broncofaninfla
01-19-2010, 04:31 PM
Analysis: Divergent paths for Broncos' Moreno, Jets' Greene
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/19/2010 01:00:00 AM MST
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14217751#ixzz0d61LNXeB (http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14217751#ixzz0d61LNXeB)
Eleven months ago, they were simply RB 10 and RB 22 at the NFL's scouting combine.
RB 10 was Iowa's Shonn Greene, the Big Ten's offensive player of the year and the only runner in the Football Bowl Subdivision to rush for at least 100 yards in every game of the 2008 season — 13 games in all.
He finished with 1,850 yards on 6 yards a carry to go with 20 touchdowns. He won the Doak Walker Award.
When all of the breakdowns were done, folks loved what he did in 2008 but were concerned he had just 69 carries combined in his two other collegiate seasons and missed another because of academics in 2007, and then had to regain admission to Iowa in 2008 after a stint in junior college.
RB 22 was Knowshon Moreno, who had topped 1,300 yards rushing in each of his two college seasons, including six 100-yard games in 2007 to go with seven in 2008.
Greene, at 227 pounds, ran 4.65 seconds on the electronic clock in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Moreno, at 217 pounds, ran 4.62. Hand-timed, Greene ran a 4.55 at his pro day in Iowa City to go with a 39-inch vertical jump.
Coming off what he said at the time was a case of the flu that had him down to about 211 pounds for his pro day, Moreno ran a 4.6 hand-timed in his on-campus workout.
So, given what Greene has done in this postseason — two 100-yard rushing games — as the Jets have bullied their way into the AFC championship game, the question is rattling around about why Moreno was the 12th pick of the draft by the Broncos and Greene had to wait until the first pick of the third round for the Jets to take him.
From a football perspective, Greene looked like a pro runner in 2008 because he maintained his speed late in games and simply overpowered defenses as the game wore on. He ran with a good lean, extending himself forward when he ran and protected himself because of it.
The concerns were his ability to pass block, but the Jets ran the ball
almost 60 percent of the time in the regular season. They also use plenty of two-back looks and play action, so that isn't as big a concern for them as it would be for a team that opens up the formation and works out of the shotgun like the Broncos and others do.
Some teams were very concerned Greene's body of work was largely just one season — Hawkeyes coaches briefly even considered moving him to defense in 2006 — and that he had flunked out of Iowa in 2007 to miss that season.
But he returned in 2008 to dominate.
Moreno was among the most proficient pass blockers at the position in the draft, which would push him up the board for teams whose running backs coaches, like the Broncos', had a big voice in the draft room.
That's because rookie backs get on the field when they can block well enough for a quarterback.
Moreno showed good balance when he ran at Georgia, bounced off glancing blows in college and was a quality finisher. He took a lot of hits, however, with a running style more suited to a bigger back than he is.
Often, in the end zone view of his college games, observers could see both numbers on the front of his jersey in traffic, and that's usually an upright runner. Moreno powered through those hits in the SEC but will have to adjust in the NFL with linebackers who are 40 pounds heavier than he is.
That seemed evident as he closed out a rookie year when he routinely struggled after halftime. His numbers will improve some as the Broncos' offensive front does, but the fade in the second half of both games and the season is a concern.
But Greene showed enough power and closing speed to snap off a 53-yard touchdown run in the team's 18th game of the season.
Both runners have written just the first chapter of their respective careers, but Greene, taken 53 slots after the Broncos selected Moreno, has certainly put up a couple of more early exclamation points.
By Jeff Legwold
The Denver Post
Posted: 01/19/2010 01:00:00 AM MST
Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14217751#ixzz0d61LNXeB (http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_14217751#ixzz0d61LNXeB)
Eleven months ago, they were simply RB 10 and RB 22 at the NFL's scouting combine.
RB 10 was Iowa's Shonn Greene, the Big Ten's offensive player of the year and the only runner in the Football Bowl Subdivision to rush for at least 100 yards in every game of the 2008 season — 13 games in all.
He finished with 1,850 yards on 6 yards a carry to go with 20 touchdowns. He won the Doak Walker Award.
When all of the breakdowns were done, folks loved what he did in 2008 but were concerned he had just 69 carries combined in his two other collegiate seasons and missed another because of academics in 2007, and then had to regain admission to Iowa in 2008 after a stint in junior college.
RB 22 was Knowshon Moreno, who had topped 1,300 yards rushing in each of his two college seasons, including six 100-yard games in 2007 to go with seven in 2008.
Greene, at 227 pounds, ran 4.65 seconds on the electronic clock in the 40-yard dash at the combine. Moreno, at 217 pounds, ran 4.62. Hand-timed, Greene ran a 4.55 at his pro day in Iowa City to go with a 39-inch vertical jump.
Coming off what he said at the time was a case of the flu that had him down to about 211 pounds for his pro day, Moreno ran a 4.6 hand-timed in his on-campus workout.
So, given what Greene has done in this postseason — two 100-yard rushing games — as the Jets have bullied their way into the AFC championship game, the question is rattling around about why Moreno was the 12th pick of the draft by the Broncos and Greene had to wait until the first pick of the third round for the Jets to take him.
From a football perspective, Greene looked like a pro runner in 2008 because he maintained his speed late in games and simply overpowered defenses as the game wore on. He ran with a good lean, extending himself forward when he ran and protected himself because of it.
The concerns were his ability to pass block, but the Jets ran the ball
almost 60 percent of the time in the regular season. They also use plenty of two-back looks and play action, so that isn't as big a concern for them as it would be for a team that opens up the formation and works out of the shotgun like the Broncos and others do.
Some teams were very concerned Greene's body of work was largely just one season — Hawkeyes coaches briefly even considered moving him to defense in 2006 — and that he had flunked out of Iowa in 2007 to miss that season.
But he returned in 2008 to dominate.
Moreno was among the most proficient pass blockers at the position in the draft, which would push him up the board for teams whose running backs coaches, like the Broncos', had a big voice in the draft room.
That's because rookie backs get on the field when they can block well enough for a quarterback.
Moreno showed good balance when he ran at Georgia, bounced off glancing blows in college and was a quality finisher. He took a lot of hits, however, with a running style more suited to a bigger back than he is.
Often, in the end zone view of his college games, observers could see both numbers on the front of his jersey in traffic, and that's usually an upright runner. Moreno powered through those hits in the SEC but will have to adjust in the NFL with linebackers who are 40 pounds heavier than he is.
That seemed evident as he closed out a rookie year when he routinely struggled after halftime. His numbers will improve some as the Broncos' offensive front does, but the fade in the second half of both games and the season is a concern.
But Greene showed enough power and closing speed to snap off a 53-yard touchdown run in the team's 18th game of the season.
Both runners have written just the first chapter of their respective careers, but Greene, taken 53 slots after the Broncos selected Moreno, has certainly put up a couple of more early exclamation points.