Article: "Steelers Hit A Home Run With Najee Harris"

[Steeldrama]

https://thedraftnetwork.com/articles/na ... h-steelers

[Deebo]

Meh...I'd consider him more of a double or at best a triple on a good day.

No knock on Harris- he's been as advertised. But if you pick a RB R1 he better be Lev Bell or someone similarly dynamic. And don't give me "he could develop, Bell wasn't great as a rookie!". Bell was a fatso his rookie year. Harris is very much in shape and is unlikely to get much better.

This was a classic safe Steeler pick but this roster had much bigger and glaring needs that got ignored in the run to the podium.

[Jizz Mop]

I think he has shown enough flashes of greatness and crazy toughness that I’m thinking he is a HR.

God forbid he has a decent line to work with and playing against a defense that is concerned about our passing game.

Give it time. He’s a great one.

[K_C_]

If Harris had any kind of blocking, he’d have challenged for the rushing title.

The kid has been awesome.

[955876]

Give it time. He’s a great one.

True.

Only problem is by the time the three stooges fix the oline as well as put together a decent passing game Najee will be all used up.

Jibba Jabba- Always a day late and a dollar short.

[Jobu]

If you think Shades overused him this season, just wait to see what he does in the next couple of years with Mason Rudolph at QB. 500 touches???

[Deebo]

If you think Shades overused him this season, just wait to see what he does in the next couple of years with Mason Rudolph at QB. 500 touches???

"Why don't I have my #1 RB available in the post season? It's super weird"

[steelcountry]

If Harris had any kind of blocking, he’d have challenged for the rushing title.

The kid has been awesome.

Firstly, I think Harris has been good and will continue to get better. His ability to fall forward is so important to an offense that isn't very explosive. However, take a look at clips 2 and 5 in this link. OL blocks the plays very well and Harris hesitates a little bit instead of accelerating through the hole. It cost him a lot of yards on those two plays alone. It's been something that happens more often than you'd like this year. That said, I expect the game will slow down for him and he'll be hitting those holes harder next year.

https://steelersdepot.com/2022/01/film- ... day-night/

[Kodiak.]

If Harris hit a homerun, he'd probably start running towards 3rd base.

[Kodiak.]

If Harris had any kind of blocking, he’d have challenged for the rushing title.

The kid has been awesome.

Ahhhhh, FFS....now we know he's a jag

[955876]

Hopefully the three stooges finally realize the importance of having another quality back to share touches.

So look for Jibbs to grab Wee Bitty Dri Archer’s smaller and slower brother Itty Bitty Quayri Archer.

And then when Najee misses a game we will be scrambling for a RB because Itty Bitty Quayri is just too small to be an actual NFL back.

Something anyone could easily spot.

[K_C_]

If Harris had any kind of blocking, he’d have challenged for the rushing title.

The kid has been awesome.

Ahhhhh, FFS....now we know he's a jag

Bad day in the trailer park today or somethin'?

[StillerInCT]

The only problem I see with Harris is that he'll have 2, maybe 3 years more of being an effective NFL running back. We ran the wheels off of him this year and obviously Alabama did the same

[K_C_]

The only problem I see with Harris is that he'll have 2, maybe 3 years more of being an effective NFL running back. We ran the wheels off of him this year and obviously Alabama did the same

That's why they desperately need to find another option to help the kid out.

Ballage looked excellent in the preseason running between the tackles, so we try to force the guy to do exactly what he can't. Run him outside the tackles.

Dumber than shit this coaching staff.

Snell looks like himself. A snail. McFarland shouldn't even be allowed in the building again.

Christ, just find another back so poor Najee doesn't die from too many touches.

[Deebo]

The only problem I see with Harris is that he'll have 2, maybe 3 years more of being an effective NFL running back. We ran the wheels off of him this year and obviously Alabama did the same

That's why they desperately need to find another option to help the kid out.

Ballage looked excellent in the preseason running between the tackles, so we try to force the guy to do exactly what he can't. Run him outside the tackles.

Dumber than shit this coaching staff.

Snell looks like himself. A snail. McFarland shouldn't even be allowed in the building again.

Christ, just find another back so poor Najee doesn't die from too many touches.

Please tell me you're not being serious.

If we magically drafted a RB in R2 next year, he wouldn't even be allowed to see the field at the expense of Harris. Tomlin is ON RECORD that he runs the wheels off and he hasn't learned jack fucking shit in 15 years. What makes you think he'd change strategy or ever consider that?

[K_C_]

The only problem I see with Harris is that he'll have 2, maybe 3 years more of being an effective NFL running back. We ran the wheels off of him this year and obviously Alabama did the same

That's why they desperately need to find another option to help the kid out.

Ballage looked excellent in the preseason running between the tackles, so we try to force the guy to do exactly what he can't. Run him outside the tackles.

Dumber than shit this coaching staff.

Snell looks like himself. A snail. McFarland shouldn't even be allowed in the building again.

Christ, just find another back so poor Najee doesn't die from too many touches.

Please tell me you're not being serious.

If we magically drafted a RB in R2 next year, he wouldn't even be allowed to see the field at the expense of Harris. Tomlin is ON RECORD that he runs the wheels off and he hasn't learned jack fucking shit in 15 years. What makes you think he'd change strategy or ever consider that?

Well, Ben is done. The running game is about to get far more important for the Steelers. They will be pounding Najee even more next year, whether Rudolph is the QB or not. They'll upgrade talent on the o-line because those dudes are going to get back to the basics. Another option at RB is a must, even he's a guy that's a receiving specialist.

Ben's gone. This coaching staff will no longer be expecting him to bail out their stupidity.

[Jobu]

Ben's gone. This coaching staff will no longer be expecting him to bail out their stupidity.

Don’t underestimate their stupidity.

[Deebo]

Everything you typed is correct, but expect to see Harris die from exhaustion by Week 5 next year.

Then Mike Tomlin will throw up his hands and everyone will feel sorry for him like he had no control over the situation.

Tomlin could have an All Pro at every position, yet would still find a way to lose to the Jaguars

[bradshaw2ben]

Harris was a solid RB pick, room to get better.

But he was a RB pick. In the first round. I’m not sure any RB (including Barkley) is worth that kind of capital expenditure in an era where passing the ball is what scores points and wins you games.

If you have a good QB & passing game, than drafting a RB like this is awesome.

[K_C_]

Harris was a solid RB pick, room to get better.

But he was a RB pick. In the first round. I’m not sure any RB (including Barkley) is worth that kind of capital expenditure in an era where passing the ball is what scores points and wins you games.

If you have a good QB & passing game, than drafting a RB like this is awesome.

Barkley gets badly hurt getting out of bed in the morning. His career is all but over.

The Steelers likely won't have a good QB or passing game next year and that's going to make having Najee even more important.

...but the kid can't do it alone and if Cool Shades expects him to, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

[bradshaw2ben]

Harris was a solid RB pick, room to get better.

But he was a RB pick. In the first round. I’m not sure any RB (including Barkley) is worth that kind of capital expenditure in an era where passing the ball is what scores points and wins you games.

If you have a good QB & passing game, than drafting a RB like this is awesome.

Barkley gets badly hurt getting out of bed in the morning. His career is all but over.

The Steelers likely won't have a good QB or passing game next year and that's going to make having Najee even more important.

...but the kid can't do it alone and if Cool Shades expects him to, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

More important for what? To get to .500?

I'm all for building a contending team. They are so unlikely to have a QB who can lead a contender, even in the best-case scenario version for the defense. If they don't have a quality QB and they are still building/growing with the OL, Najee will be fancy rims on a Toyota Corrolla instead of on a jalopy.

[Texas Black & Gold]

I think the Steelers hit a grand slam picking Najee.

[K_C_]

Harris was a solid RB pick, room to get better.

But he was a RB pick. In the first round. I’m not sure any RB (including Barkley) is worth that kind of capital expenditure in an era where passing the ball is what scores points and wins you games.

If you have a good QB & passing game, than drafting a RB like this is awesome.

Barkley gets badly hurt getting out of bed in the morning. His career is all but over.

The Steelers likely won't have a good QB or passing game next year and that's going to make having Najee even more important.

...but the kid can't do it alone and if Cool Shades expects him to, then we are in deep, deep trouble.

More important for what? To get to .500?

I'm all for building a contending team. They are so unlikely to have a QB who can lead a contender, even in the best-case scenario version for the defense. If they don't have a quality QB and they are still building/growing with the OL, Najee will be fancy rims on a Toyota Corrolla instead of on a jalopy.

Listen dude, we all love Ben for sure. He’s a top 5 all time Steeler for me and I’m 60. Only Swiss on these boards, that I know of, has been a fan longer than me.

Ben had some flashes this season. Some moments for sure, but overall he and our offense sucked. Obviously not all of our offensive issues were Ben’s fault but he was awful early in the season and struggled plenty throughout the year. That’s going to happen with elderly QB’s on the verge of calling it a career.

Let’s not pretend Ben can’t be upgraded. He can and very possibly will be as soon as next season.

Let’s see who we add in the offseason.

[Steeldrama]

Lotta good stats in the article that prove Najees value but what impresses me is Najee had more touches than anyone in the NFL and never once fumbled the football.

Nobody took more hits than Najee
Never fumbled
Never missed a game
How many running backs have the Ravens alone burned through?

Kids a modern day warrior
Mean Mean pride

[Steelperch]

Next year is essentially 1996 or maybe even 1998 all over again for the Steelers and Najee Harris is Jerome Bettis. We’re going into a stretch of years between QBs. The team will rely on the run game and defense to float around .500 until they can rebuild through the draft and find a young QB.

Bettis was 24 when he got traded to Pittsburgh. Najee will be 24 next year. Bettis led the Steelers in rushing for 9 years after he got here and was the primary offensive weapon. He wasn’t explosive and didn’t have break away speed. He just took what was there, broke some tackles, and churned out first downs. Bus was a workhorse averaging about 320 carries season in his first 5 years in the Burgh. Najee has shown he can do that, especially if given competent blocking. He’s at 296 carries right now with a game left to play. Except Najee isn’t a fumbler like Bettis was at times. It’s not sexy, but the Steelers offense won’t be either. Najee might just be productive enough to keep the team competitive until they can get good again.

[Gonzo]

Lotta good stats in the article that prove Najees value but what impresses me is Najee had more touches than anyone in the NFL and never once fumbled the football.

Nobody took more hits than Najee
Never fumbled
Never missed a game
How many running backs have the Ravens alone burned through?

Kids a modern day warrior
Mean Mean pride

I guess then … he is Today’s Tom Sawyer

[StillerDownSouth]

I guess I’m old school, but back when football was actually football, many teams had a stud RB that was the featured RB, might get spelled occasionally if they busted out a long run for a play or two, lots of teams would have a “pass catching back” they would use on 3rd downs. Great RB’s carried the rock over 300 plus times a season and did it for a long time. When did running the wheels off a RB become a thing if you had a stud. Was anyone ever concerned with running the wheels of dudes like Franco, OJ, Dickerson, Emmitt, Barry, Bus, Bo, Allen, Campbell, Alexander, etc…I get injuries happen, but with todays nutrition and training I don’t get why guys can’t do this in todays game when teams pass way more than they did back in the day, to me Najee is a throw back old school type back that gives out the punishment, and also appears to take very good care of his body. And for all the guys saying he was overused at Bama, they must not follow college football cause dude barely played his freshman and sophomore years, and only had 460 carries his junior and senior year, and a lot of those runs he went untouched into the secondary.

[Gonzo]

I think it’s also about effectiveness versus a replacement
Like the 100 pitch count in baseball
And Would najee be a better RB if he got a break now and then and available at top strength for playoffs

And change of pace and and ability to play different styles

[langer]

Pretty much from here on out the media will never criticize a Tomlin first round pick, ever.

Devin Bush: probably the best value at the position, high energy, fills the gaps with authority

Terrell Edmunds: big hitter, lots of splash plays, looks great on tape, has amazing hands and football awareness

Najee Harris: might be the best pure running back ever taken in the first round, Mike Tomlin knocked it out of the park, and then some, looks to be the bellcow back for at least a dozen years, maybe more. More durable than any back taken in any round ever in the NFL draft. A real studd, probably the best back ever. He looks to probably hold all the records for every back ever picked.

Kendrick Green: actually on everyone's boards to be the first overall. Great center in college, can play every position at a high level, extremelt flexible, yogi, knows fifteen martial arts, studied theoretical physics at Princeton in the summers, worked on the Large Hardon Collider, discovered the Higgs-Boson.

Artie Burns: ...

Bud Dupree: extremely athletic, probably the most athletic athlete in the history of the sport. Mike Tomlin knows how to pick them.

[Professor Half Wit]

Pretty much from here on out the media will never criticize a Tomlin first round pick, ever.

Devin Bush: probably the best value at the position, high energy, fills the gaps with authority

Terrell Edmunds: big hitter, lots of splash plays, looks great on tape, has amazing hands and football awareness

Najee Harris: might be the best pure running back ever taken in the first round, Mike Tomlin knocked it out of the park, and then some, looks to be the bellcow back for at least a dozen years, maybe more. More durable than any back taken in any round ever in the NFL draft. A real studd, probably the best back ever. He looks to probably hold all the records for every back ever picked.

Kendrick Green: actually on everyone's boards to be the first overall. Great center in college, can play every position at a high level, extremelt flexible, yogi, knows fifteen martial arts, studied theoretical physics at Princeton in the summers, worked on the Large Hardon Collider, discovered the Higgs-Boson.

Artie Burns: ...

Bud Dupree: extremely athletic, probably the most athletic athlete in the history of the sport. Mike Tomlin knows how to pick them.

Ok but is anyone actually making this argument?