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But but but I was told Christian McCaffrey's too weak and can't block a fly!

Saca312

By Saca312,
in Carolina Panthers

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Saca312 Experienced

Saca312

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Well, according to a certain someone, Christian McCaffrey can't block a fly. He's too weak and has no upperbody strength. He's just a scatback and will never be an every down back.

Well, explain this:

Christian McCaffrey seems to be just fine. Now, to further show and prove my case to @KaseKlosed that CMC has proven to be an every down back, here's a few segments from the following:

About CMC's between the tackle skillset & ability to handle a large workload (i.e. NOT a scatback)

McCaffrey was one of the nation's most productive players. Even when faced with odds against him, he still was one of the nation's best backs. He is one of just 12 running backs since 2000 to run for at least 3,500 yards and have over 1,000 receiving yards in a career. Among players on that list, McCaffrey leads everyone in both yards per carry (6.2) and yards per reception (12.1) for their respective careers. 

When you look at McCaffrey's collegiate career, he faced every defensive front imaginable. McCaffrey posted 5.86 Yards Created per attempt when facing eight or more defenders on 64% of his carries. That's about 0.4 more yards than Fournette (67% of carries) and nearly 1.7 more yards than McNichols (57% of carries).

McCaffrey has been one of the most productive backs against defenses that have their game plans focused against him. 

McCaffrey had a large workload being the focal point of a Stanford offensive attack. McCaffrey accounted for 59.9% of Stanford's offensive touches and is considered one of the most used players in college football. Many argue he won't be able to handle the rigors of the NFL.

Stanford disagrees. Christian McCaffrey's body is built to withstand the rigors of a large workload.

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Adding recovery techniques to his already impressive abilities in the gym, where he worked to get his body fat percentage down to 4 and dominates workouts so thoroughly that his trainer has to make new ones just for him ("We've never had anyone like him," said Stanford strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley), and you're left with stories of McCaffrey's physical ability that sound like urban myths.

Over the off-season, Stanford's football team participates in something called the Gator Run, where players take turns pushing a utility vehicle loaded with 600 pounds of equipment and a couple of coaches in the front seat all over campus. We'll let offensive lineman Graham Shuler take it from here:

"It's really, really tough. You rotate guys pushing it. A lineman will push anywhere from three to 10 times. A tight end will push it maybe 15 times. A running back pushes it somewhere between 10 to 20 times. It's really rare for anyone to push it over 20 times. When we did it this summer, Christian pushed it 43 times. He took 43 turns. No one told him to do that; it wasn't the expectation. But when guys were getting tired, Christian was always right there, in the front, waiting. I hope you can imagine the chaos of 60 guys chasing a small vehicle around campus. That's Christian in a nutshell."

So, yeah, if anyone can handle the physical toll that comes with touching the football 39 times a game, it's McCaffrey.

He should be able to handle any amount of touches given in the NFL. 

A patient runner with an elusive style, McCaffrey makes mature decisions. He gets strong depth to the line of scrimmage to press creases on zone runs and he can string together stutter steps, dips, jump cuts, and jukes to reach the hole. He reads penetration well and reacts appropriately to earn what he can when the defense foils the scheme.

Some critics say McCaffrey isn't a between the tackles runner. The origin of this claim is unknown, but it simply isn't true. McCaffrey excels at reading between the tackles and exploding for a good gain. Saying otherwise is fake news.

mccaffrey50.gif.38d051d6146261a643bead18452e7342.gif

In the play above, watch as McCaffrey paces, cuts, and explodes right through the tackles for a huge gain. Reading his o-line, McCaffrey finds the perfect opportunity to burst through and navigate himself through defenders for a big gain.

To further expand on this topic, check out how his inside running compares with others from his class:

Carolina Panther GM Dave Gettleman compares McCaffrey to a HoF runningback when talking of his between the tackle running ability. Gettleman is a top-tier scout at identifying talent, as noted by plenty of his "diamond-in-the-rough" FA pickups and late draft fliers, so he knows what he's talking about.
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"The greatest tackle box running back I've ever seen is Curtis Martin, and Christian is right there with him."

That's high praise for any runningback to be compared with the Hall of Famer. 

mccaffrey13.gif.6567c2139de9155e1af50f8ade636469.gif

In the play above, McCaffrey displays his patience and inside running ability. Stuttering and pacing himself, he waits for a lane to develop and explodes right between the tackles. Then, he eludes defenders using a variety of cuts, power, and quick moves to achieve first down.

About CMC's Strength

Sure, CMC only completed 10 reps on the bench press at the combine. When these facts are taken at face-value, McCaffrey appears to be a rather weak guy. With NFL defenders breaking 300lbs and moving around like monsters, it seems like a hopeless case for McCaffrey.

However, context brings about a logical answer to these issues. Particularly about Stanford's weight program.

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In reality, we shouldn't be surprised that McCafrrey didn't impress in the Bench test. Most players coming out of Stanford's program don't, because Stanford's strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley doesn't believe in it. After arriving at the school in 2007, Turley, who was charged with helping turn around a struggling football program, completely overhauled the team's training philosophy.

"I don't care how much guys can bench, squat or power clean," Turley told Bleacher Report in 2013. "It has nothing to do with playing football. Football is blocking and tackling. It's creating contact, avoiding contact and gaining separation if you are a skill guy on the perimeter. That's football."

Turley tailors his workout regimen to the individual needs of players, focusing on functional movement and exercises that will translate to success on the field. Instead of heavy Squats, Turley has his players do Push-Up Bridges. Instead of focusing on their Bench Press numbers, Turley's players spend infinitely more time stretching. Turley prioritizes things like ankle mobility over upper-body strength.

Christian McCaffrey didn't do well on the bench press because their strength coach rarely utilized it. Tailoring to each of his player's physical needs, Stanford felt the bench press was a useless exercise that does not provide any benefits to the game of football.

Bench pressing is not the end all be all of strength. Strength comes in many forms and ways of use. Christian McCaffrey is very strong and muscular where it counts. Pass protecting should not be a problem for him based on what he's shown.

McCaffrey has shown enough enough refined technique as a blocker that he should develop into a solid pass protector within the course of his rookie year. He gets proper depth into the line of scrimmage to meet with blitzing defenders and shoots his arms for a quick punch.

McCaffrey22b.gif.124f85e907754278f0d448e6c3a622e2.gif

I apologize for the low quality GIF, but the point remains. McCaffrey displays picture perfect technique when drawing an assignment against a Washington defensive tackle. Putting himself in that sitting position, McCaffrey awaits for the defender's arrival. He rolls his hips and pushes the defender upwards and upright, nullifying any impact he has on the field.

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