Tim Hightower (1 Viewer)

[ninerfanatic492000]

way too many reports coming out over the last few days about him being the starter not to start a discussion. it seems it doesn't matter when or if Torain heals(ironic statement) and Helu hasn't been impressive to challenge. Tim definetly isn't a gamebreaker but he can be adequate and if he gets enuff touches he can be a asset in PPR formats. if Beck wins the QB battle the number of checkdowns Tim catches could be legendary

 

[Faust]

Hightower sees chance to really hit ground running in Washington

ASHBURN, Va. -- Even if the Washington Redskins really are as set at quarterback as they believe they are with the unheralded John Beck and the lightly appreciated Rex Grossman on the top two rungs of the depth chart, this is a team that has to run the ball, and run it with authority if it's going to compete with the quarterback-led offenses that dominate the NFC East (see Michael Vick, Eli Manning and Tony Romo).

And that's why it's not a stretch to say the newest Redskins running back, Tim Hightower, might just be one of the most consequential players in the division this season, because a good bit of Washington's fortunes are going to be riding on his 25-year-old shoulders.

"In my job as a running back, the hopes and dreams of this team are in my hands every single time I touch the ball,'' Hightower said Wednesday, after a long morning practice. In this case, he was talking specifically about his propensity for fumbling in the first three years of his NFL career, but he could have just as easily have been summing up the pivotal role he might wind up playing for a Washington team that doesn't figure to out-gun many opponents through the air in 2011.

The story is so much different for the Redskins this year at running back, but understandably so. Last season when Washington reported for head coach Mike Shanahan's first training camp in D.C., the depth chart featured Clinton Portis, Larry Johnson and Willie Parker, three veteran runners whose past clearly outshone their present or future. All are now gone, and in their place are Hightower, who came over via a late July trade with Arizona, last year's starter Ryan Torain, and a pair of rookie mid-to-late round draft picks in Roy Helu (4th round, Nebraska) and Evan Royster (6th round, Penn State).

With the injury-plagued Torain already out with a fractured left hand that will cost him up to 10 days of missed camp, Hightower has been front and center in the Redskins offense so far, and he's likely to get the bulk of the early work when Washington plays host to Pittsburgh in its preseason opener Friday night at FedEx Field. Shanahan and his son, Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, both say Hightower is perfectly suited to the team's zone blocking schemes, with the one-cut-and-head-up-field running style that typically prospered in the elder Shanahan's offense in Denver.

"He's a violent runner,'' Kyle Shanahan said. "He runs as hard as he can, gets to the line of scrimmage, and presses his cuts. And when he puts his foot down, it's violent, and he's getting downhill. He always gets tackled with his shoulders going north. He's exactly what we look for in this offense.''

Adds Mike Shanahan, whose Redskins run game ranked 30th in the NFL last season with a 91.3-yard average: "I've always liked his running style in the way he's strong and powerful. He's not afraid to turn up the field full speed, and he's one of the few guys, when he is going downfield and he breaks to the inside, he doesn't care who's inside. It could be a safety, it could be a linebacker. And most of those running backs, they shy away from those linebackers. He's fearless and he's got that type of mindset, so when he was available, I was very pleased.''

Beck, the odds-on favorite to win the Redskins' starting quarterback job at some point early this season, told me he was outside Shanahan's office the day the Hightower trade went down, and he described his head coach as more than just "pleased'' with the move.

"He had a big smile on his face coming out of there, because he felt like this guy is going to fit really well,'' Beck said. "After 27 years of doing this, he knows the kind of running back who fits this run game. And I'll tell you from a player's standpoint, he's had a couple runs this week where the players on the sidelines turn and look at each other like, 'I think we found a guy who's going to fit really well.' ''

Hightower started for the majority of time during his three seasons in Arizona after being a fifth-round pick in 2008, but the Cardinals clearly kept trying to replace him. They drafted Beanie Wells in 2009's first round, and added Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams in the second round this year, the move that likely sealed Hightower's fate. Still, Hightower has improved his rushing total every year, running for a career-best 736 yards and a 4.8 yard per carry average in 2010, finishing just behind's Torain's team-leading 742 yards for Washington, but ahead of his 4.5-yard average. Hightower's 23 career rushing touchdowns and 118 receptions, combined with his well-regarded blocking ability, appealed to a Washington front office seeking a three-down back.

"On grass with us, I think he can be an every-down back,'' Kyle Shanahan said. "Because he's definitely a first- and second-down runner, and he also has good hands, and he's fearless when it comes to blocking. He understands our pass schemes and he's got a chance to be a guy who doesn't come off the field. It might take a while for him to make the transition to us, but it's always going to be a faster transition when you've got a guy who doesn't flinch. He's not scared to put his face into anyone, and he's smart and he works at it. I think he'll be able to do it.''

Before his debut season with the Redskins, Mike Shanahan never coached an offense that averaged fewer than 116.4 yards rushing per game during his 14-year run leading the Broncos. You know the names featured in his assembly line of 1,000-yard backs in Denver -- Terrell Davis, Portis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson, etc.. -- and Hightower does, too. Little wonder he sees the Redskins as the opportunity of a lifetime.

"It's a lot of stuff that I ran in college with the zone, inside zone and outside zone and a little bit power,'' he said. "So to me it's a dream come true getting to play in this offense in this kind of environment. I could sit here and try to say I don't know [about the statistics of those Denver rushers], but you can't help but look at all those guys and notice the success they had. For me it's a great, great opportunity, but I've got to make the most of it.''

The Redskins love the sound of Hightower's enthusiasm for blocking, because it's going to come in handy no matter if Beck or Grossman is in the pocket. Washington has allowed 46 sacks in each of the past two seasons (no matter if it was Jason Campbell or Donovan McNabb getting pounded), and Redskins QBs were hit an almost-unfathomable 110 times last year, tied with Jacksonville for most in the NFL.

"I love it,'' said Hightower, of his reliability when it comes to blitz pick-up. "I don't have to worry about holding on to the football and bracing for a hit. I get to deliver hits on all those guys who took those cheap shots, who hit me at the bottom of the pile. It was something coming in and playing with Kurt Warner [in Arizona], it was emphasized to me. If you don't block, if you don't protect Kurt Warner, you won't play. So I think I kind of got it.''

The part of Hightower's game that Washington is hoping doesn't make the transition to the East Coast is his reputation for putting the ball on the ground, which was a problem in the earliest days of Redskins camp. Hightower has fumbled 10 times in the past two seasons, losing eight. He has 12 fumbles in his three NFL seasons, and his five in 2010 ranked him among the league's top five in that dubious and career-killing category.

Hightower said his Cardinals running backs coach, Tommie Robinson, convinced him this summer to rely more on his instincts while running, and stop trying to over-think his every move. He's hopeful that his fumbling issues were tied to his over-analyzing, and vows to play freer this season. The Shanahans said they have already seen Hightower improve his ball security during the first week of camp.

"[Coach Robinson] told me a clouded mind [equals] slow feet,'' Hightower said. "I was always studying and trying to be perfect, and I wasn't being as aggressive as I know I could be, and I know I wanted to be. This summer I told myself when I got my opportunity to go out and play, wherever it was, I was just going to lay it out there every single snap and not try to be perfect, not try to do everything right. Just go out there and do everything as hard as I can and play with the passion and the gifts I've been given.

"I was trying to make the perfect cut, the perfect read, and think about ball security, think about all these different things. But the thing about a running back is, it's based on instincts. A lot of people say, 'Oh, he has good vision.' No, he has good instincts. The reason why I love watching Adrian Peterson play is that guy goes out there and plays [all-out]. He doesn't look like he's thinking about a whole bunch of stuff. He looks like he's going out there to run and run hard every single time, and that's what I'm focused on, too.''

Peterson last season curbed his penchant for costly fumbles in Minnesota, so maybe Hightower can correct the weak link in his game. With a passing attack that doesn't figure to be the strength of their team, the Redskins are relying on their running game to move the chains and help ease the inevitable burden that Beck and/or Grossman will face this season.

"In order to be good in this league, you have to be able to run the ball,'' Kyle Shanahan said. "I don't care how good you are throwing the ball, if you depend on that too much you're putting way too much pressure on your quarterback and your offensive line. [Hightower] knows the opportunity that's here for him, and I've been real encouraged just watching how he handles himself. We really liked him a lot in this market. There were a few choices out there, but we definitely got the guy we wanted.''

 

[LHUCKS]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense...coached by a guy that rotates his RBs like his underwear.

Wouldn't waste a pick on him.

 

[shnikies]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense.Also, he loves to fumble.

Torain had some pretty nice games last year and finished at 4.5 ypc. Hightower is nice pass catcher to boot. I think we're talking about opportunity here. Any back that's getting 15-20 touches that you can draft in the later rounds is a pretty nice commodity. This is especially true for people that end up using the upside down drafting strategy and are playing matchups with their RB2.

 

[Banger]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense...coached by a guy that rotates his RBs like his underwear.Wouldn't waste a pick on him.

I disagree. I'm definitely going to target him in the mid/later rounds. I just hope he doesn't make too much noise in the preseason and start the preseason games. Just keep trotting Torrain out there and let Hightower slip down. Shanny's done a lot with RBs a lot worse than Hightower. He's not a bad runner, he's powerful and a good wr out of the backfield. He could absolutely give you a nice Freddy Jackson (or better) type season for a cheap price tag. What's not to like? If he loses his job or doesn't get it, you drop him week 3 and grab someone off the WW.

 

[Cool in the pocket]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense...coached by a guy that rotates his RBs like his underwear.Wouldn't waste a pick on him.

I disagree. I'm definitely going to target him in the mid/later rounds. I just hope he doesn't make too much noise in the preseason and start the preseason games. Just keep trotting Torrain out there and let Hightower slip down. Shanny's done a lot with RBs a lot worse than Hightower. He's not a bad runner, he's powerful and a good wr out of the backfield. He could absolutely give you a nice Freddy Jackson (or better) type season for a cheap price tag. What's not to like? If he loses his job or doesn't get it, you drop him week 3 and grab someone off the WW.

Agreed, this is a lottery ticket that just doesn't have a mega jackpot if he hits, but it costs you almost nothing. You could easily get some RB2 weeks out of him imho.

 

[gianmarco]

Who is......Tim Hightower?

 

[shadyridr]

Just like last year. He'll go late in drafts and will be phenomenal value as a bench RB you can plug in during easy matchups and bye weeks.

 

[FDC]

There are 5 RBs in the past 3 years with over 20 rushing TDs and over 100 receptions, which one doesn't fit?

Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tim Hightower, Adrian Peterson

Hightower is such an interesting fantasy guy. Everyone agrees that his running talent level is blah, but yet he is in fairly elite company of guys that have the ability to be TD vultures and PPR monsters. I think he actually has unique redraft upside that probably will go unappreciated even in the smartest leagues. Still his dynasty value will always be very very low.

 

[Shane Falco]

Suckers

He'll start the 1st two games but Torain will have more carries and yards. Torain will then be named the starter for the next few games till getting hurt early in the 1st quarter. Hightower will have a huge game and be named the starter again. The next week Helu will get all the touches.

Don't fall for Shananagins

 

[Chase Stuart]

There are 5 RBs in the past 3 years with over 20 rushing TDs and over 100 receptions, which one doesn't fit?Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Tim Hightower, Adrian PetersonHightower is such an interesting fantasy guy. Everyone agrees that his running talent level is blah, but yet he is in fairly elite company of guys that have the ability to be TD vultures and PPR monsters. I think he actually has unique redraft upside that probably will go unappreciated even in the smartest leagues. Still his dynasty value will always be very very low.

I wonder if Hightower's receiving skills are overrated. In 2009, he led all RBs in drops. Last year, he only caught 21 passes, and had the lowest catch rate of any running back and also had a high number of drops. He also doesn't average many yards per catch.Of course, if Torain isn't healthy and Royster and Helu fail to impress, Hightower may again be a value play. But I'd much rather roll the dice with Torain who has the upside to be a good RB2.

 

[One]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense...coached by a guy that rotates his RBs like his underwear.Wouldn't waste a pick on him.

I disagree. I'm definitely going to target him in the mid/later rounds. I just hope he doesn't make too much noise in the preseason and start the preseason games. Just keep trotting Torrain out there and let Hightower slip down. Shanny's done a lot with RBs a lot worse than Hightower. He's not a bad runner, he's powerful and a good wr out of the backfield. He could absolutely give you a nice Freddy Jackson (or better) type season for a cheap price tag. What's not to like? If he loses his job or doesn't get it, you drop him week 3 and grab someone off the WW.

+1. Ive seen him going #90-120 overall in PPR. Good at GL, can catch, can block, seems like a good ZBS guy. Why not take a shot? Could end up a steal in the 7th thru 11th.

 

[One]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn’t so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it’s his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

 

[Sweetness_34]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn’t so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it’s his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Once Timmy Hightower fumbles for 2 games in a row, then we will be back to the Torain show. And it will happen. He is Timmy Hightower...

 

[Teef]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn’t so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it’s his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Once Timmy Hightower fumbles for 2 games in a row, then we will be back to the Torain show. And it will happen. He is Timmy Hightower...

I need more guys like you in my league.

 

[yrforyg]

My only concern about Hightower is to make sure not to draft him too early. Based on Dodds' projections he's typically recommended 3 or more rounds earlier than his ADP in the mocks I've done.

 

[SammyJankis]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn’t so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it’s his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Continuous dominance? Wow. Didn't see that one coming for Tim Hightower.

 

[Banger]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn’t so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it’s his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it’s Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Once Timmy Hightower fumbles for 2 games in a row, then we will be back to the Torain show. And it will happen. He is Timmy Hightower...

and then it will take Torain 3 snaps to get hurt and then it's back to Hightower. Get on the train while you can because he's flying up the charts....

 

[Todem]

Worth a flier in the 9th...maybe 10th earliest.

He is a gifted pass catcher.....but that was when Warner was playing.

Average talent. Ton's of backs in play there with Torian and Helu.

 

[gianmarco]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn't so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it's his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it's Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Once Timmy Hightower fumbles for 2 games in a row, then we will be back to the Torain show. And it will happen. He is Timmy Hightower...

I need more guys like you in my league.

What's the point of comments like these? Do you think you know more than others here? Ever been wrong about someone?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

He's going in the late 8th/early 9th round range right now. He was going in the double digit rounds b4 Wash, even after the trade initially but now he is being hailed by the camp reports to be he full time starter. Not sure he can do that on a regular basis. How many really big games is this guy going to have? I like him better as the COP guy.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

He does fumble a lot, that's gonna be a problem. He can be explosive, we've seen him go for some long runs over the last 2-3 years. He can catch a lot of balls and after Santana Moss the Skins simply have a lot of bodies, nothing really challenging for a defense to cover.

He is good value in the 9th round but I like him way better in a best ball format.

 

[LHUCKS]

I'm going to backpedal some...he looked pretty good the other night. I probably wouldn't jump on him, but I can see the appeal.

 

[Drunken Cowboy]

I thought Royster looked good.

 

[BigGDan]

I've had Hightower on my team the last few years as a bench RB and this guy is always undervalued. When he plays, he produces. If he is the starter, expect top 10ish type numbers from him. I nabbed him as a FA in my dynasty league before he got traded. I hope he's starting.

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

my prediction: Shanahan will bench this guy after his first few drops/fumbles and give the reins over to (mystery Shanahan back)

 

[I Love Your Fantasy Team]

my prediction: Shanahan will bench this guy after his first few drops/fumbles and give the reins over to (mystery Shanahan back)

How many lost fumbles has he had?Peterson '09 bad?

 

[Carver]

i'll draft him no doubt at his current ADP. Great upside imo

 

[Anonymous Internet User]

my prediction: Shanahan will bench this guy after his first few drops/fumbles and give the reins over to (mystery Shanahan back)

How many lost fumbles has he had?Peterson '09 bad?

hightower has had 4 lost fumbles each of the last two seasons in 150 carries each season.peterson in 09 had 6 fumbles with 315 carries. so, about exactly as bad as peterson 09.plus he only catches 50% of the screens that target him

 

[habsfan]

my prediction: Shanahan will bench this guy after his first few drops/fumbles and give the reins over to (mystery Shanahan back)

How many lost fumbles has he had?Peterson '09 bad?

hightower has had 4 lost fumbles each of the last two seasons in 150 carries each season.peterson in 09 had 6 fumbles with 315 carries. so, about exactly as bad as peterson 09.plus he only catches 50% of the screens that target him

I would say "worse than".There was a good post/thread here delving into the issue of a pass catching reputation that might be better than actual performance too. There's fantasy value here but he's still going to put the ball on the ground and drop more passes than he should.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

not that he may even be as talented as say Cedric Benson when benson got another/last shot with the bengals.........he's motivated and landed possibly in the best case scenario for himself. the lingering thought in my head is the report of Shanahan laughing or being exuberant when they made the trade. with the glut of RB's they had i don't think they make the deal for this guy unless they thought he could be the leader in the backfield. same feeling i get with MSW

 

[Banger]

not that he may even be as talented as say Cedric Benson when benson got another/last shot with the bengals.........he's motivated and landed possibly in the best case scenario for himself. the lingering thought in my head is the report of Shanahan laughing or being exuberant when they made the trade. with the glut of RB's they had i don't think they make the deal for this guy unless they thought he could be the leader in the backfield. same feeling i get with MSW

but what RBs did they have? Helu, Torrain? they are garbage. At this price I'd add him to my team (and have done so) in a heartbeat. He has the potential to be the SOD. The modern day RB guru traded for him, he's had a great camp (and Shanny has been glowing about him), he's taken in the offense lightning quick, he has garbage behind him, his skillset (one cut and go) fits Shanny perfectly, better WR out of the backfield than anyone on the team, he's improved each year, he's a very good goal line back and he's durable (never missed a game). For his price and potential situation why wouldn't he be added to every team? It's an absolute lay up.On another note this is my 10,000th post on FBG (can't really believe it) ... I wanted to thank FBG's for putting out such a great product and also thanks to all the great FBG posters that have kept me coming back year after year...

 

[Defending Champs]

not that he may even be as talented as say Cedric Benson when benson got another/last shot with the bengals.........he's motivated and landed possibly in the best case scenario for himself. the lingering thought in my head is the report of Shanahan laughing or being exuberant when they made the trade. with the glut of RB's they had i don't think they make the deal for this guy unless they thought he could be the leader in the backfield. same feeling i get with MSW

but what RBs did they have? Helu, Torrain? they are garbage. At this price I'd add him to my team (and have done so) in a heartbeat. He has the potential to be the SOD. The modern day RB guru traded for him, he's had a great camp (and Shanny has been glowing about him), he's taken in the offense lightning quick, he has garbage behind him, his skillset (one cut and go) fits Shanny perfectly, better WR out of the backfield than anyone on the team, he's improved each year, he's a very good goal line back and he's durable (never missed a game). For his price and potential situation why wouldn't he be added to every team? It's an absolute lay up.On another note this is my 10,000th post on FBG (can't really believe it) ... I wanted to thank FBG's for putting out such a great product and also thanks to all the great FBG posters that have kept me coming back year after year...

I just hit a thousand the other day, I've got some ground to make up!

 

[CentralPA]

I wouldn't consider Torain garbage. The guy played very well when he was healthy. He however is the first human made entirely of glass.

 

[TheFanatic]

Excerpt from the Training Camp Update:

Whatever remaining support Ryan Torain had as a fantasy sleeper has all but gone out the door over the past week. Torain is due to have the pins removed from his broken hand, but in his absence, Tim Hightower has seized control of the #1 position on the depth chart. Hightower ran for 44 yards on 10 carries and caught an 8-yard reception. It wasn't so much what Hightower did against Pittsburgh as it's his continuous dominance in camp. He has picked up the offense quickly, knows his blocking assignments, and has looked fluid as a receiver out of the backfield. You can be sure that whether it's Rex Grossman or John Beck under center, the RBs are going to see a TON of dump off passes. Torain can still have a role as the RB2, but he needs a very strong few weeks.

Once Timmy Hightower fumbles for 2 games in a row, then we will be back to the Torain show. And it will happen. He is Timmy Hightower...

I need more guys like you in my league.

What's the point of comments like these? Do you think you know more than others here? Ever been wrong about someone?

Or someone has forgotten Shannahan's utter disdain for putting the rock on the carpet. All coaches hate fumbles, but Shanny takes it to a whole other level and could put Hightower in the dog house for the rest of the season.I'm still waiting for Shanny Jr. to come out and publicly say that they he wanted to draft Hightower in the first round his rookie year but couldn't do it and is so happy that he gets to coach him now...

 

[Shane Falco]

You guys are still forgetting about one guy in the mix. Mike Shanahan

Good luck. I'm not even thinking about a 'skins back till I have 2 or 3 others and most starters locked up.

 

[drater]

Shannanigins will abound. I'll let some one else blow a draft pick on a WAS back this year, then monitor the practice reports and grab the "next" guy off the WW.

 

[Team ROFLCOPTERS]

my prediction: Shanahan will bench this guy after his first few drops/fumbles and give the reins over to (mystery Shanahan back)

How many lost fumbles has he had?Peterson '09 bad?

plus he only catches 50% of the screens that target him

That's not true at all. Please don't pass off sensationalism as facts.

 

[ffguru56]

I traded him for Mike Tolbert at the last minute before our drops were due. I also don't want to deal with the Washington backfield that includes Helu.

 

[RavenLunatic]

I may keep Hightower based on his potential. Last year I drafted him as a backup to Beanie Wells. Not sure why people don't like his game (outside of the recent propensity for fumbles). Several times he has broken off very long runs for touchdowns (Week 2 for 100+ yards and a TD). He reminds me also of Cedric Benson or Thomas Jones, where they just needed the right system and opportunity to flourish. Curious what happens in the last two preseason games.

 

[TheFanatic]

I may keep Hightower based on his potential. Last year I drafted him as a backup to Beanie Wells. Not sure why people don't like his game (outside of the recent propensity for fumbles). Several times he has broken off very long runs for touchdowns (Week 2 for 100+ yards and a TD). He reminds me also of Cedric Benson or Thomas Jones, where they just needed the right system and opportunity to flourish. Curious what happens in the last two preseason games.

He had 115 yards against Atlanta on 11 carries one of which was an 80 yarder. The other 10 caries he had 35 yards. The rest of the season he had two runs over 25 yards, a 32 yards and a 41 yarder. I like the fact that he runs with power, but he also doesn't run very fast to me. I was really surprised by his 4.8 ypc last year, but five fumbles (four of which he lost) will get him benched quick if does that in Washington. I love watching the guy run, just not sure he's a great back. Maybe the change of scenery and system will change that...

 

[Banger]

temper your expectation...he's a mediocre runningback on what will likely be a terrible offense...coached by a guy that rotates his RBs like his underwear.Wouldn't waste a pick on him.

I disagree. I'm definitely going to target him in the mid/later rounds. I just hope he doesn't make too much noise in the preseason and start the preseason games. Just keep trotting Torrain out there and let Hightower slip down. Shanny's done a lot with RBs a lot worse than Hightower. He's not a bad runner, he's powerful and a good wr out of the backfield. He could absolutely give you a nice Freddy Jackson (or better) type season for a cheap price tag. What's not to like? If he loses his job or doesn't get it, you drop him week 3 and grab someone off the WW.

damn preseasaon.....

 

[BigTex]

I remember when Tiki had a fumbling problem and the things that was said about him.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Good luck. I'm not even thinking about a 'skins back till I have 2 or 3 others and most starters locked up.

Where he's being drafted, you should almost definitely have 2 if not 3 RBs. IMO, he's a clear value still right now. Big question is how much his stock rises the next couple weeks. I typically dont have my big draft until less than a week before the opening game, so if he continues playing like this I could see his ADP becoming a legitimate late 5th-6th round pick.

 

[RavenLunatic]

So after another great preseason game does Shannahan still scare everyone?

 

[zed2283]

Wanted to bump a Hightower thread, and this one looked as good as any (I liked the thread title).

Is he a FA? Will he be with the Redskins next year?

Any value here?

 

[yankdog]

Wanted to bump a Hightower thread, and this one looked as good as any (I liked the thread title).Is he a FA? Will he be with the Redskins next year?Any value here?

No not Hightower! Run for the Hills! Run! Run! Run!

 

[BigTex]

Wanted to bump a Hightower thread, and this one looked as good as any (I liked the thread title).Is he a FA? Will he be with the Redskins next year?Any value here?

Hightower looked good when he was healthy. With that being said, I plan on trading him as soon as he's announced as the starter!!! (Dynasty League)

 

[RavenLunatic]

I think he is a FA. Could be an interesting replacement for BJGE in New England?

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

I think he is a FA. Could be an interesting replacement for BJGE in New England?

YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!!!!!!Signed, Owner of Ridley and VereenTim does alot of things 'meh' good........if he's lost a step or some zip on top of what he already was there may not be alot of interest