Ward looked pretty good?

[silvrhand]

Shocked that noone started this thread, but looks like we have a good backup/fill in RB in Ward! Anyone know what went down in TB with him and why he was released/cut?

[Rey]

Originally Posted by silvrhand

Shocked that noone started this thread, but looks like we have a good backup/fill in RB in Ward! Anyone know what went down in TB with him and why he was released/cut?

When he scored that TD I was hoping that he wouldn't get caught from behind and stripped...


But he DID look good though.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by silvrhand

Shocked that noone started this thread, but looks like we have a good backup/fill in RB in Ward! Anyone know what went down in TB with him and why he was released/cut?

Yeah, I was pretty happy about that as well. Slaton even had a few nice runs finally. The entire running game looked great yesterday. We finally have a running game on the Texans.

[drewmar74]

Originally Posted by silvrhand

Shocked that noone started this thread, but looks like we have a good backup/fill in RB in Ward! Anyone know what went down in TB with him and why he was released/cut?

He got caught up in a numbers game in TB. He had a starter before him and some young kid with fast wheels behind him.

They deemed him expendable and we got a backup tailback out of it.

[281]

i'll give him credit, but i really think his success had more to do with his blocking. the guy is slow as molasses.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by 281

i'll give him credit, but i really think his success had more to do with his blocking. the guy is slow as molasses.

If I'm not mistaken I think he broke a tackle and made a guy miss on his TD run...

Or maybe he just did one or the other, Can't remember...

But I do know he was contested shortly after he burst through the line...

[silvrhand]

Originally Posted by 281

i'll give him credit, but i really think his success had more to do with his blocking. the guy is slow as molasses.

either that or #33 from the raiders seems pretty damn fast, it's not like the raiders hire football players, they hire track stars..

[Texan_Bill]

Tampa was fairly disappointed in his production, so they released him. They thought they had signed the 1,000 rusher that he was in New York...

[gtexan02]

He was part of earth wind fire in NYG. He was expected to be the #1 guy in TB, and failed.

He's again part of a trio in houston

[Hardcore Texan]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

Yeah, I was pretty happy about that as well. Slaton even had a few nice runs finally. The entire running game looked great yesterday. We finally have a running game on the Texans.

I would bridle the optimism, or at least I am anyway, given how terrible Oakland's run D is.

[The Pencil Neck]

I want to see more work from him but the way it looks now, Foster is the main guy, Ward is the guy that spells him in a normal situation, and Slaton is a guy we bring in situationally to take advantage of specific match-ups and tendencies.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Hardcore Texan

I would bridle the optimism, or at least I am anyway, given how terrible Oakland's run D is.

OTOH so was Tampa last year. I have a feeling the real Derrick Ward is somewhere in the middle.

[gary]

I have to see more of Ward before I pass any jugement on him. But, if he does work out things aught to be very interesting when Tate returns.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Hardcore Texan

I would bridle the optimism, or at least I am anyway, given how terrible Oakland's run D is.

Yeah, but we're heading out of week 4 now with 2 great running performances already this season and a guy who is a stud #1 RB, and our back ups played very well yesterday. I couldn't be happier with the running game currently, and it's such a huge step from the direction that Kubiak's had the running game in for the majority of the time that he's been here. He finally has it going very nicely this season, and it's great to finally have confidence in that part of our offense.

[HardKnockTexan]

I thought he showed excellent patience. That sweep to the right took a long time to develop and he just slowly slid along the back of the line and Vonta until the very last second; then he turned the corner and got a solid gain.

[Maddict5]

Originally Posted by silvrhand

either that or #33 from the raiders seems pretty damn fast, it's not like the raiders hire football players, they hire track stars..

that would be tyvon branch who is pretty fast. he returns kicks and ran a 4.31 at the combine in 2008

[TexansSeminole]

He looks like exactly what I thought he would be. He was the #2 back on that 2007 Giants SB team, and he was their most effective RB the following year on a team that ran the ball very well. It was not a good situation for him in TB where they were trying to develop young talent and get Cadillac back acclimated to playing football again. I thought this was a great pickup when we made it and it looks like its starting to pay dividends.

[Corrosion]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

Yeah, but we're heading out of week 4 now with 2 great running performances already this season and a guy who is a stud #1 RB, and our back ups played very well yesterday. I couldn't be happier with the running game currently, and it's such a huge step from the direction that Kubiak's had the running game in for the majority of the time that he's been here. He finally has it going very nicely this season, and it's great to finally have confidence in that part of our offense.

I think the running game in the past was more a product of the lack of talent Kubiak was left with along the OL and at RB .... They have built that line and RB group on his watch.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Corrosion

I think the running game in the past was more a product of the lack of talent Kubiak was left with along the OL and at RB .... They have built that line and RB group on his watch.

Kubes made some terrible decisions early on by thinking Lundi could handle the job along with Morency and then he had faith in Green of all people and then Brown. He's been pretty bad with RB's and that history doesn't just erase itself. He sort of got lucky with Slaton somehow having that huge season and then stinking it up. He also kept Foster out of the mix last year as and could have had him playing. I'm just glad that we've got a work horse now and that the running game is finally consistent and effective. This is the running game that people expected Kubes to bring in when he came here. It wasn't supposed to take him until his 5th season to make that happen though. I'm just glad that's it here now.

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

Kubes made some terrible decisions early on by thinking Lundi could handle the job along with Morency and then he had faith in Green of all people and then Brown. He's been pretty bad with RB's and that history doesn't just erase itself. He sort of got lucky with Slaton somehow having that huge season and then stinking it up. He also kept Foster out of the mix last year as and could have had him playing. I'm just glad that we've got a work horse now and that the running game is finally consistent and effective. This is the running game that people expected Kubes to bring in when he came here. It wasn't supposed to take him until his 5th season to make that happen though. I'm just glad that's it here now.

The history's a little wrong there, I think. I'm not arguing that mistakes weren't made but...

Kubiak never had any faith in Morency and Morency never played a down for Kubiak. Kubiak traded Morency in the preseason for Samkon Gado, a guy who has ended up being in the league a lot longer than Morency. That first season, we ended up relying on Dayne.

And Kubiak never expected to have to rely on Brown as more than a backup for Slaton. But he ended up putting Brown in the line up a lot more than he wanted to because Brown was the one running back we had that we could trust to pick up the blitz.