Eric Allen on the Cards

[Russ Smith]

Question on the Cardinals: Should they make Shipp a bigger part of their offense (165 rushing yards)?


Yes, the Emmitt Smith project is over. It didn't work for the Cardinals on the field or off. Fans weren't excited about watching Smith and he doesn't make this a better team. At this stage of their careers, Shipp is the better running back.

See even ESPN and former football players agree.

 

[Shane]

Originally posted by Russ Smith
Question on the Cardinals: Should they make Shipp a bigger part of their offense (165 rushing yards)?


Yes, the Emmitt Smith project is over. It didn't work for the Cardinals on the field or off. Fans weren't excited about watching Smith and he doesn't make this a better team. At this stage of their careers, Shipp is the better running back.

See even ESPN and former football players agree.

Theres really no way to argue about it. The proof is in the pudding as they say!

Unless your name is Tango or d-dogg of course!

 

[Northern Card]

Re: Re: Eric Allen on the Cards

Originally posted by Shane H
Theres really no way to argue about it. The proof is in the pudding as they say!

Unless your name is Tango or d-dogg of course!

The proof is is the eating... if the knew the saying...

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Re: Re: Eric Allen on the Cards

Originally posted by Shane H
Theres really no way to argue about it. The proof is in the pudding as they say!

Unless your name is Tango or d-dogg of course!

I think that signing Emmitt was a mistake. At least not for as much as we paid him. It was not an area of need. There were other places that we should have spent the money that we're now paying him.

But that fact is that he's on our team now and has been given a major role. How much of an "intangible" benefit he brings we'll never really know. I would say a significant amount, and for that, I'm glad he's here.

As far as contributing on the field, Can we get one more look at him starting behind our now healthy offensive line?

Sorry guys. Please don't flame me.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Re: Re: Re: Eric Allen on the Cards

Originally posted by Crimson Warrior


As far as contributing on the field, Can we get one more look at him starting behind our now healthy offensive line?

Crimson - I'm not gonna flame you here - but think about something - Shipp is our best player - was last year, was this year going in. We already dised him once in the offseason by handing his starting job over to Emmitt - he handled it gracefully -thank g-d. Now after watching him show up management and show the form he dsiplayed last year - you want to once again kick sand in the face of our best player so what - a past his prime - and in no part a fixture for the future - can get in the game - to what end? What will this accomplish besides pissing off our best player again?

This team ain't built to win now and running backs don't get any better sitting on the sidelines - what would be the point of putting Emmitt in - we have zero ties with him - it's not like he's been here for years and when he did play - the offense struggled - so why would we chance doing more harm in our relationship with our franchise running back?

 

[Mr.Dibbs]

Remember when Thurman Thomas went to the Dolphins? I really don't remember him being their featured back. I'd like to see Emmitt in the same manner as Thomas. Let Shipp start, and throw Emmitt in occasionally to mix things up, or put both guys in the back field on certain plays. There's no way they can bench Shipp after last week's performance (without the state of Arizona going crazy), but I'd still like to see Emmitt in on the occasionally down.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Eric Allen on the Cards

Originally posted by cheesebeef
Crimson - I'm not gonna flame you here - but think about something - Shipp is our best player - was last year, was this year going in. We already dised him once in the offseason by handing his starting job over to Emmitt - he handled it gracefully -thank g-d. Now after watching him show up management and show the form he dsiplayed last year - you want to once again kick sand in the face of our best player so what - a past his prime - and in no part a fixture for the future - can get in the game - to what end? What will this accomplish besides pissing off our best player again?

This team ain't built to win now and running backs don't get any better sitting on the sidelines - what would be the point of putting Emmitt in - we have zero ties with him - it's not like he's been here for years and when he did play - the offense struggled - so why would we chance doing more harm in our relationship with our franchise running back?

You make a compelling argument cheese, and are representing a huge majority. However,

Marcell has been taken care of financially (for the moment), and money is one way respect manifests itself in the NFL. So to say that we have a player relations nightmare with Shipp right now is, IMO, untrue.

And, I just have this nagging feeling that Emmitt has not gotten a fair shot to be the back in Arizona. I am not convinced that Marcell is the better back. I keep asking myself, if we start a healthy Emmitt vs the whiners, and give him 35 carries, how many yards would he get? 100? 165? 190?

I simply want to see a 100% healthy Emmitt get 25 carries behind our five, healthy, OL starters. I don't care who's defense it is. I think that would be enough to see who's the better back.

You (and everyone else) are probably right on this one, but I just think it is too soon to make a call either way.

 

[Stout]

I think you're dead wrong on this, Crimson. The outcry won't come from Shipp, but the fans. We can clearly see that Shipp is running better than Smith was. Shipp was running better than Smith in the games he actually managed to get in, so the excuse that the O-line has finally gelled doesn't really count, especially since Shipp got so few carries during those games.

Besides, as has been mentioned, a young RB doesn't really get much out of sitting on the pine. What message does it send him to say, 'gee, ya know, you ARE playing the best of all our RBs, but we're gonna stick with the old NAME player because, well, gee, he's EMMITT, after all'? It sends a crap message, and it will be crap if Marcel doesn't start the rest of the year.

 

[RedStorm]

Originally posted by Stout
I think you're dead wrong on this, Crimson. The outcry won't come from Shipp, but the fans. We can clearly see that Shipp is running better than Smith was. Shipp was running better than Smith in the games he actually managed to get in, so the excuse that the O-line has finally gelled doesn't really count, especially since Shipp got so few carries during those games.

Besides, as has been mentioned, a young RB doesn't really get much out of sitting on the pine. What message does it send him to say, 'gee, ya know, you ARE playing the best of all our RBs, but we're gonna stick with the old NAME player because, well, gee, he's EMMITT, after all'? It sends a crap message, and it will be crap if Marcel doesn't start the rest of the year.

I was watching some of ESPN's "Beyond the Glory" and it was featuring Jerome Bettis. Bill Cowher benched Bettis for some reason and he said that "We do not do anything for personal benefit around here". The Cards should do the same. Put the best 11 guys on O and D out there and play.

 

[JeffGollin]

Crimson, you have a legit point, but -

- Marcel's success may be due in no small part to better offensive line play (simpified playbook, man-blocking schemes etc.)

- We've got enough to worry about before we have a "running back controversy."

I say - Just keep dialing 'em up. mowing 'em down and don't worry whether the RB is Shipp, Anderson or Emmitt. If we execute properly, any of them can perform like a super star.

("You play to win thee game." - Herm Edwards).