Draft Prospect RB's Who Fit Physical Profile For Bears Offense

[abstract_thought]

1 minute ago, Madmike90 said:

Armstead runs with more wiggle and explosiveness than Howard...we still need some size at RB as ha always been the case in a Reid/Nagy offence.

I wouldn't say he's good laterally. He can make subtle movements to squeeze through a hole, but he's a downhill runner who won't make many guys miss in the 2nd level.

The larger problem he creates is due to his receiving ability. There are some bigger backs who seem much more natural running routes and catching the ball.

[dll2000]

 

Just now, G08 said:

Agreed. Armstead runs like he's shot out of a cannon, which is great most times but can be detrimental if holes aren't open. Needs to find a little more patience but this dude seemingly will get you 2-3 yards if there is no hole open.

I don't feel it with Armstead.  I like his athletic ability, but he doesn't seem to have a natural feel for game.  If he is the pick so be it, but he wouldn't be mine.  

As to wasting a high pick.  None of these are high picks.  We don't pick until 3rd round.  You can get really great players in mid to late rounds of course, but each round your chances are dropping.

Each draft even with 1sts and 2nds its a good draft if you can hit on 3 guys.

 

[Madmike90]

8 minutes ago, abstract_thought said:

I wouldn't say he's good laterally. He can make subtle movements to squeeze through a hole, but he's a downhill runner who won't make many guys miss in the 2nd level.

The larger problem he creates is due to his receiving ability. There are some bigger backs who seem much more natural running routes and catching the ball.

I have no issue with his lateral ability...is he Cohen? No...but for a 220lbs back he has plenty...his receiving skills also seem solid enough to me...

I just feel that this running back room is going to be all about different skill sets...you need a downhill guy in this offence.

[soulman]

5 hours ago, abstract_thought said:

I don't see Armstead as a great fit because he's not very natural as a receiver and will create issues similar to Howard.

I really don't see enough upside in many of these guys to warrant an early pick. Is it worth spending a pick on Singletary or Williams when guys like Ware and Yeldon are available for cheap? I'd rather draft a developmental player with upside and address the need through free agency.

We don't really know just how cheap Ware or Yeldon are.  One reason they're still unsigned could be their asking price.  Ware at least was guaranteed $2.3 mil on his last deal so the question is how close to a vet minimum of $805k can we get them and even then a mid round rookie would still be cheaper.

Personally I'd spend some money for Ware if we could do it without having to give him a large guarantee.  There wasn't much sense trading Howard if we gonna turn around and pay another RB $2 mil as a #3 or #4 back.  If we can get him for the vet minimum with less than $90k in bonus money he only counts $645k against the cap so that gets his cap cost down around what a rookie would cost us.

Regardless of his "warts" from the Combine I see some real value in Singletary in this offense.  He's a guy whose gonna get positive yardage on most of his carries and he knows how to find the end zone.  I think Nagy could use him on short yardage, goal line, and some 3rd down snaps to save some wear and tear on Davis.

He's not much of a breakaway threat but we have Cohen and Patterson who are.  Besides how many long TD runs are scored in the NFL anyway.  It's rare.  Singletary has the moves and the juice to score from inside the red zone and along with what else he can do that enough.  IMHO we're looking for a good utility back who can do a little of everything and he's it.

[G08]

8 minutes ago, soulman said:

Singletary has the moves and the juice to score from inside the red zone and along with what else he can do that enough.  IMHO we're looking for a good utility back who can do a little of everything and he's it.

[AZBearsFan]

8 hours ago, WindyCity said:

My biggest problem with that is that there is no upside to those carries.

Where if Armstead or Hill are getting those carries they are going to improve and perhaps turn into something more than we think.

In 2016, when they handed the job to Howard, if they had handed it to some boring veteran who would give you a workman like 800 yards that would have been a disappointment. If you are being forced to give work to someone because of injury, especially at an instant impact position like RB, I would like to give them to someone who may be the Bears starting RB for 4 years.

With a vet as RB2 over a rookie in that situation you're looking for competence first over upside. In 2016 we were a bottom tier team. This team isn’t. The upside is in the rookie who is also probably getting significant reps in that situation even if not RB1 reps. The NEED in your non-developmental depth is a non-liability. Ware, Yeldon and some of the other options provide that. 

[abstract_thought]

FWIW Kareem Hunt doesn't have great timed speed and has a lot of traits in common with Singletary.

[soulman]

3 hours ago, G08 said:

LOL  Believe it or not I'm still not stumping for him but I can definitely see the attraction.  Somewhat like Cohen he does some things I haven't seen others do, he does them consistently, and top end speed isn't required to do them.  He's a unique kind of back.

What's most impressive is even if all the D gives him is a tiny sliver of a crease he's small enough yet powerful enough and slippery enough to gain some yardage out of it and around the goal line he's tough to stop.  Close a lane and he'll find one right next to it or make you think he's gonna take it outside only to make that 90 degree cut of his and whoops, you overplayed it and he's spiking the ball after scoring.

I'd like for us to take him because like Cohen I think you can hide him behind the OL and all of a sudden he pops out headed for daylight.  He'll be fun to watch.  But if we don't get him I'll live with that too just as long as he's out of the NFCN. 

[G08]

12 minutes ago, soulman said:

LOL  Believe it or not I'm still not stumping for him but I can definitely see the attraction.  Somewhat like Cohen he does some things I haven't seen others do, he does them consistently, and top end speed isn't required to do them.  He's a unique kind of back.

What's most impressive is even if all the D gives him is a tiny sliver of a crease he's small enough yet powerful enough and slippery enough to gain some yardage out of it and around the goal line he's tough to stop.  Close a lane and he'll find one right next to it or make you think he's gonna take it outside only to make that 90 degree cut of his and whoops, you overplayed it and he's spiking the ball after scoring.

I'd like for us to take him because like Cohen I think you can hide him behind the OL and all of a sudden he pops out headed for daylight.  He'll be fun to watch.  But if we don't get him I'll live with that too just as long as he's out of the NFCN. 

His ability to create something out of nothing, especially when due to garbage blocking, is what I love. He finds a way to get yards, and I don't think you're 2nd in all of college football in missed tackles per touch on accident. David Montgomery was #1 at 0.39 missed tackles per touch, Devin Singletary was #2 at 0.36.

I was watching more clips of him, he's not bad as a lead blocker on end arounds -- he'll stick his head in there and take out a defenders legs.

[soulman]

11 hours ago, WindyCity said:

My biggest problem with that is that there is no upside to those carries.

Where if Armstead or Hill are getting those carries they are going to improve and perhaps turn into something more than we think.

In 2016, when they handed the job to Howard, if they had handed it to some boring veteran who would give you a workman like 800 yards that would have been a disappointment. If you are being forced to give work to someone because of injury, especially at an instant impact position like RB, I would like to give them to someone who may be the Bears starting RB for 4 years.

This is where we may be thinking wrong.

What if there won't be any Bears RB toting the ball for 4 years?  What if, like NE, we become another revolving door of RBs?

Despite having the 3rd most rushing yardage among NFL backs over the past 3 seasons Howard was traded after just one season of failing to prosper in this offense.  Davis was signed for only two years so at least for now, or maybe ever, he's not being treated as a long term solution.

We've been drafting backs in the 4th and 5th round ever since Pace arrived and there no good reason to think we may not do the same again this year.

I'm not saying Davis may not prove out and be extended or that we may not get lucky again and find another back like Howard who sticks for awhile but there are times when Paces impatience with a player is clear and when that happens he doesn't hesitate to move on from him.

I'm getting more accustomed to us not having any bell cow backs under Nagy unless we somehow find another Matt Forte who can run, catch, and block as effectively as he did.  It's just unlikely we'll find that guy in rounds 4 and 5 this year.

[Sugashane]

15 hours ago, G08 said:

@soulman

Just remember, he put his nutsack on your drum set.

[dll2000]

12 hours ago, abstract_thought said:

FWIW Kareem Hunt doesn't have great timed speed and has a lot of traits in common with Singletary.

Hunt is a much better receiver. 

[dll2000]

16 hours ago, G08 said:

This is my new favorite GIF. 

[soulman]

1 hour ago, Sugashane said:

@soulman

Just remember, he put his nutsack on your drum set.

Impossible.  I would never be a drummer.  Crazy as I may be I'm never that crazy.

[soulman]

48 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

Hunt is a much better receiver. 

That may or may not be true once he's on this team but in any event it would be more important if we lacked Cohen or if Singletary was expected to be our primary back in 2019.  I don't believe that's what's expected of any RB we draft.

It's not his receiving skills that stand out to me.  It's his power and elusiveness as a runner and his willingness to block.  There will be times when the RB needs to handle a blitz or chip on a rusher and Singletary will do that.

Even if it turns out that he's no more than average as a receiver we still have Davis, Cohen and Patterson to handle that so Nagy can use him for what he's best at which by my observation is running the ball even when they know you're gonna run.