Rookie Report Card: Week Eight

In my weekly column, we take a longer look at two more rookies.  I compare their performance to date against my original expectations of them.  Let’s continue the 2013 series by looking back at Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Mike James and Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed.  Neither were first round dynasty picks in the spring or summer, but both may impact your fantasy playoff fate this season and the next few seasons.

Mike James, RB TB

Here is what I saw in college from James: When I reviewed his tape prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, I was not especially excited about his NFL prospects.  James is a good player, but not a spectacular one.  Some people in the industry have already compared him to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but I see James more like former Bengal Rudi Johnson who had a few years of NFL production.  

The young running back has a decent burst once he has the ball in his hands.  He tends to run a little too upright, but can get his body low to try to push into the line of scrimmage for extra yardage.  Unfortunately, James does not have great leg strength and unless he gets good blocking up front, the holes close quite early for him.  The back follows his blockers well and makes good decisions using his cutback lanes.  Like most backs, if you get James into space, he can make most defenders miss.  He is not particularly quick or fast, but he can lean for extra yardage and is effective in short yardage situations.  James may not make many people miss, but he will get what is blocked every time.

James excels in the passing game.  The young back is an effective pass protector and has good hands.  He can catch the ball in traffic and can run more complicated downfield pass patterns.  James might be a better third down running back than it would seem, but I doubt if he will ever be an every week fantasy starter for your dynasty team.

This is what I saw from James against the Panthers: The Bucs game script, going down early, did not necessarily play to the rookie running back’s strengths.  James only got ten carries for 39 yards and caught four of his five pass targets for 25 yards.  While it seems like there isn’t much to get excited about, Carolina is very difficult to run on.  The Panthers front seven made it difficult for James in find a hole to run thru.

The rookie usually bounced off his first tackler only to get stood up by the second and third defender.  He does lean forward for extra yardage and gets low, but unfortunately mostly runs straight ahead.  James is not a very graceful back and ran into and bounced off his offensive line on more than one occasion.  The young back needs to get better at picking up his feet as he was brought down by a few arm tackles.

James is a big asset in the passing game, which will be helpful since Mike Glennon throws a lot.  He runs patterns out in the flat and across the middle of the field. He is more comfortable in space as he does a better job making people miss with his slight wiggle.  When it comes to pass protection, James steps up and attacks defenders knocking them back from the play.  He was replaced most of the time on third downs by Brian Leonard , which was disappointing as I think James could be a good third down NFL back.  He is a short-term replacement running back, but I would not be excited to roster him unless it was in deeper dynasty leagues.

Jordan Reed, TE WAS

These are some of the observations of Reed during his time in college:  Reed is a dangerous weapon as he is able to line up beside the tackle, in the backfield and split-out as a wide receiver. While the tight end is willing to block on running and passing plays, he struggles at the physical blocking aspect of the position. The Gator tight end moves much like a wide receiver as he has very quick feet which make him difficult to cover in and out of breaks by linebackers and safeties. Reed demonstrates his good balance as he can hurdle defenders in the open field while the young tight end straddles the sideline. As a route runner, he boxes out his coverage and runs  where his quarterback anticipates him to be. Reed has good leaping ability and catches the ball at its highest point.  The young tight end is a top four tight end in his class and could be an excellent pro if he finds the right offense for his skill set.

Here is what I gleamed during Reed’s game against the Broncos:  Reed is a very fluid athlete as he gets to the flat with ease.  On almost every reception, the young tight end caught the pass in stride stretched out in front, so he could gain all the possible yardage on the play.  Robert Griffin certainly seems to have bonded with him as they improvise together well to turn short throws into extra yardage.  Reed reminded me a bit of Demaryius Thomas with his size and physicality with the ball in his hands.  He has a knack for getting behind safety coverage.

Washington lines him up all over the formation, including in the slot, and likes to put him in motion so he can get a free release.  His concentration is quite rookie-like as Reed can make a great catch between two defenders one play, then drop an easy pass on the next one as he gets a little too amped up.  There were a few plays Reed took some monstrous shots, so that might have been on his mind.  As far as his blocking, Reed leaves a lot to be desired.  He looked lost when asked to block on both running and passing downs as he gets in front of the defender for a few seconds and gets quickly shoved out of the way.

For a move tight end, Reed is a very talented athlete, who will bond even more with his quarterback as the season progresses.  I expect Reed to become one of the top eight dynasty options at tight end by the end of this season.  There should not be single dynasty league where he is not owned.

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