Vernand Morency is hungry for carries

[woodbuck27]

http://www.packersnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070614/PKR07/706140545/1989

Posted June 14, 2007

Mike Vandermause column:

Morency is hungry for carries

By Mike Vandermause

Vernand Morency wears No. 34 for the Green Bay Packers, just like Edgar Bennett used to do. Morency weighs between 215 and 220 pounds, just like Bennett. Morency wants to be the Packers' every-down back, just like Bennett was in the mid-1990s.

Is it any wonder Morency has spent more time with Bennett, the Packers' running backs coach, than anyone else this offseason? Where Bennett goes, Morency is sure to follow. The two have spent hours discussing the finer points of the offense. Morency has become a student of the game and has picked Bennett's brain on countless occasions.

Morency is staring at the opportunity of a lifetime. After spending his first two NFL seasons as a backup, the chance to become the Packers' starting halfback is there for the taking after Ahman Green left in free agency.

"This guy is one of our hardest-working guys in the building," Bennett said.

"His work ethic is phenomenal. He is a come-early, leave-late type of guy. Mo's the type of person, as long as the time permits, he'll stay in there, and we'll just keep going. He loves it. He loves what he does. That's excellent when you see a young guy with that type of passion to want to continue to learn and grow and get better."

Critics have had a field day with Morency since he was traded to the Packers last September by the Houston Texans for running back Samkon Gado. Morency's size, durability and character have been questioned. Some consider him strictly a change-of-pace back who can't handle the pounding that comes with full-time duty.

Morency tunes out the skeptics.

"I'm an every-down back," he said after practice last Thursday.

"I firmly believe that I've been an every-down back all my life."

He has been forced to prove himself over and over again. At Northwestern High School in Miami, Morency followed in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a star running back. At Oklahoma State, Morency filled the big shoes left by Tatum Bell.

When the Texans traded him last year, Morency was forced to prove his worth to the Packers. He rushed for 436 yards in 96 carries (4.5 average) as Green's backup. Even now, after the Packers drafted halfback Brandon Jackson in the second round, Morency must fight for a starting job.

"My whole life is the same deal," he said. "Life is going to be like that. Nothing is given to you. You have to earn it. That's all.

"That's why I go out every single day and work hard and show the coaches that I am working hard, that I am hungry, that I love to do what I do."

Morency didn't even bother going home to pack when he heard about the trade to the Packers. Instead, he made a beeline to the airport to ensure he wouldn't miss his flight to Green Bay. "I didn't want to leave a bad impression," he said.

From the day they met, Bennett has noticed Morency's commitment and intense drive to succeed.

"One of the first things he told me when he came to town, he said, 'Coach, I want to be the best, and I'll pay whatever price I have to pay to achieve that,'" Bennett said.

Hard work and commitment don't guarantee prosperity in the NFL. No one is handing Morency a starting job. As usual, he will be forced to earn it.

"Until he really does it and proves (himself), it's all a little bit of conjecture," said offensive coordinator Joe Philbin about whether Morency can be an every-down back.

"There's still a lot of things we don't know about."

Bennett thinks Morency is capable of being the full-time starter.

"You know what, I think he can," he said.

Bennett sees a little bit of himself in Morency.

The biggest difference, according to Bennett, is that Morency is better.

"I wish I was as elusive as Mo," Bennett said.

"I haven't seen a lot of backs capable of doing some of the things he's capable of doing."

It will be up to Morency to live up to his coach's strong praise.

Mike Vandermause is sports editor of the Press-Gazette.

[Lurker64]

Somehow it's reassuring that he's not hungry for hot pockets.

[Partial]

The kid is gonna be a baller. He looks to have the same thickness as Green this year and he is much quicker.

I don't believe you need to be a bruiser to be successful. I predict he has a big time year. Maybe even pro-bowl.

[RashanGary]

I predict he has a big time year. Maybe even pro-bowl.

Come on Partial. He has a good chance to be good but probowl is a little far fetched don't you think?

[Partial]

I predict he has a big time year. Maybe even pro-bowl.

Come on Partial. He has a good chance to be good but probowl is a little far fetched don't you think?

I always shoot for the moon. I liked this guy a lot last year. His ratio of explosive runs was extremely high for not only a starter, but for change of pace backs as well. He is going to be a good one.

[RashanGary]

I like him too, but the top 6 backs have special years. I can't picture him having one of those with our line for one, his health for two and the fact that he's never done it for three.

I like him, I just don't think the probowl is in his near future.

[wist43]

Just don't see him being able to handle 300 carries... he had 91 carries last year - Green had 266. Whole different ball game when you're out there taking the pounding down in and down out.

I expect he'll probably come out and perform fairly well the first 4-5 games and everyone will be all giddy, but it's a long season and he's a relatively small guy - who plays the game small... we'll see.

[Bretsky]

The kid is gonna be a baller. He looks to have the same thickness as Green this year and he is much quicker.

I don't believe you need to be a bruiser to be successful. I predict he has a big time year. Maybe even pro-bowl.


Nowhere near as strong as Green.

Doesn't break tackles or run people over

IMO he's an injury waiting to happen

I hope I'm wrong

[HarveyWallbangers]

Nowhere near as strong as Green.

Doesn't break tackles or run people over

IMO he's an injury waiting to happen

I hope I'm wrong

Why would a guy who doesn't look to run over people be injury prone? Wouldn't that make him less likely to get injured. Guys like Da Poop and Ahman would be more likely to get injured--since the look to run over people. Most RBs are going to be smaller than the DL and LB trying to tackle them, so I would think the shiftier guys would be less injury prone (I'm thinking of guys like Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, etc.).

[The Leaper]

Why would a guy who doesn't look to run over people be injury prone? Wouldn't that make him less likely to get injured. Guys like Da Poop and Ahman would be more likely to get injured--since the look to run over people. Most RBs are going to be smaller than the DL and LB trying to tackle them, so I would think the shiftier guys would be less injury prone (I'm thinking of guys like Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, etc.).

I agree.

I don't get the line of reasoning that finds "power" backs to be less prone to injury than "finesse" backs. Power backs simply have more carries because teams typically utilize them more frequently as they do not switch backs for short yardage situations. In reality, that means NOTHING in regard to someone's durability.

If anything, "power" backs typically are playing at less than 100% for most of the season due to the constant pounding they take. That is precisely why you see the trend toward more teams using a 2 back philosophy. Running one guy 350 times a year will wear him out in 3-4 years...and usually means you are putting a guy out there each week at 80-90% rather than close to 100%. I don't see why that is considered nirvana to some people...and why they see Morency as what is wrong with the Packer philosophy.

Again...you have 5 or 6 RBs on the roster. Why the need to pile as much responsibility onto one back solely each and every year? I've asked this question several times on this forum, and never have gotten much a response from anyone who has the "power" back mentality. I can understand why you would do that IF you have a ridiculous talent like LT (kind of like how the Packers are currently spoiled with Favre) but that just isn't a logical approach as those kind of players just won't be available to you very often. So, planning around several guys seems far more logical to me...until you find one that proves he is worthy of carrying the team's running game on his own talent. Even then...having a balanced plan only serves to extend the career of your elite RB.

[wist43]

Nowhere near as strong as Green.

Doesn't break tackles or run people over

IMO he's an injury waiting to happen

I hope I'm wrong

Why would a guy who doesn't look to run over people be injury prone? Wouldn't that make him less likely to get injured. Guys like Da Poop and Ahman would be more likely to get injured--since the look to run over people. Most RBs are going to be smaller than the DL and LB trying to tackle them, so I would think the shiftier guys would be less injury prone (I'm thinking of guys like Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, etc.).

Curtis Martin was a bruiser... pretty big guy. James is also a tough player. Both of those guys run the ball hard, and think nothing of lowering their shoulder. Morency goes down pretty easily - he plays the game very small.

I can remember in the 2nd Minnesota game last year Antoine Winfield picked him up and drove him back - twice... and Winfield is 5'9", 180 lbs.

Morency may be listed at 220, but he runs like he's 150... Winfield kicked his ass pretty convincingly. Don't mind Morency as a change of pace guy, but I want a bigger/tougher every down back.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Curtis Martin was 5'11" and 210 pounds. Morency is 5'10" 212 pounds (even without the 8 added pounds). Curtis Martin was far from a bruiser. He did prove his durability over the years--something Morency hasn't proven. However, there's nothing wrong with Morency's size. He just hasn't done it since college--when he had ~300 carries for 1400 yards and 12 TDs after Tatum Bell left.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Edge is a little bigger than those two (220 pounds), but he's not bruiser. What made him special is his ability to find holes, agility, and the fact he was an all-around player. Plenty of good RBs have been Morency's size or smaller. You don't have to be a bruiser to be successful. I wouldn't classify Tomlinson (5'10" 221) as a bruiser.

Morency is comparable to all of these guys in size (not to mention a guy like Warrick Dunn):

Frank Gore - 5'9" 215
Tiki Barber - 5'10" 205
Willie Parker - 5'10" 209
Brian Westbrook - 5'8" 203
Chester Taylor - 5'11" 213
Joseph Addai - 5'11" 213

We'll see if Morency can stand up to the pounding. We don't know either way at this point. We don't even know if he'll have to--depending on Brandon Jackson.

[wist43]

Body type, running style... Look at Jones-Drew - small guy, very tough, very strong.

Morency isn't that type of back... I know you guys want Morency to be the answer, and maybe he will be, but he's a small runner. That's just his running style.

[RashanGary]

Morency plays no smaller than LT, Faulk, C. Martin and many, many other great RB's.

I don't consider him in their class of player but his size/style in no way preclude him from becoming a good back. His durability/overall ability might though.

[Partial]

The kid is gonna be a baller. He looks to have the same thickness as Green this year and he is much quicker.

I don't believe you need to be a bruiser to be successful. I predict he has a big time year. Maybe even pro-bowl.


Nowhere near as strong as Green.

Doesn't break tackles or run people over

IMO he's an injury waiting to happen

I hope I'm wrong

Green was stronger than Barry Sanders, Clinton Portis, LT, Tiki Barber, etc. I don't think anyone would complain about their performance and their lack of strength.

You're correct that he doesn't run over people. He jukes them out of their jock. Look at his tape of his explosive runs. He hits the hole just as hard as Green and instead of running into people, he cuts and makes them miss.

I would say since Ahman Green has played 66% of the games over the several seasons, he is no more of an injury liability.

[Partial]

Body type, running style... Look at Jones-Drew - small guy, very tough, very strong.

Morency isn't that type of back... I know you guys want Morency to be the answer, and maybe he will be, but he's a small runner. That's just his running style.

Jones-Drew does NOT run over people. Are you smoking crack? He is quick as a cat and jukes people out of their jock. I am a big Jags fan and have downloaded many of their games. He game is get low, find a hole, cut to the outside, stiff arm for extra yards.

[wist43]

Don't know what you're looking at... Jones-Drew is a little tank. Very tough runner - going to take more than an arm tackle to bring him down.

[Tarlam!]

Fact is, Jones-Drew has already made an impact and he has lots of admirers. If we had JD, not many people would be asking so many questions about our backs.

[Partial]

Don't know what you're looking at... Jones-Drew is a little tank. Very tough runner - going to take more than an arm tackle to bring him down.

He's tough but he doesn't run anyone over at 5'7" 210(there is no way he is bigger than 180 lbs).

He has good thickness, about the same as morency and is definitely a cutting back. He is as quick as a cat.

[wist43]

Don't know what you're looking at... Jones-Drew is a little tank. Very tough runner - going to take more than an arm tackle to bring him down.

He's tough but he doesn't run anyone over at 5'7" 210(there is no way he is bigger than 180 lbs).

He has good thickness, about the same as morency and is definitely a cutting back. He is as quick as a cat.

Are you sure you're looking at the right guy (rhetorical - I know you know)??? Jones-Drew is definitely over 200 lbs... He's a very stout dude.

I don't know if you can go back and look at some tape from last year, but he's definitely not a Warrick Dunn clone. Jones-Drew has very thick thighs, and a thick trunk... like I said, he's very stout guy.

[Partial]

Don't know what you're looking at... Jones-Drew is a little tank. Very tough runner - going to take more than an arm tackle to bring him down.

He's tough but he doesn't run anyone over at 5'7" 210(there is no way he is bigger than 180 lbs).

He has good thickness, about the same as morency and is definitely a cutting back. He is as quick as a cat.

Are you sure you're looking at the right guy (rhetorical - I know you know)??? Jones-Drew is definitely over 200 lbs... He's a very stout dude.

I don't know if you can go back and look at some tape from last year, but he's definitely not a Warrick Dunn clone. Jones-Drew has very thick thighs, and a thick trunk... like I said, he's very stout guy.

He's about a thick as morency. Morency is much thicker than you give him credit for. As a matter of fact, I would think they are about the same overall size. Morency weighed in at 220 and I don't believe he's a lick about 190-195. These guys weights are both being fudged.

[RashanGary]

I agree that JOnes Drew plays a little tougher than Morency, but it's not much.

[wist43]

Not sure what games you guys watched that led you to believe that Jones-Drew plays small...

I watched 3-4 Jax games last year, and Jones-Drew ran like a tank... I don't know how else to put it. DB's just bounced off him, LB's had all they could handle in trying to get him down, he ran it up inside very tough.

I have no reason to argue that Jones-Drew is something more than he really is... it's just what I saw from him last year.

[HarveyWallbangers]

MJD is a physical little runner. I'm not throwing him in there. You've just sidetracked from wist's assumption that Morency can only be a third down or situational back because of his size--when there are plenty of similar sized RBs currently and historically that were good full-time RBs.

[Bretsky]

Body type, running style... Look at Jones-Drew - small guy, very tough, very strong.

Morency isn't that type of back... I know you guys want Morency to be the answer, and maybe he will be, but he's a small runner. That's just his running style.

Jones-Drew does NOT run over people. Are you smoking crack? He is quick as a cat and jukes people out of their jock. I am a big Jags fan and have downloaded many of their games. He game is get low, find a hole, cut to the outside, stiff arm for extra yards.

Jones Drew runs through a lot of people

[Bretsky]

Nowhere near as strong as Green.

Doesn't break tackles or run people over

IMO he's an injury waiting to happen

I hope I'm wrong

Why would a guy who doesn't look to run over people be injury prone? Wouldn't that make him less likely to get injured. Guys like Da Poop and Ahman would be more likely to get injured--since the look to run over people. Most RBs are going to be smaller than the DL and LB trying to tackle them, so I would think the shiftier guys would be less injury prone (I'm thinking of guys like Emmitt Smith, Curtis Martin, Edgerrin James, etc.).

I was making simple IMO points and did not mean to link his not running people over to being injury prone.

Wasn't he hurt last year ? I'm just not convinced the guy can carry the load, and I certainly don't think he has outstanding juke moves that will save him from some big hits.

Maybe I keep having flashbacks to the Rams game I attended; Morency looked horrid and Noah OK Herron came in and looked like the second coming of Jim Brown.

[wist43]

I'm not making an "assumption" that Morency can't be an every down back b/c of his size. Were he a tough and durable runner, I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with his size - although my preference would be for a bigger back.

My overall point wrt Morency is, regardless of his listed size or his actual size, he plays small. He does not lower his shoulder and deliver blows, he does not move the pile, and he does not hit it hard up inside. He'll hit the backside hard and decisively, but he's not an effective inside runner.

I do desent from Bretsky on his contention that Morency doesn't have the feet to avoid... on the contrary, I think he has very good feet, and I think he is an effective change of pace back; but, Bretsky and I are in agreement with the larger point, i.e. Morency isn't an every down back.

[Partial]

And you and Bretsky will together eat your words. Or I will take it like a champion and let you all harrass me and hang me out to dry :wink:

[HarveyWallbangers]

Maybe I keep having flashbacks to the Rams game I attended; Morency looked horrid and Noah OK Herron came in and looked like the second coming of Jim Brown.

You and I sat together for the Cards at Green Bay, and he was stellar.
:D

[Bretsky]

And you and Bretsky will together eat your words. Or I will take it like a champion and let you all harrass me and hang me out to dry :wink:


I'd be happy to eat them

:lol:

[Tarlam!]

The kid works hard, that seems to be beyond question. He talks the talk, too. What he says publicly, hits the right chords by me.

The main thing is, we have 1600 regular season rushing yards with our combination of backs. Of course it's wonderful to have stars on our roster. Having a bunch of pro bowlers adds a huge sense of pride.

But teams win or lose. If the sum of our RBs is better than any one star, fine by me. Main thing we win.

[Tarlam!]

Didn't want to start a new thread, but, WHAT ABOUT WYNN?

I know, 7th rounder that only won a national championship. His stock fell due to his bad work ethics, but can he play?

[The Leaper]

Wynn certainly could potentially be the short yardage guy we need. He is a load.

[Joemailman]

So everybody...how early do you take Morency in 12 team Fantasy Football? I consider him a weak #2 because of the possibility that he will split carries with Jackson. 4th round maybe?

[Bretsky]

So everybody...how early do you take Morency in 12 team Fantasy Football? I consider him a weak #2 because of the possibility that he will split carries with Jackson. 4th round maybe?


I'm leaving him for you :lol: :wink:

[wist43]

So everybody...how early do you take Morency in 12 team Fantasy Football? I consider him a weak #2 because of the possibility that he will split carries with Jackson. 4th round maybe?

I consider him a #3... wouldn't take him in the 4th - there's too much other high end talent at WR/TE/QB that starts getting picked off the board.

Would look at Morency in the 5th/6th round... I think he'd last that long. Got Donald Driver in the 5th round last year, and Fred Taylor in the 6th. There's pretty good talent available in those middle rounds - you'd have to compare them against Morency.

[Joemailman]

You may be right about Morency being a 3. That was just off the top of my head, as I haven't looked at Fantasy stuff yet. The Packer situation is similar to the Indy situation last year. How long before the rookie starts getting more carries than the veteran?

[RashanGary]

Morency is a starting running back though. He's a safe bet to get yards and TD's just like it's a safe bet for a Center in basketball to get 8 rebounds.

[Bretsky]

Morency is a starting running back though. He's a safe bet to get yards and TD's just like it's a safe bet for a Center in basketball to get 8 rebounds.

Exactly right, but I would not want to have to count on him. I'd consider him a #3 right now. Definitely would not want him as a starter yet, and not even that sure I'd want him as a 3 if you value RB's

Kind of like Rhodes last year with Indy. People we unsure if Addai would unset him soon, or at all. We have no idea what is going to occur between Morency or Jackson.

[wist43]

I'm in two leagues... one values receptions and is weighted toward QB's and WR's. The other is more traditional with RB's being more valuable... still, I don't think I'd consider Morency b/4 the 6th round in either league.

Morency is going to get touches, but you have to discount him b/c he's never done it; the Packers running game is questionable anyway; and, Jackson will likely steal carries as the season wears on.