Jonathon Stewart vs. Rashard Mendenhall

[Cbus cardsfan]

here's some clips.You decide who you like better.
Stewart first:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=h2yKRVAHItU&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nwSKFOfc04Q&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PLS6C0HKrMc&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cm0jCiLv9Ds

i like the Mich fans in the last one.


Here's Mendenhall
http://youtube.com/watch?v=27cxAs7mGSs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4J_0zy9-7o8
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q0a9EJ8oNp4
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pL1fQuscKYK


I have to admit Stewar's highlight's look better but i still say Mendenhall is the better overall back. Stewart looks more explosive but Mendenhall is better between the tackles and i could easily live with either on toting the ball for the Cards.

 

[stretchthefield]

I like Mendenhalls game over Stewart

 

[SECTION 11]

I like Knowshon Moreno so far better than anyone, but he's only a freshman. Maybe in a year or two, or three.

 

[Assface]

I'll take Stewart.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Man.... both look great.

Thank god we don't have any need for a RB in round 1.

Must..... Have...... More...... Pass Rushers.

 

[Pariah]

Thank god we don't have any need for a RB in round 1.

Must..... Have...... More...... Pass Rushers.

This is how we ended up with the terrible drafts we have in the past. By thinking i terms of "must have X position" and "no need for Y position."

We need to take the best player available, regardless of need. The Cardinals need football players. Period.

JMHO.

 

[Pariah]

I think I probably prefer Stewart of the two, but to tell you the truth, neither really impress me as good first-round picks. I think these guys should be going at the top of the second...maybe late in the first.

 

[earthsci]

This is how we ended up with the terrible drafts we have in the past. By thinking i terms of "must have X position" and "no need for Y position."

We need to take the best player available, regardless of need. The Cardinals need football players. Period.

JMHO.

The last time we drafted the BPA and not what we needed was Larry Fitzgerald. Drafting for need gets you Wendell Bryant and Tom Knight.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I understand the logic Pariah..... And I respect your opinion.

But.....

When you have DE, CB, OL, & LB issues, you will have a pretty big pool to draw from. And most likely, they will be the BPA.

RB is far from the issue WE NEED to address with our first pick on day 1. Maybe if Stephen Jackson was coming out... But come on..... We need other things. RB is a LUXURY item at this point.

 

[Zeno]

I understand the logic Pariah..... And I respect your opinion.

But.....

When you have DE, CB, OL, & LB issues, you will have a pretty big pool to draw from. And most likely, they will be the BPA.

RB is far from the issue WE NEED to address with our first pick on day 1. Maybe if Stephen Jackson was coming out... But come on..... We need other things. RB is a LUXURY item at this point.

Everything we've seen or heard sounds like the Cards aren't happy with the RB position...to the coaching staff it may be more than a luxury but a need for what they want to do with the offense.

We have plenty of holes but its best player available...and Stewart is a better pro prospect than Stephen Jackson was.

 

[football karma]

Man.... both look great.

Thank god we don't have any need for a RB in round 1.

Must..... Have...... More...... Pass Rushers.

While I agree with you--

the issue is this:

at #16 -- thus far the only pass rusher I see at worthy of a top half of the first round grade is Vernon Gholston (assuming he comes out).

Quentin Groves -- no way
Shawn Crable -- maybe at #30, but not #16
Chris Ellis -- 2nd rounder
Derrick Harvey --- maybe, but it feels high
Calais Campbell -- in a 4-3 absolutely. I have questions about how he would fit in the D the Cards run.

Offensive line is similiar-- couple of top 10 types, but then a pretty good drop off so it seems the 3rd best tackle is about the same as the #6 best tackle.

I could very well be that the true BPA (by a significant margin) is a RB or a WR at #16.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Everything we've seen or heard sounds like the Cards aren't happy with the RB position...to the coaching staff it may be more than a luxury but a need for what they want to do with the offense.

We have plenty of holes but its best player available...and Stewart is a better pro prospect than Stephen Jackson was.

Maybe to the pundits.... But I was drooling when he fell in the 20's.

As far as the BPA theory.... All of this will change as the FA period begins. As our needs are met in some areas the priorities of others will change.

Maybe I didn't hear about the RB issues that you say have been "said or heard". Personally, Edge, JJ, & Shipp aren't perfect but IMO they provide quality depth at that position.

Gholston, Maualuga, Baker, Jenkins, Cason, & Harvey should be a deep enough pool to choose from. I understand that as of now Maualuga is staying, but I have a little birdie on my should who told me he will be changing his tune in the next week.

Obviously, we should all agree that Levi Brown was not the BPA at #5 last year. With this in mind, I still think that they would be making a mistake taking a RB this year when we had the shot at a legacy type player at the same position last year. They have a plan, and to me, it is to take the best player available at a position of dire need. Our depth at DE, OL, CB, & LB is so poor it has to be looked at with more significance than RB.

Also, I agree with the Campbell assessment. He is not built for our scheme.

 

[Matt L]

Mendenhall if he falls to the second.

 

[BigRedMO]

I would be very surprised and disappointed if any RB is picked in the first round. The team became competitive because the defense started playing. Ranked 9th before the injuries to Wilson in particular. Quickest way to make this team a real contender is to continue to upgrade the defense. The offense was only outscored by two teams in the NFC. They are scoring enough points. Only two NFC teams allowed more points.

In my opinion teams that "say" they will draft BPA either have no real needs or a ton of needs. So if the BPA for NE was a QB would NE draft that QB? I highly doubt it. BPA without consideration of needs is non-existent in the real draft rooms for most teams. So if you draft a RB what do you do with James. His trade value is minimal due to his age. However his value to the Cardinals is 1200+ yards. So you would give up a first round pick for maybe a net increase of 200-300 rushing yards?

 

[Dr. Jones]

I would be very surprised and disappointed if any RB is picked in the first round. The team became competitive because the defense started playing. Ranked 9th before the injuries to Wilson in particular. Quickest way to make this team a real contender is to continue to upgrade the defense. The offense was only outscored by two teams in the NFC. They are scoring enough points. Only two NFC teams allowed more points.

In my opinion teams that "say" they will draft BPA either have no real needs or a ton of needs. So if the BPA for NE was a QB would NE draft that QB? I highly doubt it. BPA without consideration of needs is non-existent in the real draft rooms for most teams. So if you draft a RB what do you do with James. His trade value is minimal due to his age. However his value to the Cardinals is 1200+ yards. So you would give up a first round pick for maybe a net increase of 200-300 rushing yards?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

The last time we drafted the BPA and not what we needed was Larry Fitzgerald. Drafting for need gets you Wendell Bryant and Tom Knight.

and levi HEART and INTENSITY brown!!!

 

[spikecop02]

J-stew is a beast i get to watch him evry week the guy has one of the best stiff arms and breaking tackle abiltys in college

 

[RugbyMuffin]

This is how we ended up with the terrible drafts we have in the past. By thinking i terms of "must have X position" and "no need for Y position."

We need to take the best player available, regardless of need. The Cardinals need football players. Period.

JMHO.

Agreed.

For once we are in the position where we can go BPA. After last offseason we should learn that the BPA option is a luxiary/oppourtunity that doesn't present itself each year.

Whether the Cardinals went about getting a quality OLineman last year the right way can be and has been debated to death. But the fact of the matter is that they HAD to get help for the offensive line last year. A situation that handcuffed their options.

This year that is not the case.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

and levi HEART and INTENSITY brown!!!

Are you being sarcastic or do you think Brown is that bad ?

He is not the best tackle in football but I thought he was solid last year...but then again what do I know

 

[dreamcastrocks]

This is how we ended up with the terrible drafts we have in the past. By thinking i terms of "must have X position" and "no need for Y position."

We need to take the best player available, regardless of need. The Cardinals need football players. Period.

JMHO.

True. There will be a quality back available in R2 though.

This draft appears to have a few CB's in it too.

I would prefer we go CB or DE in the 1st round and RB in R2.

 

[DaisyCutter]

I would be very surprised and disappointed if any RB is picked in the first round.

By anyone, or by the Cards? I would be mildly surprised and somewhat disappointed if the Cards picks a RB in the first round (depending on who was available and who the RB was, of course), but there will probably be 3-4 RBs who will come off the board within the first 31 picks.

 

[DaisyCutter]

I only had time to watch the first couple videos, but I didn't see Mendenhall break a single tackle in the first two videos. He dove forward a couple times, but mostly he was just scampering through the gigantic holes created by the spread option offense and a pretty good offensive line.

I think that if you're going to invest a Top 20 pick in a back, you're going to want to see him get out of some arm tackles. That was the problem with J.J. Arrington: speed to spare, but couldn't run away from people the way he was able to in college.

 

[football karma]

just watching the posted videos--

it appears Stewart is better at yards after contact -- he just seems a little slippery-er.

Evaluating these college backs is hard. On so many of the runs, there is a huge hole and the back just runs to daylight without being touched. In the NFL, holes like that just dont happen, or exist of a fraction of a second.

 

[Cards Czar]

The problem is you are viewing selected video clips. I have watched every game that Mendenhall has played in and he is the total package.
Rashard can run between the tackles and make the corner cut. When Mendenhall is getting tackled most of the time he will lower his head and shoulder to get that extra yard or two. He has very great vision and cutback abilities. He doesnt catch the ball much, but what he has catched he has done pretty well with the play.( Illini play the option too much and juice doesnt throw too often to Mendenhall).


Navy Mike

 

[Darth Llama]

I was against taking a back in the first, but I have come to really like Stewart. If he's there and the Cardinals pass on him, I think it would be a huge mistake. We have to face that fact that a lot of our problem running the ball is Edge's lack of speed. I would love to have Stewart if he's there. That kid is a beast.