Who is the next... (1 Viewer)

[Chazzhawk]

Running back to be a top 10 running back that isn't going to be a rookie next year.

Last year Marshawn Lynch was supposed to be a weak rb2 and busted out. This year C.J. Spiller was thought to be a nice flex play in a crowded backfield but turned in a top 10 season. So who is next Moreno? Ivory? Lets hear some opinions.

 

[finito]

Ingram? Looks pretty good 2nd half of season - things would have to break his way for sure, and he may not get enough usage in that offense, but if they focus more on the run and he becomes a bit more of a bellcow, stranger things have happened.

 

[SSOG]

I'm assuming Ridley (rb11 this year) doesn't count?

Looking around the league, I see four types of guys who could ascend into the top 10. There are the guys who could benefit from a change of scenery- Mendenhall, Ivory, Wells. There are the guys who could take on a larger role- Ingram, Stewart, Hillman, Daryl Richardson, Dwyer, Bilal Powell, Ryan Williams, David Wilson. There are the guys who could stay healthy- Mathews, McFadden, Murray, Best. Finally, there are the guys who could benefit from an injury to someone ahead of them- Turbin, Bryce Brown, Ben Tate, maybe even Hardesty. All in all, it looks like a motley bunch, but I'd be willing to bet a couple of names on this list find their way into the top 10 next year.

 

[Lavachebeadsman]

My money is solidly placed on Chris Ivory. If he signs elsewhere in the offseason, he will get there in my opinion. If he signs somewhere as a primary backup, I like his odds of being a touchdown hog and eventually taking over a majority of the carries.

 

[Tchula]

It is going to be whoever signs behind the best O line. Situation will trump talent

 

[pizzatyme]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

 

[bucksoh]

Shane Vereen.

 

[FF Ninja]

I'm assuming Ridley (rb11 this year) doesn't count? Looking around the league, I see four types of guys who could ascend into the top 10. There are the guys who could benefit from a change of scenery- Mendenhall, Ivory, Wells. There are the guys who could take on a larger role- Ingram, Stewart, Hillman, Daryl Richardson, Dwyer, Bilal Powell, Ryan Williams, David Wilson. There are the guys who could stay healthy- Mathews, McFadden, Murray, Best. Finally, there are the guys who could benefit from an injury to someone ahead of them- Turbin, Bryce Brown, Ben Tate, maybe even Hardesty. All in all, it looks like a motley bunch, but I'd be willing to bet a couple of names on this list find their way into the top 10 next year.

That's a really good list.If I had to pick one, I'd pick Stewart. But only if there is a coaching change.From each category, I'd bet on Wells while betting against Mendenhall. Bet on Stewart while betting against Ryan Williams. Bet on Mathews while betting against Murray.Ingram could do it, but he's got a tough road. Even if he gets 200+ carries, it appears he'll get less than 10 receptions.It really looks like SJax will be back, so Richardson will have to move to the Turbin/Tate category. Same with Hillman.

 

[jonboltz]

Can we pick guys that are only outside the top 10 due to injury/age concerns? I'd go MJD all day.

 

[Slapdash]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

What kind of upgrades are you expecting in Indy? Ballard hasn't looked like he is capable of a top 10 season so far, not very explosive.

 

[Area51Inhabitant]

I would also add Lamar Miller to the list of possibilities. He could be set up very nicely next year if Bush indeed does move on.

 

[pizzatyme]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

What kind of upgrades are you expecting in Indy? Ballard hasn't looked like he is capable of a top 10 season so far, not very explosive.

They loaded up on offense knowing that next year was thin. Next year they will load up on O-line and defense. The Colts only have 2 quality linemen and it is tough for anyone to look great this season. As the line improves, and the passing game matures, Ballard will look better. He runs hard and has a 3.9+ ypc as it is this year. He got a late start as the #1 option. He has plenty of room to improve.

 

[Chazzhawk]

I would also add Lamar Miller to the list of possibilities. He could be set up very nicely next year if Bush indeed does move on.

I forget where I read it but Miami will make signing Bush a priority in the offseason. If I remember I will post the link.

 

[Chazzhawk]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

What kind of upgrades are you expecting in Indy? Ballard hasn't looked like he is capable of a top 10 season so far, not very explosive.

They loaded up on offense knowing that next year was thin. Next year they will load up on O-line and defense. The Colts only have 2 quality linemen and it is tough for anyone to look great this season. As the line improves, and the passing game matures, Ballard will look better. He runs hard and has a 3.9+ ypc as it is this year. He got a late start as the #1 option. He has plenty of room to improve.

Lets not forget that Edge wasn't the most explosive back in the league either, and he still put up plenty of top 10 seasons

 

[JackReacher]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

What kind of upgrades are you expecting in Indy? Ballard hasn't looked like he is capable of a top 10 season so far, not very explosive.

They loaded up on offense knowing that next year was thin. Next year they will load up on O-line and defense. The Colts only have 2 quality linemen and it is tough for anyone to look great this season. As the line improves, and the passing game matures, Ballard will look better. He runs hard and has a 3.9+ ypc as it is this year. He got a late start as the #1 option. He has plenty of room to improve.

Lets not forget that Edge wasn't the most explosive back in the league either, and he still put up plenty of top 10 seasons

Gotta disagree with you there. Pre knee injury, Edge was the perfect storm of power and speed. I remember him breaking off multiple 60+ yard touchdowns at Miami (I live down here). He was also sub 4.4 in the 40 at the combine IIRC.

 

[Chazzhawk]

If they get the upgrades I'm expecting, Vick Ballard and David Wilson are my 2 guesses.

What kind of upgrades are you expecting in Indy? Ballard hasn't looked like he is capable of a top 10 season so far, not very explosive.

They loaded up on offense knowing that next year was thin. Next year they will load up on O-line and defense. The Colts only have 2 quality linemen and it is tough for anyone to look great this season. As the line improves, and the passing game matures, Ballard will look better. He runs hard and has a 3.9+ ypc as it is this year. He got a late start as the #1 option. He has plenty of room to improve.

Lets not forget that Edge wasn't the most explosive back in the league either, and he still put up plenty of top 10 seasons

Gotta disagree with you there. Pre knee injury, Edge was the perfect storm of power and speed. I remember him breaking off multiple 60+ yard touchdowns at Miami (I live down here). He was also sub 4.4 in the 40 at the combine IIRC.

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

 

[SSOG]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

 

[Lott's Fingertip]

I would also add Lamar Miller to the list of possibilities. He could be set up very nicely next year if Bush indeed does move on.

I forget where I read it but Miami will make signing Bush a priority in the offseason. If I remember I will post the link.

The blurbs I have read have Reggie pretty much saying he will be chasing the money and Miami would love to sign him, but only at their price. Sounds to me like Reggie is only going to be back if the market for him is soft... which may well be the case. But Miami is setting the table for the old "well, we tried to sign our star player, but it just got too expensive" fan appeasement line.Reading between the lines is not a science, though, so who knows?

 

[FUBAR]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

Frank Tanana might be a better comparison.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

Frank Tanana might be a better comparison.

While the injury that changed his style also ended his career prematurely, there is Gale Sayers. I think his new style was called determination

 

[donkshow]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

Fantastic post. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[SSOG]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

Frank Tanana might be a better comparison.

While the injury that changed his style also ended his career prematurely, there is Gale Sayers. I think his new style was called determination

I'm not a baseball fan, so I can't really speak to Tanana. I wasn't alive in the 60s, so I can't really speak to Sayers. I was thinking of another couple of examples, though- Jerry Rice in Oakland's short passing offense was a very different receiver than the Jerry Rice catching bombs from Montana and Young. Rod Smith was a pro bowler as the deep threat to Ed McCaffrey's possession receiver (100/1602/8 in 2000, 16.0 ypr), and then when McCaffrey got hurt the next season, he slid over into the possession role (113/1343/11 in 2001, 11.9 ypr), although that was based on team needs rather than what his body could or could not do anymore. The Thomas Jones that found success in the pros was a completely different player from the Thomas Jones that got drafted in the first- he went from a speedster with no power to a power back with no speed. Edge was definitely unique in just how high of a level he played in both styles, though.

 

[amicsta]

I would also add Lamar Miller to the list of possibilities. He could be set up very nicely next year if Bush indeed does move on.

I forget where I read it but Miami will make signing Bush a priority in the offseason. If I remember I will post the link.

The blurbs I have read have Reggie pretty much saying he will be chasing the money and Miami would love to sign him, but only at their price. Sounds to me like Reggie is only going to be back if the market for him is soft... which may well be the case. But Miami is setting the table for the old "well, we tried to sign our star player, but it just got too expensive" fan appeasement line.Reading between the lines is not a science, though, so who knows?

This. Especially since miller has looked pretty good with his chances. Hopin a 14th round keep on him ends up being a steal for next year

 

[Area51Inhabitant]

That might be the case but he never did it in the NFL.

He did for his first two seasons. He was a completely different player before his injury. In fact, he's the only player I can think of who played one way at a pro bowl level, lost his ability to play that way, and altered his style to play a completely different way at a pro bowl level. His game went from power and explosion, a home run hitter ripping off huge chunks at once, to patience and vision, a singles hitter getting on base and keeping the chains moving. He's sort of the NFL equivalent of R.A. Dickey, if Dickey had been an all star before switching to the knuckleball. I don't think he's a HoFer, but he sure had one hell of an interesting career.

Frank Tanana might be a better comparison.

While the injury that changed his style also ended his career prematurely, there is Gale Sayers. I think his new style was called determination

I'm not a baseball fan, so I can't really speak to Tanana. I wasn't alive in the 60s, so I can't really speak to Sayers. I was thinking of another couple of examples, though- Jerry Rice in Oakland's short passing offense was a very different receiver than the Jerry Rice catching bombs from Montana and Young. Rod Smith was a pro bowler as the deep threat to Ed McCaffrey's possession receiver (100/1602/8 in 2000, 16.0 ypr), and then when McCaffrey got hurt the next season, he slid over into the possession role (113/1343/11 in 2001, 11.9 ypr), although that was based on team needs rather than what his body could or could not do anymore. The Thomas Jones that found success in the pros was a completely different player from the Thomas Jones that got drafted in the first- he went from a speedster with no power to a power back with no speed. Edge was definitely unique in just how high of a level he played in both styles, though.

Another football example that comes to mind is Ottis Anderson. His explosiveness in his early years as a Cardinal is often forgotten but he managed to carve out a distinguished career in New York as a plodder good enough to be a Super Bowl MVP.

 

[pantherclub]

Running back to be a top 10 running back that isn't going to be a rookie next year.Last year Marshawn Lynch was supposed to be a weak rb2 and busted out. This year C.J. Spiller was thought to be a nice flex play in a crowded backfield but turned in a top 10 season. So who is next Moreno? Ivory? Lets hear some opinions.

Andre Brown.Can do everything well just nothing exceptional. Runs tough and has a good nose for the end zone. The Giants have a relatively stable O line and there is a clear philosophy/mindset to how they run/operate the unit. Now sure what Bradshaw has left and Coughlin often looks at Wilson the way many people look at their in-laws during the holidays. Isaiah Pead.Richardson was one draft pick away from tripling the kind of press he should have got for a very nice rookie campaign. Though I don't see him as a bell cow. Pead had a rough first year but the talent is there and I think should fit nicely with Fisher and the type of team Fisher runs.

andre brown simply cannot stay healthy. He didnt do it in high school, college and now the pros. Not sure if its just bad luck or the wear and tear of the game has just caught him

 

[FF Ninja]

Isn't Andre Brown a FA next year anyway? Maybe he's a restricted free agent. Either way, he's probably not the droid you are looking for. Good player, but not going to break into the top 10 in a committee and I don't see him being signed to another team to be the bellcow.