Was Steven Jackson The Right Move At Running Back?

[FalconFanSince1970]

Many here know I was a Michael Turner supporter. But even I realized it was time for him to go. He was tailing off, had a huge cap hit and a couple filter infractions. But was Jackson the answer? Turner had 194 more combined yards and 4 more total TDs in only 55 more snaps, the equivalent of one game.

I thought we should have gone with DeMarco Murray as one of the five Julio players in 2011. He would have been ready in 2013. Yes I know he's injury prone but so is Julio. Believe it or not Murray's played in three more games than Julio.

After falling for the five player 2011 Julio deal, I still thought we should have taken either Lacy, Bernard or Bell in 2013 on a rookie contract. But we went for SJax at an average of $4M per year. How did they all fare in 2013? I'll throw in Turner's 2012 numbers as a baseline:

Turner - 222 attempts, 800 yards, 3.6 ypc, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 128 yards, 6.7 ypr, 1 TD

Jackson - 157 attempts, 543 yards, 3.5 ypc, 6 TDs, 33 receptions, 191 yards, 5.8 ypr, 1 TD

Murray - 217 attempts, 1124 yards, 5.2 ypc, 9 TDs, 53 receptions, 350 yards, 6.6 ypr, 1 TD

Bernard - 170 attempts, 695 yards, 4.1 ypc, 5 TDs, 56 receptions, 514 yards, 9.2 ypr, 3 TDs

Bell - 244 attempts, 860 yards, 3.5 ypc, 8 TDs, 45 receptions, 399 yards, 8.9 ypr, 0 TDs

Lacy - 284 attempts, 1178 yards, 4.1 ypc, 11 TDs, 35 receptions, 257 yards, 7.3 ypr, 0 TDs

Should we take a RB this year or wait and make a move on Gurley or someone else next year?

[putnam6]

Can't look back, think SJax gets another year just because there is only so much you can do in an off season. Like Quizz but doubt he is used properly. Like so many here give Smith the rock. Running game is so much based on OL play, got to get better balance 65%t 35% is not gonna get it done. Honestly though unless it's Ryan,Roddy or Julio I don't care who they move they just need to be more balanced.

[Clark Kent™]

Jacksons bad play has been extremely over exaggerated. We had an injured Roddy for the first 10 weeks. No Julio after week 2. Which means no deep threat. Which means safeties will come crashing down every play. Not to mention Jackson had a quad/hamstring injury. And on top of all that, our O line has been complete garbage. When Jackson has been fully recovered he has ran angry and fought for every yard he got.

Lol @ YOU saying selecting Demarco Murray. He is my favorite RB in the NFL, but if we had Murray you would be the first person screaming "Dimitroffed!" "Dimitroffed!" as soon as he missed one game due to injury and we all know it. So dont even sit here and try to use him as an example. But regarding his talent, I think he is a top 3-5 RB in the league when healthy.

If it were me i would take Terrance West in a mid round this year. He can carry the full load if Jackson goes down and would give us a very good rotation. We already have our scat backs with Quizz and Antone, so we need an all around back.

[Romfal]

I was against it when it happened, thought we could draft someone in the 3rd-5th and roll with Snelling-Quiz-new guy. Then I learned to accept it and during camp I warmed up to it only to get disappointment come week 1, then the injury. I think the guy can still play and I dont see him getting cut tho. So we will see. RB is not a need or a priority right now. If u have a good O-line u can run with anyone.

[GritsPittz]

He wasn't the answer this year but then again we didn't run the ball enough either. Fewest rushing attempts in the league. I don't think Jackson can be the work horse back anymore because of age and his running style. I think we could use him for the redzone/short yardage packages next year because he's still a beast when he runs the ball.

We need to trade or cut Rodgers and give someone else a chance, he's just not fast enough for what we need him for. I think Antone Smith is a huge threat and should be used more, or we need to draft a speed back in the later rounds. Rodgers really isn't any better than Snelling and Snelling is better at Special teams.

[FalconFanSince1970]

Jacksons bad play has been extremely over exaggerated. We had an injured Roddy for the first 10 weeks. No Julio after week 2. Which means no deep threat. Which means safeties will come crashing down every play. Not to mention Jackson had a quad/hamstring injury. And on top of all that, our O line has been complete garbage. When Jackson has been fully recovered he has ran angry and fought for every yard he got.

Lol @ YOU saying selecting Demarco Murray. He is my favorite RB in the NFL, but if we had Murray you would be the first person screaming "Dimitroffed!" "Dimitroffed!" as soon as he missed one game due to injury and we all know it. So dont even sit here and try to use him as an example. But regarding his talent, I think he is a top 3-5 RB in the league when healthy.

If it were me i would take Terrance West in a mid round this year. He can carry the full load if Jackson goes down and would give us a very good rotation. We already have our scat backs with Quizz and Antone, so we need an all around back.

LMAO. Jackson ran angry for 3.5 ypc and 6 TDs. Turner even ran for 3.6 ypc and 10 TDs with groin and elbow injuries last year. DeMarco is running at a 5.2 ypc clip. Way ahead of the class.

Don't even start me on DeMarco bro. Pull up the posts. He was in my 2011 mock and I even said take him in round one if we have to. As for durability, he's played in more games than Julio and they were drafted the same year. Of course we could have taken him and four more players instead of Julio. Four players bro. Maybe two OL and two DL. Dimitroffed.

I don't follow NCAA ball outside of the Georgia state line, but I normally do some offseason research so I will take a look at Terrence West. Who does he play for and what's so good about him? And for the last time, Quizz is not a scat back. I bet I can outrun that mofo and I'm old as dirt. True story bro.

[Clark Kent™]

LMAO. Jackson ran angry for 3.5 ypc and 6 TDs. Turner even ran for 3.6 ypc and 10 TDs with groin and elbow injuries last year. DeMarco is running at a 5.2 ypc clip. Way ahead of the class.

Don't even start me on DeMarco bro. Pull up the posts. He was in my 2011 mock and I even said take him in round one if we have to. As for durability, he's played in more games than Julio and they were drafted the same year. Of course we could have taken him and four more players instead of Julio. Four players bro. Maybe two OL and two DL. Dimitroffed.

I don't follow NCAA ball outside of the Georgia state line, but I normally do some offseason research so I will take a look at Terrence West. Who does he play for and what's so good about him? And for the last time, Quizz is not a scat back. I bet I can outrun that mofo and I'm old as dirt. True story bro.

You don't compare Turner and Jacksons seasons. You kidding? Jackson tore/pulled his quad/hamstring to a degree where he actually missed several games. And Turner had the benefit of a vertical passing offense where Jackson did not. We had to dink and dunk all season long. Please go lol

I don't care if you said take Murray back then. I was a huge Murray fan and still am. My point is, you of all people are going to suggest we should have taken him yet he is almost just as "injury prone" as Julio? If someone else suggested it I would understand, but like I said, you would be the first person screaming "dimitroffed!" as soon as he got his first injury. And we all know it.

He plays for Towson. Dude has NFL size. He has good speed. He hits the hole very hard. He is an absolute redzone beast. And he should be able to draft near the 4th round.

[FalconFanSince1970]

You don't compare Turner and Jacksons seasons. You kidding? Jackson tore/pulled his quad/hamstring to a degree where he actually missed several games. And Turner had the benefit of a vertical passing offense where Jackson did not. We had to dink and dunk all season long. Please go lol

I don't care if you said take Murray back then. I was a huge Murray fan and still am. My point is, you of all people are going to suggest we should have taken him yet he is almost just as "injury prone" as Julio? If someone else suggested it I would understand, but like I said, you would be the first person screaming "dimitroffed!" as soon as he got his first injury. And we all know it.

He plays for Towson. Dude has NFL size. He has good speed. He hits the hole very hard. He is an absolute redzone beast. And he should be able to draft near the 4th round.

Turner had a mere 55 more snaps than Jackson. That's the equivalent of one game bro. Yet he had 200 more yards and 4 more TDs. With groin and elbow issues. Plus a sorry as run blocking Oline. They could pass block better but they sucked monkey balls run blocking as much as the 2013 Oline.

If we had taken DeMarco he would have backed up Turner for a couple years and been our scat back instead of the speedy Quizzanator. He would have been fresh and ready to go in 2013. I bet he would have broken way more runs than SJax. Even with a loaded box and sorry as Dimi Oline. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

Towson huh? OK. I never even heard of a fkn Towson. Let's just forget about DeMarco and chalk that one up to a dumbass Dimi Pick Five brain fart. How bout Gio, Lacy, Bell, Ball or Ellington in 2013? What happened there? Were we so enamored with the Quizzanator to pass on all them mofos when we knew we needed a young RB? This Terrence West better be good.

[samueladams]

50/50

The oline doesn't block him 85% of the game.

[Clark Kent™]

Turner had a mere 55 more snaps than Jackson. That's the equivalent of one game bro. Yet he had 200 more yards and 4 more TDs. With groin and elbow issues. Plus a sorry as run blocking Oline. They could pass block better but they sucked monkey balls run blocking as much as the 2013 Oline.

If we had taken DeMarco he would have backed up Turner for a couple years and been our scat back instead of the speedy Quizzanator. He would have been fresh and ready to go in 2013. I bet he would have broken way more runs than SJax. Even with a loaded box and sorry as Dimi Oline. Search your feelings. You know it to be true.

Towson huh? OK. I never even heard of a fkn Towson. Let's just forget about DeMarco and chalk that one up to a dumbass Dimi Pick Five brain fart. How bout Gio, Lacy, Bell, Ball or Ellington in 2013? What happened there? Were we so enamored with the Quizzanator to pass on all them mofos when we knew we needed a young RB? This Terrence West better be good.

Every player has dings. Turners injuries were OBVIOUSLY nowhere near as serious as Jacksons. I shouldn't have to even elaborate more than i already have. And yes having a vertical passing game with a healthy Roddy and Julio will benefit any RB in this offense. Not to mention Baker was healthy all year and played pretty well too.

I'm not arguing that Murray wouldn't have been better. I already stated that he is my favorite running back in the entire NFL and i think he is a top 3-5 RB. I am saying with as much "dimitroffed" as you spew on here, why would anyone here think that you would not start saying it as soon as Murray went down with an injury?

I was a Lacy fan last year. I did not buy into the "he is a product of the Bama line and is overweight". From the way he played you can tell he was going to be a star. I wasn't a fan of Bernard at all until the 1st preseason game i saw him in when he showed that he can lower his shoulder and take some hits. It is what it is. Terrance West is going to be the real deal if he gets a shot though. That i can guarantee

[FalconFanSince1970]

Every player has dings. Turners injuries were OBVIOUSLY nowhere near as serious as Jacksons. I shouldn't have to even elaborate more than i already have. And yes having a vertical passing game with a healthy Roddy and Julio will benefit any RB in this offense. Not to mention Baker was healthy all year and played pretty well too.

I'm not arguing that Murray wouldn't have been better. I already stated that he is my favorite running back in the entire NFL and i think he is a top 3-5 RB. I am saying with as much "dimitroffed" as you spew on here, why would anyone here think that you would not start saying it as soon as Murray went down with an injury?

I was a Lacy fan last year. I did not buy into the "he is a product of the Bama line and is overweight". From the way he played you can tell he was going to be a star. I wasn't a fan of Bernard at all until the 1st preseason game i saw him in when he showed that he can lower his shoulder and take some hits. It is what it is. Terrance West is going to be the real deal if he gets a shot though. That i can guarantee

If we take Murray or any other RB and they get injured WTF does it matter if I say Dimitroffed if they are younger, better backs? Murray has played in as many games as Arian Foster since he came into the league in 2011 bro.

[Kissyfur2013]

Draft The Bishop in Round 3.

[Sergeant]

Jackson would do much better if he wasn't met with a defensive player right when he gets the ball. It seemed to me a lot of the time he was getting hit before he even hit the LOS. For a power running back, he needs a little more momentum. I've seen him dominate on runs here he gets a good block from the O-line.

Give him another year, upgrade the O-line.

[Clark Kent™]

If we take Murray or any other RB and they get injured WTF does it matter if I say Dimitroffed if they are younger, better backs? Murray has played in as many games as Arian Foster since he came into the league in 2011 bro.

Because it doesn't matter if they are AP. If they are injured they are no use to us. So why would you push for Murray when you know that you would have said "dimitroffed" as soon as he got injured? And you know that you would have lol we all know you would have

[FalconFanSince1970]

Jackson would do much better if he wasn't met with a defensive player right when he gets the ball. It seemed to me a lot of the time he was getting hit before he even hit the LOS. For a power running back, he needs a little more momentum. I've seen him dominate on runs here he gets a good block from the O-line.

Give him another year, upgrade the O-line.

But when that happened last year everybody said it wasn't the Oline, it was Turner. I said it then and I'll say it again, bush it.

[FalconFanSince1970]

Because it doesn't matter if they are AP. If they are injured they are no use to us. So why would you push for Murray when you know that you would have said "dimitroffed" as soon as he got injured? And you know that you would have lol we all know you would have

Murray, Morris, Lacy, Bernard, Bell, Ball and Ellington were more healthy and more productive than SJax this year. Dimitroffed.

[Sergeant]

But when that happened last year everybody said it wasn't the Oline, it was Turner. I said it then and I'll say it again, bush it.

I was telling people last year it was a mixture of a bad O-line and out of shape running back. I loved Turner too but he got out of hand with how bad he was looking physically. Jackson takes much better care of himself.

[Sergeant]

Murray, Morris, Lacy, Bernard, Bell, Ball and Ellington were more healthy and more productive than SJax this year. Dimitroffed.

Well Sjax is more of a power back, when we needed speed with this terrible O-line. That's why Antoine Smith did so well.

I'm telling you, if they upgrade the O-line, Sjax will earn his contract.

[Clark Kent™]

Murray, Morris, Lacy, Bernard, Bell, Ball and Ellington were more healthy and more productive than SJax this year. Dimitroffed.

lol

[FalconFanSince1970]

I was telling people last year it was a mixture of a bad O-line and out of shape running back. I loved Turner too but he got out of hand with how bad he was looking physically. Jackson takes much better care of himself.

Turner - 222 attempts, 800 yards, 3.6 ypc, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 128 yards, 6.7 ypr, 1 TD

Jackson - 157 attempts, 543 yards, 3.5 ypc, 6 TDs, 33 receptions, 191 yards, 5.8 ypr, 1 TD

[Sergeant]

Turner - 222 attempts, 800 yards, 3.6 ypc, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 128 yards, 6.7 ypr, 1 TD

Jackson - 157 attempts, 543 yards, 3.5 ypc, 6 TDs, 33 receptions, 191 yards, 5.8 ypr, 1 TD

All those numbers tell me is that changing the RB wasn't the fix, as we clearly learned this season.

However, SJax is in my opinion a better RB than Turner. If Turner played this season those numbers would have been worse due to the O-line.

[Clark Kent™]

Turner - 222 attempts, 800 yards, 3.6 ypc, 10 TDs, 19 receptions, 128 yards, 6.7 ypr, 1 TD

Jackson - 157 attempts, 543 yards, 3.5 ypc, 6 TDs, 33 receptions, 191 yards, 5.8 ypr, 1 TD

Sighh

Like i said. Turner had a healthy Baker who was playing at a high level last year, a healthy Julio, a healthy Roddy. And he himself did not sustain any significant injury. Any RB who has the threat of a vertical passing game is going to benefit.

Just stop lol

[putnam6]

I see the stats but I'll go with my eyes. Turner was on a healthier team/OL playing meaningful games and though he had his injuries it's nothing like a hammy to an RB. But unless you are arguing on getting rid of SJax ,thats all that matters going forward. By the way he was talked about at the presser think he gets another go round. But he was running with more authority by the end of the year and shouldn't be thrown away just yet.

[NOVAFalconFan]

Plus a sorry as run blocking Oline. They could pass block better but they sucked monkey balls run blocking as much as the 2013 Oline.

Disagree, 2013 was the worst run blocking in the history of run blocking.

[ukfalc]

Given where we were at the time, yes he was.

In an ideal world, we'd have been able to draft a replacement for Turner early in the 2013 draft, but we had far too many more pressing needs for that. Keeping Turner wasn't an option, we had limited cap space to upgrade in free agency and Jackson came relatively cheap because of his age.

Obviously there was a risk of Jackson hitting the wall due to his age, but it was an understandable gamble in the circumstances. He was the best option for a team that didn't have a lot of other feasible options.