Roschon Johnson is to Franco Harris as Bijan Robinson is to Lydell Mitchell.

[Augie]

Did the title give anyone else SAT prep class flashbacks?

 

Just me? 

 

🤷‍♂️

[Nextmanup]

9 hours ago, Chaos said:

Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris graduated together at Penn State.  During their senior season, Mitchell had twice as many carries, almost 900 more yards than Harris, and finished fifth in the Heisman voting.   Oddly, he lasted until pick 48 in the draft, while Harris was selected by the Steelers 13th overall as the start of his HOF career.  Never understood what the Steelers saw there.  But they were obviously right. 

Johnson is a huge back 6'2 225 with speed who the Bills should be looking at if he drops to third round.   (I am not putting Johnson in Canton yet)

 Burning a 3rd round pick on a RB makes me sick to my stomach.

 

Use a 4th or lower, or get one somewhere else.  Maybe sign whoever gets cut in training camp.

 

 

[LyndonvilleBill]

41 minutes ago, Nextmanup said:

 Burning a 3rd round pick on a RB makes me sick to my stomach.

 

Use a 4th or lower, or get one somewhere else.  Maybe sign whoever gets cut in training camp.

 

 

I like Johnson as well, but I wouldn't use our 3rd on him. If he is there for our 4th, I would take him at 130. Otherwise I agree with you and wait to see what shakes free.

[1st&ten]

2 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

So what? There were more "versatile" RBs than Earl Campbell or even Jim Brown. Who were better runners? Yes, Franco did play on a better team than Mitchell. He also was a better, stronger runner and a better blocker. In addition to that, he had good hands as a receiver. The man was a 225 pound runnig back with corner speed. 

 

I respect your opinion but vehemently disagree.

They were both great running backs, Joe Pa used Franco more of a blocking back than runner which he was good at. Mitchell reminded me a lot of Tony Dorsett but he never reached his potential in the NFL while Franco of course became a HOF. I'm not sure teams were looking for versatile runners in those days--strong hard nose runners were part of football. I had the pleasure of watching Jim Brown in college &  with the Browns. I guess I'm old school cuz I miss that part of football. Also Cookie Gillcrist was one of the best running backs I ever seen but he was a free spirit & I don't think he took care of his body like the modern players. 

 

[offyourocker]

We need a complimentary back to cooks.  A new Karlos Williams would be terrific 

[pennstate10]

Interesting topic.

 

Here is my view.

 My family moved to State College in 1968.  First year Charlie Pittman was the guy.

Couple years later it was Mitchell and Harris.  Mitchell was the elusive Lightning to Harris's plodding Thunder.

Me and my 6th grade chums were dumbfounded when Harris was drafted first.

 

Obviously, Steelers knew what they were doing than a bunch of 6th graders....  Harris was faster than appreciated while at PSU, and, although Mitchell was a quality "halfback" with the Colts, in the end, he wasnt able to stand up to the daily pounding that a feature back in the NFL received in those days.

 

BAck to the original post, I'm certainly intrigued by a 225 lb RB who can run a sub 4.4 40.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he does at the combine.

[Thurman#1]

No RB in the 3rd, please.

 

Wouldn't mind later, though. We've already gone 3rd, 3rd and 2nd the last three years. Don't need to spend more there, especially if they can get Hines to agree to take a bit less, which seems a reasonable ask.

 

I expect them to bring in a cheap FA instead.

 

If they really see a major BPA RB at some point, they might indeed take it, but trading back would make better sense that early.. 

[Einstein's Dog]

8 hours ago, PBF81 said:

 

More importantly, as I said above, for us to draft a RB is to put the cart before the horse.  Apparently few Bills fans understand that Beane on his watch has devoted fewer top resources to OL-men than any other team in the league.  I simply don't see how that can continue to be overlooked if Beane is to keep his job.  

 

Beane in trouble for his job?  C'mon.  This is coming off an early superbowl favorite team that went through unimaginable circumstances and yet still ended up 14-4.  Beane is not on the hot seat.  Not at all.  Just stop.

 

As for your crusade concerning the OL.  The Bills OL investments into the OL have included round one pick Dawkins, a high pick in C Ford, a high pick in S Brown, and also a pick in Doyle along with a six million dollar investment in Saffold.  Your arbitrary years and arbitrary number (92) aside, the FO has been looking and tinkering with the OL.  Lots of people here don't like the results.   I would bet the FO isn't satisfied either and adjusts again this offseason.

 

Your cherry picking some arbitrary number cutoff (92) combined with lack of context (Dawkins was already on the team) in an effort to conclude that Beane has devoted fewer resources to the OL than any team in the league seems disingenuous.  It reeks of a predetermined bias attempted to be supported by made up conditions and numbers.  

[PBF81]

10 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Beane in trouble for his job?  C'mon.  This is coming off an early superbowl favorite team that went through unimaginable circumstances and yet still ended up 14-4.  Beane is not on the hot seat.  Not at all.  Just stop.

 

As for your crusade concerning the OL.  The Bills OL investments into the OL have included round one pick Dawkins, a high pick in C Ford, a high pick in S Brown, and also a pick in Doyle along with a six million dollar investment in Saffold.  Your arbitrary years and arbitrary number (92) aside, the FO has been looking and tinkering with the OL.  Lots of people here don't like the results.   I would bet the FO isn't satisfied either and adjusts again this offseason.

 

Your cherry picking some arbitrary number cutoff (92) combined with lack of context (Dawkins was already on the team) in an effort to conclude that Beane has devoted fewer resources to the OL than any team in the league seems disingenuous.  It reeks of a predetermined bias attempted to be supported by made up conditions and numbers.  

 

OK ... 

 

I'd be interested in your analytical rebuttal more than just your dissatisfactions of my analysis.  

[Doc]

Sign a RB in FA.  No more draft picks on them.

[4merper4mer]

13 hours ago, PBF81 said:

 

 

 

 

 

First 92 picks ...  Brown (93rd and bottom of the 3rd round) hasn't been what the other three singular picks are either regardless.  

 

Beane has neglected our OL more than any other team in the NFL.  

 

 

Ah, the famous 92/93 line where the value of draft picks falls off a cliff.

[John from Riverside]

18 minutes ago, 4merper4mer said:

Ah, the famous 92/93 line where the value of draft picks falls off a cliff.

That running back from the lions would be interesting

[Bill from NYC]

10 hours ago, 1st&ten said:

They were both great running backs, Joe Pa used Franco more of a blocking back than runner which he was good at. Mitchell reminded me a lot of Tony Dorsett but he never reached his potential in the NFL while Franco of course became a HOF. I'm not sure teams were looking for versatile runners in those days--strong hard nose runners were part of football. I had the pleasure of watching Jim Brown in college &  with the Browns. I guess I'm old school cuz I miss that part of football. Also Cookie Gillcrist was one of the best running backs I ever seen but he was a free spirit & I don't think he took care of his body like the modern players. 

 

I agree. I think that one of the things that enabled Franco to reach the HOF was his willingness to run out of bounds when necessary. Jim Brown was highly critical of Franco for doing so. Old timers like Marv Hubbard would grind out that 4 yard gain and fight to the death for one more yard.

Franco was smart enough to get out of bounds rather than take a shot from Jack Tatum or some other violent psychopath, especially if he already had a first down.  

All of these great fullbacks (Czonka, Hubbard, etc.) needed and did have great offensive lines. Franco was a perfect fit on that Steeler team with so many other weapons for defenses to worry about.  Was Franco as great as Earl Campbell? No, Earl was much stronger and even a step faster. Still, Franco was one of the most exciting RBs I for one ever saw play.

[NastyNateSoldiers]

22 hours ago, Chaos said:

Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris graduated together at Penn State.  During their senior season, Mitchell had twice as many carries, almost 900 more yards than Harris, and finished fifth in the Heisman voting.   Oddly, he lasted until pick 48 in the draft, while Harris was selected by the Steelers 13th overall as the start of his HOF career.  Never understood what the Steelers saw there.  But they were obviously right. 

Johnson is a huge back 6'2 225 with speed who the Bills should be looking at if he drops to third round.   (I am not putting Johnson in Canton yet)

Roshon Johnson reminds me of a slower Eli Michell. 

11 hours ago, offyourocker said:

We need a complimentary back to cooks.  A new Karlos Williams would be terrific 

Man a Karlos Williams type would be great he would take Cooks job in an instant . Neither Cooks or Hines are pure 3 down bks we need a bigger faster guy to take the lead role. 

[Chaos]

1 hour ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

Roshon Johnson reminds me of a slower Eli Michell. 

   

[NastyNateSoldiers]

28 minutes ago, Chaos said:

   

He doesn’t look that fast on tape, wow

[Chaos]

3 minutes ago, NastyNateSoldiers said:

He doesn’t look that fast on tape, wow

Big strides make people look slower. I don’t know what round he goes in because RB is a low priority position in the NFL. Most project him as the ninth to tenth RB off the board. If he puts up that forty time at the combine he probably moves to fourth or fifth.