I wonder how Sutton would have performed behind this line in the regular season..

My opinion, we have been lacking a change of pace back for years.. Jackson and Grant are the same type of players without a big burst or quick feet.. Wynn is a (should be) bruiser.. I dare say none on this roster could have "elusive" pinned to their resume..

I would love to have a "speed" or "scat" back type to drop in here on certain situations just to add that element to our attack..

Ryan Torain is a little more of the same of what we have.. Quinton Ganther is a bowling ball type runner that packs a little thump.. shorter Wynn type?

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To be fair to McCarthy, he stressed that balanced playcalling was a big reason why the Pack's offense was able to move the ball more consistently against St. Louis. I think he does seem committed to running the ball more -- but that isn't the strength of this team, and when you play a team like Minnesota you don't play a relative weakness of your own into their strength.

It's like people have completely forgot we're only four games in. I'm not making a huge generalization here about all the responses -- I'm referring specifically to the notion that McCarthy abandons the run after the first quarter. I don't think there's enough evidence this season to suggest that.

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At this point I wouldn't be against dumping Wynn to give Lumpkin a look. With the way Wynn has played so far I think Lump is a more promising 3rd down back replacement for B. Jackson while he is injured.

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Sutton runs a 40 in 4.7.

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I don't look at our run game as any major concern.

For one thing three out of the four teams we've played rank in the top twelve in run defense. Having said that we average about 17 yards less a game than the Vikings and all anybody talks about is how great they are at running the ball.

McCarthy has the right balance in the play calling. When your in a dogfight of a game you go with what you do best most and offset that with the other phase just enough to stay effective.

If we can get a hundred yards a game out of it I'm fine with it.

If anything the passing game needs to start clicking better and it will help our run game. That's when you can slip in those runs and break a big one now and then. Until we get better production in the pass protection area it will affect the run game because when down and distance is against the offense it's not a recipe for the run game to be successful.

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Not to mention he is God awful in pass protection, making him a poor fit as a 3rd down back. People need to let go of the thought that Preseason standouts like Tyrell Sutton and Anthony Smith are missing links on this roster. They played well in the Preseason, well guess what? So did our Offensive Line! Sutton has been active for 1 game thus far, when Carolina's 3rd RB Mike Goodson was out with a concussion and Anthony Smith has yet to be active for the Rams.

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First, 40 times verse elusive are two different things.. quick feet, rapid cuts, body control can't be measured in a 40. Most overrated measurement ever created..

Second, I just wondered out loud how he would have ran behind this line.. he seems to be able to make one or two defenders miss once in a while.. something lacking on the roster currently... maybe Jackson brings that element in a small dose.

Third, Mr. Packfan4, taking player A from Team A, then sticking him on Team B and expecting the same results or activity isn't valid always. Look at the depth on the Carolina Running Backs... not a lot of reason to give carries past Williams or Stewart is there. But Carolina for all the flaws they have, see enough potential in Sutton to make a roster spot for him on a team with two excellent backs sitting one, two.

And if you are going to use the pass blocking as the primary reason not to retain him, then you might as well cut Jackson as well.. and he has been taught how many years.

Smith fits because of experience in the scheme over Martin, Bush, Rouse or Giordano at this point.. I certainly don't think he is an elite safety, but he fit better than what we kept in the short term.

People need to jump off that crap.. saying it was a mistake not to retain a player like Smith isn't out the realm.. it was a freaking mistake.. Ted, Mike and company made it.. it is what it is. Just as they made some great calls as well, building a roster in the NFL is a hit and miss proposition by nature.. call them as we see them.

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+1

I've thought this for a long time. Last two years I thought it would be Lumpkin, but first it was practice squad and then IR. This year I thought maybe Sutton would get through (even though he's technically not really a scat back). I mean, Lumpkin is on our practice squad now right? I wonder why he hasn't gotten a chance?

I agree we dont have a good change of pace back, ala Ahmad Bradshaw/Darren Sproles, etc...i thought Sutton would be at least close to that but apparently not...

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