Julius Jones

McFadden....only problem though, is he plays like DeAngelo. He's not a big bruiser, but damn he gots mad skillz!

 

kevin smith

 

has a ton of carries on him- I don't necessarily object to a rookie but we could find someone who is less prone to overuse injuries.

 

emmitt smith had 700 carries in college. at least you know he's durable.

 

I'm not against a committee approach that includes a guy like Smith.

The problem is, he's neither the bigest back nor the flashiest name.

And I think he'll go before 3, which is the earliest I would look at a back; and, then, of course, we're still missing out on a veteran presence.

 

i heard some dude on fox radio say that he wasn't sure smith would even get drafted.

 

From ESPN Insider. I am a little leery of his "perceived" lack of a second gear to get around the off. tackles in the pros. That and if nothing else we learned from Foster, quit dancing and hit the fucking hole


Strengths: Patient and makes the most of his blockers. Has above-average lower body strength, instinctively turns pads when trying to squeeze through tight spaces and can pick up tough yards in short-yardage situations. Keeps eyes down field, has adequate lateral mobility, can cut back when sees defense over pursuing and can bounce runs outside when defense collapses inside. Doesn't have great elusiveness but shifty and can make the first defender miss. Plays with a mean streak, has good upper body strength and flashes a powerful stiff arm. Runs with excellent balance, bounces off arm tackles and is tough to bring down in the open field. Is a long-strider and possesses deceiving top-end speed. Shows good awareness, does a good job of stepping up and flashes the ability to anchor when asked to help out in pass protection. Attacks the thighs of blitzing linebackers and is an effective cut blocker. Shows good focus as a receiver out of the backfield and shouldn't drop many passes that should catch.

Weaknesses: Takes too long to reach top-end speed and is going to have a harder time turning the corner at the NFL level. Lacks elite top-end speed and isn't going to outrun NFL defenses when gets a seam. Tries to make too much happen at times and dances in the backfield rather than getting what he can when there's no seam. Runs too high and is going to take some big hits. Doesn't run crisp routes, doesn't explode out of cuts and is going to have a hard time separating from man coverage. While extremely productive, played in the Conference USA and there is some concern about ability to make the jump to the NFL. Missed two games with a shoulder injury in 2006 and durability is somewhat of a concern. Missed a 2006 game because of disciplinary reasons and character may be a concern.

Overall: Smith started in 11 of the 13 games he appeared in as a true-freshman in 2005. In 2006, he started in nine of the 13 games he appeared in rushing for 934 yards and seven touchdowns. Smith missed two games due to a shoulder injury and one for disciplinary reasons that year. He started all 14 games in 2007 rushing for 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns on 450 carries. Smith also recorded 24 catches, 242 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown last year. Smith doesn't seem to have the burst of a first-day pick and there are some minor question marks regarding his long-term durability, character and level of competition at the collegiate level. On the flipside, there's a lot to like about Smith's size, vision and athletic ability. He had a monster season as a junior in 2007 and it seems he is just now coming into his own as a football player. With all that said; Smith projects as a late-third or early-fourth round pick.

 

That's something we'll be looking for.

 

If we had signed DW as a free agent people on here would be going crazy about how great he is. 5.0 yards a carry on a team with a weak QB, 717 yards as a back up....

 

Yep - way better than Turner, especially considering the QB thing.