like Peters did) but in the next draft we seriously need to draft an OT with the 2.1 pick after we select Locker with the 1st overall.