re: Why Nick Saban RBS are failing in NFL-send LF copy of article

Maybe this current group of Bama RBs will turn out better. Ingram, Lacy and TR never had to learn how to run due to those slob OGs and OTs opening up 10 foot wide holes for them.

I understand the article and everything. But, you cant blame Saban for what these backs do in the NFL. He was their coach at Bama. Hes not their coach in the NFL. Plus, in the NFL, its getting harder and harder to run the ball due to the development of the passing attack and the athletes on the defensive side are getting better. I mean your getting LBs and DEs that run in the 4.4-4.5 range. Just as fast as RBs and WRs and weight in the 240s+. Youre getting DTs that are 6'3 300 and can move in the 4.7s-4.8s. Thats just scary ridiculous. Defensive players are bigger, stronger, and faster now than they have ever been. Plus, the NFL is pretty much a pass 1st league now. You have so many great WRs and in the past few years the emergence of the freak TE, to go along with a lot of good QBs. And, most systems now are so complex in the passing game its damn near impossible to stop. There are only so many plays you can have to run the ball. In the passing game, their are so many varieties that you can run off of 1 play.

Ingram was a bad pick by the Saints. And out of Ingram, TRich, and Lacy, hes the RB that benefitted the most from a great OL by far. Bellichek had Ridley ahead of Ingram on his big board, and he got Ridley in the 3rd and hes def the better RB. Ingram is average at pretty much everything as a RB. Not good at anything, but just average. And it shows. Hes an average player. But, is it Sabans fault that scouts/analysts/coaches/etc graded Ingram that high? No. Sabans job is what those RBs do in college, and they were good college backs.

In regards to TRich, hes a damn good back. Dont really care what his YPC was. As a rookie, on a horrible team, with a horrible coach and horrible QB and average OL, he had 950 yards and 11 TDs with 370 rec yards and 1 TD. So, as a rookie RB on a horrible team with no pass threat whatsoever going up against Ds that just stacked the box, he had around 1320 yards and 12 TDs. Pretty good for a rookie. And unlike Ingram, TRIch has elite strength and great speed compared to other NFL RBs.

Datbayoubengal, I get that your using stats. But, you gotta look at the teams as whole. Ridley is with the Patriots, who typically are a great rushing team. On top of that, hes with Tom Brady. If you put more than 7 guys in the box, you might as well give up because Brady will shred you. The passing threat that is Tom Brady makes teams respect the passing game, therefore running a lot of nickel and dime, which allows for natural running lanes because for the most part there is usually just 1 LB, with 6 DBs. TRich was on team with no passing threat whatsoever. He was their only threat. Stuff the box with 8-9 guys, and its damn hard to run on them. What TRich did with the Browns last year(1320 yards and 12 TD) as a rookie was pretty impressive IMO. When he gets the Colts playbook down, then it will be fair to judge him and compare him to what Ridley has done.

Too soon to judge Lacy yet. Only played 1 full game and it was vs the 49ers. And I think he had 70 total yards and a TD. Not bad. I think hes already better than Ingram.

You cant compare how good a guy was in college to how good he is, or should be, in the NFL. Just like you cant compare how good a high school player is to how good he should be in college. I mean look at USCs QBs recently. Leinart, Palmer, Sanchez, Barkley, etc. All were really good college QBs. And all were average to crappy NFL QBs. Is it USCs fault or their coaches fault these guys arent as good in the NFL as they were in college?? No. You can even use LSU as an example. We have had a lot of great collegiate DL in recent years. I mean GREAT. National recognized as stars and were going to be great in the pros. For the most part, they have underachieved. We have an exception or 2, but as a whole they havent been as good as they were in college or how high they were touted coming into the NFL. There are a lot of great college players that dont do anything in the NFL.

Point is, its not Sabans fault that these guys arent awesome in the NFL. Hes not their coach. They arent "Saban RBs" anymore. They were when they were at Alabama. But, they are in the NFL now. They are the Browns/Colts RB, Packers RB, Saints RB, etc.

In regards to LF, he knows where to go. He sees what type of offense we have with a legit OC in Cameron and how we can feature a RB that is a notch or 2 above the rest. In the past we have used RBBC,but I think thats because none of those backs were clearly better than the other. When we have a RB that is clearly better than the others on the team, we feature them. Hill, Ridley, Hester, etc.

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KG5989

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good post, i agree with most of what you said, especially about Saban (and same goes for all cllege coaches) not being responsible for how guys do in the NFL. Once they are out of college it is up to the player and his pro team.

However, this doesn't make much sense ;

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Plus, in the NFL, its damn near impossible to run the ball now. Defensive players are bigger, stronger, and faster now than they have ever been

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last year we had a guy come 7 yards from breaking the NFL single season rushing record

The better point is it is a pass first league and RB has been devalued as a position. smart teams can find RBs in later rounds. That's what made the Ingram pick so stupid imo, the Saints had as good a record as anyone at finding RB's later (Thomas, Ivory) made no sense for them to draft Ingram in the first, let alone give up an extra pick for him.

bump

great article

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"hey kid, do you want to play at ALA and be a 1st round pick like Eddie Lacy or Mark Ingram? Do you want a chance at the Heisman like Mark Ingram?


"or do you want to share the ball with 4 other backs, get drafted in the 7th round to become the Seahawks backup Fullback?"

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wow, so pissed that you were miserably wrong about Ridley you have to run down LSU?

anyone that thinks RB's should not consider Alabama is just being biased but come on.

You saying I am wrong?

That lsu has a better pitch than Alabama has now?

Ridley leaves early and is only a 4th rd pick? That's a strong sell to a recruit?

Addai was on a pretty good tear for a while

Hester
Addai
Ridley
Ford


That is about it since K. Faulk.

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You saying I am wrong

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Technically no, but it is kind of disengenous.

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That lsu has a better pitch than Alabama has now?

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Obviously not if you go by where players where drafted. Those saying otherwise are just fans trying to spin it toward their team. Multiple busts from 1 school doesn't really matter. Look at Penn State, Larry Johnson still went in the first after Blair Thomas, Carter, Enis etc.

It is more about the player than where he went to school. Does anyone honestly think that Fournette has a better chance to go in the first if he goes to Alabama and will be relegated to 3rd at best if he goes to LSU? Richardson was much, much better than Ware. That's why they were drafted where they were. Its not like Ware would have gone #3 and TR in the 6th if they switched schools.

A lot of LSU fans like to use the saving players argument, but the truth is they were rotating RB's because no one really distinguished himself for an extended period the last couple of years until Hill. Ridley had like 240 or so carries in 2010, i don't think anyone else had 100. Bama's had better RB's and a much better OL.

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send LF copy of article

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Ya...let's be sure to point out that if he is the featured back at Bama he will be a first round draft pick, second round at worst!