moondog

3 hours ago, HapHaszard said:

The coaches and McCloughan are seeing something in Jones that I guess we aren't seeing.  They have spent a lot of time coaching him on the proper methods of holding the ball to keep from fumbling and a lot of reps with the first team.   I figure they are a lot smarter then I am when it comes to football, so I'm willing to wait and see how it comes out.  Having Kelly and/or Brown as a back up plan isn't a bad idea.

I'm willing to buy in that he's gotten better at holding on to the football - it's been his focus all offseason. But this league is very "prove it to me." Defenses focus on takeaways no matter what. But when they smell blood the DeAngelo Hall's of the world attack the football as much as the man every single play. Defense look to swarm and stand a guy up so they can rip the ball out. You can bet defenses will look to do that all year until Jones proves it's not an issue. It may very well not be right now but as a running back if you have a sprained shoulder that's absolutely a factor in being able to hold on to the ball. 

Bottom line, I know I'm more down on Jones than others. A part of it was a bias that we just handed him unearned carries last year and effectively started the changeover from Morris based on zero production from Jones aside from just him being big and fast. I'll admit, I was a bit of a Morris homer. But again, a player that is always available and effective (even if not a homerun hitter) is of huge value to me. It just annoys me how much the coaching staff and front office seem to anoint this guy and put him on a pedestal when, to me, he's done nothing to deserve it. To me, he's an unproductive, injury prone running back who fumbles the football that doesn't make plays on his own. He makes big plays when linemen open truck sized holes for him then continue blocks at the second and third levels. He looks great carrying cornerbacks another two to three yards. I'd be ecstatic if he became a great back. But I haven't seen anything other than what I just said and it bothers me that HE is the one guy our front office and coaching staff seem to have anointed and strayed from their "earn it" mentality that they employ with every other player at every other position. He's earned absolutely nothing, given more reasons to doubt than anything to have faith in. And yet this front office that is so deadset on work ethic and toughness and earning every inch (which they should be and I love) gave up on a late round productive back that earned everything, had an outstanding work ethic and was always healthy for a guy that looks great in shorts and a T-shirt...so far nothing more than the "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane" cliche. And for what? He's a third round back. It's not like we dropped a top ten pick on him. I'm not advocating giving up on the guy but hell, I think there is a damn good argument for Kelly to start over him week 1, healthy or not. 

Back to the topic and as I said above - I find a way to keep both Mack Brown and Kelly. They're both healthy and productive. Kelly has been very good in pass pro. And there is a 100% chance Jones misses time this season, potentially even the opener. If Brown leaves to sign elsewhere because we cut him to put him on the PS, when Jones gets hurt you're looking at Kelly/Thompson and some veteran off the street. Not terrible, but I'd rather have two running backs that I feel comfortable (enough) giving 15-20 carries per game if needed. Thompson is not that guy, he will/would get hurt playing a major role as well. I love him as a receiver out of the backfield and on some third down draw plays, but he's proven he is fragile and not an every down back as well. 

To me it's about availability. I haven't seen anything from Jones to make me believe he will produce more than either Kelly or Brown, honestly. Jones has had all of one exceptional game in the NFL. He's had a few exceptional plays. He's had more injuries and missed time than he's had great games or even plays. A guy with injury issues and fumble issues that now has a sprained shoulder, likely affecting his ability to hold on to the rock when you know opponents will be game planning to rip it out every chance they get. 

I'm 100% certain Jones will start week 1 if deemed healthy. I'm also 100% certain I would be just as happy with Kelly #1, Brown #2 and Thompson as our change of pace/third down back with Jones on the PUP. Jones has a higher ceiling, but so far all I've seen from him is fantastic athletic ability coupled with zero durability and poor vision/ability to set up blocks. 

What I've seen from Kelly and Brown, especially in game 4, was patience and vision. That ability to make the quick hop step or slide when they get the ball away from a defender beating an o-linemen, which essentially eliminates that one-on-one loss, and then they find a hole and pick up yards. It is equivalent to  a QB with pocket awareness that steps up in the pocket to allow a pass rusher who has won outside to go right by. The tackle may have lost the battle but the QB covers it up with a simple deft step or two. It's no different for a RB. Too often last year and what I saw in preseason was Jones trying to run around that man or through them. Morris often did this last year too. 

Kelly and Brown excelled last week at simply sliding away and allowing the linemen to run the defender by them and then finding the open hole. Patience and then precision to the hole at just the right moment to squeeze through into the second level. These two are no world beaters and Jones actually looked solid in his few carries before injury, but to me, I've seen as much from Kelly and Brown as I have from Jones and most importantly I believe they can stay on the field. What I don't want to see is we cut one of them and then two weeks into the season Jones is hurt again and we're down to Kelly/Thompson or Brown/Thompson. 

Give me the young, hungrier player who is not injury prone at the position well known to be the most brutally punishing in the league to the body. I've seen zero evidence that Jones' body can stand up to the challenge.