STrib: Gophers playing RB Jones at slotback frequently to fill need

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With the three big RS FR. WR being available this year, is not KJ Maye pretty much the slot receiver regardless. Maybe Jones will be better than KJ Maye in that spot, but I do not see us running al lot of 4 WR sets where we do not hand the ball off anyway.

Maybe Jones will be so good that they need to get him on the field, but I cannot see this being much of a game changer. If Jones is as great as we hope, he will get the carries before we get too deep into the season.
 

414GopherFan said:
You can spin it however you want to. Clements damage came in the 3rd quarter so if the Gophers were gassed, the S&C coach needs to be fired. My college coach always told me Exuses were for Losers but whatever helps you sleep bette at night is fine.
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Clement's 28 yd td was his only carry through the first 3 quarters. The rest of his yards came in the 4th; the majority of his carries last season were in the second half with an emphasis on the 4th qtr mop-up duty.

Spin it any way you want, but I would take Ezekiel Elliot or Gordon all day, all year, forever and ever more, amen. He is not in the same league.

I'm not saying he isn't good. He is. But he's going to be a drop-off from the last few years unless the O-line steps up. History suggests that will happen but you'll have to fill us in on the O-line for your team.
 

Hes not going to take much from KJ Maye, hes to far behind. Hell be a situational guy. It will be a 2 back rotation. Rodrick is a load to tackle and has a role but Rodney Smith is the best rb on this ball club.
 

The coaches always like to mix guys in so Jones will still probably get plenty of opportunities no matter how well Maye plays.
 

Not that he can't but Jeff will also have to beat out Eric Carter who many have reported looks like the third best receiver behind Maye and Woli.
 


It only seems to make sense that the coaches aren't working JJ so much at WR to have him ride the bench. He could do that from the RB position.


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414GopherFan said:
Rodrick is a load to tackle and has a role but Rodney Smith is the best rb on this ball club.
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Rodney looks like a good player. I think he will be behind RW35 & JJ16 tho.


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I'm a bit surprised by the low expectations of Jeff Jones. Laurence Maroney, our last highly rated RB rushed for over a thousand yards as a true freshman.

I'd consider it a disappointment and somewhat of a red flag if he doesn't get over half the touches next season, with Smith and Williams JR working in when he's in the slot. I'm a big fan of Rodney Smith, he seems to have a lot of David Cobb in him and the coaches seem high on him, but we all know the motivational games these coaches use. I see a lot of Corey Clement in Smith... I don't see Rodrick JR as a feature back, more as a change of pace battering ram. Losing weight in and of itself doesn't mean much.

Chances are, due to injury risk we will need all these guys at various times. We were a little spoiled by David Cobb's stamina.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
I'm a bit surprised by the low expectations of Jeff Jones. Laurence Maroney, our last highly rated RB rushed for over a thousand yards as a true freshman.

I'd consider it a disappointment and somewhat of a red flag if he doesn't get over half the touches next season, with Smith and Williams JR working in when he's in the slot. I'm a big fan of Rodney Smith, he seems to have a lot of David Cobb in him and the coaches seem high on him, but we all know the motivational games these coaches use. I see a lot of Corey Clement in Smith... I don't see Rodrick JR as a feature back, more as a change of pace battering ram. Losing weight in and of itself doesn't mean much.

Chances are, due to injury risk we will need all these guys at various times. We were a little spoiled by David Cobb's stamina.
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Disagree. Cobb's burst was noticablly better after his 10 pound weight loss in the offseason which was the reason he went from a projected late round-FA to a 3-4th rounder. Going from 247 to 229 will do wonders for Roderick. From reports at spring practice, his burst and wiggle is the best it's been in a while.
 



414GopherFan said:
Hes not going to take much from KJ Maye, hes to far behind. Hell be a situational guy. It will be a 2 back rotation. Rodrick is a load to tackle and has a role but Rodney Smith is the best rb on this ball club.
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This sort of reminds me of the spring of 2003 after the Music City Bowl win over Arkansas when no one other than Thomas Tapeh really ran the ball that well. For 2003 Tapeh was coming back, Marion Barber had injured his hamstring and never played much all year, L. Maroney was coming in but no one knew much about him, and the very productive Terry Jackson (almost 1400 yards in 2002, 5.5 YPC) was returning.

It was very uncertain as to who would emerge, and the it turned out that Barber and Maroney exploded, with a 5.5 YPC, 1400 yard back in Terry Jackson put on the backburner.

This year is equally uncertain. I am very excited to see which of the four primary candidates might step forward in a Lawrence Maroney type way. The numbers Terry Jackson put up in 2002 were quite impressive, considering how much praise went to Cobb this year for what he did.

Terry Jackson II 1317 Rushing Yards, 5.5 yards per carry!


1 Terry Jackson II 239 1317 5.5

http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/minnesota/2002.html
 

die hard gopher said:
Disagree. Cobb's burst was noticablly better after his 10 pound weight loss in the offseason which was the reason he went from a projected late round-FA to a 3-4th rounder. Going from 247 to 229 will do wonders for Roderick. From reports at spring practice, his burst and wiggle is the best it's been in a while.
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I don't remember David Cobb playing close to 240 pounds in 2013. If you can point me towards a link I'd appreciate it. I think that would have been noteworthy.

I also don't think his weight purported weight loss had much to do with his draft status. He was already pretty good in 2013 and his ypc were similar 2013/2014. I agree he ran a little harder and with a bit more explosiveness when he wasnt dinged, because he could smell the NFL and the single season record. But, the things that really make him exceptional were on display in 2013.
 


Pompous Elitist said:
I don't remember David Cobb playing close to 240 pounds in 2013. If you can point me towards a link I'd appreciate it. I think that would have been noteworthy.

I also don't think his weight purported weight loss had much to do with his draft status. He was already pretty good in 2013 and his ypc were similar 2013/2014. I agree he ran a little harder and with a bit more explosiveness when he wasnt dinged, because he could smell the NFL and the single season record. But, the things that really make him exceptional were on display in 2013.
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He was listed at 229 jr year then 220 this year. Looks like he re-gained a lot of that weight during his draft preparation work outs but it seems to be good weight.

This was the best one I could find but I do recall him saying he was much quicker because he lost 10 pounds. Maybe somebody else could help him out. I don't have a link for this but I also recall a scout or two saying he displayed better quickness and agility this year than in his junior which was the reason for his significant draft stock increase even if his YPC didn't show it. It wasn't simply a matter of them not knowing who he was, being under the radar after his junior year. He got a lot better and more athletic.

http://healthy-diet-guidelines.blogspot.com/2014/10/david-cobb-finds-appetite-for-success_9.html

Cobb is a picky eater. His diet before this offseason consisted mostly of cereal and fast food. He recoiled at the sight of vegetables, even if they were wedged between a pair of grease-soaked buns at McDonald's. His go-to at the golden arches was a cheeseburger, hold everything but the meat and cheese.


Dietitian Brittany Francis has talked him into eating three square meals a day this season and reminds him daily to grab a piece of fruit on his way to class. Cobb didn't really buy into eating healthy everyday until this summer, telling Wilson he was done pouring cheap gas into a Ferrari. He admits it's an uphill battle, but he's making progress.

'I have noticed that he's been eating healthy,' Wilson said. 'I haven't seen any McDonald's in a long, long time. ... He saw that last year was really good. This year he's on a mission to get better. You can definitely see the hunger. He's hungry for it.'
 



Well, I recall him listing at 227 all last season and I believe 220 his jr year but im getting old and have suffered more than a few concussions so...

I'm sure the weight on these guys fluctuates wildly. Especially a guy like Rodrick, his frame just says "husky". Losing fat without muscle (and strength) is tricky business even for the most type A dieter. Look, I hope Rodrick is the second coming, and maybe he is. But if jones barely plays at RB that is concerning to me.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Well, I recall him listing at 227 all last season and I believe 220 his jr year but im getting old and have suffered more than a few concussions so...

I'm sure the weight on these guys fluctuates wildly. Especially a guy like Rodrick, his frame just says "husky". Losing fat without muscle (and strength) is tricky business even for the most type A dieter. Look, I hope Rodrick is the second coming, and maybe he is. But if jones barely plays at RB that is concerning to me.
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Roderick isn't a wrestler. He's not already at such a low body fat that he's cutting muscle to make a lower weight. Eliminating junk and maintaining his workout regimen will eliminate the excess weight. Cutting out Taco Bell and Chicken Nuggets isn't going to cause him to lose muscle.
 

cjcarter8 said:
Roderick isn't a wrestler. He's not already at such a low body fat that he's cutting muscle to make a lower weight. Eliminating junk and maintaining his workout regimen will eliminate the excess weight. Cutting out Taco Bell and Chicken Nuggets isn't going to cause him to lose muscle.
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Losing significant weight without at least some muscle is indeed difficult. Usually there needs to be a cycling process of cutting and bulking with a precise diet but this takes time. Im surprised he was able to achieve this in less than 3 months without illegal medication. Then again, some of these guys are physiological freaks. I'm sure there are some nutrition/ lifting nuts out there that can give us some numbers.

Let's see how this all shakes out in the summer. It's way too early to state Rodrick is the presumptive starter because he's a senior and cut some weight.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Let's see how this all shakes out in the summer. It's way too early to state Rodrick is the presumptive starter because he's a senior and cut some weight.
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Is it fair to say Rodrick is the presumptive starter because he has been exclusively with the 1s this whole Spring? A lot can change by the Fall, but by listening to the coaches and reading what is happening at practice I think it is fair to say he is the front runner at this time. Personally, I was hoping JJ would beat him out, but practicing 90% of your time at WR doesn't seem to be the way the coaches would have him do so.


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I had 3 or 4 little birdies land on my shoulder yesterday afternoon and let me tell you them birdies aren't as little as they use to be. All of them unamiously told me Rodney Smith the best RB on the squad. Lets see how it shakes out.
 

Spoofin said:
Is it fair to say Rodrick is the presumptive starter because he has been exclusively with the 1s this whole Spring? A lot can change by the Fall, but by listening to the coaches and reading what is happening at practice I think it is fair to say he is the front runner at this time. Personally, I was hoping JJ would beat him out, but practicing 90% of your time at WR doesn't seem to be the way the coaches would have him do so.


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I don't think that means much. They want him to be a receiving threat so he needs to practice at that position. They've said as much, he's a fast learner and so moved him to receiver earlier than planned for more reps.

We'll see.
 

414GopherFan said:
I had 3 or 4 little birdies land on my shoulder yesterday afternoon and let me tell you them birdies aren't as little as they use to be. All of them unamiously told me Rodney Smith the best RB on the squad. Lets see how it shakes out.
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Do you actually see and hear these birdies? Do others hear and see them? Just asking. /s


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The coaches have a plan, they gave JJ enough reps at RB early to give him a foundation, now they are doing the same thing at WR so that he can work on both during Captains practices. Being ineligible put JJ behind but he's responding nicely. It'll be interesting in the fall.
 

Correct me if I'm wrong but at last weeks Saturday scrimmage, didn't Roderick sit out for all of it except for the first two or three series because the coaches feel he has such a tight grip on the starting position and they already know what he can do and don't want him to risk too much contact?
 

Spoofin said:
Do you actually see and hear these birdies? Do others hear and see them? Just asking. /s


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I saw it. It was three guys giving him the bird.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
I'm a bit surprised by the low expectations of Jeff Jones. Laurence Maroney, our last highly rated RB rushed for over a thousand yards as a true freshman.

I'd consider it a disappointment and somewhat of a red flag if he doesn't get over half the touches next season, with Smith and Williams JR working in when he's in the slot. I'm a big fan of Rodney Smith, he seems to have a lot of David Cobb in him and the coaches seem high on him, but we all know the motivational games these coaches use. I see a lot of Corey Clement in Smith... I don't see Rodrick JR as a feature back, more as a change of pace battering ram. Losing weight in and of itself doesn't mean much.

Chances are, due to injury risk we will need all these guys at various times. We were a little spoiled by David Cobb's stamina.
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Disappointment maybe, but red flag is a bit much in my opinion. Like we saw with Cobb, it's more than just how well they do running the ball with Kill. He has to be able to block and do all the little things well also.
 

Jones is not our #1 back right now. He's probably not our #2 back right now.

That's what this says.

Next.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
Losing significant weight without at least some muscle is indeed difficult. Usually there needs to be a cycling process of cutting and bulking with a precise diet but this takes time. Im surprised he was able to achieve this in less than 3 months without illegal medication. Then again, some of these guys are physiological freaks. I'm sure there are some nutrition/ lifting nuts out there that can give us some numbers.

Let's see how this all shakes out in the summer. It's way too early to state Rodrick is the presumptive starter because he's a senior and cut some weight.
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Yeah this maybe true for the Average Joe but probably doesn't apply to college athletes. The guy isn't dieting. He's simply cutting out junk food. He's not gonna lose mass in a college football training program.
 

Spoofin said:
Do you actually see and hear these birdies? Do others hear and see them? Just asking. /s


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From the practices I have been to, it appears Rodney is above Berkley AND Jones at RB. Look at it this way - why else would Jones be moved to slot receiver?
 

josh087 said:
From the practices I have been to, it appears Rodney is above Berkley AND Jones at RB. Look at it this way - why else would Jones be moved to slot receiver?
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According to Kill it was because JJ asked to practice there.

FTR - my comment wasn't disputing Smith was the best RB on the team. I have no way of knowing at this time one way or the other.


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Spoofin said:
Do you actually see and hear these birdies? Do others hear and see them? Just asking. /s


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At the moment I hear the birdies more than I see them but there some very talented birdies. As far as do others see or hear them? I'd imagine so, there definetly in the public eye. Spoof, I asked the birdies how are the rbs lookin? They replied " There looking good.Especially Rodney Smith". I asked the birdies about JJ. They said hes good just needs some time to adjust. They also mentioned Rodrick was doing well and they though it would be a 2 back rotation.
 

We're all speculating which has to drive Dr. don mad... But we have a gaggle of young guys, a returning senior that hasn't proven much, and a lightweight speedster in Edwards.

It's early; it's the spring. One of the young guys happens to be a highly sought after player. The most talented player MN has recruited (on paper) in quite some time. He was rated a 6.0 4 star by rivals. From rivals:

6.0-5.8 All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation's top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team

He's had a year to get bigger and stronger and study the game. He will have all spring and summer to focus on learning the offense.

Is it surprising he's not considered # 1 after a handful of his first practices on campus? Not really. Will it be disappointing if a 6.0 four star is sitting on the sidelines for a year of eligibility or working in as a bit player on an anemic passing attack in an offense starved of playmakers? You betcha. I'd like to see him get some quality level of carries this fall, or I consider that a red flag that's something amiss with his motivation, preparation, or dedication.

Just my opinion.
 

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