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What's the breakdown win the AZ backfield? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter xenon
- Start date
D'OHtis
Footballguy
Mendenhall
2A Alphonso Smith
2B Stephan Taylor
Smith has seen more reps with the 1st team (with Menhenhall being limited), but Taylor has seen reps with the 1st team here and there.
Ellington concussion. Ryan Williams likely on the outside looking in right now. The latter really needed to get back like yesterday to regain his backup position.
2A Alphonso Smith
2B Stephan Taylor
Smith has seen more reps with the 1st team (with Menhenhall being limited), but Taylor has seen reps with the 1st team here and there.
Ellington concussion. Ryan Williams likely on the outside looking in right now. The latter really needed to get back like yesterday to regain his backup position.
thriftyrocker
Footballguy
Tweet from about 2pm 8/12
Kent Somers @kentsomers
Mendenhall will practice. Ryan Williams will not. Jeff king day to day
Kent Somers @kentsomers
Mendenhall will practice. Ryan Williams will not. Jeff king day to day
This is not a camp battle. It's Mendenhall's job. He'll run behind an improved but still poor OL, face nasty division schedule and won't catch a lot of passes in the Arians offense but he's the starter. It's not in question.
No it's not a RBBC.
His backup will be Ryan Williams if he's healthy. That's a big if but he's easily the backup if healthy and only guy on roster who might push Mendenhall for touches.
Williams and Mendenhall are both considerably more talented than any RB on this team. Both rookies and Smith are spare parts. Special teams players. If Williams can't get healthy he'll be cut and it will a RBBC if Mendy goes down.
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Ellington have no shot? Haven't heard much this pre-season.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
He's the guy and he's going to have a large majority of the touches as long as he's healthy. His upside is limited by the o-line and offensive philosophy, but he's a pretty decent bet for 15-18 touches per game (14-16 carries, 1-2 catches) IMO. Expecting RB25 or so, but with a safer floor than some of the other guys around there.
EBF
Footballguy
I agree with this.
Taylor and Ellington haven't done much. I don't think either will be a factor barring injuries.
Mendy is the clear starter with Ryan Williams being the only guy who has any probability of eating into is workload.
Williams has been on the shelf with an injury though and you kind of get the sense that he'll always be dinged up.
So all signs point towards Mendy being a mid-low RB2 this year if he stays healthy.
SameSongNDance
Footballguy
I thought Mendy looked good, or at least better than I expected vs. DAL. As others have said I think his upside is limited but you'd be hard pressed to find a RB in the 6th/7th round whose guaranteed as many touches save DWills (until JStew comes back).
chickensoup
Footballguy
Mendenhall is actually intriguing to me for one reason. He's probably the last guy you can pick not in a RBBC. He's not really good, but that usually doesn't matter much if you are getting touches without competition. Highish floor, low ceiling, perfect as a weekly starter if you upside down draft or just grab 2WR and a QB early IMO.
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swirvenirvin
Footballguy
This is NOT the guy I would want if I drafted 2 WR and QB early. I am going for a RB with high risk high reward at that point.
Shane Vereen Daryl Richardson Giovani Bernard
koreansteve
Footballguy
I'd agree with this. ARI's O-line looks pretty bad at run blocking. Arians is going to throw the ball a lot. Based on the preseason games I see nothing to think that Mendy will be a breakout player. If you're looking for 900-1000yds because of sheer number of carries and 5-6 TDs...then you go with Mendy. But Vereen/Richardson/Gio seem like they could be the type of backs that...if given the opportunity, could become difference makers on your team.
DawnBTVS
Footballguy
The breakdown as it appears right now...
#1: Rashard Mendenhall. He'll be the main starter and a possible 3 Down RB in this offense. The only way the others see an impact is if he goes down to injury.
#2: Alfonso Smith/Stepfan Taylor. Smith has been okay, looked better against Dallas. I think Taylor has a chance to push him for the backup role depending on Pass Pro. Taylor lacks the "speed" of the other backs in the group but has a solid N/S running style and is being a little underrated in this grouping. Worth mentioning is that Smith/Taylor have been alternating with the #2s as well in the pre-season games.
#3: Andre Ellington. Been injured but looked decent against Dallas. Games #3 and #4 will be telling.
TBD: Ryan Williams. Has been dealing with injuries and Bruce Arians is not married to him. Could be anywhere from the #2 (doubtful IMO) to being cut outright.
I think Mendenhall, Smith, and Taylor stick on the 53 (Taylor also offers up ST value as seen downing a ball on an overturned penalty vs. Dallas). Ellington and Williams may be fighting for the 4th RB spot depending on each other's health.
#1: Rashard Mendenhall. He'll be the main starter and a possible 3 Down RB in this offense. The only way the others see an impact is if he goes down to injury.
#2: Alfonso Smith/Stepfan Taylor. Smith has been okay, looked better against Dallas. I think Taylor has a chance to push him for the backup role depending on Pass Pro. Taylor lacks the "speed" of the other backs in the group but has a solid N/S running style and is being a little underrated in this grouping. Worth mentioning is that Smith/Taylor have been alternating with the #2s as well in the pre-season games.
#3: Andre Ellington. Been injured but looked decent against Dallas. Games #3 and #4 will be telling.
TBD: Ryan Williams. Has been dealing with injuries and Bruce Arians is not married to him. Could be anywhere from the #2 (doubtful IMO) to being cut outright.
I think Mendenhall, Smith, and Taylor stick on the 53 (Taylor also offers up ST value as seen downing a ball on an overturned penalty vs. Dallas). Ellington and Williams may be fighting for the 4th RB spot depending on each other's health.
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EBF
Footballguy
Agree that Gio and Richardson have some upside.
I think there's a hard ceiling on what Vereen can do with Ridley around. Just not enough touches there for him to be more than a low RB2.
Mendy might have a little more upside than given credit for. Very slim chance at a top 10 finish, but top 15-20 is possible. Good value for what he'll cost.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
good point... another way those RBs are different is mendenhall was held out of practice in camp at times reportedly, with lingering knee discomfort... he didn't look right last year and was released by PIT, so perhaps he could be at risk for further complications...
the tradeoff, if he is healthy, ARI won't be RBBC, unlike expectations in some of above places (especially STL and CIN)...
Willliams is either the #2 or not on the team. It's not difficult to see the talent gap between a healthy Williams and every RB on the team not named Mendenhall. Williams will never be vying for the #3 or #4 RB job in AZ this year. He'll be cut before that happens. Talents not the issue with him, it's all about health. The time he is missing is not relevant either. All that is going to matter is him being able to be healthy before cuts and he'll be the #2 RB on the team.
I agree with EBF on Mendenhall being a 15-20 type guy. Schedule, OL and lack of high reception total mute his upside but he's not only the unquestioned starter but I noticed he remained in the game yesterday on third and long. Meaning he's not only the starter but might end up being a three down back. I think any hope of him cracking into the top 12 will rely on his receptions increasing over what he's shown in the past. RB's in Arians offense have never been high reception guys but with the OL issues and Palmer showing a willingness to get rid of the ball instead of taking a sack it's not impossible to envision Mendenhall creeping up into the 40's in receptions, if in fact he is an every down back.
I'm currently seeing Mendy going in the late 5th/6th round range so that's decent value. I see him helping out a lot of teams that may come out of the first 4-5 rounds light at RB.
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Ilov80s
Footballguy
DWill and Mendy are both pretty similar in the sense both appear to have a shot at a lot of carries, both have been fantasy studs in the past and both of the other RBs in the equation seem to never be healthy.
Kenny Powers
Footballguy
I agree with what you were trying to get at, but I think you phrased it poorly by limiting it to "going 2WR and a QB early" and have everyone else it seems disagree with you.
In the 1st 5 rounds, on average 25-28 RBs are being selected. So chances are going into the 6th round, you have already picked 2 RBs and might be looking at your RB3 in the 6th. In that case, I agree with others saying go with a RB with more upside like Gio or Vereen. However, IF for some reason you are going into the 6th and still need your RB2 (went WR heavy, likely took a QB, possibly a TE), I would feel more comfortable having Mendenhall in that position on my roster. That said, Mendenhall's draft stock has slightly dropped recently mostly due to other guys rising ahead of him, so if you arent risk averse, shark move might be to go for that high upside guy in the 6th and cross your fingers Mendy is still there for you in the 7th.
Something else to consider: Id also probably lean towards Mendenhall here in the 6th/7th if you went with a high risk/high reward RB as your RB2 (MJD, Murray, DMC). That actually just popped into my head and I think is a strong strategy if you go for one of those injury risk RBs early.
chickensoup
Footballguy
Yeah I worded it oddly I suppose.
Upside plays that you can get before him are fine (read: Gio) but you need some stability at RB. He's a guy who is guaranteed touches outside of injury, which is what is sorely lacking past the first 4/5 rounds. I would never play him as my weekly RB1. I would play him as a stable but unsexy RB2 if I need one late simply because of opportunity which is really all you can ask for out of him.
FUBAR
Footballguy
I agree. He actually is my #1, but in a 32 team auction league. I spent more on qb and wr, and was happy to nab mendy cheap (roughly the same as turbin and shonn Greene)
