Possible comparison for Devon Achane = Warrick Dunn | Page 2 | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Possible comparison for Devon Achane = Warrick Dunn

H.P. Lovedrafts said:
Let me first say that I've always been a huge fan of Warrick Dunn - both on and off the field. As a young man his mother, an undercover police officer, was killed in the line of duty. Dunn, being the oldest of his siblings, assumed the role of head of the household, taking care of his younger brothers and sisters, earning money to pay for food and utilities, going to college, and playing at a very high level. That's a lot for a young man that wasn't even 20 yet. And once Dunn was drafted, he didn't forger his roots. He bought fully furnished houses for single mothers, and did this with very little fanfare. Dunn is a first class human being.

On the football field, Dunn was an explosive playmaker that played much bigger than his 5'8, 180 lbs. size. I'll never forget the time the Dolphins played the Buccaneers in 2000. At a pivotal point in the game, the Bucs were backed up in their own end zone. I believe Dunn caught a poorly thrown swing pass that forced him to adjust and slow his route. Dunn was still in the end zone when he caught the pass. Patrick Surtain, who was revered for his tackling prowess as well as his top notch coverage skills, had Dunn dead to right for an easy safety. Dunn juked Surtain out of his jock strap and turned an almost certain safety into a 10 yard gain. Dunn was just a special player.

Here's where my post comes to Devon Achane. Like Dunn, Achane is a former track star with sub 4.3 speed. Also like Dunn, Achane plays much bigger than his 5'9, 185 lbs. size. And for my final Dunn-Achane comparison, both players played their best in big games - something present in the greatest of players.

I'm not saying Devon Achane will become another Warrick Dunn. That's a pretty tall order. But in my eyes, there are a lot of similarities between the two players that make me confident that the Achane A-Train will be a very productive playmaker for the Miami Dolphins for at least the next five years.

Thoughts?
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Didn’t know any of this. Wonderful post. Love hearing Dunn’s story. And yes, he was special. Thanks for the 411 !
 
Physical and skill set comp might be Matt Breida. Both backs in the 5'9 190 range with elite speed and quickness. Breida had his moment's in the McDaniel offense. I think Achane will be a better player than Breida, but it's a fair comp.
 
Achane is going to be real exciting to watch. Mcdaniels was screaming & jumping because he knew we just drafted a special player. I’m excited to watch Miami play.
 
Goonies said:
Achane is going to be real exciting to watch. Mcdaniels was screaming & jumping because he knew we just drafted a special player. I’m excited to watch Miami play.
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Happy The Office GIF
 
IMO the thing about Achane and the reason that McD was so excited is that Achane is a very good scheme fit. The importance of "fit" is what too many fans don't get. Maybe part of the reason is Madden? You can trade a RB or OL in Madden and he'll be just as good regardless of where he plays. In the NFL, "fit" is all important.

Chase Edmonds to Miami in Madden would have been an excellent move as he was one of the most efficient runners in the league a year before. But he'd never run in a wide-zone scheme before and he could never figure it out. It trashed his confidence so much he couldn't even do the things he previously excelled at (like catching the ball). I took a ton of grief for arguing that Edmonds might not be the starter over Mostert all preseason. People cited how efficient Chase was and his higher contract. I liked Chase but my hesitation was all about scheme fit. I wasn't sure he could adjust. I was sure that Mostert was a great scheme fit. L firmly believed that they were hoping Chase would become the starter, but that adjustment isn't easy.
 
I think Achane runs with a lower center of gravity than Dunn, which is good. Dunn ran to straight up IMHO. He was a really good player and an even better person.
 
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