I think you might be a little too quick to say "it wont happen". Yeah Bilal has been burried on the depth chart, but so was Murray and so many other break out stars. Sometimes all a guy needs is an opportunity. That being said I dont expect much out of Bilal, I think he is activated as a reserve for the most part. I could see Mcknight getting a decent amount of carries. I would like to see McKnight fill in for Kerley as our #3 Slot guy, and Bilal as a 3rd down change of pace back.
DeMarco Murray was one of the most dangerous backs in college football for his entire career at Oklahoma. Bilal Powell was a one year wonder. Murray was Felix Jones' spell at the very beginning of the season. He was second on the depth chart. Powell has been inactive and fourth on the depth chart. I don't think it will happen because Powell is still behind Greene and McKnight. You're right about players needing opportunity to make things happen, but this kid is buried on the depth chart behind better players, while Murray wasn't. It's not a fair comparison.
I was thinking the same thing. Starks is a much better comparison. ...just hoping Powell provides some fresh legs down the stretch.
That's a huge question mark, because he wasn't used in the passing game at Louisville. Ryan Mathews has showed promise as a receiver and he rarely caught passes at Fresno State. It's possible for backs to develop as receivers in this league. A lot of college offensive schemes don't use their backs in the passing game. *I just looked up LT's receiving stats at TCU. He caught a total of 32 passes during his entire college career. 6 catches his first year, 16 catches his second year, and 10 catches his third year. I'd say he's turned into a pretty nice receiving back. As of right now, Joe McKnight is the only receiver with any kind of receiving ability on offense.
i didnt understand the pick of a running back to begin with in april, not to mention according to all the running back boards we drafted him way too early. Weve drafted a running back the 3 years in a row and i dont get it. The only way i can defend it is if the rumors about a position change for mcknight is really in the plans
McKnight is a running back. Always has been, always will be. Bilal Powell was drafted because the coaching staff isn't confident in Shonn Greene. That's the only thing that makes sense to me. Powell wasn't drafted too early either. He was considered a fourth or fifth round and the Jets selected him at the backend of the fourth.
Maybe a combination but, they certainly had little reason to be confident in Mcknight. LT wasn't a lock at the time to come back... So, looking at Greene / Mcknight doesn't look so good and that was a probability for this year and certainly next year. Now with Greene / Mcknight / Powell I think they take a year off in the draft at RB.
Mr. E... I want to add this... It's PAY content so, I'll post some of it - Comes From Matt Waldman at Footballguys who writes a Rookie Scouting report every year and does a bang up job on draft info IMO....... Great add to your Twitter feed as well as his blog, Scouting report and work at FBG: My top five backs for the 2011 Rookie Scouting Portfolio were ranked in this order: Mark Ingram, Ryan Williams, Bilal Powell, Demarco Murray, and Delone Carter. No. 29 RB Bilal Powell, New York Jets Shonn Greene can wear down a defense and Joe McKnight can run around a defense. Powell can do both. He's the complete package. My top five backs for the 2011 Rookie Scouting Portfolio were ranked in this order: Mark Ingram, Ryan Williams, Bilal Powell, Demarco Murray, and Delone Carter. Here's what I had to say about Powell in one of my game evaluations against Cincinnati the week after he put 200 on Memphis: Powell is a finisher with power, speed and balance to contribute at a high level in the NFL. He likes to initiate contact and deliver the first blow and he does it with excellent pad level. I consistently saw runs in this game where he lowered his pads into the opponent or got his pads under a hit to gain significant yardage after contact. He protects the football as well as any back I have seen this year or almost any year. He has never officially fumbled the football during his college career that amounted to 436 carries and 45 receptions and that can be attributed to the high and tight method that he carries the ball. He's also a very mature runner. He looks for the cutback opportunity but opts to take the ball through smaller creases if the opportunity isn't right. This is something that runners with his speed tend to lack the maturity to do. He's a very good downhill runner that would play well in a zone blocking offense and when he gets into the open field he has enough of a wiggle to avoid full contact. Powell didn't get a chance to be featured until former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong came to Louisville. Strong remembered Powell from high school and decided to give Powell the chance to be the main cog in this offense where Steve Kragthorpe did not. Strong was responsible for a lot the recruiting during his stints at Florida, Notre Dame and South Carolina and he remembered being impressed with Powell as a runner in high school. Powell doesn't have great change of direction skills. He can set up a defender with a move but he's more of a one-cut downhill runner that doesn't string a lot of moves together. I didn't see him used as a pass blocker, but once and it was a cut block with bad technique. Otherwise, he was used as a receiver out of the backfield after acting out a play fake. However, I saw him dominate defenders at the Senior Bowl in drills with his movement, punch, and placement. He can pass protect. If he demonstrates potential as a pass protector, he could develop into a fine runner. He reminds me a bit of Terrell Davis. Powell was coming off a 200-yard rushing game against Memphis the week before and in this matchup with the Bearcats he had a run that I thought was the best I saw in that season outside of Marshawn Lynch's Beast Mode rumble through the Saints secondary. Just a recommendation to you while you watch these, queue up George Thorogood's Bad to the Bone while watching for maximum effect.
^ That's a good read. Thanks for posting. Bilal Powell has tremendous vision and that's why he has the big play ability. He sees openings that other backs cannot. When we selected Powell, I tried to find as much on him as possible. SC's Marcus Lattimore and Bama's Trent Richardson were the only better "finishers" in college ball last year. The kid's always gaining yards even when he's going down. Very impressive. My biggest concern with Shonn Greene is lack of vision. He doesn't have that cutback ability like McKnight and Powell. I'm hoping Powell gets some action tonight, but Greene and McKnight will get the majority of the reps.
McKnight was drafted because of big play ability and versatility. He will always be a change-of-pace, third down back type of player. He will never play a role similar to Greene's. Powell is a physical back with a lot of the qualities you see in feature backs: vision, ball security, game-breaking runs.
you gotta be kidding me. did you forget he was a 4th round pick?? That hes our 4th string back?? Lets stop hyping this guy up please until he does something. This is getting to be almost as bad as the brian hoyer talk on the pats boards.....
One round after first string Shonn Greene? Let's also give him a shot before we write him off. We know, more or less, what we're getting out of Greene. Powell should get a chance to prove himself.
you can find stud runningbacks anywhere. undrafted, the 1st, 2nd, 7th round. doesnt matter. nobody is saying this kid powell is a king.
