No, there are no RBs like that coming out for the 2009 draft, but there is one that went undrafted in the 2008 draft (due to poor competition + he broke his leg his senior year midway through the season). I introduce you to: Jerome Messam. Measurables: 6'4, 250 lbs, 4.40 40 yard dash. He originally signed with Rutgers but did not qualify academically so he ultimately ended up at DII Graceland University where he was a bonafide star. This is from an NFLDraftCountdown scouting report on him from last year: "Has outstanding size and bulk...Very strong and powerful...Quick and plays faster than he timed in workouts...Great athlete...Difficult to tackle and doesn't go down easily...A beast in short-yardage situations...Productive....Still has a ton of upside." Also from NFLDraftCountdown: "Grew up in Canada...Emerged as a top U.S. college prospect in 2005 when he led Canada past the United States in the 2005 NFL Global Junior Championship game, running for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns..Originally signed with Rutgers but never played because of academics...Spent two seasons at North Dakota State College of Science and received a number of Division I scholarship offers but wound up at NAIA Graceland in Iowa when he once again failed to qualify academically...Missed the first half of the 2007 season with a knee injury...Small school sleeper who had the talent to play with the big boys but just never got that opportunity due to his grades" He ran for at least 1,050 and 16 TDs both years at Graceland. He did have some minor injuries in his junior year but he still performed very well with 1,051 yards (5 yards per carry) and 17 TDs on the ground plus 350 receiving yards and 1 TD through the air. As a sophomore without the injuries he ran for 1,744 yards on the ground (7 yards per carry) and 16 TDs, adding 360 receiving yards and 2 TDs through the air. He is a very consistent player and has a boatload of talent. Academic ineligibility (not doing well in school) has nothing to do with playing in the NFL. I believe he can be harvested into a great RB. He was picked up by the Giants (probably as a backup Brandon Jacobs) and was doing well in workouts but he got hurt and thus was not able to make the squad. Since then I have not been able to find any news of him but I assume he is 100% healthy since the workouts were in May.
For the first half of his career he did not play because he was 2nd on the depth chart behind Priest Holmes so the too old and mileage on his tires doesn't apply as you would think it might - although since taking over the starting role in KC he has ran the ball a ton. Bottom line is that he is a proven quantity in the league, he can still get it done, and he won't cost much in terms of trade value to get. If we don't pull this trade - and I'm not saying we have to - I'm afraid the mighty Pats will just like they did with Randy Moss.
1) The Jets were going to get a 4th and a 5th for Robertson from the Bengals before he failed his physical. The draft pick from the Broncos is a 2009 conditional pick, but he has started all 6 of the games he has played in and only missed 1 game - against KC - with a sore knee which was in September, so it looks like the least we will get for him is a 4th round pick. We might even get more. 2) "The Packers will receive at least a fourth round pick. If Favre plays 50 percent of the snaps this season, the pick becomes a third rounder; 70 percent plus a playoff berth and the Packers receive a second rounder; 80 percent and a Super Bowl appearance becomes a first round pick." We lose at least a 3rd round pick to the Packers.
well, my bad on the Favre conditions, you have me there. However, Drob need to play a very high % of plays to get a pick back. Something like 75 or 80 % to get a pick I believe. Im not in the mood to dig it up, but just because he is starting doesnt mean he is playing enough snaps to get us a pick...
2008: Made his Broncos debut at Oak. (9/8) and recorded two tackles? Had one quarterback pressure vs. S.D. (9/14). Made two tackles vs. N.O. (9/21), but his most important play came on a Saints' fourth-and-one at the goal line when he got penetration in the backfield and allowed LB Nate Webster to tackle Saints RB Pierre Thomas for no gain?. Listed as inactive at K.C. (9/29) due to a sore knee? Returned to action vs. T.B. (10/5) and recorded three tackles and a quarterback pressure against the Bucs. When the Broncos come out in a 3-4 alignment, Robertson plays shade tackle, with a one-gap responsibility? Recorded three tackles vs. Jac. (10/12)? Had four tackles and a half sack at N.E. (10/20). That is from the Broncos website itself - looks like he is playing a considerable amount of snaps.
There is only one reason why you know LeSean McCoy's name right now, and it is because a certain RB moved from Pitt to go to a school closer to his home in Virginia to be with his sick father. That RB is Rashad Jennings who I have us taking in my "Quick Mock for 2009" in the draft forum. He was tearing it up at Pitt as a true freshman who did not start but was 2nd on the team in rushing. Wannstedt wanted him to take a semester off and enroll in the summer semester so he would stay eligible and still play for Pitt but Jennings chose to leave. Virgina and VT both wanted him but (for whatever reason and I don't know why) he chose to go to Liberty which is a DII school. He is a real bruiser kind of a back with great hands out of the backfield and great speed. He is 6'1, 232 lbs, and runs a 4.42 40 yard dash. He usually always breaks the first tackle, can run people over and make people miss, has great vision and makes great cuts, and he has "breakaway" speed. He'd make a great compliment to Leon Washington. If we choose not to trade for Johnson, this is the guy I want us to draft. He can be had in the mid-rounds and if he never left Pitt we could be talking about him as a 1st round back or maybe even the #1 RB in the draft. He has a highlight video from last year, it starts out kinda slow but gets better and better as it goes on with the last minute being the best: [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohP5XBCu_ws[/YOUTUBE] With some NFL coaching this kid can be a great all-around RB in the NFL. Jennings and Johnson would make a nice 1-2 punch.
I want to say Michael Turner clone for Jennings. I still like McCoy a tad better, Jennings' level of competition hurts him a little. At least for right now. Its still early and all that.
That is a pretty fair comparison, except that Jennings is a little faster than Turner and has better hands than Turner. I like Michael Turner a lot, but when he breaks big runs he always gets caught from behind. You won't see that happen to Jennings. Also, Jennings excelled at Pitt as a true freshman. You have to keep that in mind. Nonetheless, Michael Turner+Leon Washington = great tandem backfield, no?
We thinking of the same Michael Turner? He ran a 4.4, and he's had plenty of long runs where no one caught him.
He does break quite a few, but I have seen him on many occasion get chased down from behind. I can vividly see him break a big run against Tennessee but then one of their DBs catches him from behind. Fine, I take back no "breakaway" speed for Turner. Jennings still has better hands though :smile:
you're not biased because it's completely true. Jacobs is a beast and i wouldn't even hope to get a guy that good.
"He has a highlight video from last year, it starts out kinda slow but gets better and better as it goes on with the last minute being the best:" Don't take this personally, but I watched your video and I still think Moreno is a zillion times better.
I'm not saying Jerome Messam is Brandon Jacobs. I am just saying he has the same skill set as Jacobs. Same size, same speed, same power. One was drafted, one wasn't. That's about the only difference. Willie Parker went undrafted...
I never said he was better than Knowshon Moreno - but we have seen that in the NFL good RBs come a dime a dozen. You don't need a 1st (or even 2nd round) RB to have a good ground game - look at Brian Westbrook, Frank Gore, Marion Barber, Clinton Portis (2nd), Ryan Grant, Brandon Jacobs, Michael Turner, Willie Parker, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte (2nd), Rudi Johnson (of a few years ago), and Justin Fargas. We can get a quality RB in the 4th and spend the 1st round pick on a position that needs to be addressed in the 1st.
Belive what you want, we´re lucky if we get a 7th for him. It was clear when the deal was made, that we wouldn´t get anything in return unless he plays like a All-Pro. @topic, draft a RB in the 2nd or 3rd, no to LJ (milage)
I'm going to add to that list Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. Ward was a 7th rounder and Bradshaw was 5 picks away from not being drafted at all. You also have proof on the Jets roster that you don't need a 1st round pick, look at Leon Washington.
