PFF: Reviewing All First Round Rookies From Week 1 Of Preseason

[Saca312]

Thought I'd just put this out here. Enjoy:

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-first-round-rookie-review-preseason-week-1

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8. CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY – RB – CAROLINA PANTHERS – SNAP COUNT: 12
Panthers – and football fans in general – are curious as to how McCaffrey’s unique skillset will be put on display this season. In the team’s first preseason game, McCaffrey – who played throughout the first half – was strictly used out of the backfield, taking all 12 of his snaps from the running back position. He logged three snaps as a receiver out of the backfield, but was not targeted. At least for now the creativity envisaged for McCaffrey is under wraps.

Looks like CMC's full potential will be kept safe as a secret for now. As for others...

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4. LEONARD FOURNETTE – RB – JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS – SNAP COUNT: 12
Mixing in with the first team offense, Fournette tied for last among rookie running backs (and all running backs for that matter) with a 0.0 elusive rating (measures a runner’s success beyond the point of being helped by his blockers); Fournette averaged just 0.89 yards after contact per attempt (which ranked 28th out of 29 rookies) and did not force a missed tackle on any of his nine carries, but did punch the ball into the end zone for a score.

@falconidae so here's the context you wanted.

Fournette exposed. 0.0 elusive rating. 0.89 yards after contact. No forced miss tackles. Surprisingly, it was the Jaguars O-line that gives Fournette the advantage, which I've said before would likely be the case. Their o-line fits Fournette perfectly and actually performs better in a downhill scheme rather than shotgun. 

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19. O.J. HOWARD – TE – TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS – SNAP COUNT: 21
Running with the first team offense, Howard had a fairly quiet preseason debut, receiving zero targets in the passing game. Howard lined up as a tight end on 17 of his 21 snaps, in the slot on three snaps and out wide for one. 

Just like me and @Promethean Forerunner have been saying all along, OJ Howard's raw in the passing game. It will be a while before he gets to that level.

 

[top dawg]

One preseason game does not define a career. Indeed, one year doesn't even define a career in most situations (particularly at a position like TE).

At least give it a year before you decide that Fournette's a bust and McCaffrey's a HoFer.

I said it before, and it obviously needs repeating: Power backs are easier to find---even the so-called generational talents---than a multipurpose weapon who has a true (positional) pedigree, who loves the sport of his father, and who has naturally evolved into a player with skills that surpass the notable skills of his father, as proven by the supremely superior college career, and a college career that has been more remarkable than many if not most. There is no need to make apologies for picking McCaffrey, especially in light of the fact that Fournette was off the board anyway.

[top dawg]

And, for the record, it's no wonder that Howard isn't  really doing anything yet. But, as far as the Panthers, the TE to grab in the first round was last year (Hunter Henry).

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We don't have to make I-told-you-so threads on the year's rookies before the regular season begins. It's too early.

Kind of within that same boulevard of logic---not totally on point, but within the neighborhood---then Chris Godwin was the receiver to get. He's been beasting in practice while Corey Davis, Mike Williams, Carlos Henderson, and, yes, Curtis Samuel have been riding the pine (so to speak) due to injury. 

It's way too early to intimate who is the best among any of them.

[Saca312]

15 minutes ago, top dawg said:

One preseason game does not define a career. Indeed, one year doesn't even define a career in most situations (particularly at a position like TE).

At least give it a year before you decide that Fournette's a bust and McCaffrey's a HoFer.

Sure, but like I said earlier even one preseason game can both show whether a player can translate college success into the NFL and validate traits seen since college.

For McCaffrey, I already posted an article on the front page on that topic, so won't go further than that.

(http://www.carolinahuddle.com/2017/08/11/carolina-panthers-christian-mccaffrey-real-deal/)

Fournette the fact he isn't elusive is also backed up in film. His running style is an illusion in which subtle small changes in angles give the impression he's "making defenders miss," but reality is people will catch on quick. He cannot cut fast and has to stagger at the LoS to even make a hard cut. Jacksonville ran exclusively downhill the whole time, once again showing how limited Fournette is in that area. If he has big holes for his downhill run game, that's all he needs to "look like AP" because that's his elite part of the game.

OJ Howard confirms how raw he is on film with receiving and how he'll be primarily be a blocker earlier on. It's something @Promethean Forerunner and I said for a while. He won't be any trouble his rookie year, and preseason validates his college film.

 

[Saca312]

@top dawg agreed that Hunter Henry's legit. So is Vernon Butler, but obviously TE would've probably helped us even more. 

Either way, it is what it is. TEs looking good next year, so we'll probably snag one then under whatever GM we have.

And I made a Chris Godwin thread a while back as a guy I'd love for us to have targeted. He's also really good, but so is Curtis Samuel. Sadly he's injured, but he has a lot of potential.

[Hoenheim]

From reading through that PFF link, it seems like a lot of teams were being pretty cautious with their first round rookies playing time. It's not really a big enough sample size to judge McCaffrey or Fournette. 

What will really be interesting is when we start getting into the regluar season. You're going to see Fournette getting the lion's share of the carries and you're going to see McCaffrey getting something alot closer to half the carries and additional snaps in the slot and out wide. 

Yeah Fournette might not be elusive but its possible he doesn't have to be great at it if he can somehow stay healthy trying to truck linebackers into oblivion every play. Dont forget the dude has serious wheels and the Jags are doing what they can to make it a favorable downhill blocking scheme where he wont need to be constantly juking for yards. 

[AggieLean]

After one game, Fournette is already being tabbed as being exposed? Going to be pretty funny if he comes out week 1 of the regular season, and runs for 100+ yards. It's still too early to make a definitive statement on any of these guys