@vitaflo posted:This is honestly the biggest concern. You can teach RB's to block. Dillon never caught a pass in college but has very soft hands for a RB and did fine. But it doesn't get easier to hold the rock in the NFL.
That said Jones had his issues at times as well.
Especially at KEY times.
@vitaflo posted:This is honestly the biggest concern. You can teach RB's to block. Dillon never caught a pass in college but has very soft hands for a RB and did fine. But it doesn't get easier to hold the rock in the NFL.
That said Jones had his issues at times as well.
Tiki Barber says: Hi! They cured his fumbling.
@michiganjoe posted:Biggest knocks I've seen on him are ball security and pass pro.
His technique is shaky, but the guy sticks his face in there like few college guys do, so I think the coaches can work that out.
The fumbling is irritating, but that will hopefully be worked out, too.
@Chongo posted:My guess…he’s fast but runs too high…not great for outside zone runs. To quote Gutey…”I like our room.”
Good point. He also has incredible burst through the hole when he sees it. Haven't seen someone hit a hole that fast since my junior prom.
But if he's going in too high he's gonna be more likely to fumble. Also like my junior prom.
Defenses will grope him mercilessly until he runs their ass over and hangs onto the rock. Welcome to the NFL, rookie
Jones was a college fumbler too and he definitely got better- but still coughed up a few
From The Athletic, Dane Brugler
RB5
STRENGTHS: Bursty athlete … makes dynamic lateral cuts with the start-stop footwork to make multiple defenders miss … above-average patience and processing, and he uses blockers to his advantage … doesn’t have elite top-end speed but flashes the initial acceleration out of cuts to reach the edges … tough player who strikes squarely because of his agile, well-timed cuts and change-of-direction skills (in tight quarters and in space) … lower-body strength and balance help him regroup and stay afloat when bouncing off contact … his adjustments as a pass catcher show off his loose movements … steady ball skills (one drop in 2023) … the words “determination” and “toughness” are frequently mentioned in his character reviews by coaches and scouts … fewer than 300 carries on his college odometer and wasn’t overused … led his team in rushing each of the last two seasons, at different programs.
WEAKNESSES: Gets bounce-happy at times and passes up workable lanes for the unknown … inconsistent pad level and forward lean as a finisher and can b e knocked backwards at contact … workable frame for the position but doesn’t have run-through power in his hips/legs … fumbled eight times in college, including three times in 2023 … wasn’t asked to be a volume runner at USC and had more games with single-digit carries (six) than double-digit (five) in 2023 … has some rough reps on tape in pass protection … very little special-teams experience … durability will be questioned after he missed time in each of his four college seasons, including with a torn ACL in his left knee (August 2020), which forced him to redshirt during his first season at South Carolina; missed three games as a sophomore because of a “deep” thigh contusion (October 2022); missed his sophomore season in high school with a broken left arm (August 2017).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at USC, Lloyd was the top back on the depth chart in head coach Lincoln Riley’s RPO, spread (multiple-run) scheme. After three years at South Carolina, he transferred to the Trojans and had a productive 2023 season (led the team in rushing in 11 of 12 regular-season games), finishing as one of only five FBS running backs to average more than 7.0 yards per carry. With his vision and dynamic cutting skills, Lloyd is a shift y runner with the short-area explosion and lateral agility to leave defenders diving at air (20.87 percent of his carries resulted in a 10-plus-yard gain). He frequently springs free because of the creativity he shows with the ball in his hands, although he relies too much on his east-west options and needs to be more consistent finishing runs. Overall, Lloyd doesn’t have the profile of a high-volume back, but he can spark an NFL offense with his mix of patience, burst and promise as a pass catcher.
GRADE: 3rd Round (No. 91 overall)
I remember a RB, don't know who, but they worked on his fumble tendicies by having him carry water soaked footballs and having defenders slap at the ball during practice. It may have been Ahman Green. That was supposedly the reason the Seahawks parted ways with him.
@vitaflo posted:Good point. He also has incredible burst through the hole when he sees it. Haven't seen someone hit a hole that fast since my junior prom.
But if he's going in too high he's gonna be more likely to fumble. Also like my junior prom.
I see more of an explosion when he hits the hole.
Like any jr prom.
Bragger.
Finally was able to watch enough tape on Lloyd and Jalen Wright.
In a straight line, Wright is going to win every time.
In a phone booth, Lloyd is your Huckleberry.
Dude waits for the hole to open, and gets through it faster than anyone I've seen in a long time. His style, I am guessing, with all the zone concepts the Packers run, is the main reason he was top RB on their board.
If the hole is there, Wright can get through it clean...and he will go the distance. If it's not there, he's not going very far. Lloyd will buy himself just enough time and find the crease.
Also impressive...Caleb Williams was absolute dog shit on handoffs. Seldom were the handoffs as clean as they need to be...thereby causing further delay. Lloyd will not have to deal with that with #10...he will get the ball as clean as he ever has...and that will also make the difference.
@Chongo posted:Also impressive...Caleb Williams was absolute dog shit on handoffs. Seldom were the handoffs as clean as they need to be...thereby causing further delay. Lloyd will not have to deal with that with #10...he will get the ball as clean as he ever has...and that will also make the difference.
Noticed the same thing. A couple fumbles were a result of Calebs horrible handoff style. I get they are running read-option with two hands on the ball but it looked really awkward.
Speaking of handoffs by Caleb....
i love how the packers combatted the bears drafting caleb williams by drafting a bunch of guys who have experience harassing him pic.twitter.com/H0k2w4k39I
— zach jacobson (@itszacharyj) May 6, 2024
His recovery "attempt" was pretty lame.
Rather Scam Newton-ish, I'd say.
@ammo posted:I remember a RB, don't know who, but they worked on his fumble tendicies by having him carry water soaked footballs and having defenders slap at the ball during practice. It may have been Ahman Green. That was supposedly the reason the Seahawks parted ways with him.
I remember Ahman Green wearing rubber-like elbow pads/sleeves when he carried the ball. The ball would slip loose, on contact, and Green would fumble the ball. He switched to cloth based forearm and elbow pads where the ball was more secure and he quit fumbling.
IIRC, he went to the rubber forearm sleeves as an attempt to stop the fumbling. They work when dry. But then one of the first games he wore them, it was wet and he coughed the ball up. No more rubber sleeves.
Couple of highlight clips here, including a spectacular one from high school
https://packerstalk.com/2024/0...-to-shock-the-world/
Really good vision and burst. Sees it, blows through it. Now, if he can block and hang on to the ball, he'll get some playing time.
@D J posted:Tiki Barber says: Hi! They cured his fumbling.
Back in the day, Lombardi had Travis Williams walk around with a ball in his hand all day, sleep with the ball and eat with the ball. It apparently cured the problem.
I think that GB just went in a different direction at RB. I thought they would select the AJ replacement. But what they got with Jacobs and Lloyd are two tougher RBs (than AJ) with more speed than Dillon had. Sort of blending the AJ and Dillon. If Wilson improves more in this year's TC, I think Dillon is gone. Dillon has a very cut-able contract.
As for the perceived weaknesses, those guys have different teachers now - who I don't think get enough credit. If there isn't improvement it won't be because they were not taught.
I also think AJ takes with him some tribal knowledge that won't be easily relaced. But I tell myself that if they just do as the offense requires it will all work out. And the knowledge they gain with experience will grow.
Finally, the offense a whole has so many options built into it, whatever Jacobs and Lloyd bring to the table can be worked into it very easily.
I'd like to see Jacobs and Lloyd become a modern version of Taylor and Hornung.
Likely not possible with the OL as it is, but they're not that far off.
And balancing that with a blitzkrieg passing attack wouldn't help, but it would be fun to watch them pound some teams.
Like late season/playoffs...
I expect MLF to unleash the running game in December. Probably hold em back for the first 3 months. Save the tread for later.
is it uncommon to have 4 rb's on the roster? why all the cut 28? I don't think its unreasonable for 4 rb's they way they get a beating.
With the rule allowing weekly activations of players from the practice squad, it has been more common to carry two on the active roster and activate a third RB on game day.
I'm betting the Pack carries three RB's on the 53 to start this year, with Wilson on the PS.
In GB keeping 4 isn't common under MLF. The number is usually 3 on the 53 man roster with one or two on the PS. It gets more complicated when injuries hit. If the player is projected to recover in a two or three weeks, they may add a player from the PS to help out. When everyone is healthy it goes back to 3 unless concerns in other positions help change that. That is what I have observed. But they could change their MO - so we will wait and see.
The NFL has instituted some new roster rules for 2024 and they might apply to Lloyd given his lingering hammy issues. Which tend to linger...
The Packers can put him on the IR to start the year without having to put him on the initial 53. In years' past, players had to be part of the team at final cutdowns and then moved to IR. This year, no need to do that.
So he can go IR in Sept and then return after 4 games. With Jacobs, Dillon and Wilson on board - they aren't going to miss him much in the 1st part of the season so that's a consideration IF you want to keep others on 53.
Man, was that lightning in a bottle when Starks came out of nowhere.
He was a violent slashing force in their SB run and I don't think he gets enough credit for what he contributed to those 5 games.
Did teams figure Starks out after that run or could he just not do it for a full season? I remember thinking we were good at running back for the next few years but then not much from him.
I don't recall if it was injuries, the OL or simply because he came in fresh as a daisy late in 2010 running against a bunch of beat up defenders. Then again, AR was spraying touchdowns all over the field in 2011 and the D fell apart so there may not have been as much of an emphasis on the run.
@Shadow posted:Did teams figure Starks out after that run or could he just not do it for a full season? I remember thinking we were good at running back for the next few years but then not much from him.
He was OK in 2011, but Ryan Grant (who had been outstanding in 2008 and 2009 before getting hurt in 2010) also came back and they almost equally split carries - each had almost 600 yards.
In 2012, he was injured most of the year and barely played.
Then in 2013 Starks was pretty good as well (89 carries for 492 yards), but the Packers had drafted Eddie Lacy and eventually he got most of the carries.
Starks was then a decent, cheap backup in 2014 and 2015.
All in all, he played 7 years for the Packers and made 8 million dollars total.
Wow, 7 years. Would have never guessed it was that long.
And, he now gets an NFL pension on top of that to boot. Good job Mr Starks.
