Hey Bmorecareful...our boy Duke Johnson is having such a great year we might have to grab him in round 2 if we really wanted him...he's now second in school history in yards and needs just 252 to pass Otis Anderson.
He's having an very good year.
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Hey Bmorecareful...our boy Duke Johnson is having such a great year we might have to grab him in round 2 if we really wanted him...he's now second in school history in yards and needs just 252 to pass Otis Anderson.
He's having an very good year.
He really is. If he runs well at the combine he might not make it very far into the 2nd round.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn
I love his ability to cut back and explode through the hole.
http://youtu.be/b28giB9m7Cs
I definitely think he would excel in the stretch ZBS. I think if he can bump his weight up to around 208-212 he could be a very similar type of back to Frank Gore.
I do really like the way Melvin Gordon runs too though. He has a very long gait. Kind of like Eric Dickerson.
Gordon is most certainly a better prospect and one of the best backs in the draft. 10 years ago, he'd likely be a top 15 pick.
I think the question though is would you rather have a first round DB/pass rusher and a guy like Johnson in round 2 or vice versa.
Also, you see Gore in Duke with some extra pounds? I think Gore is a different back...much more power. I think I see Clinton Portis more in Duke Johnson...and we all know how awesome Portis was in the ZBS in Denver...he averaged 5.5 ypc both seasons with 14+ touchdowns.
Gore is more of a power back now, but when he started he was pretty shifty (still is) with good speed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn
I think Duke has more top end speed than Gore did, but I think if he bumps his weight up into the low 210's he could become a Gore type of guy.
I don't know...I personally don't see it.
I do see the shiftyness, explosion and moves in the open field like Portis though.
Yeah, I think Johnson is close to a 2nd round lock at this point. He is just killing it this year, which I expected.
I see the Clinton Portis comparison getting thrown out there and I do agree with it. A lot of it is Johnson's competence in every facet of the game... he is a pretty tenacious blocker (Portis was one of the best blocking RBs I have ever seen) and a tremendous receiver out of the backfield in addition to being a great inside and outside runner.
He's really a do-it-all guy, which is just what we need. A more recent player comparison I also see is Giovani Bernard, but I think Johnson is a better prospect who will be available later, given that he's not the consensus #1 RB in the class.
On another note... I think CB is overall our biggest need right now, but I'm starting to think more and more that we might just need to really bite the bullet and invest hugely in offense in the first few rounds. I think we need a true #1 WR, a #1 do-it-all TE, and a #1 RB. I think we have seen snippets this season of what the offense could be capable of, but we're not going to consistently get to that level unless Flacco is surrounded with talent.
People might object to neglecting CB and the defense overall from that perspective, but honestly, I almost see the defense as a sunk cost. All we do is throw endless piles of money and draft picks at defense, but we will NEVER have an early-2000s Ravens type of defense again. It just isn't going to happen, especially not with this coaching staff. So why even bother?
I agree...not really about sunk costs with defense thing as that's another story...although I don't think we are going to find the TE that we really need in this draft. There just isn't anybody there unless you think Funchess can bulk back up and learn to block. He'd be a matchup nightmare in the passing game though.Quote:
Originally Posted by bmorecareful
IMO Nick O'Leary is actually the guy we ought to be targeting. Funchess is a great athlete but I'd rather not spend a likely 1st on a guy who doesn't really have a definite NFL position and isn't a great fit for the WCO. O'Leary is very much in the Owen Daniels, Dennis Pitta type of wheelhouse with his skill set and represents a better pick in the 3rd or so IMO. He's a very underrated blocker, can play all over the formation, and has enough athleticism to be dangerous down the seam as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn
I like Nick O'Leary as well. He'd be a good fit in the WCO.
Saw O'Leary up close last weekend.
Solid, but didn't stand-out to me, but I haven't watched him in any other games.
I have no judgment at all on him.