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Fournette in for Visit with Bengals.


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Katherine TerrellESPN Staff Writer 

Former LSU running back Leonard Fournette will visit the Bengals today, according to a source. Fournette is expected to be a high first round draft pick and has drawn a lot of interest from the Bengals, who are open to the idea of drafting a running back early with one of their 11 picks.

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18 minutes ago, TimKrumrieFan said:

Which scares the hell out of me so hopefully someone in the top 8 takes him.

Yeeeeeeeeeeep, this is basically what I came in here to say.

I think QB, T, C, G are the only positions I want less than RB but that's only because there aren't prospects worth taking at #9 at those other positions. I love the BPA strategy but I'd "reach" for a lot of different players over any RB in the draft class if it came down to it.

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2 minutes ago, omgdrdoom said:

Yeeeeeeeeeeep, this is basically what I came in here to say.

I think QB, T, C, G are the only positions I want less than RB but that's only because there aren't prospects worth taking at #9 at those other positions. I love the BPA strategy but I'd "reach" for a lot of different players over any RB in the draft class if it came down to it.

I don't want LB, RB, QB, OL, CB or S with our first round pick.  Strictly DL, WR, OJ Howard or trade back. Round 2 I'm ok with a RB. If they traded back far enough in round 1 I'm all about Mccaffery though.

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32 minutes ago, TimKrumrieFan said:

Which scares the hell out of me so hopefully someone in the top 8 takes him.

Not sure why you would be scared of drafting the best RB prospect in the past decade.

Fournette would be an excellent pickup for the Bengals, teams would have to respect the run and couldn't easily double team AJ and Eifert. We could challenge the Stealers for the best RB and WR combo in the NFL. 

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1 hour ago, PatternMaster said:

Not sure why you would be scared of drafting the best RB prospect in the past decade.

Fournette would be an excellent pickup for the Bengals, teams would have to respect the run and couldn't easily double team AJ and Eifert. We could challenge the Stealers for the best RB and WR combo in the NFL. 

He's not even the best back in this draft. I despise OSU but he's not better than Zeke from last year either. He's overrated. He's meant to run behind a FB and in the I-formation.  He's not meant to be in a shotgun or spread offense.  Dalton's biggest strength is spreading the D out for him to pre-snap read. If you change the offense to actually be effective for Fournette then you severely reduce our passing game ability.  If you put Fournette in the spread offense then you severely reduce his effectiveness. He's obviously a better player than Jeremy Hill but it is the same reason Hill sucks here. Fournette would still be productive but he would not be anywhere close to his draft slot and even if you ran an i-formation heavy offense I don't think he's worth his draft slot.  Adrian Peterson in his prime was a way better RB than Fournette and you could argue Peterson whether or not Peterson really upgraded Minnesota that much. It's just a position that doesn't impact W/L enough and can be easily filled for 2-4 year stretches with mid to late round picks. Unless your team is 1 player away a RB in the top 10 is insanity and the Bengals are definitely NOT one player away.

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2 hours ago, PatternMaster said:

Not sure why you would be scared of drafting the best RB prospect in the past decade.

Fournette would be an excellent pickup for the Bengals, teams would have to respect the run and couldn't easily double team AJ and Eifert. We could challenge the Stealers for the best RB and WR combo in the NFL. 

I think Joe Mixon is better, but I don't want that POS on the Bengals.

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41 minutes ago, BlackBengal said:

I think Joe Mixon is better, but I don't want that POS on the Bengals.

I think Mixon is loads better and I want him badly. I'm not building a football team for the local church and I know multiple players (including "Cincinnati Legends") with way darker of skeletons than Mixon.  It doesn't make what he did right but he was handed his punishment, has a right to a job and I want that job on my team because he's really good at what he does.

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1 hour ago, BlackBengal said:

I think Joe Mixon is better, but I don't want that POS on the Bengals.

Mixon has his question marks too. He played almost exclusively in a spread offense in a very weak big 12 conference. Not sure he's ready to play behind a Bengals o-line that will probably not be very good when he's used to running against 5 guys in the box in college.

 

I hate being negative, but I have a very bad feeling about that o-line. Hope I'm wrong.

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7 hours ago, PatternMaster said:

Not sure why you would be scared of drafting the best RB prospect in the past decade.

I'm sorry but that's a little far fetched.....I really like the dude and would have NO problem whatsoever with drafting him at 9, but in no way, shape or form is he even close to being the same kind of complete RB that Zeke Elliott was coming in.....I'll give ya pure running ability but Zeke was light years ahead of him as far as his ability to catch the ball and run routes out of the backfield...he was also absolutely incredible without the ball in his hands when it comes to picking up the blitz or even lead blocking in the running game on occasion.....I REALLY like Fournette and would love to have him, but he's not on Zeke's overall level as a prospect....IMO

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19 hours ago, TimKrumrieFan said:

He's not even the best back in this draft. I despise OSU but he's not better than Zeke from last year either. He's overrated. He's meant to run behind a FB and in the I-formation.  He's not meant to be in a shotgun or spread offense.  Dalton's biggest strength is spreading the D out for him to pre-snap read. If you change the offense to actually be effective for Fournette then you severely reduce our passing game ability.  If you put Fournette in the spread offense then you severely reduce his effectiveness. He's obviously a better player than Jeremy Hill but it is the same reason Hill sucks here. Fournette would still be productive but he would not be anywhere close to his draft slot and even if you ran an i-formation heavy offense I don't think he's worth his draft slot.  Adrian Peterson in his prime was a way better RB than Fournette and you could argue Peterson whether or not Peterson really upgraded Minnesota that much. It's just a position that doesn't impact W/L enough and can be easily filled for 2-4 year stretches with mid to late round picks. Unless your team is 1 player away a RB in the top 10 is insanity and the Bengals are definitely NOT one player away.

 

12 hours ago, spicoli said:

I'm sorry but that's a little far fetched.....I really like the dude and would have NO problem whatsoever with drafting him at 9, but in no way, shape or form is he even close to being the same kind of complete RB that Zeke Elliott was coming in.....I'll give ya pure running ability but Zeke was light years ahead of him as far as his ability to catch the ball and run routes out of the backfield...he was also absolutely incredible without the ball in his hands when it comes to picking up the blitz or even lead blocking in the running game on occasion.....I REALLY like Fournette and would love to have him, but he's not on Zeke's overall level as a prospect....IMO

 

18 hours ago, BlackBengal said:

I think Joe Mixon is better, but I don't want that POS on the Bengals.

I understand it's your opinion but many NFL coaches, scouts, and analyst disagree with you and I have not seen any draft evaluator rank Mixon higher than Fournette, not one. 

 

 

Quote

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000797686/article/book-on-leonard-fournette-top-draft-rb-since-adrian-peterson

Many five-star prep prospects fail to live up to the immense hype recruiting analysts lavish on them. Not Leonard Fournette. In fact, he might have exceeded expectations, becoming one of the best runners in SEC history. With the rock-solid back drawing comparisons to Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson as a budding superstar at the position, I couldn't wait to pop in the tape to see if the LSU standout really has the goods to be a transcendent star at the next level. After taking some time to review the footage and talk to some folks, here's the book on Fournette:

What I'm hearing

"Fournette is special. He is an old-school runner with strength and power. He runs through contact but also shows exceptional balance. Defenders have a tough time knocking him off his pins. ... I think he is the perfect grinder to feature in a power offense. He loves the dirty work between the tackles." -- NFC scout

"He's the real deal. He's a big, physical runner with quick enough feet to make people miss. Plus, he has some juice to run away from defenders. ... He was banged-up last season but still put some spectacular runs on tape. I think he's going to be a star in our league." -- NFC national scout

"You don't see guys with Fournette's size/speed combination. He's a rare, rare talent. ... He's the most talented runner to come out since Adrian Peterson." -- AFC executive

"Fournette is a beast. Guys like him don't come out very often." -- NFC personnel executive

What I'm seeing

Fournette is the most talented running back prospect to enter the league since Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch in 2007. (Yes, including Ezekiel Elliott -- I believe Fournette is a more physically imposing, traditional bell-cow back.) While I know these Peterson statements have been uttered more than a few times since the LSU standout stepped onto the scene as a heralded five-star recruit out of New Orleans, there's no denying his special qualities as an old-school runner with a violent style and ballet dancer's body control.

 

 

Peterson was drafted in 2007, which was 10 years ago. 

 

Quote

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/leonard-fournette-nfl-draft-lsu-running-back-scouts-prospect/1nt2kr94he8xdzvmpvbd46s4q

But Fournette on Saturday reminded everybody why he has deserved the "best in a decade" running back consideration since his freshman year at LSU.

Fournette’s 6-1, 240-pound frame is rare for a running back, let alone one who can both pivot to the perimeter and accelerate at the second level. His now-infamous bulldozing of Ole Miss’ Deontay Anderson stole the show in his 284-yard rushing performance, but that run only highlighted his rare combination of skills. His turn around the corner, burst to the perimeter and ability to sink low to meet the tackler at the shoulders will allow him to break off the same types of runs in the NFL.

Fournette’s top-end speed likely won’t be in the 4.4 range, but he can turn corners and get to his top speed smoothly and in a direct line to the end zone. This 76 yard run was largely set up by his blockers at the line of scrimmage, but Fournette’s burst once through the hole, including his tight shoulders to stay linear through the open field, allowed him to get to his top speed quickly and finish for a touchdown.

 

 

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1 hour ago, PatternMaster said:

 

I understand it's your opinion but many NFL coaches, scouts, and analyst disagree with you and I have not seen any draft evaluator rank Mixon higher than Fournette, not one. 

 

Pfffft, don't you realize that some posters on a message board took time off from selling insurance to tell you he isn't that good and Joe Mixon is much better?

I mean, who are you going to believe, a bunch of guys who are actually NFL professionals with their Million dollar jobs depending on how they evaluate talent, or a pharmacist who watched some YouTube clips of him to pen a sizzling hot take? Have you been on the internet before?

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Quote

I understand it's your opinion but many NFL coaches, scouts, and analyst disagree with you and I have not seen any draft evaluator rank Mixon higher than Fournette, not one. 

 

I don't have a strong take on Fournette vs. Mixon in pure talent. Kind of apples to oranges since Mixon is so much better as a receiver and Fournette is better in terms of pure power. Depends what you're looking for.

But, there have been plenty of NFL draft evaluators and scouts who have said Joe Mixon is the most talented back. Just one example. Mel Kiper is about as famous as you get in terms of draft analysts:

 

Quote

As front office personnel across the NFL debate whether or not Joe Mixon belongs on their team's NFL Draft boards, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN believes that the Oklahoma running back is the most talented prospect at his position ahead of next month's NFL Draft

"The reason we're talking about Joe Mixon so much is, he's a special talent," Kiper said Tuesday during the NFL Draft in Philadelphia Chalk Talk at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. "He's a top-10 pick without an issue. He's ahead of Leonard Fournette, without an issue. He's ahead of Dalvin Cook, without an issue. He's ahead of Christian McCaffrey, without an issue. 

http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2017/03/nfl_draft_2017_joe_mixon_is_most_talented_rb_mel_k.html

Maurice Jones-Drew isn't exactly a draft analyst, but he's not a pharmacist either:

 

Quote

 

1) Joe Mixon, Oklahoma: Some may be surprised that the Oklahoma product is at No. 1, considering his controversial past. The off-the-field incident -- which ultimately kept him from being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine -- is a very serious issue that teams will have to examine extensively before the draft.

What I know about Mixon on the football field is that he's without a doubt the best running back in this year's class. He's versatile, a good route runner, accelerates through contact and has great patience. I recently spoke to a coach who attended Oklahoma's pro day, and he told me Mixon was the best player he had seen in the last 10 years at any pro day. The 6-foot-1, 226-pound running back doesn't have many weaknesses when it comes to football. The only concern -- and it's a significant one -- is his maturity and decision-making outside of football.

 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, happyrid said:

He's a top-10 pick without an issue.

But he has issues. If frogs had wings and all of that.

And if 30 years of watching Bengals football has taught me anything, it's that guys with issues on draft day have a good chance of having issues after draft day.

Odell Thurman was the greatest MLB to ever play the game... If he wasn't an alcoholic. If he didn't have issues. 

Vontaze Burfict is a top 10 pick if he can stop accumulating 15 yard penalties and getting suspended.

And so on. If the issues weren't something to be concerned with and the talent was there, he'd be getting picked before Fournette.

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3 hours ago, LostInDaJungle said:

Vontaze Burfict is a top 10 pick if he can stop accumulating 15 yard penalties and getting suspended.

 

You really think any of that would be an issue if he played for TeamsLikeThePatriots?  The NFL clearly pinned a target on him.

Either way I think it's grossly unfair to lump him in with drunks & rapists because he sometimes hits a WR .03 seconds too late for that particular ref crew.

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14 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

You really think any of that would be an issue if he played for TeamsLikeThePatriots?  The NFL clearly pinned a target on him.

Either way I think it's grossly unfair to lump him in with drunks & rapists because he sometimes hits a WR .03 seconds too late for that particular ref crew.

Sort of. I believe the personal foul issue LostInDaJungle was referring to was about Burfict at ASU, not with the Bengals. His tendency to play through and well after the whistle in college was one of the reasons he went from being 1st round talent to a UDFA that most teams didn't want anything to do with. Being disgustingly out of shape at the combine didn't help his case, but the personal fouls were a red flag as far as on the field concerns go.

edit: I'm in agreement that Burfict shouldn't be lumped in with the actual "thugs" of the league. I'm just saying I agree with LIDJ that Burfict would have been a top pick had he not had more personal fouls than games played in his last year at ASU, punching teammates and opposing players, and also the combine/pro day/interview disaster as well. He was clearly top tier talent as far as college film goes, but guys drop for a lot of different reasons.

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22 hours ago, PatternMaster said:

I understand it's your opinion but many NFL coaches, scouts, and analyst disagree with you and I have not seen any draft evaluator rank Mixon higher than Fournette, not one. 

Many, if not most, draft evaluators have said that if you take the off field away then Mixon would likely be ranked higher.

i just heard Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis all agree in their latest podcast that he would likely be ranked higher if he was clean off the field.  

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2 hours ago, omgdrdoom said:

Sort of. I believe the personal foul issue LostInDaJungle was referring to was about Burfict at ASU, not with the Bengals. His tendency to play through and well after the whistle in college was one of the reasons he went from being 1st round talent to a UDFA that most teams didn't want anything to do with. Being disgustingly out of shape at the combine didn't help his case, but the personal fouls were a red flag as far as on the field concerns go.

edit: I'm in agreement that Burfict shouldn't be lumped in with the actual "thugs" of the league. I'm just saying I agree with LIDJ that Burfict would have been a top pick had he not had more personal fouls than games played in his last year at ASU, punching teammates and opposing players, and also the combine/pro day/interview disaster as well. He was clearly top tier talent as far as college film goes, but guys drop for a lot of different reasons.

Yeah, there's a reason that instead of being drafted in the top half of the first round we got him as a supplemental pick. The NFL didn't paint the target on him, but they have sought to intensify it.

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5 hours ago, BlackBengal said:

Many, if not most, draft evaluators have said that if you take the off field away then Mixon would likely be ranked higher.

i just heard Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Charles Davis all agree in their latest podcast that he would likely be ranked higher if he was clean off the field.  

But he's not, there's a video of him giving a young woman a Mike Tyson hook to the jaw. 

With all of the anti domestic violence initiatives going on in the NFL and media attention surrounding the incident whatever team drafts him is going to have a PR issue.

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11 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

But he's not, there's a video of him giving a young woman a Mike Tyson hook to the jaw. 

With all of the anti domestic violence initiatives going on in the NFL and media attention surrounding the incident whatever team drafts him is going to have a PR issue.

I have said repeatedly I don't want Mixon under any circumstances.  The guy is a complete POS.  

I am just saying that on the field, I think he is better than Fournette.  

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