RashanGary
09-02-2011, 12:09 PM
I think Alex Green is a star. I also think DJ Williams is to TE's as Donald Driver is to receivers (dynamic personality aside.)
Here's what I look at, and why. . . .
I watched college and NFL youtube clips of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson (two very different backs, but examples of great talent.) I also watched guys like CJ Spiller and Ryan Matthews in college. I watched Deangelo Williams and Ray Rice in college and NFL. I watched Jamaal Charles (before he broke out)I know what Ryan Grant and Matt Forte look like. I thought Jamaal Charles looked like a dominant player the year before he broke out. He does the things the great RB's do. I also think Gore is in that list of the greatest (injuries have put a damper on his career obviously.)
Here's what I noticed about both superstar RB's of today. I'll list it in order of what they do that the other guys don't do.
1. They break tackles. There are plenty of big numbers guys who rack up yards in their offense, but Johnson and Peterson stand out by breaking tackles, even tackles they have no business breaking (Peterson having the edge here, but not as much as you'd think. Johnson is looked at as a speed/scat back. He's not. He's strong. Jamaal Charles too.)
2. They make guys miss. There are a lot of RB's who make the guy miss and then fall down off balance or don't recover fast enough to make the next move. Peterson and Johnson make guys miss and then have the balance to make the next move.
3. They're fast. They don't get caught from behind.
4. They put up big numbers.
I don't have an "eye" for vision, but I believe racking up yards is a result of vision. I believe making guys miss is a result of vision (I think setting up a move requires vision to see what's coming.) I also think breaking tackles shows vision. There's an art to being in position to break a tackle. I don't think it's coincidence. I think there's vision to it. So players who do 1 through 4, first they're either proven great or were great college players. Second, I think that's a good guage on the quality of a RB.
Also, an interesting thing about Peterson and Johnson. The things they did in college. . . . They did the same in the NFL. Peterson tossed high tacklers off him in college. It's amazing how it was almost dejavu watching him do it in the NFL. Johnson does it a little different. Most guys fall down with low tackles. Johnson is far better than Peterson and far better than anyone I've watched at high stepping and slipping low tackles. He somehow gets his legs out and keeps moving. He did it in college and then it looks the same in the NFL.
With that in mind, I think Alex Green is a great player.
1. He breaks tackles (Not as well as either Peterson or Johnson, but on par with the other big number backs in the league)
2. He's looked at as a big back, but I think his #1 quality is making guys miss. He does better than Peterson but not as well as Johnson in college. I still consider it elite and he does it moving forward. He never stops, yet he induces mega ankle breakers. Stopping in the NFL (like CJ Spiller does and Brandon Jackosn) Is no-no #1. If you're not Barry Sanders, don't do it.
3. He's fast. He doesn't get caught from behind.
4. He put up monster numbers
And I think he has vision because he's constantly playing off his blocks and picking up big yards. He's also a great pass catching RB. He brings a complete game. They great players today tend to do a few things better than everyone else and Green is in that mold. I think he's going to be a great Packer.
CJ Spiller surprised me going as high as he did. He makes guys miss, but he falls down every time at first contact. Making guys miss is nice, but in the NFL, you have to be able to stay up after contact too. The same move in college that makes a guy whiff, is a move in the NFL where a guy trips you up. I think Spiller is junk and I think Green has it all. It has to be a combo of making guys miss and running through arm tackles. Spiller does one. Green does both.
Here's what I look at, and why. . . .
I watched college and NFL youtube clips of Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson (two very different backs, but examples of great talent.) I also watched guys like CJ Spiller and Ryan Matthews in college. I watched Deangelo Williams and Ray Rice in college and NFL. I watched Jamaal Charles (before he broke out)I know what Ryan Grant and Matt Forte look like. I thought Jamaal Charles looked like a dominant player the year before he broke out. He does the things the great RB's do. I also think Gore is in that list of the greatest (injuries have put a damper on his career obviously.)
Here's what I noticed about both superstar RB's of today. I'll list it in order of what they do that the other guys don't do.
1. They break tackles. There are plenty of big numbers guys who rack up yards in their offense, but Johnson and Peterson stand out by breaking tackles, even tackles they have no business breaking (Peterson having the edge here, but not as much as you'd think. Johnson is looked at as a speed/scat back. He's not. He's strong. Jamaal Charles too.)
2. They make guys miss. There are a lot of RB's who make the guy miss and then fall down off balance or don't recover fast enough to make the next move. Peterson and Johnson make guys miss and then have the balance to make the next move.
3. They're fast. They don't get caught from behind.
4. They put up big numbers.
I don't have an "eye" for vision, but I believe racking up yards is a result of vision. I believe making guys miss is a result of vision (I think setting up a move requires vision to see what's coming.) I also think breaking tackles shows vision. There's an art to being in position to break a tackle. I don't think it's coincidence. I think there's vision to it. So players who do 1 through 4, first they're either proven great or were great college players. Second, I think that's a good guage on the quality of a RB.
Also, an interesting thing about Peterson and Johnson. The things they did in college. . . . They did the same in the NFL. Peterson tossed high tacklers off him in college. It's amazing how it was almost dejavu watching him do it in the NFL. Johnson does it a little different. Most guys fall down with low tackles. Johnson is far better than Peterson and far better than anyone I've watched at high stepping and slipping low tackles. He somehow gets his legs out and keeps moving. He did it in college and then it looks the same in the NFL.
With that in mind, I think Alex Green is a great player.
1. He breaks tackles (Not as well as either Peterson or Johnson, but on par with the other big number backs in the league)
2. He's looked at as a big back, but I think his #1 quality is making guys miss. He does better than Peterson but not as well as Johnson in college. I still consider it elite and he does it moving forward. He never stops, yet he induces mega ankle breakers. Stopping in the NFL (like CJ Spiller does and Brandon Jackosn) Is no-no #1. If you're not Barry Sanders, don't do it.
3. He's fast. He doesn't get caught from behind.
4. He put up monster numbers
And I think he has vision because he's constantly playing off his blocks and picking up big yards. He's also a great pass catching RB. He brings a complete game. They great players today tend to do a few things better than everyone else and Green is in that mold. I think he's going to be a great Packer.
CJ Spiller surprised me going as high as he did. He makes guys miss, but he falls down every time at first contact. Making guys miss is nice, but in the NFL, you have to be able to stay up after contact too. The same move in college that makes a guy whiff, is a move in the NFL where a guy trips you up. I think Spiller is junk and I think Green has it all. It has to be a combo of making guys miss and running through arm tackles. Spiller does one. Green does both.