Steelers Tailback Leads 2011 ‘All Backup Team’

Whether subbing for an injured starter, seeing time in a positional rotation, or as part of a specific sub-package, NFL backups relish any opportunity to earn snaps. And with playing time always a precious commodity at football’s highest level, success on even a small percentage of a team’s plays can often lead to a better gig. If you’re Pittsburgh Steelers backup running back Ike Redman, you’re hoping that’s sooner rather than later.

The folks over at Pro Football Focus do some pretty amazing research, derived from play-by-play data and watching game film. Based on their system of ranking players in all ways key to football, this is one fan’s 2011 ALL BACKUP TEAM – OFFENSE.

——————————

Matt Moore, QB, Miami Dolphins – Named to the team almost by default, the well-traveled Moore and Indy’s Curtis Painter are the only two quarterbacks to have played in at least 25% of their team’s snaps to date. Painter has the edge in overall numbers but in grading game-to-game, Moore has been more consistent…ly mediocre.

Isaac Redman, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers – The undrafted free agent out of Bowie State has been a real find for the Black ‘n Gold, rushing for 207 yards on 47 carries and catching nine balls for another 42 yards. He has a rushing touchdown to his credit and has yet to fumble. Overall, Redman grades out as the 8th best running back in football, edging out Cedric Benson, Darren McFadden, and Ray Rice, to name a few. He ranks 12th as a receiver, 10th as a rusher, and 14th as a blocker. He also ranks 16th in the league in Yards After Contact per Rush and has outperformed starter Rashard Mendenhall in each of those categories, despite appearing in 31 fewer plays.

Manase Tonga, FB, Oakland Raiders – Tonga took over for the injured Marcel Reece as the starter in Week 5. Although the overall level of play did not drop significantly, Tonga brings a different set of skills to the table, grading out higher in blocking than Reese despite being less of a threat in the passing game. Tonga currently ranks as the 12th best fullback in football in terms of overall production.

Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay – Some have considered Nelson a starter in backup’s clothing for a couple of years now. If the experts at PFF have any say, they’ll tell you he’s the 14th best pass catcher in the game, coming in well ahead of teammates James Jones (41) and Donald Driver (96). His 10.1 Yards After Catch per Reception Average is tops among NFL receivers and his top ten ranking in Missed Tackles (5) proves he’s not just running free behind the safeties. Truth be told, he’s second in snaps played among Packer wide-outs so he is only a backup in that he is not on the field for the first play of each game.

Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle – The former Stanford Cardinal has caught 20 balls for 330 yards and one touchdown this year as the #3 guy in the Pacific Northwest, grading out as Seattle’s most productive receiver to date. Overall, he comes in tied with Carolina’s Brandon LaFell for 21st. Prior to a poor Week 7 outing against Cleveland, where he caught none of the four balls thrown his way, Baldwin had a top 15 grade.

Randy McMichael, TE, San Diego – I never said it was the All Youth Team…this guy’s been around a while. And it’s just a bit of a stretch to call him a true backup, as he has been used extensively as a starter since last season. But when the guy he’s replacing in the lineup is All-World Antonio Gates, he qualifies for this list. In fact, he nearly tops it. Redman is the only player named that has outperformed McMichael to this point in the season. Slotted as the 4th best TE in the league and the best pass blocker of the group, the former Ram is eleven places higher than Gates in overall rankings.

Max Starks, LT, Pittsburgh Steelers – Cut this past summer, then resigned in early October to help bolster the line, Starks has outperformed the expectations of those who deemed him overweight and out of shape just a few months ago. He has been the Steelers’ best lineman this year, despite being third on the team in snaps played (206) at tackle, ranking 11th overall in the NFL and 13th as a run blocker. He has yet to be called for a penalty and has surrendered just two quarterback pressures and one quarterback hit.

Chad Rinehart, LG, Buffalo Bills – Doesn’t rank highly compared to the other guards in the league but has been one of the best fill-ins to date. Two of his best efforts came in spot starts against New England and Cincinnati. In the Patriots game, Rinehart graded out as the team’s second-best lineman.

Brian De La Puente, C, New Orleans Saints – In three plus starts from Week 3 through 7, covering 297 plays, De La Puente has dramatically outperformed starter and perennial All-Pro Olin Kreutz. Even though he sits at a mediocre 18th among NFL centers, Kreutz is even worse this season at 31st. His most recent start, in Week 7 versus the Colts, generated a grade third-highest among Saints linemen, ahead of Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans.

Danny Watkins, G, Philadelphia Eagles – Bucking the trend of low or undrafted players, along comes the Eagles’ top 2011 selection, playing well in two starts since replacing the highly ineffective Kyle DeVan at right guard. Although he’s currently ranked just 25th overall, he represents a major upgrade over the incumbent, currently ranked #52. Watkins grades out relatively low as a run blocker but may already be one of Philly’s most polished pass protectors, as evidenced by his Week 5 start versus Buffalo, where he did not give up a single QB Pressure in 49 pass plays.

Lance Louis, Right Tackle, Chicago Bears – Similar story with Chicago’s Louis. The 2009 7th round selection has been below average since taking over at RT the last three games. But to say that he’s been an upgrade over a woeful Frank Omiyale is an understatement. Although Louis is just the 36th best offensive tackle in the league, Omiyale was 61st before losing his job. In a 32-team league, that’s darn near as bad as it gets. Louis has not yet been flagged in 2011 and has also not given up a sack, a huge lift over the five penalties and four sacks surrendered by his predecessor.

——————————

SOURCES
profootballfocus.com
packershome.com
insidepittsburghsports.com
nbcsports.msnbc.com
bleacherreport.com
nfl.com


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *