Comparison: Rodney Smith & Shannon Brooks to the tadem of Maroney and Barber III?

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Vandy

Vandy

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Comparison: Rodney Smith & Shannon Brooks to the tadem of Maroney and Barber III?

What do you all think of the liklihood that we will eventually be able to draw comparisons to the effectiveness of the backfield tandem of Rodney Smith & Shannon Brooks to Laurence Maroney & Marion Barber III?

I think it is possible that they will eventually be THAT effective.
 

It will depend on the O-line, if they live up to their potential, the comparisons might start during the season.
 

I love Smith and Brooks, but I honestly think they are still a notch below Maroney and Barber (at the same points in their careers). It's possible that Smith and Brooks could have looked just as good playing in those Mason offenses - I don't know. As fun as it was to watch Brooks run last year, Maroney was just on another level. Hopefully this isn't being taken as an insult to our current RBs - as I think they can easily become our 2nd best tandem.
 

I honestly think Brooks is something very special. His vision, toughness, and breakaway speed remind me of Maroney. He's not as big, but he's still tough to bring down. I think he'll be an upper echelon player when it's all said and done.

Smith is clearly better than anything we had the previous 5+ years, but he doesn't strike me as a special player by B1G standards. More than just an effective contributor, but not elite IMO.

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I wouldn't compare Brooks speed to Maroney at all. LM took runs to the house purely because of speed, I haven't seen that from SB. Brooks is much closer to Barber, and Smith doesn't really compare to anyone, just a shifty runner who rarely goes down on first contact. Also would disagree that Brooks doesn't have LM's size, at the same stage, Brooks is bigger and stronger.
 


Section2 said:
I wouldn't compare Brooks speed to Maroney at all. LM took runs to the house purely because of speed, I haven't seen that from SB. Brooks is much closer to Barber, and Smith doesn't really compare to anyone, just a shifty runner who rarely goes down on first contact. Also would disagree that Brooks doesn't have LM's size, at the same stage, Brooks is bigger and stronger.
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Smith reminds me a lot of cobb his senior year. Both brooks and smith played so good as freshman I really hope they can both improve this year, and if they can the duo could be something special. As someone else said it all comes down to the OLine. If they open up some holes so they can get through the first level they will both put up big numbers. Block like they did for much of the year last year and it may be tough going. It will be interesting to see how they utilize the backs in screens and passing game.
 

Rodney is a smart back, patient runner, reminds me of Cobb and to an extent Tellis Redmon
 


MGGopher said:
I honestly think Brooks is something very special. His vision, toughness, and breakaway speed remind me of Maroney. He's not as big, but he's still tough to bring down. I think he'll be an upper echelon player when it's all said and done.

Smith is clearly better than anything we had the previous 5+ years, but he doesn't strike me as a special player by B1G standards. More than just an effective contributor, but not elite IMO.

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It was encouraging to hear Jack Lynn at B1G Media Day talk about just how hard it is to bring down Brooks. I don't remember the exact quote, but he said that as a defender, you are always in an awkward, uncomfortable position when tackling him because he is elusive and shifty.
 



MGGopher said:
I honestly think Brooks is something very special. His vision, toughness, and breakaway speed remind me of Maroney. He's not as big, but he's still tough to bring down. I think he'll be an upper echelon player when it's all said and done.

Smith is clearly better than anything we had the previous 5+ years, but he doesn't strike me as a special player by B1G standards. More than just an effective contributor, but not elite IMO.

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Huh? Neither right now is even close to as good as Cobb was his jr. and sr. years.
 

dpodoll68 said:
Not close. Sorry.
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agreed. Maroney was worth watching every time he got the ball to see if he could house it. I don't get the vibe out of either of the current backs. Doesn't mean they aren't good and can't do special things. I just don't think we'll see either starting in the NFL in their first few years of being drafted as Maroney and Barber were.
 

Brooks sure reminds me of Marion the Barbarian. Tough, physical, and elusive, but without great speed.

I'm not sure about Smith. He seems more like an Emmitt Smith type, who'll consistently make good blocks and get you 3-5 yards per carry. Of course, you could do worse than to be compared to Emmitt!
 

Maroney and Barber played in an offense that showcased the running game. And, they also played in an offense that routinely used 2 or even 3 backs at the same time. So far, Brooks and Smith have played in a less-effective offense, and a one-back offense. So, it's hard to make a direct comparison. I will say this - Maroney and Barber were very consistent. they rarely got stuffed or thrown for negative yardage - which is a reflection on the O-line as much as the backs.

If the Gopher O-line is as improved as Claeys and others have been saying, the backs should also be more effective. Long runs are nice - but I want to see the Gophers become a team that can run for 4 or 5 yards consistently - without the no-gain and 2-yard loss runs that happened last year when the line couldn't create any running lanes.
 




I agree with the others that a better comparison would be Barber/Cobb. Neither have the speed that Maroney had.
 



Let's all agree that SB and RS are very talented RBs that have reached no where near the level of LM or MBIII yet. This comparison at this time is ridiculous.


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Sparlimb said:
agreed. Maroney was worth watching every time he got the ball to see if he could house it. I don't get the vibe out of either of the current backs. Doesn't mean they aren't good and can't do special things. I just don't think we'll see either starting in the NFL in their first few years of being drafted as Maroney and Barber were.
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We should probably appreciate them for what they are. Brooks matched Maroney's record of 4 tds over 35 yards including a few 70+ yard runs. As Mase likes to say he is his own blocker when he makes it into the secondary. He has special balance and ability to make them whiff or bounce off.

Some are sleeping on Smith. He is a threat to house it and both he and Brooks are going to catch a lot of passes this season. I can't wait.

Let's appreciate the players and compare after another season or two. They played in a different era against different defenses.
 

Spring RB Preview:
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/040416aaa.html

Kobe McCrary - The Gophers new version of David Cobb?

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/kobe_mccrary_1001355.html

OVERVIEW: A consensus three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout and 247Sports • will have two seasons of eligibility at Minnesota.

ESPN ANALYSIS: Big, downhill running back with impressive straight-line speed • quick to hit the hole, square up and is decisive • finds a seam and shows more than adequate burst to get through • quickly builds downhill momentum and will break a lot of first contact with his thick lower-half and good pad level.

PREVIOUS COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: Spent two seasons at Butler Community College • helped lead the Grizzlies to a 9-2 record and a No. 5 ranking as a sophomore • rushed 225 times for 1,190 yards and led the nation with 22 touchdowns • longest rush was 70 yards and he averaged 108.2 yards rushing per game en route to being named Second Team All-Jayhawk Conference • caught two passes for 11 yards • as a freshman, rushed 38 times for 195 yards and two scores and also caught three passes.

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2014 graduate of Chipley High School in Chipley, Fla. • as a senior, helped lead Tigers to a 7-3 record and was named First Team All-State 1A • rushed 156 times for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns • rushed for 14 two-point conversions • caught one pass for 42 yards • notched 50 tackles on defense and made one interception • named Second Team All-State as a junior after rushing for 1,896 yards and 26 touchdowns • as a sophomore, rushed 243 times for 1,631 yards and 27 touchdowns • coached by Chip Harris • three-year letterwinner in basketball and helped lead Chipley to a state championship in 2012.

PERSONAL: Born February 19, 1994 • son of Stephanie Massaline • has eight brothers (Jevon Copeland, Layton Chambers, Altus Wilimas, Dominique Webb, Prentice Webb, Kadeem Webb, Keyshawn Webb and Derrick Webb) and four sisters (Diamand, Lakendra Webb, Monique Henry and Mia Henry).
 

Spoofin said:
Let's all agree that SB and RS are very talented RBs that have reached no where near the level of LM or MBIII yet. This comparison at this time is ridiculous.


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Have you changed your name system or were you just too lazy to include their numbers?
 



Unregistered User said:
What? And neither do you...or if he even has.
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Yeah, that's the point. I'm not the one stating that right now Brooks is nowhere near Maroney.

My comment was really about taking every single opportunity to give DPO a taste of his medicine.
 

Vandy said:
What do you all think of the liklihood that we will eventually be able to draw comparisons to the effectiveness of the backfield tandem of Rodney Smith & Shannon Brooks to Laurence Maroney & Marion Barber III?

I think it is possible that they will eventually be THAT effective.
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Those two were ridiculously good...if Mas would have had any kind of defense, there would have been several 9-10 win seasons. We'd probably have a statue of GM at TCF.
 

No comparison. Maybe close to Gary Russell , Pinnix and Terry Jackson who transfered out because of Maroney and Barber. The best 5 yd run I"be ever seen was the 3rd down run Maroney made on the drive Lloyd kicked the winning FG against Oregon in the Sun Bowl.The LB and safety both had an angle on him 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage The safety had come up expecting the run Maroney cut to the outside and put a move on the safety that stopped him in his tracks. The LB had him zeroed in two yards past the scrimmage line and he juked him
and got the 4 yards for the first down. Two Oregon people were sitting next to us and just shook their heads in amazement. Very seldom did he and Barber get tackled for a loss.
 

Pompous Elitist said:
We should probably appreciate them for what they are. Brooks matched Maroney's record of 4 tds over 35 yards including a few 70+ yard runs. As Mase likes to say he is his own blocker when he makes it into the secondary. He has special balance and ability to make them whiff or bounce off.

Some are sleeping on Smith. He is a threat to house it and both he and Brooks are going to catch a lot of passes this season. I can't wait.

Let's appreciate the players and compare after another season or two. They played in a different era against different defenses.
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That's true. 3 years each of Barber and Maroney is a lot more canvas than the one year of these two. I'm happy to wait and see what they can become...
 

Spoofin said:
Let's all agree that SB and RS are very talented RBs that have reached no where near the level of LM or MBIII yet. This comparison at this time is ridiculous.


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Of course, the current tandem has just come off their Freshman year and we have a full body of work with LM/MBIII.

But that is not the original question. SB/RS are the best tandem that we have had for a long time and it is not wrong to try and compare them with the best tandem in recent history.


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