Help me out on this guy. He only got 30 carries last year but averaged 6 YPC. Why didn't he get more chances? 4.5 YPC for his career but only 3.1 in 2011. He had a 61 yard run that inflated his average last year but still 4.0 for the rest of his carries.
1 fumble but I don't think it was a butt fumble? He doesn't show up at all for the Jets preseason rushing, receiving or KO return stats. Forgotten man or injured?
Just Rex being Rex maybe.
In 10 of the Jets games last year, he had 1 or zero carries. Take away one 61 yard run and his avg/att goes to 4.1 (as PH stated). Take away his second longest carry (21 yds) and his avg/att is 3.5.
I think his value is for KOs only.
Franklin looked like he started getting his timing down at times vs. KC and showed some of that short area burst his draft sheet claimed. But when it was all over I kept thinking he's going to be just another brandon jackson.
He's got a completely different running style than Brandon Jackson, but he looked hesitant and didn't look strong during this preseason. He's got more quicks than Brandon Jackson could ever dream of, but he's got to get a little stronger and more decisive in going upfield.
He will. He may not be great this year but I expect he will make a few 3rd down plays for us & move the sticks at key times in a few games.
He's got more quicks than Brandon Jackson could ever dream of, but he's got to get a little stronger and more decisive in going upfield.
Sure that's what his college tape shows. But that's not what I saw the other night. Just commenting on how he looked vs. KC. He's no longer runnings vs. college D so what we saw on his tape could look very different vs. a starting NFL D. Would be interesting to see Jackson's college highlight video.
Who would have thought entering the season, and after a bad training camp, that Franklin would have had a 100 yard game before Lacy?
Franklin showed absolutely nothing in preseason. I thought he ran very well today and stuck his hat in there on blitz pickup. His future looks pretty bright. The fumble sucked but that's football.
I'd bet Franklin surprised everybody today, with the possible exception of the coaches. Part of the surprise was not knowing what we had in him as a player, and most media reports weren't favorable, to put it kindly.
But he showed good vision, excellent patience, good reads of blocks, a nice burst, and held his own in pass pro from what I could see.
The fumble indeed sucked, but I think all the RBs this year have fumbled. It just can't become a trend.
By far, what impressed me most about Franklin was him fighting off whatever pain/injury he had to get back out on the field, and wasn't the least bit tentative!
The fumble was a critical ball security mistake that he acknowledged after the game. Really encouraged by his running and especially what I saw from him in protection. Perhaps his familiarity with the offense and all the pickups isn't there, but the willingness to do the dirty work appears to be and he'll learn.
Yeah, the fumble was really bad, but overall Franklin was a revelation. I can't think of a similar situation where a guy looks absolultely useless in TC only to come into his first game action and play so well. I suppose running back is the one position where this is most likely to happen.
The future looks pretty bright with Lacy and Franklin once again, much like it did on draft weekend.
I guess the takeaway is that pre-season performance has to be judged somewhat by who you are playing with. How many guys from the o-line he was running behind are still on the team? Taylor, Newhouse?
Definitely a place for him in the stable. Just not for goal-line dive plays. Get him out in space and let him do his thing.
I guess the takeaway is that pre-season performance has to be judged somewhat by who you are playing with.
Heard AR told him he'd be fine playing with the first team and he was correct.
He's got a completely different running style than Brandon Jackson, but he looked hesitant and didn't look strong during this preseason. He's got more quicks than Brandon Jackson could ever dream of, but he's got to get a little stronger and more decisive in going upfield.
Absolutely. No comparison.
I saw Franklin a couple times in college and the day he was drafted, I had hoped he'd be sort of a poor man's Maurice Jones Drew or Doug Martin. In training camp and pre-season, I saw flashes of quickness but he never really showed great speed or that he could run inside at all. I figured this year would be sort of a lost year for him as he would spend time in the weight room getting stronger and just overall adjusting to the pro game.
Yesterday he showed better speed and inside running ability than anything we saw during camp. It's apparent he is adjusting to the pro game. Just one more weapon teams will have to scout now. The fumble was bad, but in fairness, the O-Line did him no favors on that play.
He's got a completely different running style than Brandon Jackson, but he looked hesitant and didn't look strong during this preseason. He's got more quicks than Brandon Jackson could ever dream of, but he's got to get a little stronger and more decisive in going upfield.
Absolutely. No comparison.
Again, that's what the college tape showed but definitely not what he showed VS. KC in preseason. All media reports said the same thing about his lack of "showing" thru camp. And I could not be happier in what I saw from him yesterday. Maybe he's just a gameday baller. I hope he and Lacy are someday both healthy enough to provide a consitent 1-2 punch because that would be a sight to behold in this O.
IF Lacy and Franklin turn into the Power/Speed combo theyve shown,
does it make Starks(who has run well) expendable/ tradeable?
Joe Thomas?
McCarthy talked (last week) about a package of plays for Franklin. I would bet we saw much of that yesterday... hopefully the FB-dive is not in the package.
Not sure there is much of a market for an often injured RB.
As often as our RB's get hurt, we need to keep everybody we have-even when Harris comes back next year. And like GBF says, I can't imagine Starks' value is much.
but in fairness, the O-Line did him no favors on that play.
I hear that. barely got the ball and they were on him. MM did him no favor on that play either. as soon as I saw how Cincinnati lined up on the Dline I was praying we wouldn't try to out tough them there... was dreaming of a bootleg and/or rollout. But no, we tried to hammer that square peg right into that round hole.
Got to admit, I'm pretty excited about having a Lacy / Franklin backfield. It will make the loss of Jones or Finley much easier to deal with having these weapons.
As often as our RB's get hurt, we need to keep everybody we have-even when Harris comes back next year. And like GBF says, I can't imagine Starks' value is much.
Hmmmm.
The NFL is a "zero sum business." By that I mean that given a salary cap and given that all teams are essentially using all of it, there must be compromises.
I would allocate money toward offensive line improvement tantamount to not seeing it as viable to retain such a stable of running backs. My sense is to go the youth route and let Harris be the odd man out.
Hard to see the team going with less than three and no need for an odd man out. The trio of Lacy, Franklin and Harris has all sorts of exciting possibilities.
Salary cap is not an issue with the current RB roster. Nobody there is making any more than somebody that would replace them. In a couple years if somebody develops and are up for a new contract, that's a different story. But right now they can afford to keep everybody and should. What do you think they're going to pay Harris next year coming off of a hand full of good games and then a year on IR?
IF Lacy and Franklin turn into the Power/Speed combo theyve shown,
does it make Starks(who has run well) expendable/ tradeable?
Joe Thomas?
I think that given the injury history of both Starks and Lacy, I see them sharing snaps on 1st and 2nd down, with Franklin as a 3rd down back on passing situations.
Much as we would like to get Thomas, no chance given his 7 year, $84 million contract---which he is 2 years into, and was guaranteed $42 million for the first three years.
Much as we would like to get Thomas, no chance given his 7 year, $84 million contract---which he is 2 years into, and was guaranteed $42 million for the first three years.
Trading Robert Ferguson's cap dollars should offset Thomas' cap figures.
Only the good retire early.
Dang. It's hard to lose not only good players, but good people. But, he made the right decision rather than risking it. Smart. Good person. He'll be fine.
From Monday Morning MD at NFP:
MMMD 3: Johnathan Franklin NFL career over due to neck issue
"The Packers rookie running back suffered a concussion and cervical spine injury returning the opening kick-off against the choker vikings in week 12 last season. The fourth-round draft pick out of UCLA was placed on injured reserve three days later and that turns out to mark the end of his NFL career.
Although he did not need neck surgery, multiple doctors (including Packers physicians) determined it was in Franklin’s best interest to not play football. All indications are that he has recovered from his concussion without issue.
Typically, the possibility of recurring injury, permanent damage, or any increased risk of paralysis are the main reasons for exclusion from football. Although the specifics of the injury were not disclosed, spinal stenosis, cord injury, ligamentous instability, or disc damage are some of the reasons that can end a NFL career.
Let’s congratulate this young man on making the right decision to walk away and move on to bigger and better things in life. His previously stated goal was to one day be mayor of Los Angeles."
Let’s congratulate this young man on making the right decision to walk away and move on to bigger and better things in life. His previously stated goal was to one day be mayor of Los Angeles."
Why take a $hitty job like that? As long as he is here establish residency in Omro or Freedom and become Village President.
