Jamaal Williams is really really good/Lucas Patrick is not

[AlexGreen#20]

RBs are hard to evaluate. So much of what they do is dependent on the blocking in front of them, that it's difficult to parse out their contribution versus that of the blocking. 

A perfect example of that is Aaron Jones' 75 yard run on Sunday. Jones didn't do anything wrong here, but he didn't really do anything great either. Bakhtiari and Jenkins are going to pull off a beautiful combo block and the Safeties are going to take horrendous angles. All Jones does really is run 75 yards in a straight line. 

It's a great play, but it's not really a great play by Jones.

I'm not ripping on Jones by the way. His growth as a player in the ancillary aspects of being a Running Back is every bit as impressive as Williams' growth as a runner.

This was nothing short of a tremendous blitz pickup by Jones. Jarrad Davis is a good player who HITS. This must have hurt, but he stood in and did what needed to be done, and the offense had a great gain. because of it. It wasn't pretty, but blitz pickup doesn't need to be.

+++

Williams on the other hand, had a ton of his own production today. The blocking for him in fact was rather poor.

This was the best play by a Running Back running the ball against the Lions. Patrick and Wagner do not have the combo block set. Jarrad Davis is in the hole, ready to deliver a kill shot to Williams. But he takes that jump cut back into the C gap, gets Davis to move over, and then cuts back into the A gap, and by that time Patrick has come off the combo block and keeps Davis out of the play. 

That is tremendous running back play when it comes to setting up your blockers for success. That is patient, veteran, disciplined, creative running. 

+++

This is supposed to be an outside stretch. Wagner goes outside looking to block somebody or seal the edge, and Patrick doesn't get over in time to take out #58 who is crashing down. Williams does a good job of seeing it, putting his foot in the ground, cutting off it, and finishing the run for a gain of 7. The backside blocking here by Bakhtiari, Jenkins, and Linsley was also top notch. 

+++

Excellent protection is something we've come to expect out of Williams, but it can't be overstated how important it is to the team's success. This was the 4th and 6 play in the first quarter. Jenkins gets beat off the snap and this play is in danger. Look at how small that window is. If Rodgers is dealing with a guy in his face, he likely doesn't cut this loose. But Williams comes over, delivers the shot, and gives Rodgers the time to get this off. 

+++

Another outside zone run, another snap where Patrick gets dominated. Again, Williams is going to see it, make the cut, and find a crease. That's a gain of 11. Another snap where the backside blocking was tremendous by the left side of the line.

+++

This isn't a great run for yardage, but it's the yardage that's blocked. Patrick and Wagner are supposed to combo block up to the linebacker. Neither one of them can get off the DT. Lazard is also asked to make basically an impossible block here. 

+++

Patient running. The Lions don't have enough bodies here to fill every gap, so as long as he doesn't pick a gap that's covered, he's got big yardage here. Patrick is smart enough to let the defender pick a gap and trust Williams to cut off of his hip into the open hole, rather than fighting and risking the chance that the defender slides off his block for a stop.

+++

Lucas Patrick is going to get beat off the snap. It's a quick throw so it likely doesn't matter, but again, Williams is there to make sure nothing happens to Rodgers. 

+++

Not a great run, but the  yardage that's blocked.

Jace Sternberger genuinely sucks right now. That was the worst blocking effort I think I've ever seen out of a Packers Tight End. 

+++

Both combo blocks fail. Lewis gives Tonyan a great start on the TE combo, but Tonyan gets slipped immediately.  Jenkins and Bakhtiari just can't get up to the LB. 

+++

Wagner gets slipped bad here. 

+++

Watch the bottom of the screen and you can watch Williams lay out a LB trying to cheap shot him on a crossing route. Just thrown in for fun. 

[snackattack]

Im a big fan of jamal. A year ago i thought we were more likely to extend him than jones based on how much more money jones would command. Now im starting to think we might pay jones bc of his receiving skills, and i will be sad when that means we dont extend jamal 😪

[AlexGreen#20]

Just now, snackattack said:

Im a big fan of jamal. A year ago i thought we were more likely to extend him than jones based on how much more money jones would command. Now im starting to think we might pay jones bc of his receiving skills, and i will be sad when that means we dont extend jamal 😪

If we resign Jones for 13 rather than Williams for 2, I'm gonna be pissed. 

[snackattack]

Just now, AlexGreen#20 said:

If we resign Jones for 13 rather than Williams for 2, I'm gonna be pissed. 

Yeah im starting to think we will. I like jones, a lot, but would rather pay bahk or king

[HighCalebR]

Man, if you got the time. Do more. Good respite from bad hot takes.

I think Patrick is just meant to get you out of a game at G. Band aid at C. I really hope the plan isn't G for the season. Cuz that aint it.

[VonKarman]

I'd happily give Jamaal a 3-year 10M contract instead of paying Jones.

[ThatJerkDave]

This is a Lucas Patrick slander-free zone.  

[MacReady]

I want it on record saying I called this at the end of last year.  Williams and Dillon are who I want at RB going forward considering their cost.

Jones really only has speed over Williams, and he’s a great RB to have on a rookie contract, but I feel his production can be replaced by equally cheap backs.

Williams, however, might be the most underrated player on our roster.  I’m dreading that day I wake up to see Aaron Jones signs a contract extension that will cripple our cap space.

[packfanfb]

33 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

If we resign Jones for 13 rather than Williams for 2, I'm gonna be pissed. 

Im taking Jones for 10 over Williams for 5 though.

[packfanfb]

5 minutes ago, Outpost31 said:

I want it on record saying I called this at the end of last year.  Williams and Dillon are who I want at RB going forward considering their cost.

Jones really only has speed over Williams, and he’s a great RB to have on a rookie contract, but I feel his production can be replaced by equally cheap backs.

Williams, however, might be the most underrated player on our roster.  I’m dreading that day I wake up to see Aaron Jones signs a contract extension that will cripple our cap space.

Jones' vision is twice as good as Jamaal. They simply are on two completely different tiers as runners. Hence why one deserves three times the money as the other. 

I say all of this while also loving 30. 

Edited September 26, 2020 by packfanfb

[snackattack]

2 minutes ago, packfanfb said:

Im taking Jones for 10 over Williams for 5 though.

With guys like mixon, cook, and david johnson getting 12-13 million a year, no way jones’ market value is 10. He may be willing to resign here for that amount, but someone would pay him 12 or 13 if he hits FA

[packfanfb]

Just now, snackattack said:

With guys like mixon, cook, and david johnson getting 12-13 million a year, no way jones’ market value is 10. He may be willing to resign here for that amount, but someone would pay him 12 or 13 if he hits FA

Moreso just making a point. Jones is easily worth twice the value of Jamaal. Maybe even three times, but that's a tougher decision.

[spilltray]

4 minutes ago, packfanfb said:

Moreso just making a point. Jones is easily worth twice the value of Jamaal. Maybe even three times, but that's a tougher decision.

Disagree. I'd be fine with Williams up to 6, I wouldn't go over 10 for Jones, and I'm betting the actual # for him is closer to 14.

[snackattack]

Just now, packfanfb said:

Moreso just making a point. Jones is easily worth twice the value of Jamaal. Maybe even three times, but that's a tougher decision.

I hear ya, and agree that jones has two or three times the market value as jamal. Market value may be different than value to this team though, and i think i will be a little bit troubled by the cap hit if we pay him market value

[AlexGreen#20]

31 minutes ago, packfanfb said:

Im taking Jones for 10 over Williams for 5 though.

Do you see Williams getting 5, or anything close to it? The second tier veteran RB market is basically nothing. 5 million AAv would have him tied with Mark Ingram for the 17th highest RB contract this year.