Recruiting Question

[cajunjacket]

Since A-back blocking is so important, do you think it is more important to recruit RBs who can block well but are average speed than RBs who are fast and OK at blocking?

I think the answer to this question is yes. If you have great blocking and half-decent speed, you will have more/wider running lanes. This got me to thinking. Would we ever consider recruiting a TE or FB to play A-back? Obviously the downside to this is you would lack a bit of speed. Just some food for thought...

 

[GTLiebs]

I think if we're recruiting good running backs then it won't matter. Take Marcus Wright for example, he was a star-couple 1000 yard-running back out of high school, smallest guy on the team, and blocks the **** out of people. Blocking can be taught, and can be done fairly well by a skilled player without losing too much speed.

P.S. Speed can't really be taught, so that's something else to consider.

 

[cajunjacket]

Blocking can be taught, and can be done fairly well by a skilled player without losing too much speed.

P.S. Speed can't really be taught, so that's something else to consider.

I guess you're right. Never considered that.

 

[Flywheel]

IMO, properly teaching the cut block reduces the need for big guys at the position.

Marcus Wright is probably our 2nd best blocker behind Lucas Cox, but Marcus's speed makes him a big threat on the edge too. If you can bring down linebackers with a faster, smaller, Marcus/Roddy type guy, you're giving your offense more versatility.

 

[gtcu17]

Can we have someone who is good at both? I think that you need to have a thick, strong, and fast RB (like Dwyer who can burst through the line and secondary before the defense knows whats happening) and have one fast A-Back and a good blocking A-Back. That means that 50% of the time, you've got a toss where the faster guy gets the ball behind the good blocker... I think that'd be the most efficient behind recruiting good runners and training them to block...

You can train blockers, you can't train speed.

 

[JWE37]

You can train blockers, you can't train speed.

Bingo! Except I would replace "speed" with "talent".

AA doesn't have blazing speed but he can damn sure run the ball. I think CPJ would rather recruit guys for A-back that can make big plays with the ball in their hand and hopefully teach them how to be good blockers.

 

[gtcu17]

... I would replace "speed" with "talent".

duly noted. It doesn't take much talent to block, just knowledge. It takes talent and a-t-h-l-e-t-i-c-i-s-m (it was censoring me for some reason) to burn defenders...

recruit speed, then train them to block, and I think that's exactly what CPJ is doing

 

[Nashville Jacket]

Take the speed and teach 'em to block.