The Facts:
Following up on the
ongoing story. ... ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas is almost certain they have big plans for Rodgers, and I think those plans might be a lot bigger than people realize. That's largely because Rodgers is bigger than the Falcons realized when they drafted him last year. "Jacquizz is not little,' Smith said. "He's short, but he's thick. People projected him to be a third-down back, a change-of-pace back. I think the guy has the skill set to play on all three downs."
Reported by ESPN.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
Pay attention people. This is what it sounds like when a player is gaining momentum. Despite all the talk about the downfield passing game, we agree with Yasinskas' contention the Falcons aren't going to suddenly just abandon the running game. Michael Turner still is powerful and can help open things up for the passing game (
even if he won't contribute much). The Falcons just don't want to wear him out. They've used Jason Snelling at times to give Turner some rest, and Snelling will be involved again this season. But Yasinskas doesn't think Snelling is really the guy the Falcons are looking at to pick up a big chunk of Turner's carries. And if you listen to Smith, it becomes even more obvious. "One of the things that stood out to me more than anything is his ability to pass protect," the coach said of Rodgers. "A lot of times, your change-of-pace back, you've got to get him the ball and not ask him to be a part of the protection. I don't think that's the case with Jacquizz. I think Jacquizz is an all-around back that can play on all three downs. ...' As Yasinskas translated from coachspeak: "The Falcons aren't looking for Rodgers to be what Jerious Norwood once was. They want him to be more like what Warrick Dunn once was."
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