September 9th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
What is a typical number of running backs for an NFL roster?
September 9th, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
September 9th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
They just promoted him from the practice squad to the active roster a few days ago, even before the Ray Rice thing. He should end up back on the practice squad if no other team picks him up on waivers, which is still pretty good for an undrafted guy in year one.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:26 AM ^
I thought the release of Ray Rice would have been a good thing for a roster spot for Fitz. That's too bad.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:32 AM ^
Ah well. Hopefully he'll catch on somewhere else.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
he has to be waived to move back to the practice squad. No?
Also he could have asked to be waived.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:36 AM ^
I think you're right that he now has to clear waivers before they can add him back to the practice squad, which seems likely (that they would want to keep him) since he was just promoted to the active roster.
Doubt he would ask to get waived though. Making the roster is a huge deal for an undrafted rookie, and trying to bolt for presumably more playing time doesn't seem likely. I think this was about adding a guy at a different position off the waiver wire, based on the article, then not having room for a 4th RB.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:30 PM ^
Yes, he was put back on the practice squad Tuesday, the earliest he could after clearing waivers.
He had been signed from the practice squad only a day or two before Sunday's game, probably to guarantee depth related to certain RB problems, and waived after the game. When that happens it's likely they want to keep him on the practice squad (he had a great final pre-season game), but he has to first clear waivers to do so. (We've had other former Wolverines go back and forth a bit, some to finally stick on the active squad, some not..)
Maybe the OP could edit the title of the post?
September 9th, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^
Maybe the expansion of the practice squad to 10 will benefit Fitz. Hopefully he'll find a team.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:40 AM ^
Truthfully he was the third or fourth best running back on the team last year. Hoke and Borges used him due to their commitment to senior leadership.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:44 AM ^
Fitz made the 53 man roster of an NFL team as an undrafted rookie, and was only waived because his team found a guy at another position that they needed/wanted to pick-up off waivers. He'll almost certainly either land with another team or immediately end up back on the practice squad, getting paid by an NFL team.
He's doing about as well as can be expected from any guy in that situation and the evidence looks more like he's a much better player than you and others are giving him credit for.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
or Tyrone Wheatley or Biakabatuka routinely had, he'd have gained 1000 yds easily.
September 9th, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^
like ages ago, but Fitz rushed for 1000 yds in 2011.
September 9th, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^
What??? You're saying that Green, Smith, Hayes, or Rawls should have started in front of Fitz?
LOL.
September 9th, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^
September 9th, 2014 at 1:35 PM ^
September 9th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
Practice Squad $ still works out to about $100,000 for 17 weeks of work...
Not too shabby....
September 9th, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
So Michigans number one running backs can't even make practice squads of NFL.
What does that have to say about level of talent coaches put on the fiels at Michigan
September 9th, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
huh? He already made the practice squad, they had actually promoted him up to the 53 man roster.
September 9th, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^
September 9th, 2014 at 2:47 PM ^
Seemed like you had it right the first time.
September 9th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^
September 9th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
The NFL struggles of even great-looking players like Denard, Gallon, Martin and Molk is interesting. As is the relative success of Omameh and Schofield. But the narrative takeaway is in the eye of the beholder.
"Hoke sucks because he isn't developing NFL-caliber talent."
"Hoke deserves patience because he hasn't exactly had NFL-caliber talent."
I think you should take this information and use it to argue your already established opinion.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
I'm not going to wade into the last part of your comment, but I don't think it's unexpected that guys like Denard, Gallon, Martin, and Molk have not been hugely successful in the NFL. All of them were great college players, sure, but all of them are under-sized for NFL players of their position. That is not typically a big problem in college, but is much more of one at the talent level of the NFL (hence why they were not high draft picks, so their performance-to-date is not really surprising, either.)
September 9th, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
Molk - yes, OK. Martin, maybe, but that shouldn't stop him from at least being a quality 3-4 DE.
Denard is pretty typical size for an NFL RB, there are countless examples of shorter and lighter backs. His profile matches Jamal Charles, Reggie Bush, among many others. His problem is experience at the position (blocking) and a terrible OL - not size.
Gallon - same story. There are a lot of short WRs in the NFL.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^
Fitz should bounce back to the practice squad. As mentioned above, he has to clear waivers first but the Ravens have indicated that they would like him on the practice squad. He should nice burst in that preseason game. He was running very tentatively last year coming back from that leg injury and with the horrible OL.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
I hope he sticks on the practice squad.
So many TFL's last year...it was probably discomforting for him to see running lanes w/ Baltimore's OL. I envision him being very timid to hit the holes out of complete fear to know what actually existed on the other side of the offensive line.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
Fitz probably suffered from a severe case of agoraphobia with those wide open spaces in front of him.
September 9th, 2014 at 1:44 PM ^
was a talented RB who was done in by a serious injury and our terrible O-LIne play while at UM. In the one year he was healthy and we actually blocked OK for him, he looked quite good. He averaged 5.6 ypc in 2011.
I would argue his low rushing totals in 2012 and 13 were really not his fault. He ran the ball just fine when he actually had a hole to run into.
September 9th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^
Best of luck to Fitz. I cheer for all of the former players to make it in the NFL.
September 9th, 2014 at 6:44 PM ^
he cleared waivers and was re-signed to the practice squad
September 9th, 2014 at 11:34 PM ^
because nobody else seemed to notice. A call to the Mods to edit the OP's title?