FanNation - The Republic of Sport

0x NBA/NFL Champion said 04/30, 02:36 PM
As much as I'd love to say Matt Ryan, I have to go with Darren McFadden.

First of all, we all saw what a talented rookie RB can do, as AD won Rookie of the Year last year. McFadden comes into a similar situation with a struggling team, a young QB, and not many offensive weapons. He can come in and play right away, and he is the type of player who can make a large impact right away.

Last year, he rushed for 1830 yards and 16 TD's. Yes, that was in college, but he was also splitting carries. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up two years in a row, meaning that he was among the best two years in a row.

However, McFadden isn't just a runner. He can catch passes out of the backfield, he can throw, he can have an impact on special teams. He won't have success with all of these in the pros, but he has the potential to have a huge impact, and not just by taking the handoff. Last year, he had totals of 2117 yards, and 21 TD's. That is very impressive.

McFadden comes into a situation that allows him to showcase his talent. The Raiders are in need of someone who can get the job done, and McFadden has all the potential to be that man, and win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Good luck, dyhard

0x NBA/NFL Champion said 04/30, 10:40 PM
McFadden might not be the runner that AD is, but he can do things that AD can't do. Plus, its not like McFadden is a slouch. He is a great back, and he is still a very good runner, not on the level of AD, but still good.

As for sharing carries, it happened last year with AD and Chester Taylor. They split almost the entire season, but AD still managed to win ROY, so why can't McFadden do the same thing this year?

When I look at Matt Ryan, the thing that jumps out at me is th INT's. Throwing 19 INT's in college isn't terrible, but that is more than an average of one a game. And pro DB's are much better than college ones, so with more games, that could easily turn into 25 INT's, something that wouldn't help him.

Here are the stats from the QB's and RB's from the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Adrian Peterson- 238 attempts, 1341 yards, 12 TD's
Marshawn Lynch- 280 attempts, 1175 yards, 7 TD's

JaMarcus Russell- 373 yards, 2 TD's, 4 INT's, 55.9 rating
Brady Quinn- 45 yards, 0 TD's, 0 INT's, 58.8 rating

As you can see, based on last year's stats, it is far easier to have an impact as a RB than a QB, and it is not even determined whether Ryan will start right away.

0x NBA/NFL Champion said 05/01, 08:14 PM
Taylor had 157 carries last year, which is probably more than any of the other RB's on the Raiders will get. The Raiders have been bad for the last few years, and they know that McFadden is one of the keys to the future of the franchise. McFadden will get carries right away, and he has enough talent to make something out of it.

AD is better than McFadden, but I would say that McFadden is better than Lynch, who still managed 1100+ yards and 7 TD's in only 13 games. If Lynch was able to do that as a rookie, why can't McFadden do the same thing this year?

As for the comparing, I wasn't comparing players. I was showing that it is far easier to come in and have an impact as a RB than as a QB. Based on what happened last year, McFadden will get a lot of playing time, which would help his case for ROY.

I could easily see Ryan throwing 20+ INT's in the NFL. INT's are far easer to throw in the NFL than NCAA, making totals go up. TD's are harder in the NFL, so his stats could easily go down. He could have an ugly rookie year adjusting to the NFL.

Ryan might not start, nearly all 1st round QB's are eased in, including all of the QB's from 07, 2 of 3 from 06, all from 05, and all from 04.