Rank our RBs (2018)

[*bfine32*]

We continue our rankings by moving back to the offensive side of the ball and our RBs. Where do we have Gio and Joe?

As always the competition:

ARZ: DAVID JOHNSON/ CHASE EDMOUNDS
ATL: DEVONTAE FREEMAN/ TEVIN COLEMAN
BAL: ALEX COLLINS/ BUCK ALLEN
BUF: LESEAN MCCOY/ CHRIS IVORY
CAR: CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY/ CJ ANDERSON
CHI: JORDAN HOWARD/ TARIK COHEN
CLV: CARLOS HYDE/ DUKE JOHNSON
DAL: EZELIEL ELLIOTT/ ROD SMITH
DEN: DEVONTAE BOOKER/ ROYCE FREEMAN
DET: KERRYON JOHNSON/ THEO RIDDICK
GBP: JAMAL WILLIAMS/ AARON JONES
HOU: LAMAR MILLER/ DONTA FOREMAN
IND: MARLON MACK/ ROBERT TURBIN
JAX: LEONARD FOURNETTE/ TJ YELDON
KCC: KAREEM HUNT/ SPENCER WARE
LAC: MELVIN GORDON/ AUSTIN EKELER
LAR: TODD GURLEY/ MALCOLM BROWN
MIA: KENYAN DRAKE/ FRANK GORE
MIN: DALVIN COOK/ LATAVIUS MURRAY
NEP: SONY MICHAEL/ JEREMY HILL
NOS: ALVIN KAMARA/ MARK INGRAM
NYG: SAQUON BARKLEY/ JONATHAN STEWART
NYJ: ISIAH CROWELL/ BILAL POWELL
OAK: MARSHAWN LYNCH/ DOUG MARTIN
PHI: JAY AJAYI/ COREY CLEMENT
PIT: LEVEON BELL/ JAMES CONNOR
SFF: JERICK MCKINNON/ MATT BREIDA
SEA: RASHAD PENNY/ CHRIS CARSON
TBB: RONALD JONES/ PEYTON BARBER
TEN: DERRICK HENRY/ DION LEWIS
WAS: DERRIUS GUICE/ CHRIS THOMPSON

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

Top 5 and we should see it this year with some blocking. Both Mixon and Gio should have a monster year running behind
Price and Glenn. Boling is already a good run blocker, Redmond is a road grader, Westerman we will see with his run blocking
how much he improves in Pollack's new scheme.

I don't know of a more talented Back then Mixon honestly, with his size, speed, hands, vision (that he had in college) we just
couldn't see his vision last year really. Gio is no punk either and we saw it late last year that he could be getting back to that
RB he was before the Shazier hit. Both these guys are dangerous in the passing game as well so we should be unpredictable.

Seems we have always had a one trick pony as the Bellcow before and we were predictable...

Rudi Johnson, Cedric Benson, BJGE, Jeremy Hill were all pretty much just runners, Mixon and Gio can do it all.

[*bengalfan74*]

(07-16-2018, 07:12 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Top 5 and we should see it this year with some blocking. Both Mixon and Gio should have a monster year running behind
Price and Glenn. Boling is already a good run blocker, Redmond is a road grader, Westerman we will see with his run blocking
how much he improves in Pollack's new scheme.

I don't know of a more talented Back then Mixon honestly, with his size, speed, hands, vision (that he had in college) we just
couldn't see his vision last year really. Gio is no punk either and we saw it late last year that he could be getting back to that
RB he was before the Shazier hit. Both these guys are dangerous in the passing game as well so we should be unpredictable.

Seems we have always had a one trick pony as the Bellcow before and we were predictable...

Rudi Johnson, Cedric Benson, BJGE, Jeremy Hill were all pretty much just runners, Mixon and Gio can do it all.

I concur,

If our blocking improves like we all hope it should this could very easily be a top 5 unit. 

[Yojimbo]

I only saw one pair I would take over ours, Kamara and Ingram.

[SunsetBengal]

There are a lot of competitive duos out there. Until Gio and Joe (G.I. Joe for short) actually start ripping off nice chunks on a regular basis, and moving piles on 3rd and short, I've got them 11-16.

[CornerBlitz]

I think we have the potential to be top 5 but as of right now Mixon still needs to prove himself.

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(07-16-2018, 07:35 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I concur,

If our blocking improves like we all hope it should this could very easily be a top 5 unit. 

Gio has never had a good run blocking Center and Zeitler was not a great run blocker or anything.

Westerman actually reminds me a lot of Zeit, both superb pass blockers that need to work on run blocking.

(07-16-2018, 08:10 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I only saw one pair I would take over ours, Kamara and Ingram.

That is the tops IMO. Fournette and Yeldon looked pretty good last year for a young duo.

(07-16-2018, 08:21 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: There are a lot of competitive duos out there.  Until Gio and Joe (G.I. Joe for short) actually start ripping off nice chunks on a regular basis, and moving piles on 3rd and short, I've got them 11-16.

Damn good nickname lol

Think they will start ripping off nice chunks on a regular basis with a good run blocking LT and Center.

I am going off of talent alone right now. Definately top 10 but expect much higher once the O-line starts to gel.

Pollack is real good at coaching run blocking, PA was bad at this, real bad.

[grampahol]

If all we're doing is picking nicknames let's call them collectively the GioJoe's..  If the name sticks I get dibs. . Joegios doesn't really cut it.. 

[BFritz21]

Right now, I ranked them 9th or 10th just because I didn't want to seem like a homer and, despite obvious improvements, our line is still a question mark. The line should just need to perform average and both backs should flourish.

If Gio can return to form and our line can at least be decent, then I think you'd have trouble convincing me that too many other of those duos are better than ours.

Mixon can beat you in so many different running styles and he's also a good receiver, and Gio as a change of pace is damn near impossible to take into account when you consider all the different things he can do and he only needs a little space to make a big play.


Like this run against the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football:
Hell, remember the Dolphins game on Thursday Night Football?

Or that long run he broke against the Panthers?

We could easily be tops in the league or near the top.

[Tiger Teeth]

I got them 1-5. And I'm with Yojimbo, the Saints are the only team, IMO, with a better pair in Kamara and Ingram.

[HarleyDog]

Went with 6-10 only because we are not 100% sure about the OL. Yes there should be no reason why they don’t drastically improve, but until it’s proven I’ll be conservative.

[Tiger Teeth]

(07-17-2018, 07:04 AM)HarleyDog Wrote:  I’ll be conservative.

This isn't a political thread, silly Dog.  

[Au165]

I see people talking about better pairs, but the reality is a lot of teams have a better single backs who are 3 down back than our pair. I'm not sure averaging out the position group to make us feel better is a good way of looking at the HB position.

Teams better than us at HB with either a single back or group

Rams, Steelers, Cowboys, Saints, Chargers, Chicago, Arizona, Atlanta and possibly Tennesse.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(07-17-2018, 08:48 AM)Au165 Wrote: I see people talking about better pairs, but the reality is a lot of teams have a better single backs who are 3 down back than our pair. I'm not sure averaging out the position group to make us feel better is a good way of looking at the HB position.

Teams better than us at HB with either a single back or group

Rams, Steelers, Cowboys, Saints, Chargers, Chicago, Arizona, Atlanta and possibly Tennesse.

Yup.....as of now, I'd lump them in the 11-16 range.....and after the abysmal season they had last season, that's being generous, IMO.  Now, I'm not gonna sit here and act like the OL wasn't the biggest reason for their woes, because it was.  However, I'm like Missouri, ya gotta show me.  I really think they're a top 7ish duo....but the hampering by the OL and Piano Man hasn't exactly provided us with a glimpse of anything better than 11-16, in fact, it was worse.

[*Synric*]

(07-17-2018, 08:48 AM)Au165 Wrote: I see people talking about better pairs, but the reality is a lot of teams have a better single backs who are 3 down back than our pair. I'm not sure averaging out the position group to make us feel better is a good way of looking at the HB position.

Teams better than us at HB with either a single back or group

Rams, Steelers, Cowboys, Saints, Chargers, Chicago, Arizona, Atlanta and possibly Tennesse.

Ravens, Bills, Panthers, Vikings, possibly New England and the Giants with rookies....could argue Hyde and Duke Johnson with the Browns.

[Hoofhearted]

(07-16-2018, 08:10 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I only saw one pair I would take over ours, Kamara and Ingram.

Maybe Buffalo, but I'd still probably take ours.  

[Luvnit2]

I voted generously 11 to 16 based on results. However, better blocking and experience could make Mixon a top 5 back. I know we only look at 2 RB's, but I like the upside also of the kid from Miami (Walton maybe?) as he seems to possibly bring a speed element we could use situationally kind of like Atlanta uses Freeman and Coleman or Saints use Ingram and Kamara.

I am hopeful I am wrong and we end up being top 5.

[Luvnit2]

(07-17-2018, 08:48 AM)Au165 Wrote: I see people talking about better pairs, but the reality is a lot of teams have a better single backs who are 3 down back than our pair. I'm not sure averaging out the position group to make us feel better is a good way of looking at the HB position.

Teams better than us at HB with either a single back or group

Rams, Steelers, Cowboys, Saints, Chargers, Chicago, Arizona, Atlanta and possibly Tennesse.

I agree, many teams have a stud 3 down back which bolts them ahead of our 2 good backs.

[coachmcneil71]

(07-16-2018, 08:21 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: There are a lot of competitive duos out there.  Until Gio and Joe (G.I. Joe for short) actually start ripping off nice chunks on a regular basis, and moving piles on 3rd and short, I've got them 11-16.

I could not agree more, and I think you are being too kind ranking them in that tier. At best, 16-24 at the moment. Plenty of room for improvement though! Like, say, our O-line begins to actually block defenders.

I have a positive feeling moving forward, but right now 16-24, may even be too kind.

[Nicomo Cosca]

This is the hardest group/position to rank yet, imo. I’m going 6-10 though. I have high hopes for Mixon.