Brad Rogers' health and tailback depth

T

thejumper5

Well-Known Member
Two questions:
First, I haven't heard anything lately on Rogers health; has anyone else? Heart issues can be very delicate, so its understandable if its a "wait and see" situation.

Secondly, I know Rogers is a fullback now, but last year he spent some time spelling Robinson after Hampton got hurt and before Coker was ready while he learned the FB spot. If no one steps up as the #2 feature back, could we see a similar situation this year with Rogers playing both RB spots? Or will he be only a FB since he is the starter now and FB?
 
I would guess we will find out more...

thejumper5 said:
Two questions:
First, I haven't heard anything lately on Rogers health; has anyone else? Heart issues can be very delicate, so its understandable if its a "wait and see" situation.

Secondly, I know Rogers is a fullback now, but last year he spent some time spelling Robinson after Hampton got hurt and before Coker was ready while he learned the FB spot. If no one steps up as the #2 feature back, could we see a similar situation this year with Rogers playing both RB spots? Or will he be only a FB since he is the starter now and FB?
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either at the BT Media days next week, or if not, the Iowa Media Day the first week of August. If he's healthy, he's FB all the way. I suppose if Coker, De'Andre Johnson and McCall were all to get hurt Rogers could play RB, but let's hope that does not occur. Rogers has a nice skill set for FB, he looked good catching the ball against Michigan last year. He looks like more of a weapon with the ball in his hands than did Morse (and Morse played well for Iowa).
 
thejumper5 said:
Two questions:
First, I haven't heard anything lately on Rogers health; has anyone else? Heart issues can be very delicate, so its understandable if its a "wait and see" situation.

Secondly, I know Rogers is a fullback now, but last year he spent some time spelling Robinson after Hampton got hurt and before Coker was ready while he learned the FB spot. If no one steps up as the #2 feature back, could we see a similar situation this year with Rogers playing both RB spots? Or will he be only a FB since he is the starter now and FB?
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I heard, we are not even going to use fb's anymore. We are going to a "hybrid" O. Something no one has EVER seen before. It's very tricky from what I understand.

Release the kraken.
 
i will be nice to have a FB again who can do a little more than block. it just adds to the variety and keeps the D honest knowing we have another check down.
 
I like Rogers alot and think he looks good at TB.

Here are the stats for Coker and Rogers from last year's Ball St. game, the only one in which they shared equal carries:



Rogers - 9/66 = 7.3 ypc (long - 18 yards)

Coker - 10/60 = 6.0 ypc (long - 21 yards)


As you can see, there isn't much separation between the two. Rewatching the game, they ran pretty similar as well. I would say Rogers is a little quicker to the corner, while they were pretty indistinguishable between the tackles. I'm not sure why Coker has been annointed as the leading TB while Rogers was shuffled off to FB, especially seeing that everyone says that Rogers has better hands, as well.
 
Phoenix, did you really base your analysis of the 2 based on the stats and play of one game? That's akin to stating- as you can see from the way Coker played against Missouri he will most likely run for over 2,000 yards.
 
Ronco said:
Phoenix, did you really base your analysis of the 2 based on the stats and play of one game? That's akin to stating- as you can see from the way Coker played against Missouri he will most likely run for over 2,000 yards.
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I based my analysis of the two on one game as they only shared carries in one game. Coker looked great against Missouri, but since Rogers didn't play much if any past the BS game, who can say how he would have looked as well? Missouri was pretty famous last year for their weak run D.

I'm also not saying Rogers is better than Coker, but that Rogers hasn't seen enough action yet to sideline him. I've often felt that this staff has been historically quick to settle on a single starter at many positions historically, and having more younger backs rotating carries is better long term than going to a single player. (ie, I prefer how Wisconsin ran 3 backs all year last year to our running basically one <Robinson> and then having him get hurt and leaving us w/o a lot of experience)

This year will hopefully be different, but I see little downside in rotating 3-4 backs through early in the season to see how things shake out. The way we go through RBs, it would seem to be the safe way to go, and you'll only know how good a kid really is by seeing him perform under fire. I just think based on the ONLY game last year where Coker and Rogers saw carries against the same D, Rogers earned an equal shot to win the starter position, or at least the be the #2 off the bench.

I would rate "topline speed" as the #6 most important trait for an RB after vision, not going down at first contact, blocking ability, quickness to the line/hole, and hands/receiving ability.
 
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I would wager that Rogers never plays tailback ever again.

I hope he is healthy enough to return as the FB.
 
Really? Based your analysis off a kid that missed training camp as a true frosh, vs. a guy who had been through his second camp? Yeah, that's apples to apples.
 
If healthy, Rogers would be at FB. We simply need him too much there.

Of course, we'd use him as a hybrid FB ... much like Jeremy Allen ... and he'd most certainly be our first FB in a quite a while to get a bunch of carries.

Also, IF Coker were to get hurt ... then and only then would we possibly see Rogers moving back over to RB. However, given that Rogers has been out of practice for so long ... that would definitely give the conditioning edge to White and D. Johnson at this point.
 
I thought I read he hasn't even worked out since being diagnosed with a problem. That sounds like a looooong way from playing again. Particularly this year.
 
vince56 said:
I thought I read he hasn't even worked out since being diagnosed with a problem. That sounds like a looooong way from playing again. Particularly this year.
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This was my assumption as well. That said, Rogers was very encouraging at FB. His package of running, catching and blocking REALLY adds another dimension to the O. More weapons=more opportunities.
IIRC Gimm was also at the FB spot and he had good hands as well. This years walkons also include a couple guys slated for that position that have much more than blocking in their skillset.
Maybe Olddude is right. Maybe the days of the Iowa FB being a lineman at a backfield position are gone.
 
BALDIES7980 said:
This was my assumption as well. That said, Rogers was very encouraging at FB. His package of running, catching and blocking REALLY adds another dimension to the O. More weapons=more opportunities.
IIRC Gimm was also at the FB spot and he had good hands as well. This years walkons also include a couple guys slated for that position that have much more than blocking in their skillset.
Maybe Olddude is right. Maybe the days of the Iowa FB being a lineman at a backfield position are gone.
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I was joking. What we have been doing has worked and if something works....... I think we do have other weapons that could be used, but for the most part, we wont stray totally off course.
 
dmShortSaledude said:
A "hybrid O"? If KF changes anything I would be amazed.
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Like I said I was joking, thats why I said release the kraken. I was just trying to stir the pot a bit. I do like that we have some major speed at rb now, but he is just a fr, and it still wont change things that much.
 
PhoenixHawk said:
I based my analysis of the two on one game as they only shared carries in one game. Coker looked great against Missouri, but since Rogers didn't play much if any past the BS game, who can say how he would have looked as well? Missouri was pretty famous last year for their weak run D.

I'm also not saying Rogers is better than Coker, but that Rogers hasn't seen enough action yet to sideline him. I've often felt that this staff has been historically quick to settle on a single starter at many positions historically, and having more younger backs rotating carries is better long term than going to a single player. (ie, I prefer how Wisconsin ran 3 backs all year last year to our running basically one <Robinson> and then having him get hurt and leaving us w/o a lot of experience)

This year will hopefully be different, but I see little downside in rotating 3-4 backs through early in the season to see how things shake out. The way we go through RBs, it would seem to be the safe way to go, and you'll only know how good a kid really is by seeing him perform under fire. I just think based on the ONLY game last year where Coker and Rogers saw carries against the same D, Rogers earned an equal shot to win the starter position, or at least the be the #2 off the bench.

I would rate "topline speed" as the #6 most important trait for an RB after vision, not going down at first contact, blocking ability, quickness to the line/hole, and hands/receiving ability.
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I don’t have the words to satisfactorily disagree with this old wives tale…..probably had some merit at one time, but it is unfair and honestly impossible for US to even have enuff info to make a reasonable deduction. The comment does more harm than anything…IMO of course….:)

Chad
 
Check the Iowa Spring Game roster and see how many guys you count listed as "FB."

IIRC, there were at least 7.

I don't think the position is going away. Expanding, maybe....
 
cmhawks99 said:
I don’t have the words to satisfactorily disagree with this old wives tale…..probably had some merit at one time, but it is unfair and honestly impossible for US to even have enuff info to make a reasonable deduction. The comment does more harm than anything…IMO of course….:)

Chad
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Brad Banks and Rick Stanzi might disagree with the "old wives tale" bit, but I was just saying I don't think that Rogers got the shot he earned at having more carries, especially considering his "superior" hands and blocking were cited by staff for his move to FB.
 
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