Are we overestimating our RB need?

Mason is a nice player and you could argue he has that Emmitt smith, Walter Payton look about him. Not real fast and not real big but still a nice combination of quickness, strength, balance etc. But how do you predict that?

 

A base 43 when you have STUDS across the board gets more pressure. This is especially true if you have a haynesworth type DT in the middle.

However, the 34 is sending 4 on majority of the snaps as well. Primarily you have 3 DTs on the field instead of 2. Call em what you want but 285-290 DE is a DT. The difference here is if you have a couple players that can do a couple different things, it opens up the whole scheme. Very average 34 talents play similar to average 43. Low variance and conservative.

History tends to lean to the idea that it's also harder to build a great 43 compared to a 34. A lot of role players can be used in a 34 for substitutes while 43 is the ultimate base package.

Let's also not forget 34 goes sub/nickel a lot anyways. There's hardly any significant difference when the down and distance is excessively into the passing area.

Giving the qb confusing looks and forcing him to sometimes guess can easily make it more aggressive. Any of the lbs might come, or multiples of them. From any direction.

You can stunt plays in a 43, simple cross overs and inside/outside blitzes but nothing like the possibles from the 34 where everyone shows blitz and only one might come. The variance IMO makes it more aggressive. Maybe it's more "visually aggressive" than it may actually be rush but obviously that should be considered more aggressive than a basic base 4 rush DL. Compare it to the prevent... What's more aggressive? That is a rational judgement of how the defense is perceived.

 

Looking at the draft countdown 3 rd mock we could do very well waiting until rd 3 to get a top RB. They have Hill going at pick 73 in the third and mason going more to the end of that rd.

If we want a guy like that bad enough we could do a trade similar to how we got Jared cook and just offer a 2nd rd pick for 2015 and maybe a late pick this year. That way you get the RB you want and he plays for you a year before you use the pick.

FYI Draft countdown has us taking Gilbert at 11 and Nix at 42 so our defense would be well taken care of.

 

Sport science combine special is on espn 2 right now and he just said the top 20 backs of all time in rushing yards average 5'9 1/2 217 lbs.

Sankey and Mason fit that size. You think of guys with the best size speed ratio as being the best but the truly great backs are not usually really big. Look at a guy like Stewart for the Panthers a 230 lb guy who ran a sub 4.40 he has had a decent but not great career.

 

I wouldn't really want to have to trade up for a RB. Too easily replaceable. If you want the guy in the second (and you believe he's worth it) other than Hyde, I'd prefer to wait Til the 4th

 

Yea the 5'8 -225ish is my preference but Hyde does break that mold. Most the rbs this year are taller

 

I'm not talking abut trading up i'm taking about getting a pick we don't have for a future pick. If a Rb with a first rd grade is sitting there in the middle of the third rd that would be the time to make a move like that. RBs don't need time to develop so you can get production right away. A back like the ones we are talking about could get us 800 yards before we even spend the pick on him.

 

It just doesn't make sense to switch from 43 to 34 without drafting our own von miller type player.

 

Yes of course, it wouldn't make sense to stay in a 43 without drafting another kearse either. We frankly don't have a legit starting LE/Rush backer regardless. Ayers and brown could EXCELL in that role tho. Especially ayers because he was really fit to be a rush LB coming out of college.

I'm not saying "don't take a rush LB" - I'm saying I'm not sold on Barr. Very timid about that possibility.

 

Terrance West is 5'9" 224lbs...Guy has shown that he can do it all. and you won't find a RB with better production...80 rushing TDs