Murphys95
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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- Sep 13, 2004
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From our latest mock draft - http://www.murphysfans.com/scott.htm
21. New England - DeAngelo Williams, RB (Memphis)
Williams could go much higher but running backs seem to have a tendency to slip in the draft. Could Williams be this year's Vince Wilfork, a player rated higher but who falls to the Patriots at #21? That is the kind of value you look for in the draft. Personally, I have a lot of questions regarding Williams. First, he is short at 5-9 and while he weighed-in at 214 pounds during the Combine, his playing weight throughout his career was closer to 208. Second, he is not a polished blocker in the passing game, which is a critical skill to keep one's QB healthy. Third, he is often compared to Barry Sanders for his incredible shiftiness but what I see when I watch him run is someone who would prefer to juke and dance rather than plow ahead for the critical yards. Still, he has feature-back potential. Williams put up huge numbers in four years at Memphis (5,661 rushing yards, 726 receiving yards, and 55 TDs), and although he has a lot of wear already for a young running back, his production is simply phenomenal. Personally, I think Corey Dillon is still a great running back with a couple of good years left in him and I wonder what the addition of Williams would do for team chemistry. Williams would be instant insurance, but would the team spend a first round pick on a guy who projects to start only if Dillon get hurts? Let's look at it this way: Coach Belichick told a story just this week about taking linebacker Carl Banks in the draft when he was with the Giants and they already had solid 'backers including Lawrence Taylor. Belichick said that all the "experts" reacted as though it was a wasted pick, but the team took Banks because of the value of the player, period. The good players find a way to play. Williams could well be the future in New England, if for no other reason than that he represents the best value on the board at this spot.
21. New England - DeAngelo Williams, RB (Memphis)
Williams could go much higher but running backs seem to have a tendency to slip in the draft. Could Williams be this year's Vince Wilfork, a player rated higher but who falls to the Patriots at #21? That is the kind of value you look for in the draft. Personally, I have a lot of questions regarding Williams. First, he is short at 5-9 and while he weighed-in at 214 pounds during the Combine, his playing weight throughout his career was closer to 208. Second, he is not a polished blocker in the passing game, which is a critical skill to keep one's QB healthy. Third, he is often compared to Barry Sanders for his incredible shiftiness but what I see when I watch him run is someone who would prefer to juke and dance rather than plow ahead for the critical yards. Still, he has feature-back potential. Williams put up huge numbers in four years at Memphis (5,661 rushing yards, 726 receiving yards, and 55 TDs), and although he has a lot of wear already for a young running back, his production is simply phenomenal. Personally, I think Corey Dillon is still a great running back with a couple of good years left in him and I wonder what the addition of Williams would do for team chemistry. Williams would be instant insurance, but would the team spend a first round pick on a guy who projects to start only if Dillon get hurts? Let's look at it this way: Coach Belichick told a story just this week about taking linebacker Carl Banks in the draft when he was with the Giants and they already had solid 'backers including Lawrence Taylor. Belichick said that all the "experts" reacted as though it was a wasted pick, but the team took Banks because of the value of the player, period. The good players find a way to play. Williams could well be the future in New England, if for no other reason than that he represents the best value on the board at this spot.
