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Brown not yet elite, but as good or better than his contemporaries

hugoguzman

hugoguzman

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http://www.realfootball365.com/articles/dolphins/13027

This isn't a bash piece centered on his lackluster performance last week against the league’s No. 1-ranked run defense (Brown ran 13 times for 27 yards versus Baltimore). Instead, the goal of this journalistic foray is to figure out where Brown stands thus far in the 2008 season; in addition, we'll see where he stands in comparison to other blue-chip running backs who have been drafted in recent years.

Please give it a quick read and let me know what you think. Comments on the article are appreciated!

 
Good read... He's on the cusp of elite. if we can muster the ground game we want consistently, no doubt he'd be an elite back
 
As usual Hugo, good read. When you really compare all those backs RB is a keeper.
 
Good read Hugo.

Ronnie Brown himself said he doesn't think he's an elite back yet because he has yet to play a full season and I will have to agree with him.

I think it was unfortunate that Brown had to play under Saban who wanted to restrict the amount of touches Ronnie received per game and consequentially limited his effectiveness in the red zone where we seemed to pass the ball more than we should have.
 
I gotta be honest here . . . I don't think Brown is elite . . . but not because of other backs . . . its because of injuries . . . they have killed him . . . and last year, he would have been a Pro Bowl runner.

To compare Brown to other backs . . . I'm a be honest with you, LT is the ONLY back that is clearly ahead of him (even tho he has struggled mightly this year)

I also would put AP, though u never know how the injury bug will hit him and his fumbling is a problem . . . but he is more talented . . . hell he is more talented than LT, so that is not a slap in the face to Brown. Still he is only in his second year so I wouldn't say clearly ahead of Brown . . . not just yet, but the kid owns the rushing record already, that speaks volumes to me.

From there, its a toss up . . . u can put Brown third . . . tho guys like Barber and Gore have been more productive (tho neither have better numbers than Brown considering the games that each played the last 2 years, Brown is more productive). Addai . . .I always get weary about that Indy system . . Addai is a great runner, but I would keep Brown ahead of him. LJ just has shut down since that line has lost its pieces . . . he is not the same runner . . . doesn't help that the passing game sucks . . . but I can't put him ahead of Brown . . . he had maybe the greatest 9 game stretch any RB has ever had a few years ago when Holmes went down . . . but he has been average in recent years. Jacobs is a BEAST . . . some people really like him and some people say its the size but he is not an elite RB . . . I dunno, helps that he has a solid OLline and a great QB . . . hell I'm a dolphin fan, Brown is better.

The back I do like ALOT is Marshawn Lynch . . . I like this kid, hell of a RB . . . and he is in my top 5 along with Brown, AP and LT, but I don't like him over Ronnie . . . Ronnie has more speed and Ronnie is a bruiser too.

So to me, Ronnie is the 3rd best RB in the league . . . but he will never be elite until he puts it together for a full season (fluke injury or not). But anybody questioning his ability is being silly now, the man is a BEAST.
 
Interesting feedback thus far.

It's just nice to know that the stats and anecdotal evidence suggest that Brown is at least in the conversation.
 
I like it Hugo..., fair and balanced..., RB cannot be considered "elite" until he puts 3-4 seasons together..., that said he can be a monster..., at anytime..., 4-5 games in a row does not a season make..., the pieces are coming in place to have a running downhill fast and furious pedigree..., and I actually think that the Wildcat has taken some flow of our "O"..., I don't want to see RW run until RB is winded... Period...

RB needs to see 5-6 passes thrown to him a game... 20 running touches... If we don't get him the ball we are doing teams with stout "D" like Baltimore a favour...

The Wildcat when not a base offense..., can actually disrupt your own offensive flow..., and even RB probably feels like he has to hand it off to RW at times just to be fair...
 
Solid article still dont get the slant that he has been as good as his recent draft picks such as Peterson and Gore but you basically state that in your article. What people fail to realize is that every year you have guys with that ability to do it but you have to actually do it to be that man. I think Ronnie is a good back but just staying healthy and gaining like 960 yards(his current pace) will not cement him as a top back. There is alot of football left to play and Ronnie may make that leap at some point this year but take away the one game and he is downright average.
 
I think that everyone here is saying more or less the same thing.

Brown has proven all of the doubters that said he couldn't break off long runs, put together monster single-game stats, string together 100-yard performances, break tackles, show elusiveness, etc...

In a nutshell, the "bust" contingent has died a slow death.

However, in order for Brown to take the next step he must stay healthy and have more of the monster games and less of the stinkers.

P.S Brown has more or less proven that he is a) one of the better power backs in recent memory b) a touchdown magnate in the redzone c) a guy that almost never fumbles the football.
 
I think if brown were to stay heathly an entire season he would undoubtidly be a top 5 back. Im surprised theres been no mention of clinton portis being that im sure hes a top 5 back statistically since he was drafted and is absolutly tearing it up right now. my top 5 would have to be LT, Portis, AP, Ronnie B, jacobs or gore.
 
MDFinFan06 said:
I think if brown were to stay heathly an entire season he would undoubtidly be a top 5 back. Im surprised theres been no mention of clinton portis being that im sure hes a top 5 back statistically since he was drafted and is absolutly tearing it up right now. my top 5 would have to be LT, Portis, AP, Ronnie B, jacobs or gore.
Click to expand...

The point of the article was to focus on Brown's contemporaries (guys that were drafted in 2005, 2006, 2007).

But yes, I agree that Portis should always be in the discussion of top 5 backs.
 
Really good article. I think people get hung up on the "elite" title. Last year and even during this summer many people were saying we should have taken Braylon Edwards. Do you think they still feel that way? Maybe. The draft is never an exact science. I look at the talent that was picked around RB and think, he was the best of the bunch so far. Yes Frank Gore and Marion Barber have done well and were drafted later, but Ronnie has gone thru 3 head coaches during that time and has played in different systems, and remember he is still coming off major knee surgery.

"Elite" players in my mind come around once and a while - not every draft. Though Ronnie Brown may not be on the Hall of Fame, elite track, he is one of the top 10 backs in the league, IMHO.
 
For a guy recovering from a knee injury he is above average. But last year, he was enroute to elitism.
 
Excellent article my friend. Honestly enjoyed reading it......
 
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