You know, I've been Blount's greatest Detractor, hereabouts: I've always considered him a PowerBack ~ based on'is Size ~ without Power: He's all Upper Body Strength and not enough Core Power.
In EarthSpeak, that means that while he looks great once he's gotten through the Line, it's precisely that far more crucial Aspect ~ getting through the Line in the first place and Moving The Chains ~ that he is consequently far less adept at than one might expect, looking at'm: He's no Jerome Bettis.
And his Pass Protection and Receiving skills've always been mediocre at best.
Even so...He's been growing on me.
I still wouldn't choose'm for my Team ~ there are far too many Backs that I prefer at various Price Points ~ but in watching The Tape, ere the last Year or so, it seems to me that he's being coached on how he prioritizes his Time in the Weight Room ~ to focus on Core Power ~ and is actually applying the Coaching.
I cannot imagine that Core Power will ever become a particular Strength of his, but it seems to me that he's become far more formidable at The Point of Impact than he previously was.
And of course: he's incredibly agile for a PowerBack.
Not a Fan...but no longer a rabid Detractor.
Interesting analysis OTG. From a purely physical viewpoint, I think it is interesting to compare Blount with likely Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry of Alabama. To be clear, I think that Henry has much more talent that Blount ever did, and of course Henry by all accounts has a great attitude, is a great teammate, etc. (unlike Blount in college).
However, physically, there are similarities. Both are very big and tall for a RB, Blount is 6-0, 250, Henry is 6-3, 242. Both take a bit of time to get up to speed, but their top speed is good (actually, great for Henry). The interesting thing is that Henry isn't really that type of back that never loses yardage, he gets stopped at the line of scrimmage plenty (just like Blount). I think the problem is that Henry is so tall for a running back at 6-3, it is hard for him to burrow through the pile like a shorter running back (I thought the great Emmitt Smith was one of the best at that).
However, the reason that Henry has already gained over 1800 yards this season is that, although he gets stopped for little or no gain too often, if he DOES break through the line with a head of steam, he is just very, very difficult to bring down, he is strong as an ox and super physical (and weighs 242), fast enough to outrun DB's, and because his arms are so long (the one benefit of that height) he has a great stiff arm. He really seems to relish running over LB's and DB's in the open field.
So: my argument is that Blount is like a poor man's Henry. He isn't really great at short yardage. However, if he breaks through the line with a head of steam he can be productive. Thus, it seems to me that Blount is most useful against weaker defenses, or defenses that are tired out, he isn't the best at moving the pile, but if he breaks through the line he can be dangerous in the open field. What think you?
