Ronnie Brown Weakness

[finfan54]

Addressing some of the misconceptions in your post...

Brown is the best receiver of the 3 backs, anyone that's watched all three for the past 3 years would acknowledge that. Brown catches anything thrown to him. Auburn lined him up out wide and he'd catch balls over the shoulder like a WR. Gruden said Brown had the best hands at the combine, better than any of the other RBs, TEs, or WRs.

Brown is the best blocker of the 3 backs, again... anyone that's watched all three for the past 3 years would acknowledge that. Caddy puts in good effort and has had his share of great blocks, but his legs are way too skinny for him to be a great blocker in the NFL. Benson's blocking is one of the negatives most 'experts' critisize him for. As Mike Mayock says, he doesn't seem to be interested in blocking. You can try to downplay it all you want, but having a RB that's a great blocker is important... especially with the immobile QBs we currently have on our roster.

Brown would "never be asked to go long" but Caddy would? That doesn't make any sense. Brown had more 30+ yard runs than Caddy in fewer carries... he's certainly as much or more of a threat to break long runs than Caddy or Benson.

A great running back needs "the team attitude"? Not sure that's a true statement, but even if it is then how does Brown not have the same great team attitude as Caddy?

Bottom line: the ? on Caddy are overblown and the totality of Ronnie Brown are overblown. In the end, I think they are both fine RB's but you cannot deny that Caddy is a different type of RB. You look at all the great RB's in history and you will find more great RB's who shaked and baked as opposed to bullied his way to fame. Benson has more moves to me than Brown but once again, character for the long haul.

 

[General Tso]

when push comes to shove I don't see Nick taking a RB at #2. I could see him taking a WR then taking a RB in round 3 if he gets an extra pick. Taking a RB at #2 is nonsense unless its Marshall Faulk, Edge, or Ricky (nobody knew he was nuts back then). None of these guys are that type of back. Taking a RB at #2 is very very stupid.

I wouldn't worry about Ronnie Brown since I don't see us taking him.

While I hope we take Aaron Rodgers or Braylon Edwards and get a RB later in the draft, I certainly don't think taking Ronnie Brown at #2 would be stupid if that's what Saban decides to do. Brown has the potential to be as good as Edge or Ricky in my opinion.

 

[finfan54]

And by the way, in case you didnt notice, at the combine, they took caddy long and he passed with flying colors, no pun intended. Caddy is more like Edge James who can run with the rock with smoothness and cut ability and go long for the bomb and take a short pass and juke LB's and S's for the extra yards after catch. Ronnie Brown can catch the ball and run for daylight as well, he just is not an open field guy as much as Caddy IMO. In the end, they are both fine. People ignore Caddy because this is what has been established by "experts". This is what is crap to me. People are dissing Caddy way more than Brown for what reasons I do not know.

 

[T tes]

Weaknesses: Is a little bit of a straight-line runner. Doesn't always show the ability to plant and drive quickly enough to hit and get through the cutback lane. He doesn't have great elusiveness. Won't make many defenders miss in the open field.

This is from the Scouts on ESPN. I am not saying they exactly know what they are talking about -- but I wonder if this back is getting over hyped because of his combine. Has anyone watched enough of him in college disagree with this weakness ? I pray for a tradedown -- and I like Carnell.

If we draft him, thats going to be one of the things Saban's going to make him work on.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

All 3 will be very good

Caddy is the only one who has a chance to be great.

Just my opinion, obviously.

Until joining this board, I never considered Ronnie Brown a high first round pick. The original post listing his "weaknesses" is very accurate, almost to the point it can't be disputed. He's a downhill power guy with great speed for the size and much more athletic ability/hands than his size/speed ratio should allow. But the NFL has a way of nullifying traits like that in a hurry, if you fail the basic criteria of making defenders miss.

Benson has better instincts than Brown but I don't see any 9s or 10s in his game. Plenty of 7s and 8s and that's not for me drafting #2.

Caddy is the guy who can flash into the secondary and then deke/outrun Pro Bowl defenders with seemingly no respect for them at all.

 

[touborg]

Benson will not "shake off defenders" nearly as much in the NFL. NFL defenders are faster and much better tacklers. There's no North Texas, Rice, Iowa State, Kansas, etc on an NFL schedule.

Absolutely, no one is arguing that college is the same as the NFL. I'm just saying that he is FAR more skilled as a powerback than Brown. If I'm picking Brown, it's because of his recieving skill will fit better in our offense. I'm sorry but he isn't remotely the runner Benson is. Everyone had Benson at the top of their charts till Brown ran a fast 40.
Best powerback = Benson
Best allround = Brown.

 

[DoLpHiNz34]

Caddy is the only one who has a chance to be great.

Just my opinion, obviously.

Until joining this board, I never considered Ronnie Brown a high first round pick. The original post listing his "weaknesses" is very accurate, almost to the point it can't be disputed. He's a downhill power guy with great speed for the size and much more athletic ability/hands than his size/speed ratio should allow. But the NFL has a way of nullifying traits like that in a hurry, if you fail the basic criteria of making defenders miss.

Benson has better instincts than Brown but I don't see any 9s or 10s in his game. Plenty of 7s and 8s and that's not for me drafting #2.

Caddy is the guy who can flash into the secondary and then deke/outrun Pro Bowl defenders with seemingly no respect for them at all.

Bingo. Well said.

 

[General Tso]

Caddy is the only one who has a chance to be great.

Just my opinion, obviously.

Until joining this board, I never considered Ronnie Brown a high first round pick. The original post listing his "weaknesses" is very accurate, almost to the point it can't be disputed. He's a downhill power guy with great speed for the size and much more athletic ability/hands than his size/speed ratio should allow. But the NFL has a way of nullifying traits like that in a hurry, if you fail the basic criteria of making defenders miss.

Benson has better instincts than Brown but I don't see any 9s or 10s in his game. Plenty of 7s and 8s and that's not for me drafting #2.

Caddy is the guy who can flash into the secondary and then deke/outrun Pro Bowl defenders with seemingly no respect for them at all.

Perfectly valid opinion. My main concern about Caddy is his skinny legs and the leg injuries he suffered in 2001 and 2002. I'd worry about having another Yatil Green with him. Of course anyone could get injured at anytime... I just feel Caddy has a higher possibility of injury problems.

 

[KB21]

Addressing some of the misconceptions in your post...

Brown is the best receiver of the 3 backs, anyone that's watched all three for the past 3 years would acknowledge that. Brown catches anything thrown to him. Auburn lined him up out wide and he'd catch balls over the shoulder like a WR. Gruden said Brown had the best hands at the combine, better than any of the other RBs, TEs, or WRs.

Brown is the best blocker of the 3 backs, again... anyone that's watched all three for the past 3 years would acknowledge that. Caddy puts in good effort and has had his share of great blocks, but his legs are way too skinny for him to be a great blocker in the NFL. Benson's blocking is one of the negatives most 'experts' critisize him for. As Mike Mayock says, he doesn't seem to be interested in blocking. You can try to downplay it all you want, but having a RB that's a great blocker is important... especially with the immobile QBs we currently have on our roster.

Brown would "never be asked to go long" but Caddy would? That doesn't make any sense. Brown had more 30+ yard runs than Caddy in fewer carries... he's certainly as much or more of a threat to break long runs than Caddy or Benson.

A great running back needs "the team attitude"? Not sure that's a true statement, but even if it is then how does Brown not have the same great team attitude as Caddy?

Exactly!

As far as Ronnie's ability to plant and drive, he and Cadillac have almost identical 20 yard shuttle times. Ronnie Brown did the 40 yard shuttle in 4.18 and 4.08 seconds while Cadillac did them in 4.15 and 4.07 seconds. Do any of you really believe that 0.01 to 0.03 seconds is that much of a difference.

 

[PhinSoldia]

just like the saying goes....in Saban I trust. nomatter where he goes with the big three i am happy cause they all will be succesful in thier own right...whether its making a tackle miss or breaking it he will be just fine.they all just better catch the ball when asked to or block when asked to thats all i ask

 

[Booftard]

Don't forget that Scott Linehan will get his opinion on RB also. He might not see the need for a team-carrying RB when there's a possible need for a game-breaking WR or QB.

 

[MarinoRules]

I notice that you totally ignore one key area where Brown is superior to Caddy: size and health. In college you can be a succesful RB and still be undersized . . it's MUCH harder in the NFL . . .Brown brings far superior receiving abilities which, together with his size, makes him a much more versatile threat than either Benson or Caddy . . . .

 

[Mufasito1124]

Who cares if Ronnie Brown cant make people miss? Ricky Williams couldnt do that and all he did was run for 1800 yards with an average O-line. Ronnie would fit the offense perfectly.... ronnie is a great runner/blocker/reciever. Hes 233 pounds and has the speed of a reciever, he doesent have to make ppl miss cause hes gonna be running over alot of would be tacklers. if for some reason we were to get stuck with the 2nd overall pick i see us drafting braylon edwards. But stop picking on Ronnie, hes gonna be great.

 

[knight6jb]

Who cares if Ronnie Brown cant make people miss? Ricky Williams couldnt do that and all he did was run for 1800 yards with an average O-line. Ronnie would fit the offense perfectly.... ronnie is a great runner/blocker/reciever. Hes 233 pounds and has the speed of a reciever, he doesent have to make ppl miss cause hes gonna be running over alot of would be tacklers. if for some reason we were to get stuck with the 2nd overall pick i see us drafting braylon edwards. But stop picking on Ronnie, hes gonna be great.

Ricky couldnt make people miss??? Did you watch him play, he made people miss all the time, thats what made Ricky so good, he was agile,elusize,power, and speed. And I'm pretty sure Caddy had th same official 40 time as Brown so I guess Caddy has the speed of a WR too.

 

[knight6jb]

Exactly!

As far as Ronnie's ability to plant and drive, he and Cadillac have almost identical 20 yard shuttle times. Ronnie Brown did the 40 yard shuttle in 4.18 and 4.08 seconds while Cadillac did them in 4.15 and 4.07 seconds. Do any of you really believe that 0.01 to 0.03 seconds is that much of a difference.

I dont know, everyone on this board seems to this 40's that are extremly close or even exact is that much of a difference.