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Aaron Green could complement Todd Gurley well:
BySean CordyPosted on May 29, 2016
[www.todayspigskin.com]
Take a look around the league and its best running backs. There are few backs out there that can do it all, and even the best of workhorses have someone behind them to pick up where the starter falls short.
Adrian Peterson has Jerick McKinnon to help in passing situations in Minnesota, and he hasn’t been shabby out of the backfield either. The Pittsburgh Steelers were saved by DeAngelo Williams filling in for Le’Veon Bell, and the former became a viable passing threat just as much on the ground.
So where does Todd Gurley fit into this equation for the Los Angeles Rams as a running back on the rise after winning Rookie of the Year? He was as efficient as they come handling the ball, ranking third with 85.1 yards per game and also hammered 10 touchdowns. Had he started four games earlier, he could have easily led the league.
But even so with an impressive resume of just one year, he still isn’t as skilled of a receiver and the Rams don’t have the immediate fix to aid the development of Jared Goff. Not to mention, helping the run game when Gurley needs some down time.
The San Francisco 49ers may have found their complementary piece to Carlos Hyde by way of Kelvin Taylor in the sixth round. But if the Rams play their cards right, they could have the advantage by developing undrafted rookie Aaron Green out of TCU to be the man behind Gurley.
The RB2 spot is anything but Green’s at the moment, and even receiver Tavon Austin looks to take away some touches as a change of pace player after receiving 52 carries last season with great success. His talents have a more immediate need as a pass catcher for Goff, though.
But the next running back in line to help ease fatigue and redundancy in the backfield is Tre Mason whose immediate future is in question, so is his talent ceiling after averaging under three yards per carry last season. Mason’s court date after being charged with four misdemeanors in March has been pushed to July 28.
That leaves Benny Cunningham and a litany of untested running backs to do Gurley’s bidding as a change of pace player. After some promising performances in the past, Cunningham averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last season but is saved by his abilities as a third-down back with 250 yards on 26 receptions last season.
So Cunningham provides some viability as a change of pace, but getting Green in the mix could have great benefits even as an undrafted free agent. Remember, Cunningham was undrafted out of Middle Tennessee in 2013 and performed well out of the gates. What’s to stop Green from doing the same as a productive player against even greater competition in college?
While at TCU, Green wasn’t the team breadwinner but he was always an integral and versatile piece thanks to his ability as an east-west runner with exceptional acceleration and displayed great hands when given the opportunity.
Between his junior and senior season in Fort Worth, Green topped over 2,400 yards from scrimmage and scored 23 times against some relatively stiff competition. So while he slipped by all seven rounds in the draft, he has the makings of a diamond in the rough that could be a great complement for Gurley given the chance.
If he's added some strength and learns to run between the tackles better, He may cost someone fairly important a spot on the 53
BySean CordyPosted on May 29, 2016
[www.todayspigskin.com]
Take a look around the league and its best running backs. There are few backs out there that can do it all, and even the best of workhorses have someone behind them to pick up where the starter falls short.
Adrian Peterson has Jerick McKinnon to help in passing situations in Minnesota, and he hasn’t been shabby out of the backfield either. The Pittsburgh Steelers were saved by DeAngelo Williams filling in for Le’Veon Bell, and the former became a viable passing threat just as much on the ground.
So where does Todd Gurley fit into this equation for the Los Angeles Rams as a running back on the rise after winning Rookie of the Year? He was as efficient as they come handling the ball, ranking third with 85.1 yards per game and also hammered 10 touchdowns. Had he started four games earlier, he could have easily led the league.
But even so with an impressive resume of just one year, he still isn’t as skilled of a receiver and the Rams don’t have the immediate fix to aid the development of Jared Goff. Not to mention, helping the run game when Gurley needs some down time.
The San Francisco 49ers may have found their complementary piece to Carlos Hyde by way of Kelvin Taylor in the sixth round. But if the Rams play their cards right, they could have the advantage by developing undrafted rookie Aaron Green out of TCU to be the man behind Gurley.
The RB2 spot is anything but Green’s at the moment, and even receiver Tavon Austin looks to take away some touches as a change of pace player after receiving 52 carries last season with great success. His talents have a more immediate need as a pass catcher for Goff, though.
But the next running back in line to help ease fatigue and redundancy in the backfield is Tre Mason whose immediate future is in question, so is his talent ceiling after averaging under three yards per carry last season. Mason’s court date after being charged with four misdemeanors in March has been pushed to July 28.
That leaves Benny Cunningham and a litany of untested running backs to do Gurley’s bidding as a change of pace player. After some promising performances in the past, Cunningham averaged just 3.8 yards per carry last season but is saved by his abilities as a third-down back with 250 yards on 26 receptions last season.
So Cunningham provides some viability as a change of pace, but getting Green in the mix could have great benefits even as an undrafted free agent. Remember, Cunningham was undrafted out of Middle Tennessee in 2013 and performed well out of the gates. What’s to stop Green from doing the same as a productive player against even greater competition in college?
While at TCU, Green wasn’t the team breadwinner but he was always an integral and versatile piece thanks to his ability as an east-west runner with exceptional acceleration and displayed great hands when given the opportunity.
Between his junior and senior season in Fort Worth, Green topped over 2,400 yards from scrimmage and scored 23 times against some relatively stiff competition. So while he slipped by all seven rounds in the draft, he has the makings of a diamond in the rough that could be a great complement for Gurley given the chance.
If he's added some strength and learns to run between the tackles better, He may cost someone fairly important a spot on the 53
