Quote:
Originally Posted by Ubeja Vontell
He wasn't brought in to bang the line, he was the first pick to add more versatility to the offense. Anyone can...bang!
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No, sorry but this is just not the case.
Sure, any JAG can just run themselves into the line, but that's not the point.
The idea is to consistently get those "dirty" yards. To find a way to get 2, 3, 4 yards when there is no hole, when the blocking has broken down against good/great defensive fronts.
We all like to watch a guy run for 50-80 yards and a TD; it's great fun. But that's not what even great backs do most of the time. Great backs find a way to consistently get yards that 90% of the other backs can't or don't get.
Take Marcus Allen for example. By the time he came to the Chiefs he didn't really have that long speed anymore. But he was the best in the league at converting short yardage situations. IIRC, on 3rd/4th and 2 yards or less he converted at a league-best
98%.
So in situations when the opposing team knew that Marcus was getting the ball, he converted those downs anyway 98 times out of 100. And that's a big part of what made him great. Not however many long runs he had with the Chiefs, because there weren't that many.
If this kid can convert those short yardage situations to score at the goal-line or salt away the clock at the end of a game, as well as put us in 2nd and 5 yards or less situations, he'll be worth that first round pick, no question. His pass-catching ability and inevitable crazy gizmo runs will just be icing on the cake.