it's past time--we're rebuilding, so why play the grizzled vet 2 more years for sentimrent? Not what sucessful organizations do.
We are all forgetting Curtis lead the league in rushing in the 2004/2005 season (he just beat out S. Alexander). Last year(05/06) he had no line to block for him and no downfield threat with our quarterback situation, so they knew we were going to run. From what I've read/been told the knee injury wasn't all that bad, he even still played on it while it was hurt. With Curtis' work ethic on top of things mentioned above I still believe he will be close to the top of his game and have a very productive season!
Ofcourse not. I mean being removed from the rushing title one year.... it's too long, he's hopeless. have you ever tried to catch a chicken? It's freaking hard!!!!!
You cannot say a player like curtis who runs up and down the steps of santa monica which is about 8000 steps being not determined, he will be our back this year, and blaylock may have a been a system back but he can play the same role for us. 3 backs means a fresh one coming out every 2 downs, curtis our vision/finesse, blaylock our speedy/ flatback, and houston our short yardage/bruiser. Our runningbacks are fine, mangini will use them the right way, unlike herm.
rofl this guys right i remember the intro to the PIT/NYJ game was curtis holding the trophy and he said i'll play as long as it takes to get this. haha, in all realism i see him around this yr and 1-2 more yrs like someone said in a Tutelage/Faulk role. i would kill to have him as a RB Coach in a few yrs
I can see using Curtis as a 3rd down/ goal line back. That will legthen his career. The other running backs can platoon before those downs with a healthy mix of runs, screens and medium passing. Curtis can see a career mark for touchdowns this next season if we are a good offensive unit.
Curtis has gotta go already. We need YOUNG LEGS at RB. Denver has a different guy back there every year, and they're better than us every year too, pretty much.
Watch...he gets 1100-1200 yards this year... If the line can get a decent push, he will be as good as ever. The man rises to the occasion, he is a true competitior and has all the tools still.
I'm thinking in the neighborhood of 900 yards. He won't get nearly as many carries in years past, but as a rotation back, he will be killer. No, he is never going to win another rushing title, but anyone who thinks Martin, one of the most productive running backs of all time can't help us win didn't watch this year's Super Bowl. Does anyone actually feel Bettis is a better RB than Martin? Regardless of style, Martin is quite more of a game changer than Bettis. There is no reason for Martin to hang it up yet. As long as he can stay healthy, which should be easier since he won't be used like a Manhattan buggy horse, he will get the important yards. I fully expect his YPC to be in the 4.5 range this year.
Bettis is one of the most over rated backs in NFL history. He had 3 excellent years one good injury riddled year and 9 years where he averaged under 4 YPC including last year when he averaged 3.3 YPC and got 368 total yards. Bettis not only didn't help the Steelers win last year he came very close to costing them the game against the Jets in the 04 playoffs and the game against Indy in last years playoffs. If your comparing Martin to Bettis he is being kept because he is a good influence in the locker room not because he is a dynamic running back. Bettis last year of being a major contributor was 01.
There's the best comparison. Like him or not, the Steelers rallied behind the Bus this year to get his ring. Stuff like that matters. Every year there is a story. Cinderella teams, guys going for that last shot at glory, things like that. I never said Bettis wasn't overrated. Good yes, great nope. As far as his YPC, he was never supposed to be a 4-5 YPC guy. He was a pound the middle guy, nothing more. The best situation for him was a committee scenario. And that's the point that CMart is at. He can still be productive, if there are other guys to mix it up with. If we had a Bettis type guy with Martin, I think that would be best-case. Two totally different styles, but we will make due with what we have.
What kind of back is Martin today? Is he a speed back, finese back, smash mouth back? You need pace to have a change of it.
:lol: Yeah, you have a point there. Martin has a different style than any other back I have ever seen. He is sometimes finesse, sometimes he pounds the middle like the best of them, he has had true bursts of speed at times (though those days are over.) He is his own change of pace I guess. Anyway, I just think that with other RBs doing other things, he can be a good back again. His best days are at least two years removed, but that doesn't mean he isn't still a weapon. His hands alone make him an asset. Not just his ability to not fumble, but he is still a good option to throw to. Considering we have no idea how far downfield any of our QBs will be able to throw with accuracy, having Martin in there to catch the dump cannot be underestimated.
The reason why we drafted two running backs in the first round was because the position was horrible, we got absolutely no production, same reason why we signed Trey Teague and Anthony Clement. It was the need to upgrade RB not the tackle position.Wake up people Curtis will rush for over 1200 yards, if this line plays well.
If Curtis carries the ball 300 plus times next year we better be going to the SB other wise Mangini will be proven to be as much of a dolt as Herm was last year.
