Preseason 2016 NFL Draft Prospects.

[True2tRA]

Imani Cross was tested in the 20 yard shuttle, 60 yard shuttle, Broad Jump, Vertical Jump, Bench Press and 40 yard dash? Can someone post those results please? I've never seen them and without them I just can't say I would really have any idea how he would do compared to others.

[LumberJackSker]

 

 

If burkhead is only a sixth round pick with how he performed at Nebraska then cross has no chance of getting drafted unless he runs for like 1500 yards this season

I don't want to sound rude, but that perception couldn't be any more wrong. There is a huge difference between a 215lb 5'10" RB (Burkhead), and a 240lb 6'1" RB (Cross). Had Burkhead also not had health concerns, he would have gone higher.

sorry that I disagreed with you. But if you look across college football there's no shortage of big back that put up much better numbers than cross has. Not saying he's a bad player because he isn't and he will make major contributions this season in short yardage situations but he would need to become a complete every down back to stand a chance. If he backs up Newby all year he's not going to get consideration in next years draft.

[Mavric]

Imani Cross was tested in the 20 yard shuttle, 60 yard shuttle, Broad Jump, Vertical Jump, Bench Press and 40 yard dash? Can someone post those results please? I've never seen them and without them I just can't say I would really have any idea how he would do compared to others.

 

They're in the same file as "September 2015 South Florida Weather Forecast".

[True2tRA]

So he hasn't been tested?

 

Kind of like how you said he's the EXACT OPPOSITE of what NFL teams look for in a third down back. Then when I countered the argument, you just kind of fade away.

 

Are you fading away again or do you actually have numbers that say Imani has no chance of doing as well as Burkhead in the combine?

 

By the way, very moderator like of you with your responses to me lately. Maybe that's why they're looking for some new ones.

[The Dude]

Lewis - probably

Davie - maybe

Collins - likely

The rest mentioned - nah

[Thanks_Tom RR]

 

Imani Cross was tested in the 20 yard shuttle, 60 yard shuttle, Broad Jump, Vertical Jump, Bench Press and 40 yard dash? Can someone post those results please? I've never seen them and without them I just can't say I would really have any idea how he would do compared to others.

 

They're in the same file as "September 2015 South Florida Weather Forecast".

 

Link.

 

 

So he hasn't been tested?

 

Kind of like how you said he's the EXACT OPPOSITE of what NFL teams look for in a third down back. Then when I countered the argument, you just kind of fade away.

 

Are you fading away again or do you actually have numbers that say Imani has no chance of doing as well as Burkhead in the combine?

 

By the way, very moderator like of you with your responses to me lately. Maybe that's why they're looking for some new ones.

Maybe we can get Jim Flowers.

[Thanks_Tom RR]

Lewis - probably

Davie - maybe

Collins - likely

The rest mentioned - nah

You're passing on Cockrell and Foltz?

[True2tRA]

Haha! Weather jokes. Those were funny.

 

So I take that as no, Cross's numbers aren't known in those tests?

[LumberJackSker]

Isn't the term 3rd down back meant for backs that are good at catching pass out of the back field? When I think of a third down back I think of what helu has done in the NFL. Cross seems like more of a short yardage back since they almost never have him out there unless is 3rd and 2 or less.

[Red Five]

Kind of like how you said he's the EXACT OPPOSITE of what NFL teams look for in a third down back. Then when I countered the argument, you just kind of fade away.

 

Are you fading away again or do you actually have numbers that say Imani has no chance of doing as well as Burkhead in the combine?

 

By the way, very moderator like of you with your responses to me lately. Maybe that's why they're looking for some new ones.

Not to fight Mav's battles, but Cross is basically the exact opposite of a 3rd down back.

 

3rd down backs tend to be smaller shiftier guys who can catch out of the backfield as well as pick up the blitz. Guys like Darren Sproles, Danny Woodhead, and going back a few years Dave Megget and Eric Metcalf.

 

A "big back" to get a 3rd & 1 isn't a 3rd down back.

[True2tRA]

That's okay, fight it for him, he clearly wasn't going to doit himself.

 

Maybe the term I meant was "short yardage" back. Either way, the examples I used of how to utilize his skills seemed pretty logical to me. 3rd and short, goal line situations, or as a blitz pickup/blocker in the backfield on third and long.

 

Like I said, Mav's the expert, I just have an opinion.

[Mavric]

Kind of like how you said he's the EXACT OPPOSITE of what NFL teams look for in a third down back. Then when I countered the argument, you just kind of fade away.

 

Your definition of a third down back doesn't match what basically anyone else is talking about when they talk about a third-down back. If you wanted to have your own definition, I was just going to let it go.

 

A third down back is a quick, generally smaller back who excels at playing in space and catching the ball out of the backfield.

 

A quick Google search turned up this article at the top of the list. It's from a couple years ago.

 

 

To help out, we'll break it down to the 10 running backs who had the most third-down carries last season.

1. Arian Foster, Houston Texans - 53

2. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals - 27

T-3. Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants - 24

Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers

5. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams - 23

6. Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots - 22

7. Trent Richardson, Cleveland Browns - 20

8. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings - 19

T-9. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 18

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

 

Several of those guys are every down backs. Foster, Law Firm, Gore, Jackson, Ridley, Richardson, Peterson and Martin were all the featured back for their teams. Thus the guys who were more "third-down backs" were Bradshaw (5-10, 217) and Murray (6-0, 217) who obviously turned into a feature back.

 

That's probably not particularly helpful but here is the run/pass ratio for all teams for 2012:

 

 

Even Tebow's Broncos threw more than they ran on third down by a noticeable margin.

 

Finally, catches by RBs on third down:

 

 

T-1. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens - 19

Ronnie Brown, San Diego Chargers - 19

3. Arian Foster, Houston Texans - 18

T-4. Jacquizz Rodgers, Atlanta Falcons - 15

Toby Gerhart, Minnesota Vikings

Darren Sproles, New Orleans Saints

T-7. Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders - 14 Reggie Bush, Miami Dolphins

Danny Ware, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

T-10. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears - 13

C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills

Danny Woodhead, New England Patriots

 

Again, several featured backs (Rice, Foster, McFadden, Bush, Forte and Spiller). But the third down specialists were usually smaller guys: Brown (6-0, 223), Rodgers (5-6, 196), Gerhart (6-0, 231), Sproles (5-6, 190) and Woodhead (5-8, 200).

 

So out of all those guys, only one is within 15 pounds of how big Cross is. And I'd say they all play in space better than Cross (but that's my opinion).

[Mavric]

By the way, we'll probably never know Cross' number on those tests because he's not going to get invited to the Combine.

[teachercd]

Cross will get drafted in them same round as Gangwish.

 

There is a better chance that neither of those two guys get invited to the combine then getting drafted.

[True2tRA]

By the way, we'll probably never know Cross' number on those tests because he's not going to get invited to the Combine.

He isn't? Awww....shucks, that stinks for him, we better let him know now so he just goes ahead and bypasses his senior year here.

 

That post had a lot of neat stats that all seemed to support my theory for what a third down back is in this league. I thought you were debating my point not making it for me.

 

The limited receiving numbers (which were even less than i thought) had 3 smaller guys on the list, Woodhead, Rodgers, and Sproles. Neither Brown nor Gerhart is considered a small RB. Especially Garhart.

 

Also, just because you don't percieve Cross as an every down back, doesn't somehow eliminate all the every down backs that make up most of that list of NFL guys you used. Those guys still were those teams 3rd down backs an the stats you used showed that. Those guys resemble Cross a lot more than they do Rodgers, Sproles, and Woodhead.