I love Jerious Norwood.
When he wasn't playing Ole Miss I enjoyed watching him play in college.
But most of this board seems to think he's a NFL feature back.
He isn't.
I'm thrilled to have him on the Falcons. In the last two coaching regimes he didn't quite find a place, but I can assure you it seems that the new staff wants him to be a third down back and a versatile offensive weapon.
However, he is NOT a 30 carries a game running back.
For one, every scouting report on Jerious - and every Falcons fan - can tell you that HE DOES NOT pass block well enough and HE CANNOT READ DEFENSES in pass coverage.
That doesn't mean he can't be used. But Warrick Dunn saw more time because he knows how to pick up a blitz.
Dunn, a great "character" guy but an aging feature back, is gone. Turner will push the pile and carry the load but Jerious will certainly find use.
From the AJC today:
"Given coach [Mike] Smith's and [offensive coordinator] Mike Mularkey's system, as far as being very strong up the middle, we believe that Michael Turner was the best fit to add that one-two punch with Jerious Norwood," first-time general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "We felt this big back, at 230-pounds plus, would offer us the opportunity to pound it inside and be a very nice complement to Norwood."
The tandem of Norwood and Turner gives the Falcons two big-play threats. Turner has averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his career. Norwood has averaged 6.2 in two seasons with Atlanta. They both return kickoffs.
When he wasn't playing Ole Miss I enjoyed watching him play in college.
But most of this board seems to think he's a NFL feature back.
He isn't.
I'm thrilled to have him on the Falcons. In the last two coaching regimes he didn't quite find a place, but I can assure you it seems that the new staff wants him to be a third down back and a versatile offensive weapon.
However, he is NOT a 30 carries a game running back.
For one, every scouting report on Jerious - and every Falcons fan - can tell you that HE DOES NOT pass block well enough and HE CANNOT READ DEFENSES in pass coverage.
That doesn't mean he can't be used. But Warrick Dunn saw more time because he knows how to pick up a blitz.
Dunn, a great "character" guy but an aging feature back, is gone. Turner will push the pile and carry the load but Jerious will certainly find use.
From the AJC today:
"Given coach [Mike] Smith's and [offensive coordinator] Mike Mularkey's system, as far as being very strong up the middle, we believe that Michael Turner was the best fit to add that one-two punch with Jerious Norwood," first-time general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. "We felt this big back, at 230-pounds plus, would offer us the opportunity to pound it inside and be a very nice complement to Norwood."
The tandem of Norwood and Turner gives the Falcons two big-play threats. Turner has averaged 5.5 yards per carry over his career. Norwood has averaged 6.2 in two seasons with Atlanta. They both return kickoffs.
