RobHowe
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Story: Goodson to Green Bay, Other Iowa UDFA Deals
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I know RBs are not super valuable commodities in the NFL, but Goodson has shown physical improvement every year, has an incredible work ethic, and is talented. Also a little surprised VanValkenberg wasn't taken. Saw a lot of players with question marks picked -- he seems like a sure thing.
Wow, that's more than I would have guessed. I'm sure Goodson was disappointed, but I'd be surprised if he was discouraged...dude has a great attitude, plus he's got solid pass-catching skills out of the backfield, experience in a pro-style offense picking up blitzes...I hope he sticks somewhere.
Fryowa
Administrator
The problem with RBs now is that unless they’re super elite and one of the top 5-6 at the position, they’re almost guaranteed to make way more money with NIL by staying in college. Disposable commodities 100%.
I think a guy like Goodson could’ve made a couple hundred grand or more as a senior somewhere (not necessarily Iowa) by coming back plus gotten a degree, and now he’s likely going to get cut from a practice squad and make $40K ish (if that) and not have a degree. And there would have been nothing stopping him from trying after his senior year.
That position just isn’t a thing in pro football anymore unless you’re a total athletic freak show. Kinda sad to see when you look at what most UDFA running backs end up with. I hope his people around him were honest about his chances.
I think a guy like Goodson could’ve made a couple hundred grand or more as a senior somewhere (not necessarily Iowa) by coming back plus gotten a degree, and now he’s likely going to get cut from a practice squad and make $40K ish (if that) and not have a degree. And there would have been nothing stopping him from trying after his senior year.
That position just isn’t a thing in pro football anymore unless you’re a total athletic freak show. Kinda sad to see when you look at what most UDFA running backs end up with. I hope his people around him were honest about his chances.
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Yep, tons of great running backs like DeMarco Murray and now Zeke Elliott have some great first few years, get a big contract, then wither on the vine when the legs go. Murray won the rushing title yet Dallas didnt want to give him big money. Murray went to Philly and got totally lost in the Chip Kelly experiment and then 2 years later he was pretty much done.
Derrick Henry is the amazing one right now. Jim Brown-like as a power runner and he doesn't seem to be losing much after a heavy career workload
Motigerhawk
Well-Known Member
Pretty solid group there. I could see them all contributing if given a chance.
Turns out my initial 2 cents on Goodson was correct. Even though since the combine when he really tested and ran well I changed my mind on him some. I really thought since then he'd have gotten drafted at some point.
I'd compared him to the guy he played with Sargent. He couldn't get drafted either and had to do the FA thing too. He's maybe a half step slower than Goodson but tougher between the tackles and could also catch the ball. But never really had a chance at being drafted. I thought between Goodsons measureables and having played at Iowa he coulda easily have been taken in the last 3 rounds.
I'd love to see why some of the teams took other Rbs over him. Do they think he isn't great at breaking tackles and pushing the pile? Cause yeah he's not good at that but neither are some of the other RBs taken over him. I'm talking about the similar size/style backs not the 210 plus LB guys. Goodson has the skill set to have a role on a team. Hopefully GB is a good fit and he sticks
I'd compared him to the guy he played with Sargent. He couldn't get drafted either and had to do the FA thing too. He's maybe a half step slower than Goodson but tougher between the tackles and could also catch the ball. But never really had a chance at being drafted. I thought between Goodsons measureables and having played at Iowa he coulda easily have been taken in the last 3 rounds.
I'd love to see why some of the teams took other Rbs over him. Do they think he isn't great at breaking tackles and pushing the pile? Cause yeah he's not good at that but neither are some of the other RBs taken over him. I'm talking about the similar size/style backs not the 210 plus LB guys. Goodson has the skill set to have a role on a team. Hopefully GB is a good fit and he sticks
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Yeah, you're probably right here. I don't think Goodson would have gotten drafted out of Iowa, but if some fringe competitor for the natty offered him a year through the portal he could have been made way better off. I think he could have started at Clemson next year and he would have put up gaudy numbers against the ACC. Imagine him putting up 1500 yards and 10+ TDs at Clemson. He would have been on late round NFL radar for sure. Problem is Dabo doesn't like the portal and doesn't want to burn the guys he recruited.
Interesting, I count only 3 of those backs from non-power 5 schools. Would have thought there would have been a few more. So out of 70-some power 5 schools, 19 had running backs drafted. Not really surprising that Goodson did not get drafted when you think of it this way.
To what extent is that risk worth another yr of playing college ball weighed against if you can stay healthy enough to get a 2nd contract in the NFL? Starting your NFL clock with the goal of getting that 2nd contract as fast as possible is pretty much every players goal but especially RBs with how short their careers are and how their rookie contracts work.
I mean if you can get a starting RB at Clemsons type of NIL $ in the 6 figure range then yeah that'd be worth considering. What'd Goodson bring in last yr ya think? I doubt it was 50k ish but how's anyone to know unless they publicize it
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Goodson had all of Wadley's bad characteristics (dancing too much, losing yards, missing blocks), but did not have the same elusiveness and big play ability of Wadley. I think Iowa is going to be better this year because we will finally be playing one-cut power backs again.
Goodson was talented for sure, but I think guys like him are a dime a dozen at the next level, which is why RBs are not taken at the top anymore. I bet he is a practice squad guy for a couple years, but unlikely to be much more. He was pretty good at most everything, but not special at anything.
Goodson was talented for sure, but I think guys like him are a dime a dozen at the next level, which is why RBs are not taken at the top anymore. I bet he is a practice squad guy for a couple years, but unlikely to be much more. He was pretty good at most everything, but not special at anything.
So is Goodson in the top 27% of power 5 RBs? I don't know about other conferences, but in the BTen I'd say yes he is. He may not be in the top 27% of BTen RBs in yards gained, but in terms of overall NFL-desired skill set...
racerhawk
Well-Known Member
I agree. Loved his speed but that was partially negated by his (relative) lack of power and dancing around. Sometimes a 2 yard loss just ruins a drive (especially at Iowa!).
Fryowa
Administrator
Running backs are about as disposable as kickers nowadays and I think that in the vast majority of cases a college degree will make a guy more money short and long term than a practice squad stint of 1-2 years and no degree. I don't think in his case it's even applicable to talk about getting a second contract when he likely won't even get a first one (on an active roster).
TG will likely get cut and go home with a few thousand bucks for his time. That’s great to say he tried to pursue his dream, but I don’t think he looked hard at the NFL environment nowadays and didn’t accept that just a tiny handful of guys who are way more skilled than he is are even going to have a short career in the bigs, let alone a career they can make a living from.
If he could have gone somewhere another year to get his degree and maybe make a couple hundred grand in NIL and endorsement money, then try pro ball, at least when he got cut he'd be in a solid place in life. A guy like him with a bachelors degree and being a P5 football player shouldn't have a hard time finding a job in the private sector paying $80-90K to start.
All that said I don't know his family's financial situation and I don't know if he graduated or not. Maybe he doesn't have to be concerned with money.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Exactly.
Kickers, RBs, and most likely UDFAs are better off staying in college these days than rolling the dice on an unlikely NFL contract.
