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With the 124th overall pick, the Steelers select RB Anthony McFarland

SteelerFan448 said:
I like the player. Not exactly where I wanted him, though. Adds the element of speed and more importantly brings something different to our backfield. I think Matt Canada has some new ideas for this offense and has directly knowledge of what McFarland can bring.
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I like the pick but his blocking skills are my biggest concern. The Steelers will have to coach that up............
 
Eh. They were on their tiptoes with this pick. Welcome back Dri
 
slashsteel said:
I like the pick but his blocking skills are my biggest concern. The Steelers will have to coach that up............
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This is a concern with virtually every college running back. These guys will learn and adjust.
 
Shane Falco said:
Eh. They were on their tiptoes with this pick. Welcome back Dri
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Yeah this is the biggest head scratcher for me. I mean didn't Kerrith Whyte show nothing but promise last season and is a home run hitter?
 
SteelerFan448 said:
Adds the element of speed and more importantly brings something different to our backfield. I think Matt Canada has some new ideas for this offense and has directly knowledge of what McFarland can bring.
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Just curious, what do you think he brings to the backfield that's different than what Whyte can bring?
 
Steelworth said:
Just curious, what do you think he brings to the backfield that's different than what Whyte can bring?
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I am thinking they think he is more of a home run threat..............
 
Steelworth said:
Just curious, what do you think he brings to the backfield that's different than what Whyte can bring?
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I think he has better film against better competition. He looks like Willie Parker with more wiggle. Willie Parker wasn't a full time starter and wasn't drafted. Not saying this is the same, but there is a lot to like about his game. So much so, that his former OC got him drafted to his NFL team.
 
Steelworth said:
Yeah this is the biggest head scratcher for me. I mean didn't Kerrith Whyte show nothing but promise last season and is a home run hitter?
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My guess is there’s something Matt Canada likes about this kid- Tomlin probably got to see more of him while he was down watching his kid play.
I Whyte as their KR and maybe even PR. He has the ability to go north and south in a hurry on either
 
nooneuno said:
Totally different styles of players. Makes no sense if you miss out on a bruiser to then go scat back
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They didn't miss on a bruiser. They already have 2 of them. The Steelers wanted a different type of RB, somebody with speed.

McFarland is short but he is powerfully built. He's not Archer or Chris Rainey. He can actually play RB unlike those guys who were just track guys.

Watch his game vs Ohio state in 2018 where you can see him break tackles. You see the speed. You see some inside running. You even see some pass blocking.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sceb-NuUa3Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
I actually like this pick. McFarland is fast and elusive. Not the biggest back but at 208 he isn't tiny either. I think he's got a shot. At the very least he brings some much needed speed to the backfield (in competition with K. Whyte) and helps somewhat to calm me down after watching us pass on Dobbins (and thinking about the Rats flogging us with him for the next 4 years) and Akers with our second rounder. He's got speed to get around the corner anyway.
 
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Steelworth said:
Just curious, what do you think he brings to the backfield that's different than what Whyte can bring?
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I'm not as impressed with Whyte as some are. From what I've seen from McFarland, he looks like a natural runner where Whyte finds space and just runs. McFarland is also built like a running back. Although he's a couple of inches shorter, he has 10 pounds on Whyte and it shows with a better ability to get away from tackles.
 
A blitzing ILB will make a grease spot out of him.
 
SteelerFan448 said:
I'm not as impressed with Whyte as some are. From what I've seen from McFarland, he looks like a natural runner where Whyte finds space and just runs. McFarland is also built like a running back. Although he's a couple of inches shorter, he has 10 pounds on Whyte and it shows with a better ability to get away from tackles.
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Okay cool thanks. I appreciate your insights so I was genuinely curious.
 
tapeANaspirin2it said:
Watch his game vs Ohio state in 2018 where you can see him break tackles.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sceb-NuUa3Y" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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I really didn't see him break tackles. And that was feast/famine but the feast was spectacular.
 
He's got wheels, and he's shifty.

We'll see.
 
I like the low mileage, and the fact that he actually looks like he plays faster than a 4.4 40 guy. chances are he gets his shot this year considering the RB room. How could he really be worse than Conner especially from an injury perspective.
At least we have speed with him and whyte.
Steelers need either this kid or white to step up and be the second coming of Fast Willie or else we will stay at the bottom of the barrel rushing.
Consider the other backs just in the Afc north.
Mixon, chubb, hunt, dobbins, Ingram,
The Steelers have the worst Rb room in the north by a country mile.
Let's hope they found another diamond in the rough with Mcfarland.
 
bigben said:
I like the low mileage, and the fact that he actually looks like he plays faster than a 4.4 40 guy. chances are he gets his shot this year considering the RB room. How could he really be worse than Conner especially from an injury perspective.
At least we have speed with him and whyte.
Steelers need either this kid or white to step up and be the second coming of Fast Willie or else we will stay at the bottom of the barrel rushing.
Consider the other backs just in the Afc north.
Mixon, chubb, hunt, dobbins, Ingram,
The Steelers have the worst Rb room in the north by a country mile.
Let's hope they found another diamond in the rough with Mcfarland.
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Worst by a mile? How many of them were pro bowlers on their teams? Chubb. A mile is a stretch of about a mile...
 
Chubb 1st team all pro had more rushing yards this season than Conner has had the past 2 years.
Ingram 3 time probowler 15 td last year.
Hunt is also an 1st team all pro as well as leading the NFL in rushing his rookie year.
Mixon is clearly in a different league than Conner, it's obvious to anyone who watches film.
Steelers ranked 29th and 31st in rushing since Bell left.
 
bigben said:
Chubb 1st team all pro had more rushing yards this season than Conner has had the past 2 years.
Ingram 3 time probowler 15 td last year.
Hunt is also an 1st team all pro as well as leading the NFL in rushing his rookie year.
Mixon is clearly in a different league than Conner, it's obvious to anyone who watches film.
Steelers ranked 29th and 31st in rushing since Bell left.
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A well-designed run game shouldn't need a top running back. In that sense the Ravens wasted a pick on Dobbins. You plug anyone into that system and they're going to put up big yards.
 
Spike said:
Oh I know, but when all the teams were picking bam bam bam bam bam, then, Perine was taken a couple picks ahead, suddenly the Steelers were on the clock, and time froze, tick tick tick, to the last nanosecond, I could feel the flopsweat building in the Steelers war room, like they just got cuckolded again, you knew they were in panic mode.

I didnt say it was a wise decision, just had that feeling, I knew they were gonna reach hard, lol
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Perine had a bit of a Le'veon Bell feel to his game. I wonder if he wasn't a guy that interested them and he got swiped right before they picked. I feel Tanner Muse was the guy at 102 and they kind of panicked with Highsmith. I wished they'd have pulled the trigger on Perine at 102 and see if Highsmith was still there at 124. I feel there was a 50/50 of him still being there.
 
SteelerFan448 said:
A well-designed run game shouldn't need a top running back. In that sense the Ravens wasted a pick on Dobbins. You plug anyone into that system and they're going to put up big yards.
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That was what everyone on here was banking on when Bell left. Turns out a top running back makes everyone look better, and the O-line wasn't as good as people thought.
 
I'm interested to see what Canada can do with this offense. He was Pit's OC when Conner had 16TDs and 1000yds plus.
 
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