Projected line-up

If he gets 20 carries per game that is 320 for an entire year. At 5.0 yards per carry that is 1600 yards. That would lead the NFL a lot of years. I doubt he can maintain that ypc with that many more carries but even if it drops to 4.0 that is still 1280 yards and still pretty darn good.

 

Not really.

People always discount Sanders because he "only had five or six impressive runs a game." That always got me rolling, kinda in the same way I had to hear how DW doesn't make many Smith/Houston type moves. If Sanders had a chance to beat out Walter's record well before Smith eventually did, he did it on more than a few fluke runs. The idea of discounting something a player does extraordinarily, and repeatably, for the sake of simply talking him down, I just don't get that.

If you take Steve Smith's TD catches away from his career, sure, he looks less impressive. That doesn't make doing so realistic. Taking two multi-TD 50+ yard runs from Tshimanga Biakabutuka may be more realistic, but it's still no more representative, and Williams is certainly no TB.

 

I don't think he's going to need to get 20 every game, but 20 is a solid goal per game. I think, if/when he hits stride, he won't be splitting carries 1:1 the way that Foster did with him, considering that Foster got a lot of tough inside yards but just also lacked burst.

 

I would just as soon he not average more than 20 because he will wear down. If we need to run the ball 30 plus times per game then we need to give some carries to Toefield or Hoover.

I do not mind bringing in another back for depth or for the rotation but not to compete for the starting spot.

 

I'm somewhat more OK with Bridge playing RT than I am with him playing RG. The bad thing about that is that Gross would be playing LT, were I don't think he's very good.

Hopefully we can get that LT with the 1st rounder.

 

I know this is not what they have been saying but keeping Wharton at LT and Gross at RT might be the best way to go. They could then focus on upgrades at guard. Trade down and take Albert and you get the best guard prospect in the draft and extra picks. Then you can take another guard or tackle who can play guard later in the draft. Let Vincent fight with a rookie for a starting spot.

 

I was painting with a broad stroke and in no way intended to take anything away from Sanders, that was just his running style. D-Dub has a similar style or appears to in limited action. The point being that increasing his touches should increase his chances of breaking for big gains. He strikes me as the type of back that will have a number of 0-3 yard carries mixed with a big one here and there. With more experience he could prove to be a different type of back, but that's what I have seen of him to date.
It's not a bad thing, I can't wait to see D-Dub get more opportunities. Maybe not in '08, but I think he'll take a rushing title or two before he's done.

 

I do not see that much in common between DW and Barry Sanders. Sanders could fake a cheetah out of its spots and make cuts that no one before or after him could. He was not a flat out burner though. He could be run down from behind. Almost all runners are making a mistake to run backwards in hopes of gaining yards, except for Barry Sanders. He could make something out of nothing better than any one. He never had a great OL to help him.

DW is not nearly as shifty as Barry but he is probably faster. DW reminds me more of Emmit Smith or Terrell Davis than Barry Sanders.