What I was saying was that if you are replaced in college you are going to have a tough time in the NFL as a RUNNING BACK. I didn't say he wouldn't have success as a full back or flex player but personally, I would rather add depth on defense.
theres alot of runningbacks who not only got replaced but never even started in college who've done good in the nfl. yes it is tough, but if the player is willing to give his all, its definitely doable. also leonard is a very good blocker for those who say you dont want a versatile fullback. i mean why not, hes a weapon.. if hes passed on with our second second rounder, then it would be a mistake.
Marcus Allen spelled Bo Jackson and vice versa, i wouldnt say either one of them wasnt good enough to keep their jobs. Brandon Jacobs backed up Ronnie Brown who backed up Cadillac Williams and all three of them look pretty damn good. Brian Leonard was not replaced. There were HBs on the team, but Leonard as a FB was better than the starting HBs. The other HBs got their touches, but none were as good as Leonard. Along comes Ray Rice, whos a monster. What are they suppose to do, not use Ray Rice. All they did was add another dimension to their offense and Leonard shouldnt be faulted because he didnt bitch and moan and demand more touches. In his smaller role, he EXCELLED. Did the same thing as in previous seasons but showed he was a great pass blocker and run blocker. I can understand if Brian Leonard wasnt as productive, but his averages per carry and catch have stayed the same. And one more thing, if Brian Leonard put up numbers similar to his previous 3 seasons this year, would that have changed your mind? Would you have been for drafting Leonard? I highly doubt it, so dont say because Ray Rice came along hes not good enough or wont transition. Thats just a bs reason.
Well to be honest, Ronnie Brown and Brandon Jacobs both pussyfoot their way into holes and both seem to dance way too much for big power backs. I like Leonard, but he's such a good blocker, that we don't need him to be our feature tailback. Let him block and take carries from fullback, with Houston getting the bulk of them, and Washington in third down situations.
I was trying to make the point that all because youre not the feature back doesnt mean your talentless. Im not comparing them to Brian Leonard.
First thing I would have been against drafting a FB or flex player or whatever else you want to call him all together in the second round of this next draft. Do you realize how many players are drafted each year into the NFL... 224... which doesn't include the undrafted signnings and the cuts of late round picks. Although being replaced at the college level doesn't mean you are going to be a bad NFL player it does show what type of player you are. 2nd round picks that are going to be good running backs in the NFL usually aren't replaced in college, no matter what the competition. I know you named an example but that is more of an exception. Maybe I am wrong but I don't think he is the player we should be drafting. Who knows if he will be an effective player in the NFL? I don't, you don't... its just a difference of opinion on the direction this team should go...
You honestly must not know anything about Leonard or his situation if you seriously think he got "replaced" at Rutgers. He is now at Fullback because having he and Ray Rice in the backfield at the same time gives the Scarlet Knights the best chance to win, week in, week out. Plus, without any returning fullback with experience besides him, why would they even consider using him in any other way? You have a guy who plays lights out at both RB and FB, and another kid who's already become a Heisman finalist as a sophomore; I don't know what kind of football you watch, but I'd prefer to see them used to the best of their abilities.
Somehow I got drawn into this conversation about how good Leonard is when I really didn't mean to. My original post said that I don't think we should draft him and I stand behind that. I'll admit that I am a Rutgers bandwagon fan this year and have only really watched the ending games. I really don't know too much about Leonard than what I have seen. I never really saw or remember seeing him as a running back. Anyway, my only main point was that I don't want to use a second round pick to draft him. If we were too use a later pick I wouldb e all for it but not a second rounder
