Denard officially named Jags 2nd string RB
This was reported by Rotoworld.com this morning, but I had not seen it posted. This is a tiny bit of good news the board could use.
What do folks around here think of his long term prospects as a starting tailback in the NFL?
For comparison Denard is listed as 5 lbs lighter than Chris Johnson who has been fairly healthy throughout his career. Denard is probably not quite as fast as Johnson, but I think he runs harder and is just as shifty.
EDIT: If this is not thread worthy I apologize and the mods can remove.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^
Like so many, I really hope he can make his way in the NFL - seems like a genuine good guy and will always be one of my favorite Wolverines. I just hope he doesn't get killed running behind that line.
November 6th, 2013 at 12:55 AM ^
seems like?!
November 6th, 2013 at 2:12 AM ^
neg away... oh wait.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:43 PM ^
This thread is better than the 205 still talking about that depressing game from Saturday even though Michigan has a huge game coming up this week.
And all the doom and gloomers forgetting there are still FOUR winnable games left.
And the 4501 threads discussing the firing of XYZ coach.
Anyways, this is pretty interesting.
November 5th, 2013 at 10:18 PM ^
Can we kiss and make up Space Coyote?
November 6th, 2013 at 1:32 PM ^
It shall be makeup sex or nothing.
November 7th, 2013 at 2:04 AM ^
Otherwise I'll just look like a big slut to everybody else here and they'll expect it.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:51 PM ^
I know he's a few inches taller than Sproles, but he has the explosiveness. I'd like to see him in a system where he's used all over the field, similar to what the Lions are doing with Reggie Bush and the Saints with Sproles.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:53 PM ^
At least he did back in the preseason when I last saw him. But I've thought he has a chance to be a back that gets reps in the NFL and can find a roll as long as he's given some time to refine his skillset for the position.
I believe this also is because the Jags normal backup, Forsett (sp?), is injured. But Denard did recently jump the guy that was the 3rd string and has been getting a couple touches a game for the most part as an opportunity to improve and see if the light has clicked. The potential is there, but the technique needs to continue to be shaped and refined. Not sure he'll be a pure starting RB at any point, but I think he can be a very strong roll player that gets a good amount of reps if he's given the time.
November 5th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^
get him on the field and let him go with it - they have NOTHING to lose. He could be a guy who could A) be an explosive weapon, and B) be a guy the franchise could use to rally some fan support (so many stories to go with).
November 5th, 2013 at 10:27 PM ^
He just doesn't seem like an NFL RB. Also kind of awkward with the receiver stuff, it seems like he's fighting the ball every time. That's why I never got folks wanting to move him here. Even a guy like Reggie Bush who is a lot bigger/broader has had trouble finding space, especially early in his career, and both dudes are probably guys defenses key on (every preseason boxscore I checked had him at 1-2 carries for 1-2 yards). Seemed like he got a lot of blockers in front or some misdirection even when he played (fairly well) as a RB here. If you're not sure of things or hesitate or bobble in the NFL you are pretty much dead.
Hope he gets a shot to get paid, though. If his arm ever heels he'd be a pretty dangerous weapon (not sure if it has).
November 5th, 2013 at 10:49 PM ^
Don't think he was ever a natural pass catcher, and this was really obvious when he was trying to catch the ball out of the backfield (though he did improve from the senior bowl to his pro day pretty dramatically, it's one thing to do it in a controlled setting, another on the field).
His upper body is what I think is preventing him from looking like a RB. He has the legs and the lower body, but his upper body was kept lean to help him throw the ball (for flexibility and reasons like that). My opinion is that he needs to gain about 10 pounds above the waist to help him protect the football and use his arms to help keep off tacklers.
His OL also is really bad by NFL standards, which combined with a guy that is used to having an extra blocker, has often times led to him getting caught (at least in preseason when I watched).
But I agree with your overall point, he needs to develop more if he wants to continue to get that shot and get paid.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:05 PM ^
Space - I have a question re the game on Saturday. Notwithstanding everything else that happened....how would you explain the continued use of play-action during obvious passing downs (like 2nd & 15) which only succeeded in putting Devin's back to the play during those precious two seconds he had to get the ball off?
We continued to run play-action even though it was apparent we had no running game to fear and if you watch, the MSU defenders dont even pay the least bit of attention to the run fake. Why didnt Al, in your opinion, stop doing that and just put Devin back in the gun? If I was the OC on Saturday I would've told him by the third series "look, you've got about two seconds to get the ball out of there. If you dont see anything, just get rid of it and we'll live to fight another day." It didnt seem to me like Al ever adjusted his playcalling to the onslaught of MSU defenders we they were getting into our backfield.
Am I missing something? Why do you think he kept going back to it?
November 5th, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
But there are reasons beyond freezing LBs and DBs with play action.
Other reasons it's done include
- To slow down the DL. This is because they still need to play gap sound football, and instead of focusing on simply beating the guy in front of him, they need to control the OL in front of them. So basically, it allows the OL the ability to get in position and maintain their blocks at the point of attack
- Along with this, it makes it so the OL doesn't have to drop straight back and transition from a drop back to standing up at the point of attack. This is more of a point within the previous one, but the idea is that it lets them be a bit more aggressive and more naturally gain leverage.
- Theoretically, obviously, it also changes the target for the blitzing players. It should at least temporarily alter the the blitzers path or slow him down enough to help the RB pick him up before he can get so deep in the backfield (again, this is in theory). It also allows more realistically for the RB to simply redirect the blitzer rather than having to stand him up completely, again, this is dependant on the other team respecting it though.
- It also has to do with timing of the play. The route designs and length may be designed with PA in mind. Rather than having DG stand as a stationary target for a longer period of time, this is a way to keep DG in a flow or rhymth with his footwork, reads, and progressions.
- To a degree, it also helps set up the run (as discussed in Ron Utah's new diary).
I think to a degree it did points 1, 2, and 4, and was kind of neither here no there with the last point. The problem is, it failed so terribly at point 3 that it turned into a downside by not allowing DG to see the blitz coming and essentially correct Fitz. I didn't particularly like the PA on later downs and longer distances (still had no problem on first down, because it did effect the defense at that point in the secondary and a pick up leads to a huge play), but I also don't know what else is in the playbook and all that type of stuff. I just know that it isn't always necessarily to directly threaten the defense with the run.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:27 PM ^
Thanks. To me this was one of the biggest failings of the playcalling on Saturday, especially during the sequence directly after the interception in the 3rd Quarter when the game was still up for grabs. Like you, I have no issue with PA on first down but when we ran it on second and 15 and then again on third and 20+ yards I was pretty stunned. It fooled no one and put Devin in a very difficult and untenable position and wasted what little time he had to get the play off.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:28 PM ^
Anecdotally, it felt like every time there was a "WTF are they thinking with the play fake?" moment where DG got crushed it was 2nd and 14 or something silly and not 1st and 10. Guessing some if not all of the successful downfield throws had the play fakes but we just didn't notice them as much as the disasters (not that I care to watch again and find out).
November 6th, 2013 at 3:47 PM ^
But if we adopt the assumption that, in the hypothetical 2nd and 15 long after it's been established UM can't run the ball, no defender believes UM will be running it, then can PA really do any of those things?
That is, I get that in theory it does more than just freeze a LB or two... but if the run game doesn't appear to be plausible, couldn't defenders -- DL, blitzers, etc. -- be coached to tear ass to the QB, off-chance of a running play be damned at that point?
Not talking 1st and 10 or 2nd/3rd and short... but 2nd/3rd and forever (of which there were many Saturday... and a decent amount of them PA passes).
November 6th, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
But I do think it held up the DL. And I do also think the timing of the play is a justifiable reason.
November 5th, 2013 at 10:59 PM ^
Bush is listed as 1 inch taller and 6 lb heavier. Also he is 5.5 years older.
Bush had 1300 yards his rookie year. Not sure what you mean by 'finding space' but he's had a very succesful career.
Denard needs to refine his skillset (for obvious reasons) but arguing 'body type' doesn't make sense when the NFL has plenty of small/thin RB these days (compared to the past). Several with very similar bodies to Denard (J.Charles, C.Johnson) have done great.
He has no business playing any other position in the NFL.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:07 PM ^
Wasn't the 1,300 all purpose yards though? I guess what I meant is that he seemed to get swarmed a lot when he actually got handoffs out of the backfield, and that teams keyed on him big time (his ypc seemed to be significantly lower than the Pierre Thomas type guys or whoever NO had at the time). Denard seems like a guy who would get that treatment as well (everybody knows when he's in the game).
Even at the similar size/weight, Denard just seems more gangly and less compact. Not sure why, maybe I'm wrong, and obviously not very scientific, but Bush always struck me as slightly more bowling ballish (which I think comes in handy at that spot). Maybe he just seems awkward doing RB things to me (catching the ball, certainly blocking, even getting a pitch/handoff)?
Hope he does great, I just don't think I would draft him unless he can also be a trick play weapon throwing the ball.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:28 PM ^
Completely agree. Same thing you saw from Devin at WR. You take a kid that played QB all his life and move him to another position and it's not going to be easy. Blocking and pass-catching are things he never had to do. Would that be better at WR? Just the opposite. Is he viable as a QB? Doubtful. So what are you left with?
His talent as a runner is evident, but he has to work on all the other stuff, clearly. I don't know if he'll be great but his highest potential is clearly as a RB, IMO, and always has been.
The unfortunate thing is that he is on a really bad team right now. Hopefully everyone is patient.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^
Hopefully the bad team thing ends up giving him a shot to really play and develop. There's probably a better chance he can climb up to being more than a gimmick player (like he might trying to fit in with a better squad), if only because he's more entertaining than the other horseshit they might run out there.
November 5th, 2013 at 9:58 PM ^
November 5th, 2013 at 10:07 PM ^
November 6th, 2013 at 7:17 AM ^
November 5th, 2013 at 10:08 PM ^
There is someone faster than Denard ?
November 5th, 2013 at 10:15 PM ^
I would say there are probably a good handful or two (or three) of guys in the NFL faster than Denard. CJ ran the fastest 40 time ever, which obviously may not apply completely to game speed, but he has proven he is one fast dude.
November 5th, 2013 at 10:47 PM ^
November 5th, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
He needs to have ball security when he gets his chance. Turnovers in the NFL will keep you on the bench or worse.
November 5th, 2013 at 11:17 PM ^
Denard is probably not quite as fast as Johnson
YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH, RIGHT NOW. POOP MOUTH.
November 7th, 2013 at 12:36 AM ^
November 5th, 2013 at 11:23 PM ^
I wanted to draft him for my fantasy league but he went several rounds before he should have. That's what happens when you have a league with your college friends who all went to U of M...
I'm happy he is getting a shot and hope he makes the most of his opportunity.
November 6th, 2013 at 1:31 AM ^
What league were you in that he got picked up "several rounds" ahead of Mr. Irrelevant? I picked him up with my 16th round, last pick, "everyone else sucks" slot, and even at that, he wasn't owned in something like 98.5 percent of ESPN leagues...
November 6th, 2013 at 8:27 AM ^
November 5th, 2013 at 11:45 PM ^
November 6th, 2013 at 1:03 AM ^
He had two solid runs in a row in the 4th quarter of the Niners game that was played in London, finishing with 4 carries. He got up the field. Wish the Jags would throw to him out of the backfield.
November 6th, 2013 at 1:30 AM ^
Player with a lot of upside stuck on a really, really bad team. Pretty much the only way Denard has a prayer in the NFL is to get the hell out of Jacksonville, if there's another team that could give him the kind of foot in the door the Jags are tossing him. He's in a tough spot, to say the least. Probably would have had a better long-term shot getting if he'd lasted another pick and ended up in Detroit.
November 6th, 2013 at 8:08 AM ^
Being a former QB, he should have no problem dissecting a blitz, he just has to learn how to execute the block
November 6th, 2013 at 9:09 AM ^
cant imagine why a lame offensive team like JAX would not have figured out a wildcat type package to put on the field as an alternative to a cigar store indian (oops, our cigar store indian) sitting in the pocket.
watched Josh Cribbs running wildcat for the Jets, rollling and throwing to an open receiver....wearing #16 with the dreads flying...........somebody show the tape to JAX
November 6th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^
because defense doesn't respect the pass. You need a threat of the "QB" passing the ball. Wildcat does not have a true QB running it and has RB running it instead.
November 6th, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^
Well, it didn't actually happen to me but a friend of mine saw Denard picking up a carry out dinner last week at a local neighborhood bar/restaurant. I live about 25 miles from downtown JAX but it's possible that Denard lives in the neighborhood. I'll have to make more visits to that restaurant.
November 6th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
Denard in the line-up makes the Jags:
The most watchable winless team in NFL history!
November 6th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^
: the team I would most want to watch other than the Lions.
November 6th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^
The Teddy Bridgewater-Denard Robinson backfield tandem will be one for the ages. Go London Jaguars.
November 6th, 2013 at 3:41 PM ^
I wonder how many touches he gets? 8-10?
He could get some exciting stuff happening for them if he stays healthy.
BEAT NEBRASKA 7-2