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http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ajayi-735974-yards-gurley.html
THOUSAND OAKS – The death of the running back may have been greatly exaggerated.
For two years, not a single one was taken in the first round of the NFL draft – prompting much hand-wringing over the demise of the bell cow rusher. Tailbacks don’t last long enough to be worth the cost! Modern offenses have devalued the position!
Todd Gurley, of course, broke the drought last year, going to the Rams at No. 10 overall and becoming the league’s top offensive rookie. Five selections later, the Chargers took Melvin Gordon, who is now third in the NFL with 838 rushing yards and tied for second with nine touchdown runs.
But the best running back to come out of the 2015 NFL draft might be the Dolphins’ Jay Ajayi, who has run for 608 yards in his last four games. A key reason behind Miami’s four-win streak, the former fifth-round pick could present trouble for the Rams (4-5) this Sunday at the Coliseum.
“A younger Marshawn Lynch,” said defensive end William Hayes.
“Good pad level and very good aggression,” said defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who echoed the Lynch comparison.
“He’s patient,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers, “but when he hits the hole, he explodes.”
Twelve tailbacks were drafted ahead of Ajayi, who leads the league with 5.7 yards per carry – and is maintaining that efficiency despite touching the ball 128 times. No NFL running back has finished a season with that high of an average on as many rushing attempts since Adrian Peterson cracked 2,000 yards in 2012.
Ajayi helped ignite the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak when he totaled 418 yards and three touchdowns in victories over the Steelers and the Bills. By doing so, he became the fourth player to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games, joining Ricky Williams (2002), Earl Campbell (1980), and O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1976).
Few saw this type of breakout coming. Ajayi had a forgettable rookie year, running for 187 yards and a score on 49 carries. Adam Gase had envisioned a one-two punch that also included Arian Foster, but when Ajayi pouted about not being the starter, Miami’s first-year coach left him inactive for Week 1. Eventually Ajayi climbed back up the depth chart. After Foster’s injury and subsequent retirement, the former Boise State star has become the unquestioned anchor of the Dolphins backfield.
Even looking back, Gase can’t pick out many offseason moments that hinted at budding stardom.
“He was the fastest to learn our system,” Gase said of Ajayi. “He probably adjusted quicker than anybody else with the schemes that we were trying to do. … It didn’t quite work out the way that we had pictured it when we got going in training camp, but at the end of the day, it has worked out.”
If Ajayi illustrates just how quickly a player can turn around his career, Gurley illustrates just how fast one can fall.
Four of the top six rushers in the NFL were drafted in either 2015 or 2016. Gurley, who made the Rams’ front office look smart a year ago, is stuck at 17th with 515 yards. After rushing for 1,106 yards in 13 games and making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, the 6-foot-1 back has struggled to gain traction behind a subpar offensive line this season.
Hope could come in the form of top-drafted rookie Jared Goff, who will make his career debut Sunday after finally supplanting Case Keenum as the Rams’ starting quarterback. Still, Gurley kept his expectations in check.
Asked if Goff could help jump-start the offense, Gurley said: “You’re just going to have to find out on Sunday. Just like I am.”
THOUSAND OAKS – The death of the running back may have been greatly exaggerated.
For two years, not a single one was taken in the first round of the NFL draft – prompting much hand-wringing over the demise of the bell cow rusher. Tailbacks don’t last long enough to be worth the cost! Modern offenses have devalued the position!
Todd Gurley, of course, broke the drought last year, going to the Rams at No. 10 overall and becoming the league’s top offensive rookie. Five selections later, the Chargers took Melvin Gordon, who is now third in the NFL with 838 rushing yards and tied for second with nine touchdown runs.
But the best running back to come out of the 2015 NFL draft might be the Dolphins’ Jay Ajayi, who has run for 608 yards in his last four games. A key reason behind Miami’s four-win streak, the former fifth-round pick could present trouble for the Rams (4-5) this Sunday at the Coliseum.
“A younger Marshawn Lynch,” said defensive end William Hayes.
“Good pad level and very good aggression,” said defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who echoed the Lynch comparison.
“He’s patient,” said defensive tackle Michael Brockers, “but when he hits the hole, he explodes.”
Twelve tailbacks were drafted ahead of Ajayi, who leads the league with 5.7 yards per carry – and is maintaining that efficiency despite touching the ball 128 times. No NFL running back has finished a season with that high of an average on as many rushing attempts since Adrian Peterson cracked 2,000 yards in 2012.
Ajayi helped ignite the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak when he totaled 418 yards and three touchdowns in victories over the Steelers and the Bills. By doing so, he became the fourth player to rush for 200 yards in back-to-back games, joining Ricky Williams (2002), Earl Campbell (1980), and O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1976).
Few saw this type of breakout coming. Ajayi had a forgettable rookie year, running for 187 yards and a score on 49 carries. Adam Gase had envisioned a one-two punch that also included Arian Foster, but when Ajayi pouted about not being the starter, Miami’s first-year coach left him inactive for Week 1. Eventually Ajayi climbed back up the depth chart. After Foster’s injury and subsequent retirement, the former Boise State star has become the unquestioned anchor of the Dolphins backfield.
Even looking back, Gase can’t pick out many offseason moments that hinted at budding stardom.
“He was the fastest to learn our system,” Gase said of Ajayi. “He probably adjusted quicker than anybody else with the schemes that we were trying to do. … It didn’t quite work out the way that we had pictured it when we got going in training camp, but at the end of the day, it has worked out.”
If Ajayi illustrates just how quickly a player can turn around his career, Gurley illustrates just how fast one can fall.
Four of the top six rushers in the NFL were drafted in either 2015 or 2016. Gurley, who made the Rams’ front office look smart a year ago, is stuck at 17th with 515 yards. After rushing for 1,106 yards in 13 games and making the Pro Bowl as a rookie, the 6-foot-1 back has struggled to gain traction behind a subpar offensive line this season.
Hope could come in the form of top-drafted rookie Jared Goff, who will make his career debut Sunday after finally supplanting Case Keenum as the Rams’ starting quarterback. Still, Gurley kept his expectations in check.
Asked if Goff could help jump-start the offense, Gurley said: “You’re just going to have to find out on Sunday. Just like I am.”
