Steelers' Najee Harris Absolutely Disrespected By Cringeworthy Running Back Power Rankings

[Litos]

What's done is done, the 1st round investment in a RB is already been discussed ad nauseum, it's beating a dead horse. What I do know is that Harris is a talented player that finally will have, for the first time in his pro career, the tools to be a dominant runner and there won't be any excuses if healthy. I expect him to be a top 10 RB next season and I hope they give him some rest as Warren is a more than capable backup to get at least 35% of the carries instead of the 21% he had last season.

 

[DesertSteel]

maybe he takes a friendly deal

Maybe after he finds no takers in free agency. Most RBs want overpaid for underpaid past performance.

 

[steelcan58]

We should have never spent a 1st round pick on a RB, any running back. Too much draft capital for a RB. Imagine had we used that or close to that to take Creed Humphrey (Who was available twice in that draft)


Salute the nation

As I've said before Najee was a reach in hope he could be the quick fix for a substandard OL so Ben could have one last hurrah. Failed miserably.

 

[SteelerFan448]

As I've said before Najee was a reach in hope he could be the quick fix for a substandard OL so Ben could have one last hurrah. Failed miserably.

The run blocking hasn't been great, but Harris also hasn't done a good job as well. That bottom left quadrant is a bad spot to be in.

 

[Drink IRON City]

The run blocking hasn't been great, but Harris also hasn't done a good job as well. That bottom left quadrant is a bad spot to be in.

NICE post 448, thanks

Najee is is closer to the bottom than he is to the top.

I know the OL has been a failure to date, but this year there will be no excuses and he needs to be near or closer to the top.


Salute the nation

 

[madinsomniac]

I almost forgot how old Najee is. He’ll be 27 on a 5th year if he gets it. No way they sign him to a second contract with him being 28 in the first year of the deal. That’s (forced) retirement age for a RB.

Eh minus injury issues, typically rbs see a statistical decline at 29 or 30. the thing is teams cut them at 28 because they expect the decline and that is typically the first year they can get out of their second contract without too bad of a cap hit.

top 32 rbs averaged 225 carries per season last year. Add receptions and thats a lot of impact plays. They also block, which is lower impact but they are still taking hits…

Players are bigger and stronger and faster than even two decades ago… its just not sustainable to endure that kind of wear and tear…

 

[bigben]

NICE post 448, thanks

Najee is is closer to the bottom than he is to the top.

I know the OL has been a failure to date, but this year there will be no excuses and he needs to be near or closer to the top.


Salute the nation

You are finally starting to get it, or atleast admit it.

 

[DesertSteel]

We should have never spent a 1st round pick on a RB, any running back. Too much draft capital for a RB. Imagine had we used that or close to that to take Creed Humphrey (Who was available twice in that draft)


Salute the nation

It's not like Najee was a generational talent. His true grade was a late 2 or 3rd round.

 

[Drink IRON City]

You are finally starting to get it, or atleast admit it.

You are finally starting to get it, or atleast admit it.

Keep studying and working hard……… one day you'll come up with a post that is worth a ****.

Read the entirety of my post and take it for the context that it is.

Najee’s first year he ran behind the worst OL in the league and still managed decent production.

Last year the OL started out bad but improved over the season. Najee also played through a foot injury.

This season, the pieces of the puzzle for OL have improved so there will be no excuses, except the O’Canada factor. It’s a “‘make or break” year for many and Najee is one on the list.


Salute the nation

 

[Drink IRON City]

It's not like Najee was a generational talent. His true grade was a late 2 or 3rd round.

I agree with yaz, but now that he is a STEELERS player, I’ll root / want him to succeed in every way possible. This new and improved OL should pay dividends right away.

I just hope the Offensive Scheme can utilize the new talent for all it’s worth.


Salute the nation

 

[madinsomniac]

RBs are still paying a lawyer to pursue a separate union, even though it’s already been ruled to have no merit and rejected back in 2019.

The issues that they face are really threefold
1. They are already in a union and there hasn’t been a change is their job duties recently, so the labor board won’t really hear their case
2. There isn’t a clear enough distinction between rbs and other skill positions to warrant the move… i mean what is the cut off? Running the ball is pretty standard… what is to stop a team just listing everyone as a rb or everyone as a wr?
3. They might be paid less, but its still a gross overpayment compared to most jobs.


This just comes off as greedy and envy of other positions…

The thing is to get more money to the rbs, its not coming out of the owners pockets…. It’s basically coming from the other players pockets…

 

[Coach]

Two problems are his vision seems so-so in the NFL and he doesn't have game-breaking speed.

Nor does he accelerate to the hole quickly enough. Recently Harris voiced an opinion that the running back need a union. I guess the NFLs players union isn't good enough for him. Surely the owners and management do not like this.

I think Warren is 50/50 to take his job. His yards per rush and yards per catch is way better than Harris with the same players blocking for him. And late last year Warren was getting 10-12 carries a game. Watch this space..

Now Warren has speed, he hits the hole quicker and he can run outside / hit the big play vs the run or the pass. He blocks pretty well to and can break tackles or beat DL / linebackers with his speed to the marker. He's pretty good at breaking tackles too, this is the lone thing Harris does better. Break tackles.

Harris never ran a 40 yard dash, a 10 yard spilt, or a 20 yard shuttle. He never ran a cone drill which helps measure how a player turns with speed at the combine or his pro day. The Steelers were duped with no confimed times for Harris. I'd guess Najee is a 4.6+ 40 yard dash guy based on his play. A modern day slug, and perhaps the slowest projected starting running back in 2023! That is if he starts.

Harris has the lowest YPR and YPC among projected starting running backs. There are 31 players who averaged more in 2022. Tell me I am wrong and list the names.

- Coach

 

[madinsomniac]

Nor does he accelerate to the hole quickly enough. Recently Harris voiced an opinion that the running back need a union. I guess the NFLs players union isn't good enough for him. Surely the owners and management do not like this.

I think Warren is 50/50 to take his job. His yards per rush and yards per catch is way better than Harris with the same players blocking for him. And late last year Warren was getting 10-12 carries a game. Watch this space..

Now Warren has speed, he hits the hole quicker and he can run outside / hit the big play vs the run or the pass. He blocks pretty well to and can break tackles or beat DL / linebackers with his speed to the marker. He's pretty good at breaking tackles too, this is the lone thing Harris does better. Break tackles.

Harris never ran a 40 yard dash, a 10 yard spilt, or a 20 yard shuttle. He never ran a cone drill which helps measure how a player turns with speed at the combine or his pro day. The Steelers were duped with no confimed times for Harris. I'd guess Najee is a 4.6+ 40 yard dash guy based on his play. A modern day slug, and perhaps the slowest projected starting running back in 2023! That is if he starts.

Harris has the lowest YPR and YPC among projected starting running backs. There are 31 players who averaged more in 2022. Tell me I am wrong and list the names.

- Coach

All the runningbacks tried to break off and form a separate union in 2019… the National Labor Board rejected there petition… they are still working on it… they think they are going to get qb money because they are essential…

They had some weird plans from what I heard… they basically wanted separate rules just for them… no wait time to enter the NFL from high school… not following the rookie salary contracts and a separate cap section just for them were ideas thrown around


Basically its the guys working the assembly line of a company declaring themselves essential and demanding equal or greater benefits to the highly trained technical guys…
If tgey are that worried about wear and tear, just limit them to a third of a teams snaps a game add two more roster spots and cut their pay
down to kicker levels…

 

[Coach]

All the runningbacks tried to break off and form a separate union in 2019… the National Labor Board rejected there petition… they are still working on it… they think they are going to get qb money because they are essential…

They had some weird plans from what I heard… they basically wanted separate rules just for them… no wait time to enter the NFL from high school… not following the rookie salary contracts and a separate cap section just for them were ideas thrown around


Basically its the guys working the assembly line of a company declaring themselves essential and demanding equal or greater benefits to the highly trained technical guys…
If tgey are that worried about wear and tear, just limit them to a third of a teams snaps a game add two more roster spots and cut their pay
down to kicker levels…

They are all millionaires. The NFL players get market value in free agency for their skills. Unfortunately for running backs they are often past their best, injured or and heavily used when they sign their second contact. Teams do not want to give out 10+ million dollars a year for such a player unless he still elite. It is what it is. They are represented by an excellent experienced union and all lucky to make what they are making in the NFL. Calling for another union for running backs is a joke.

Where is FB at NT union? And the kickers, punters and long snappers? See what I'm talking about?

This is the NFL , which stands for NOT FOR LONG. The average players plays about 4 years. What N. Harris is asking for is for a tiny fraction of the NFL players to get special treatment.

They all drain for the same form the salary cap and the vast majority of his NFL brethren would vote NO. Your not taking any $ form me because your one of the few players to get a 2nd contract. Not everyone does.

 

[stillwright]

Maybe after he finds no takers in free agency. Most RBs want overpaid for underpaid past performance.

Isn't that every player at all positions?

 

[bigben]

Nor does he accelerate to the hole quickly enough. Recently Harris voiced an opinion that the running back need a union. I guess the NFLs players union isn't good enough for him. Surely the owners and management do not like this.

I think Warren is 50/50 to take his job. His yards per rush and yards per catch is way better than Harris with the same players blocking for him. And late last year Warren was getting 10-12 carries a game. Watch this space..

Now Warren has speed, he hits the hole quicker and he can run outside / hit the big play vs the run or the pass. He blocks pretty well to and can break tackles or beat DL / linebackers with his speed to the marker. He's pretty good at breaking tackles too, this is the lone thing Harris does better. Break tackles.

Harris never ran a 40 yard dash, a 10 yard spilt, or a 20 yard shuttle. He never ran a cone drill which helps measure how a player turns with speed at the combine or his pro day. The Steelers were duped with no confimed times for Harris. I'd guess Najee is a 4.6+ 40 yard dash guy based on his play. A modern day slug, and perhaps the slowest projected starting running back in 2023! That is if he starts.

Harris has the lowest YPR and YPC among projected starting running backs. There are 31 players who averaged more in 2022. Tell me I am wrong and list the names.

- Coach

I bet half the coaches in the league would have started Warren last year over Harris. Atleast the ones watching the tape.

 

[madinsomniac]

They are all millionaires. The NFL players get market value in free agency for their skills. Unfortunately for running backs they are often past their best, injured or and heavily used when they sign their second contact. Teams do not want to give out 10+ million dollars a year for such a player unless he still elite. It is what it is. They are represented by an excellent experienced union and all lucky to make what they are making in the NFL. Calling for another union for running backs is a joke.

Where is FB at NT union? And the kickers, punters and long snappers? See what I'm talking about?

This is the NFL , which stands for NOT FOR LONG. The average players plays about 4 years. What N. Harris is asking for is for a tiny fraction of the NFL players to get special treatment.

They all drain for the same form the salary cap and the vast majority of his NFL brethren would vote NO. Your not taking any $ form me because your one of the few players to get a 2nd contract. Not everyone does.

Im just saying that it wasnt Harris’s Idea… it was being pursued by other RBs long before he was even in the league…

The issue is that NFL players always feel slighted because they often compare themselves to NBA and MLB guys and want those kind of contracts… but it just isn’t the same… those other sports players have greater longevity and the salary structure isn’t equal… mlb is uncapped and while the NBA has 60% of the cap the Nfl does, they have less than 30% of the roster size… so tgey have more players earning over 30 mil aav than MLB and the NFL combined … if anything, the NFL should adopt a version of the NHL,s rule that no single player can earn over 20% of the cap… though forcthe NF L it should be like maybe just 12 or 15% to account for the roster size difference .. that might piss of like two dozen players but will push millions back to the other players and also will keep the wage difference a little closer…

 

[bigben]

Keep studying and working hard……… one day you'll come up with a post that is worth a ****.

Read the entirety of my post and take it for the context that it is.

Najee’s first year he ran behind the worst OL in the league and still managed decent production.

Last year the OL started out bad but improved over the season. Najee also played through a foot injury.

This season, the pieces of the puzzle for OL have improved so there will be no excuses, except the O’Canada factor. It’s a “‘make or break” year for many and Najee is one on the list.


Salute the nation

Same line, same coaches
Harris rookie year was a fully healthy 3.8 ypc, worse than James Conner, year 2 was 1.2 ypc worse than the undrafted free agent rookie.
facts

 

[DesertSteel]

Isn't that every player at all positions?

Sure. It's just that with every other position it doesn't happen at 27-28.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Same line, same coaches
Harris rookie year was a fully healthy 3.8 ypc, worse than James Conner, year 2 was 1.2 ypc worse than the undrafted free agent rookie.
facts

I like looking at Next Generation Stats. Among qualifiers (RBs with 90 or more carries), here's where Harris ranked last year:

2022
Efficiency - 44th (more of an east-west runner)
Rush Yards Over Expected - 48th/48 (-81 RYOE, meaning he had fewer yards than expected)
Rush Over Expected % - 32nd/48 (38.7%)

2021
Efficiency - 30th/47
Rush Yards Over Expected - 37th/47 (-48 RYOE)
Rush Over Expected % - 37th/47 (34.2%)

 

[Coach]

I like looking at Next Generation Stats. Among qualifiers (RBs with 90 or more carries), here's where Harris ranked last year:

2022
Efficiency - 44th (more of an east-west runner)
Rush Yards Over Expected - 48th/48 (-81 RYOE, meaning he had fewer yards than expected)
Rush Over Expected % - 32nd/48 (38.7%)

2021
Efficiency - 30th/47
Rush Yards Over Expected - 37th/47 (-48 RYOE)
Rush Over Expected % - 37th/47 (34.2%)

Those are tough #'s..for Harris, the Steelers and the fans.

Harris is a modern day slug and mostly in the box type of runner who hits next to zero big plays as a runner and pass catcher. I hope Warren get more action than he did last year.

 

[BLITZ]

I bet half the coaches in the league would have started Warren last year over Harris. Atleast the ones watching the tape.

you are hilarious. tell us more of your thoughts

 

[SteelerFan448]

Those are tough #'s..for Harris, the Steelers and the fans.

Harris is a modern day slug and mostly in the box type of runner who hits next to zero big plays as a runner and pass catcher. I hope Warren get more action than he did last year.

Tough for the crowd that blames his lack of production solely on the offensive line as well. They need the version of Harris that showed up against Baltimore to show up every week.

 

[bigben]

Tough for the crowd that blames his lack of production solely on the offensive line as well. They need the version of Harris that showed up against Baltimore to show up every week.

They need to have their vision checked, and pride. It's ok to admit when you are wrong about a guy?

 

[bigben]

I like looking at Next Generation Stats. Among qualifiers (RBs with 90 or more carries), here's where Harris ranked last year:

2022
Efficiency - 44th (more of an east-west runner)
Rush Yards Over Expected - 48th/48 (-81 RYOE, meaning he had fewer yards than expected)
Rush Over Expected % - 32nd/48 (38.7%)

2021
Efficiency - 30th/47
Rush Yards Over Expected - 37th/47 (-48 RYOE)
Rush Over Expected % - 37th/47 (34.2%)

LOL
Mic drop