Tate and McCluster -- no love (1 Viewer)

[The Moz]

Seems like these 2 SEC gems are getting far less love than they should.

Tate - is pretty much a lock on the everydown back in HOuston with Slaton if his neck healks might take 25-30% Houstons line is underated and I thnk Tate seriously excells -- a 1250 - 12 tTD season isn't out of reach. McCluster while in no where near the Ideal situation that Tate is in is most likely the more talented back-- CJIII / Barry type moves just not quite CJIII speed. He is a true gamew breaking Westbrook type RB if he adds 20LBS 168-170 is going get him killed. If he gets a legit chance as a starting RB he might be another CJIII type breakout he is that good. ONLY think that kept him in round 2 is his size -- if he was 20LBs more he is the first back taken no question. He is listed as a WR but is much more RB than WR think Harvin in reverse.

these 2 rooks will be true differense makers.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Seems like these 2 SEC gems are getting far less love than they should. Tate - is pretty much a lock on the everydown back in HOuston with Slaton if his neck healks might take 25-30% Houstons line is underated and I thnk Tate seriously excells -- a 1250 - 12 tTD season isn't out of reach. McCluster while in no where near the Ideal situation that Tate is in is most likely the more talented back-- CJIII / Barry type moves just not quite CJIII speed. He is a true gamew breaking Westbrook type RB if he adds 20LBS 168-170 is going get him killed. If he gets a legit chance as a starting RB he might be another CJIII type breakout he is that good. ONLY think that kept him in round 2 is his size -- if he was 20LBs more he is the first back taken no question. He is listed as a WR but is much more RB than WR think Harvin in reverse. these 2 rooks will be true differense makers.

Those numbers for Tate would be the ceiling....I would hope for 900 yards.McCluster hype again. Adding 20 pounds could effect his explosiveness. And he wouldn't have been the first back taken, if he had gained that kind of weight.

 

[CaptainHook]

tate is a lock for everydown back?

Check Ur Premises.

the chances of mccluster becoming an rb are slim.

 

[Bojang0301]

If McCluster gets listed as a RB he becomes pretty much worthless to all those wasting an early second/late first on him in rookie drafts.

 

[TS Garp]

I agree that that McCluster's upside is substantial and that the Chiefs will try to figure out various ways to get the ball in his hands. Let's see how he adjusts to their system and how quickly he's picking up the offense. At this point, for this season, I'd look for something along the lines of 70-75 touches, 700-750 total yards, and 4-6 td's.

 

[massraider]

Why should we not believe the Chiefs when they say McCluster is a WR?

 

[Multiple Scores]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

 

[mikel2014]

Tate's situation is what's making him such a popular rookie pick. He has equal talent as Hardesty, but for whatever reason Tate almost always goes before Hardesty in rookie drafts. Personally, I'd prefer Hardesty.

As for McCluster, he isn't a RB. He was drafted as a WR and everything out of Kansas City has him at WR. He'll probably have a Josh Cribbs-like role where he'll play WR most of the time but get maybe 5 touches a game as a RB. McCluster's value will be as a slot receiver in PPR leagues.

 

[Balco]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

It happens all the time in dynasty, people selecting players based on opportunity, not talent. It's why players like Ray Rice, Shaun Alexander, and Deuce Mcallister fall, and why players like JR Redmond and Matt Forte are drafted to high. Players like Ben Tate and Golden Tate seem to be the players with too much hype due to opportunity this year.

 

[D'OHtis]

Tate's getting too much love. I've dealt every pick I have from 1.5 - 1.8 in every league I own them. [b.Tate/Hardesty/D.Thomas/A.Benn]. Bradford's the only one that I have much interest in & I've seen him going after these 4 quite a bit.

Meh. I'll take my chances in 2011.

 

[The Moz]

McCluster was getting 20-25 carries agianst SEC D's and tearing them apart -- He is a special play that will be listed as a WR but be a RB more than likely --McCluster was the best college RB last year and is only a 2nd rounder due to size. If McCluster was 5'10 - 215 he would have been a top 5 pick.

 

[The Moz]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

If Slaton's neck is okay Slaton will get 20% of carries and the passing downs.

 

[gianmarco]

McCluster was getting 20-25 carries agianst SEC D's and tearing them apart -- He is a special play that will be listed as a WR but be a RB more than likely --McCluster was the best college RB last year and is only a 2nd rounder due to size. If McCluster was 5'10 - 215 he would have been a top 5 pick.

Once again, this makes no sense. He was drafted as a WR and there is no indication that he will be used primarily as a RB. It's the same as saying that Tebow will be playing H-back. Where he played in college is irrelevant now.

 

[bonesman]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

It happens all the time in dynasty, people selecting players based on opportunity, not talent. It's why players like Ray Rice, Shaun Alexander, and Deuce Mcallister fall, and why players like JR Redmond and Matt Forte are drafted to high. Players like Ben Tate and Golden Tate seem to be the players with too much hype due to opportunity this year.

That Tate seems to be consistently going after the top 10.... and to me, looks like a real talented football player. I'd say Benn is the WR that fits the opportunity hype mold... especially considering his lack of collegiate productivity. I'm not down on him and I think he'll prob develop into an excellent player... but I just think he's more Forte-esque than Golden. (so far)

 

[BINGBING]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

 

[rustycolts]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

Don't advertise that.

 

[D'OHtis]

If McCluster was 5'10 - 215 he would have been a top 5 pick.

Why do people do this? He's not. So why even mention it? You're trying to make a point with hypotheticals. If you transferred Peyton's brain and work ethic into Ryan Leaf, he'd be a Hall of Famer. He may become a nice NFL player. Probably too hit/miss for me for fantasy circles (because I don't see a KC offense based around him). I can understand someone that likes him based on the college resume & explosiveness where he excelled as 'the guy'. College and NFL are two entirely different animals.

 

[Balco]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

It happens all the time in dynasty, people selecting players based on opportunity, not talent. It's why players like Ray Rice, Shaun Alexander, and Deuce Mcallister fall, and why players like JR Redmond and Matt Forte are drafted to high. Players like Ben Tate and Golden Tate seem to be the players with too much hype due to opportunity this year.

That Tate seems to be consistently going after the top 10.... and to me, looks like a real talented football player. I'd say Benn is the WR that fits the opportunity hype mold... especially considering his lack of collegiate productivity. I'm not down on him and I think he'll prob develop into an excellent player... but I just think he's more Forte-esque than Golden. (so far)

Just going by what I was seeing in the dynasty draft thread. I have seen Tate going 8-10 in most. I just cannot see Tate consistently getting separation in the NFL. More of a # 3 receiver, to me. I like Mike Williams more than Benn, as well.

 

[TS Garp]

If McCluster was 5'10 - 215

But he's not.

 

[CARLOS609]

If McCluster was 5'10 - 215 he would have been a top 5 pick.

Why do people do this? He's not. So why even mention it? You're trying to make a point with hypotheticals. If you transferred Peyton's brain and work ethic into Ryan Leaf, he'd be a Hall of Famer. He may become a nice NFL player. Probably too hit/miss for me for fantasy circles (because I don't see a KC offense based around him). I can understand someone that likes him based on the college resume & explosiveness where he excelled as 'the guy'. College and NFL are two entirely different animals.

LOL so true

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

i didn't even know Tate was well thought of in the SEC

 

[Dragon1952]

No way either one is not getting the love. Tate has been going as early as 1.5 in many rookie drafts and McCluster has been late 1st, early 2nd. How is that disrespect?

 

[footballsavvy]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

 

[D'OHtis]

Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Not a bad list. I don't think Ronnie/Cadillac have met expectations being top 5 picks. I won't call them busts because they're still producing in the league 5 (?) years after being drafted. Jacobs made his name as a Saluki, not a Tiger, so I won't count him [he transferred to SIU to continue as a RB]. Johnson & Davis were nice finds in the draft & had solid careers.It doesn't really change my opinion on Tate. Just not a big fan of his game. That said, he's being given every opportunity to thrive there in a solid situation.

If I had the choice of having a pick 5-8 to take B.Tate this year or having the same pick (at worst) next year plus adding a 2nd rounder or player this year in the process.....I'd do so w/o hesitation.

 

[Dragon1952]

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

Sigmund and Bloom may not be the last word in fantasy football, but it is the place for quality menswear

 

[CARLOS609]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

epic post!

 

[footballsavvy]

Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Not a bad list. I don't think Ronnie/Cadillac have met expectations being top 5 picks. And Jacobs made his name as a Saluki, not a Tiger. Johnson & Davis were nice finds in the draft & had solid careers.It doesn't really change my opinion on Tate. Just not a big fan of his game. That said, he's being given every opportunity to thrive there in a solid situation.

If I had the choice of having a pick 5-8 to take B.Tate this year or having the same pick (at worst) next year plus adding a 2nd rounder or player this year in the process.....I'd do so w/o hesitation.

I figured someone would call me out on Jacobs lol. He did have a few goal line TDs though. I don't blame him for leaving once he realized he was stuck behind Williams and Brown.

Cadillac and Brown certainly did not live up to expectations, but both have had solid season and Brown has been a stud for partial season until getting injured. Cadillac never was the same after his first season-ending injury.

 

[D'OHtis]

I figured someone would call me out on Jacobs lol. He did have a few goal line TDs though. I don't blame him for leaving once he realized he was stuck behind Williams and Brown.Cadillac and Brown certainly did not live up to expectations, but both have had solid season and Brown has been a stud for partial season until getting injured. Cadillac never was the same after his first season-ending injury.

Cadillac/Brown are still in the league producing, so that says something. I just think all 3 of those RB's drafted that year (Benson) were overdrafted. Silly IMO unless you're an overwhelming, freakish talent at RB to go in the Top 10. Too much money involved for that position. I'd rather invest $$ in a RB that produces at the NFL level. [Huge reason why I think that 30% rule is asinine when you can't pay a guy like Chris Johnson, but have Darren McFadden rolling in dough and making babies]

 

[dmac37]

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

Sigmund and Bloom may not be the last word in fantasy football, but it is the place for quality menswear

Don't those 2 guys do a Vegas act.....

 

[dmac37]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

For my money I see Tate as as that thay guy from Jersey Shore "the situation" rather than talent.Also I was giddy to get McCluster in round 2 and Dixon in round 3 of my recent dynasty rookie draft.

 

[duece2626]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Any one know what song that is in the second video?

 

[Bojang0301]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

I think Dixon is going at the right spot. He wasn't overmatched by Bama, Florida and LSU but he didn't get over a 4.0 ypc in any of those games last year and outside of that his schedule was cupcake.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

from rotoworld:

"Josh Looney of the Chiefs' official web site believes that Jerheme Urban and Dexter McCluster will share third receiver duties this season.

Looney reiterates that the Chiefs are high on Urban, even after drafting McCluster in the third round. The bottom line here is that the slot job won't be a high-production spot in this Chiefs' offense, but it's worth monitoring the battle in camp to see if McCluster can separate himself."

yep.........watchout jamaal charles

 

[footballsavvy]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

I think Dixon is going at the right spot. He wasn't overmatched by Bama, Florida and LSU but he didn't get over a 4.0 ypc in any of those games last year and outside of that his schedule was cupcake.

Dixon had 3,994 yards, was Miss st all time leading rusher and one of the top all-time SEC rushers. He didn't just have one good season against "cupcake" defenses. He started and did well for 4 straight years against a lot of very good defenses. Not that that really means anything considering the SEC's all-time leading rusher is Jerrius Norwood.

 

[180FFIQ]

If you want to point out a SEC RB not getting any love then look no further than Anthony Dixon.

I think Dixon is going at the right spot. He wasn't overmatched by Bama, Florida and LSU but he didn't get over a 4.0 ypc in any of those games last year and outside of that his schedule was cupcake.

Yea Right - - Do you really keep up with the Bulldogs? Jackson State and Middle Tennesse State were the only cupcakes. He had back to back 1,000 yard season in the SEC on a horrible team with no QB's. Georgia Tech #25 and Houston #12. Get your facts straight before you make a comment that is soooooo wrong.

Sat, Sep 05 Jackson State

Starkville W, 45 - 7

Sat, Sep 12 Auburn *

Auburn, AL L, 24 - 49

Sat, Sep 19 Vanderbilt *

Nashville, TN W, 15 - 3

Sat, Sep 26 LSU *

Starkville L, 26 - 30

Sat, Oct 03 Georgia Tech - #25

Starkville L, 31 - 42

Sat, Oct 10 Houston (HC) #12

Starkville L, 24 - 31

Sat, Oct 17 Middle Tennessee

Murfreesboro, TN W, 27 - 6

Sat, Oct 24 Florida *

Starkville L, 19 - 29

Sat, Oct 31 Kentucky *

Lexington, KY W, 31 - 24

Sat, Nov 14 Alabama *

Starkville L, 3 - 31

Sat, Nov 21 Arkansas *

Little Rock, AR L, 21 - 42

Sat, Nov 28 Ole Miss *

Starkville W, 41 - 27

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zRDOMM0-2M...feature=related

 

[heidbrink]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Great post. Tate is a guy I've been trying to get more analysis on. Excellent insight.

 

[bonesman]

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Any one know what song that is in the second video?

It says right in the description, Sherlock

 

[Multiple Scores]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Great post. Tate is a guy I've been trying to get more analysis on. Excellent insight.

You can find a post like this from 1 person about any player. I've seen heartfelt, thought out posts about how the next big thing is Bernard Scott, Wali Lundy, Glen Coffee, James Davis, Rashad Jennings etc; the list goes on and on and on. If you're just looking for somebody to make you feel good about a player, I guess you got what you wanted from this one post. I was looking through my sporting news draft magazine and sure enough they agreed with my 5th to 6th round grade on Ben Tate. They had him as RB #19 from this years weak class, a 6th round "project" a guy who "could" be the lesser part of a committee "IF everything goes right". He wasn't well thought of before the draft, not by me and not by anyone that I recall, now that he went to a spot that doesn't really even run the ball that well but doesn't have much competition all of a sudden he's a future HOFer. He might have a descent year, I'll give him that much, but that is based only on his situation and pure number of carries, I expect people to overlook his ypc and go by his total numbers, basically this means the Texans will be looking to replace him. This is one hype bandwagon I just can't jump on, in a redraft I could take him if he falls much further than I expect, I wouldn't touch this guy at his ADP in dynasty. Fools gold, he fooled some people from his combine, he looks so fast in shorts, he doesn't look fast on the football field, has horrible balance and vision, isn't fast on the field and can't block. Buyer beware. There is a reason he was ranked the #19 RB in the sporting news.

 

[duece2626]

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Any one know what song that is in the second video?

It says right in the description, Sherlock

 

[heidbrink]

For those who say Ben Tate's value is situation and not talent...

The "experts" like Sigmund and Bloom didn't watch every snap of his career like some of us did. They might pull up his highlight reels and see a guy that doesn't have exceptional quickness and acceleration... then they look at his stats and only see one good season (2009) and conclude that he is nothing special and proceed to call him fools gold.

When you watch highlight reels, its true that you do not see special quickness and acceleration from Tate. The thing is, Ben Tate is a big back. In fact, looking back at his combine scores where he placed 2nd in the shuffle drill (quickness?) and 3rd in the 40 (top end speed alone will not get you a 4.4 in the 40), it is obvious that his acceleration and quickness are either deceptive or underutilized. NFL caliber scouts and coaches take note of things like this.

Now back to his game stats. After watching highlight reels and being critical of his quickness and speed, you look at his stats and think, "hmmm, only one great season". That might trick you into concluding that if he was truly a great running back, he would have posted more than one season of good stats. The fact is that his stat lines do not tell the whole story. No he wasn't injured most of his career, but rather he was cursed with a dysfunctional coaching/coordinator situation.

As a freshman he was given 54 carries and averaged 7.2 yard per carry. Playing in the SEC as a freshman, I don't think you can ask for a much better sign that you have a stud back on your hands. As a sophomore (2007) he was given a bigger role and carried about 200 times. Unfortunately the Auburn team as a whole was beginning to fall apart that year. He still managed 4.5 YPC playing a full season as a sophomore in the SEC, which isn't too shabby. But that year we had absolutely no passing game to speak of and he faced 8-man SEC fronts every single down.

Enter 2008. This should have been the year Ben Tate broke out, right? Unfortunately, Tubberville was now feeling pressure after a dismal 2007 campaign and he went way out on a limb and hired Tony Franklin and revamped the entire offense (some sort of 10 cent high school spread passing attack). It was an insane last-minute project that was doomed to failure. The season started off an utter disaster, Franklin was fired mid season and some ugly hybrid spread offense was employed on the fly and it was horrible. Ben Tate, of course, suffered in the stat column - as did the entire team. He only had 162 carries in 2008, which was a product of Franklin not wanting to use him in his specialty offense and the fact that we never had a sustained lead where we could actually establish a ball control game plan. Still, his 4.2 YPC wasn't that bad under the circumstances. Hell, I think he faced 9 man fronts part of that season... it was a joke.

In 2009 we had a new coach and a real offensive coordinator. We stuck with the spread offense, but now it was one that implemented the running game by design. Though he was starting from scratch again, this time Tate had a chance to be the premiere back in a well designed system with an average QB and average receivers. He didn't always face 8 man fronts and he took advantage of this all season long. 1362 yards at 5.2 yard per carry was the result. Not too shabby for an SEC schedule. The only team that truly shut him down was Alabama. And to be honest, you have to give him a free pass on that one. They literally blew up our offensive line on every snap. He had no chance that game.

Anyway, I hope this helps shed some light on Ben Tate. I'm not suggesting that he will be the next Bo Jackson, but his situation warranted some elaboration. Also, it doesn't hurt to take a look back at Auburn running backs. Just about every single back drafted in the past 10 years or so have panned out in the NFL. That's because it takes something special to produce in the SEC, especially with a team like Auburn who doesn't typically recruit top QBs and receivers to take pressure off the running backs. Ronnie Brown, Caddilac, Rudi Johnson, Steven Davis, Brandon Jacobs, Heath Evans, Kenny Irons (blew out his knee as a rookie). I'm trying to think of at least one back that was drafted from Auburn in the recent past that was a complete bust??

Oh, and if you want a glimpse of his so called "poor quickness" check out the move at 1:51 in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6dlRzu_mBc

Here's a whole highlight reel of Ben Tate. If you want to see how tough/strong he is, check out the run at 2:25 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfBkonPBFGY

Great post. Tate is a guy I've been trying to get more analysis on. Excellent insight.

You can find a post like this from 1 person about any player. I've seen heartfelt, thought out posts about how the next big thing is Bernard Scott, Wali Lundy, Glen Coffee, James Davis, Rashad Jennings etc; the list goes on and on and on. If you're just looking for somebody to make you feel good about a player, I guess you got what you wanted from this one post. I was looking through my sporting news draft magazine and sure enough they agreed with my 5th to 6th round grade on Ben Tate. They had him as RB #19 from this years weak class, a 6th round "project" a guy who "could" be the lesser part of a committee "IF everything goes right". He wasn't well thought of before the draft, not by me and not by anyone that I recall, now that he went to a spot that doesn't really even run the ball that well but doesn't have much competition all of a sudden he's a future HOFer. He might have a descent year, I'll give him that much, but that is based only on his situation and pure number of carries, I expect people to overlook his ypc and go by his total numbers, basically this means the Texans will be looking to replace him. This is one hype bandwagon I just can't jump on, in a redraft I could take him if he falls much further than I expect, I wouldn't touch this guy at his ADP in dynasty. Fools gold, he fooled some people from his combine, he looks so fast in shorts, he doesn't look fast on the football field, has horrible balance and vision, isn't fast on the field and can't block. Buyer beware. There is a reason he was ranked the #19 RB in the sporting news.

Not looking to feel good about Tate at all. I just really don't know a whole lot about him and haven't seen enough discussion on this board. I don't believe anybody has anointed him a "future HOFer". The post was not just well thought out but had excellent explanations as to why he was ranked that low in the first place. The kind of information you can't glean from a stat sheet. I think we certainly appreciate contrary opinion as well.

There is clearly a vast disparity of opinion on Tate's ability. One thing I think we can agree on though is that the opportunity for him is certainly there.

 

[beto]

The truth on Ben Tate is probably somewhere in the middle. When I watch tape on him I see a lot of acceleration for a big back. He reminds me of a supersized Charlie Garner.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

The truth on Ben Tate is probably somewhere in the middle. When I watch tape on him I see a lot of acceleration for a big back. He reminds me of a supersized Charlie Garner.

thats pretty high praise b/c Charlie's burst was like being shot out of a cannon. Charlie's feet were amazing

 

[CaptainHook]

You see charlie garner ????????????????????????!!!

Go to the eye doctor !!!

 

[jsharlan]

As a Houston fan I hope Tate is successful for us, but I really think everyone out there is writing Slaton off way too early. If he is truly healthy like he says he is, I think he will eat up more than the 20-30% carries that ppl seem to post.

 

[pyite76]

If anything Tate is getting way too much love.

He just went #5 overall in our rookie draft, in a 2 QB league, AHEAD of Bradford and Clausen. Madness.