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SportingNews: Ranking the top 25 running backs

Nublar7

Nublar7

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8. Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins. Brown averaged more than five yards per carry last season before a season-ending knee injury. He has already been running well in the offseason, and with more of a commitment to the run and a solid line in front of him, Brown should emerge as a top-10 back again.
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http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=434762

In comparison to the rest of the AFC East:

9. Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills
18. Thomas Jones - New York Jets
20. Laurence Maroney - New England Patriots
 
Nublar7 said:
I don't really find it funny. With the exception of one of the guard positions, we really do have a pretty solid line.
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NO
I think was have a REAL o-line.
I find it funny that a media source feels the same.
One of the rookies will step in and make some real noise @ guard. I think it is going to be the kid from U Conn. You heard it here 1st...:up:
 
Fantasy wise, I think Maroney will have a great year. The Patsies threw the ball the entire year last year. They'll have to run the ball more because defenses will be trying to stop the pas, so he may be a decent no 2 RB.
 
Nublar7 said:
I don't really find it funny. With the exception of one of the guard positions, we really do have a pretty solid line.
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That's still solid. The majority of the teams have 1-2 question marks on their O-lines going into TC.
Even the Pats have to be hoping for some upgrades after the way their line was dominated in the SB.
 
BIG_FISH_RI said:
NO
I think was have a REAL o-line.
I find it funny that a media source feels the same.
One of the rookies will step in and make some real noise @ guard. I think it is going to be the kid from U Conn. You heard it here 1st...:up:
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That would be interesting. I like Donald Thomas. But, I also like Shawn Murphy, saw them both at the Shrine Game and was impressed with both. Thomas has more impressive mobility, Murphy more impressive strength. Thomas is more raw, though. I think he will impress right away on STs.
 
Marshawn Lynch gets entirely too much credit. Either that or the Bills O-Line does. If you buy that both are as good as advertised.....then how does he wind up with under 4 yards per carry?
 
Here's some background on Boomer's and my discussions on Donald Thomas going way back to January...all the way through April.

1/16/2008 said:
CK said:
Donald Thomas OL 6'3 300 Connecticut
Showed his nice combination of strength and athleticism today. Keilen Dykes tried a spin move on him, which had worked on others, but Thomas had none of it. He kept his feet moving and arms extended to keep Dykes spinning in place.

My Comments: This guy draws my attention because I happen to know he had a great week of practice in preparation for the Hula Bowl this last weekend. He handled JT Mapu pretty well, and now he's handling Keilen Dykes. I've seen the kid play at Connecticut and they were a good running team to me. He stands out. To go straight from the Hula Bowl and into the Shrine Game with no jet lag or exhaustion, stand out in both practices, if he keeps it up he could rise like a meteor.
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Boomer said:
Donald Thomas to me is fascinating. This is a former walk on who hasn't allowed a sack in 2 seasons as a starter and who apparently runs in the 4.88 region. He's also a notable wedge buster on special teams. Bright kid, hard worker and whilst undersized in the traditional Parcells role of lineman, you can't ignore the footwork and those long arms.
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CK said:
Nor can you ignore that he's looked good now in two All Star practices...in Hawaii and in San Francisco. Another Chris Chester?
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Boomer said:
Yep, absolutely.
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Boomer said:
Great stuff from a 49er area scout, who did the same last year:
In Group 2, my boy from UCONN, guard Donald Thomas, ran well, worked out well and looked good. I liked him during the year and hopefully he opened up the eyes of some of the other guys in our group. I think the scouts who went in there had a good feel so I wouldn't say he's a surprise to anyone here, but he definitely came on this last year. He wasn't a fulltime starter until this year and is a converted tight end who has just done well for himself here. I think he'll be on someone's team. I won't guarantee he'll be a starter somewhere next year, but he'll be a solid backup at the minimum.
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CK said:
I don't expect two OLs on the first day. That would be overkill considering we only have three first day picks. I expect one OL on each day. Branden Albert, Jeff Otah, Chris Williams, Anthony Collins, Gosder Cherilus, maybe Carl Nicks as targets on day one...then someone like Donald Thomas, Robert Felton Breno Giacomini, Brandon Keith or James Blair on day two.
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CK said:
I would not do this move. This move strikes me as something that is cooked up out of boredom, more than anything else. IF we were so inclined, we could definitely pull a guard with the San Diego pick that I really like...say a Chilo Rachal or a Donald Thomas, Roy Schuenning or Eric Young. There are also later round guys to be had, say a Lichtensteiger, Shawn Murphy or James Blair. There are also tackle prospects that could move inside, like Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah...or even Brandon Keith.
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CK said:
Another guy you might not hear about often is Shawn Murphy. He stood out, probably the lone standout blocker on the West's offensive line. Sad but true. The East's offensive line featured a ton of standouts, not just Andrew Crummey. Donald Thomas still looks very good to my eyes. Zuttah performed decently.
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CK said:
At guard, if Miami gets John Greco, Donald Thomas, Andrew Crummey or Shawn Murphy...I think I'll be pretty happy. I don't think I'll even bother talking about Branden Albert. He won't be available.
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burger13 said:
Marshawn Lynch gets entirely too much credit. Either that or the Bills O-Line does. If you buy that both are as good as advertised.....then how does he wind up with under 4 yards per carry?
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Games- 13
Games Started- 13
Carries- 280
Yards- 1,115
Avg. 4.0
Long-56T
TD- 7
Rec-18
Rec Yards-184
Avg. Per Catch-10.2

Not bad for a rookie playing 13 games. As far as the line goes they were sub-par run blockers last year. The pass protection was very good though. They went three and a half games without giving up a sack and even that didn't come until Jason Peters got hurt.
 
BIG_FISH_RI said:
I find it funny that they state that we have a solid o-line.
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we do have a solid Offensive line......and it would seem to me that we are always looking for ways to make it better.

This will help RB be an even better back than he was last season.
 
jp2lee783 said:
Games- 13
Games Started- 13
Carries- 280
Yards- 1,115
Avg. 4.0
Long-56T
TD- 7
Rec-18
Rec Yards-184
Avg. Per Catch-10.2

Not bad for a rookie playing 13 games. As far as the line goes they were sub-par run blockers last year. The pass protection was very good though. They went three and a half games without giving up a sack and even that didn't come until Jason Peters got hurt.
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Marshawn was impressive as a rookie. He's going to have a good career if he can stay healthy.
 
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