Post spring game RB depth chart

[jmfb]

My opinion is the same...

Based on what I've seen of Imani in the past 2 years in games (more carries, more yards than Newby...obviously better in pass pro than Newby, picks up blitzes better)

My understanding of what it takes for a RB to run a zone and the fact that he's run the same plays as Newby the past few years.

There was no lack of carries (5 to Newby's 7)...they had Cross switch colors to run on Newby's side where he averaged more YPC with fewer carries.

Comments from others that know you have to be able to pick up a blitz and pass block to be a better RB

Comments from Newby saying Cross is the best of all RB's at picking up blitzes and in Pass Pro.

Again, your opinion and my opinion differ...but that doesn't make yours right nor does it make mine right. However, when the games start...one of us will be. Until then, different perspectives. I can see yours, hopefully you can see mine as well.

I don't think you understand what a zone back has to do

Here is a short article from an expert that gives some insight on what a RB has to do on the outside zone AKA stretch play:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/O-Line--Blocking-the-Stretch-Outside-Zone-Scheme.html?soid=1104030277664&aid=v0EARWuEDnQ

Once you read that- you get why Ameer is so good at running zone

This guy really knows what he is doing

Once you understand the requirements of the RB to run the play- then you have to ask yourself, which RBs on the roster have the skills to consistently run this?

Of course that requires you have data- understand what each guy can and cant do

The guys like Benning who understand the article, coach it, have run it themselves and then of course go to practice and get the data first hand probably are a little better qualified than the rest of us to have an accurate opinion of the situation. That's why DB is so spot on about his RB assessments and so early on picked out both Helu and Abdullah as the guys who would start out of very crowded and talented fields.

 

[Enhance]

If Cross truly can't flourish at RB in the new system, what role can he play? Is he capable of TE? Would playing FB even get him in the game?

A switch to TE at least to me seems out of the question. Pretty significant position switch that includes different blocking assignments/techniques and route running abilities. Cross hasn't done much pass catching. Fullback is a possibility but I'll be interested to see just how much we actually use one. We saw some FB in the spring game but who knows how the offense may change from now until fall.

My gut feeling tells me he's gonna be competing for just a handful of carries a game, maybe 5-10 at best. One of the biggest reasons we didn't see him much in recent years, IMHO, is because of AA's success. AA's abilities meant so much to that team and the team just felt way undermanned without him on the field. I mean you can pretty much guarantee two extra losses the last few years had it not been for AA (his miraculous first down against NW that set up Hail Mary and his unreal catch and run against McNeese St.)

Now, I just get the feeling he may not see PT because of the style of offense we run. Time will tell.

 

[StPaulHusker]

If Cross was as good as some people on here claim, there wouldn't be a 2 page discussion about what the depth chart is beginning with the starter. It would be who is the back up and down the line.

 

[Redux]

If Cross was as good as some people on here claim, there wouldn't be a 2 page discussion about what the depth chart is beginning with the starter. It would be who is the back up and down the line.

I think if Bo was still here it would be Cross at #1 no doubt splitting time 70/30 with Newby. Cross probably doesn't fit well in Rileys system as well as Newby.

Either way I would like to see Cross on the field in some fashion, even if it was as a sparingly used FB.

 

[StPaulHusker]

If Cross was as good as some people on here claim, there wouldn't be a 2 page discussion about what the depth chart is beginning with the starter. It would be who is the back up and down the line.

I think if Bo was still here it would be Cross at #1 no doubt splitting time 70/30 with Newby. Cross probably doesn't fit well in Rileys system as well as Newby.

Either way I would like to see Cross on the field in some fashion, even if it was as a sparingly used FB.

I would disagree. Bo was bad at a lot of things but he always played the better RB. Based on what I saw last year and at this Spring game, Newby is the better back.

 

[Enhance]

If Cross was as good as some people on here claim, there wouldn't be a 2 page discussion about what the depth chart is beginning with the starter. It would be who is the back up and down the line.

I think if Bo was still here it would be Cross at #1 no doubt splitting time 70/30 with Newby. Cross probably doesn't fit well in Rileys system as well as Newby.

Either way I would like to see Cross on the field in some fashion, even if it was as a sparingly used FB.

I wonder if that's true though. The offense we ran under BP asked the RB to do a lot of different kinds of running including zone, sweeps and runs that require some lateral quickness. Cross never really looked comfortable or overly good at running some of those plays. Since we don't have a 'oh, this is definitely our guy' this year, perhaps that works in his favor again and would have as well if BP was still in charge.

 

[Redux]

But who would have progressed more by this time under Bo's staff, Cross or Newby? Honestly I think it could go either way.

 

[Enhance]

But who would have progressed more by this time under Bo's staff, Cross or Newby? Honestly I think it could go either way.

Personally, I think scheme would've mattered a bit more than progression in terms of their playing time. They're at the age where they can keep getting bigger, faster, stronger, but I think Cross just has different strengths than Newby. It would've come down to what kind of offense we were running and how we wanted to utilize backs. We ran a lot more zone read under the previous staff which would've favored a guy like Newby still, imho. So, would they have both gotten better? I think so. But, I still think Newby's strengths would've been a bit more desirable.

 

[jmfb]

Not enough homework

This isn't YMCA football where "everyone blitz"= blitzfirst how appropriate

RBs aren't rated by how big or fast they are, how much the fans like them, they are judged on how they can execute in the offense- that's all that matters

Go back to where you plucked your zone coaching points up on the internet a few minutes before your post- then go to the next google page on whats required of zone backs

It matters not if it's inside or outside zone as to the macro skills for the RBs, skills required are exactly the same

And long term, doubtful these guys run zone read, it's going to be zone

FYI last year- lots of the "zone reads" weren't- they were optimized for one or the other- something Beck has liked to do for some time and he even let slip at one clinic I heard him speak at.

Have you seen Cross in the jump aka zone cut drills they do where they have 4 coaches 5 yards apart and they flip their backs to determine which side the back jump cuts to and then they do 4 of those in a row? I have- he doesn't do that very well, something a back needs to do running both inside and outside zone

I get you are wearing some cross colored glasses- saying REx and Imani are the same type of back with the same type of lateral speed- which the film clearly showed wasn't the case. But this is getting a bit ridiculous.

FYI there are some High SChools that wont run zone some years because they don't have a SINGLE back who can consistently run it. Even Bama one year under Saban- he said he ran more gap/power stuff because he didn't have a consistent zone back. It's a lot more difficult than most people understand, until they've coached it, get it.

I'll stick with what Benning thinks is the depth chart- Im thinking I don't have more hard core info than him or better RB coaching skills than him- but I guess you do

Very funny.

 

[StPaulHusker]

You have got to be kidding me. You reported that comment. If that is any kind of baseline as to the whining that goes on to mods when someone gets their feelings hurt, I imagine them wanting to take a bat to their computer so they don't have to deal with bullsh#t accusations like that.

 

[Hedley Lamarr]

Who the Hell is this wilborn that everyone is talking about? 1st string auto correct?

 

[knapplc]

You have got to be kidding me. You reported that comment. If that is any kind of baseline as to the whining that goes on to mods when someone gets their feelings hurt, I imagine them wanting to take a bat to their computer so they don't have to deal with bullsh#t accusations like that.

It is a very typical report. But then when someone basically stabs and robs another member on the boards, those go unreported and those folks take to the thread or status updates to air grievances at us for not doing anything.

It's weird being a mod.

 

[StPaulHusker]

You have got to be kidding me. You reported that comment. If that is any kind of baseline as to the whining that goes on to mods when someone gets their feelings hurt, I imagine them wanting to take a bat to their computer so they don't have to deal with bullsh#t accusations like that.

It is a very typical report. But then when someone basically stabs and robs another member on the boards, those go unreported and those folks take to the thread or status updates to air grievances at us for not doing anything.

It's weird being a mod.

Doing God's work, I guess.....

 

[knapplc]

Also, don't direct your statements at the other members, please. Use of pronouns while responding to other members often doesn't help the conversation.

 

[jmfb]

For the RB- the Inside Zone is much harder to run than OZ from a coaching standpoint that's zone 101-- baby step stuff

Like learning the stance

Inside zone requires an immediate read and change in direction

Watch Rex's highlights if you don't believe me- wow

All of those coaching concepts ala Chip Kelley were plucked from something found on google - it comes up as #1 when you do a google search- 5 minutes before those "coaching points" were posted here. That wasn't something anyone already knew.

until that point- probably first thing they ever read about it- never coached it : http://www.trojanfootballanalysis.com/pdfdocs/oregonruns.pdf