2024 RB Talk

[Tugboat]

4 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

True not many teams look for a back like that but in the NFL with smaller and smaller LBs they can be effective and a smart move.  Derrick Henry is obviously the main example but even James Conner who teams struggle with, Gus Edwards is another of course, Zek Elliott, D'Onta Foreman, AJ Dillon, Jonathan Taylor etc.  

 

I do feel Estime is being underrated but many backs in this draft are and it is a super deep class so a lot of guys could fall a lot farther than they should.  

 

 

All these guys are big backs that are pretty hard to bring down, some bigger than others of course.  

Braelon Allen
Trey Benson
Audric Estime 
Cody Schrader
Isaiah Davis 
Dillon Johnson 
Isaac Guerendo 
Jase McClellan
Kendall Milton 

 

Estime does have a motor/passion that some other backs do not have, and physically he is a tank.  In the right situation he could be a very effective pro and change of pace back.  It does stink for many RBs they are so under paid but it is just so damn easy to get replacements that are very good and cheap in the draft.  

Yeah.  It's one of those things where, if you can spring him through a hole that he can see and run downhill through...he's going to do some real damage against a lot of modern LBers who are far from thumpers, and especially where you've got DBs coming down and trying to bring him down.  The question is really just...how many teams are set up like that?  Vs the prevalence of inside/outside zone running teams where i just don't know that he's got the quickness laterally and in his cuts and acceleration physically, or the processing of muddy or slower developing lanes to really work there.  He's got real limitations there.

 

AJ Dillon is definitely the recent comp that came to mind for me.  I don't see Estime being anywhere near what Henry was as a prospect.  Henry was significantly bigger, faster, and i'd argue more agile and better at reading lanes as well...while still having at least as much, or even more of that physicality.  Most of those guys in general just have a bigger component of agility to their games.  But Estime could certainly carve out a decent role for himself like AJ Dillon.  That's not farfetched at all.

 

But i think that's this draft's RB class in general.  A lot of teams will probably be plenty happy picking through the different flavors and scooping up a guy that fits what they're looking for on Day3 (maybe late Day2 for a few).  Mostly as an RB2 or tandem/situation sort of guy.  It's got plenty of that sort of "depth" and inevitably a couple will land just perfectly and take on a lead back role for a year or two somewhere.  It's just really weak at the top.  There aren't any real super well-rounded, scheme diverse, "do it all" type RBs with upper level athleticism.  Someone like Harbaugh will probably do it earlier, but i don't really see more than a small handful of RBs who are arguably worth a late Day2 pick.  But there's a boatload easily worth a Day3 pick.  Which is fine with me.  🤷‍♀️

[Football_Bachelor08]

Dylan Laube would be a good pick-up for the Rams. They could use a pass-catching RB, one they haven't had since before Gurley's knees went bad.

[CWood21]

On 4/17/2024 at 8:01 PM, Tugboat said:

More than just a slow 40, he pretty much looks it on tape.

I mean, he's a nice physical presence in the running game but there isn't anything more there.  He'll be the thunder to someone's lightning, but he's not an every down back in that sense.

[Tugboat]

2 hours ago, CWood21 said:

I mean, he's a nice physical presence in the running game but there isn't anything more there.  He'll be the thunder to someone's lightning, but he's not an every down back in that sense.

I think that's pretty much this RB class in a nutshell.  There's a few reasonably well-rounded guys.  But for the most part is just like:

 

Lightning or Thunder  choose one.

 

Which is fine.  Since everyone and their mother is running a tandem backfield these days anyway.  It's just...limiting.

[Darbsk]

On 4/5/2024 at 8:02 AM, thebestever6 said:

I like Kimani Vidal

I feel like he’s flying totally under the radar. Don’t think he’s a #1 feature back but I could see him as a valuable spell back and part of a committee. 

[Armbar]

I think Estime is gonna be a 1,000 yard back. He’s really good at what the NFL will ask him to be. A team dedicated to running the football is gonna fall in love. Man I hope the Ravens don’t take him. 

[badgers0821]

20 minutes ago, Armbar said:

I think Estime is gonna be a 1,000 yard back. He’s really good at what the NFL will ask him to be. A team dedicated to running the football is gonna fall in love. Man I hope the Ravens don’t take him. 

Man I have the exact opposite view of him. I wouldn’t even draft him. But I guess is he gets in the right system he can be effective. He’s Jonathan Taylor’s size but runs significantly slower and has worse vision. I know it’s not fair to compare the two but his size isn’t that great of an asset.

[thebestever6]

1 hour ago, Darbsk said:

I feel like he’s flying totally under the radar. Don’t think he’s a #1 feature back but I could see him as a valuable spell back and part of a committee. 

I think he can be more than that I mean yea he's only 5'8 but he's 215.

[Darbsk]

24 minutes ago, thebestever6 said:

I think he can be more than that I mean yea he's only 5'8 but he's 215.

Doug Martin springs to mind for me, hopefully he stays under the radar and we can ****** him up!