Running back is easily one of the strongest and deepest positions on the team, and the grades will reflect that. There are a lot of different attributes that a RB can have, and different backs have different strengths. It can be difficult to grade backs at times because of this, however the way I try to go about it is to grade them based on what they are asked to do as well as what I think they are capable of. I won’t hold a back accountable for the line getting them hit in the backfield (thus poor ypc), but I will grade them poorly for stutter stepping and not hitting a hole when they should. As always these grades are based on my own analysis and my own views of the game so I welcome all criticisms and discussions.
Travaris Cadet: B+
I was very tempted to give Cadet a INC grade simply because of his limited snaps. However, the way that he played and how well he seamlessly fit back into the Saints offense deserves praise. Cadet was primarily a receiving back, and when the Saints chose to deploy him as such he excelled. Cadet made numerous big plays in the receiving game and showed timing and elusiveness that was very inconsistent in his first sting in New Orleans. The reason that Cadet gets a B+ instead of just a B (the highest I would normally give on such a small sample size) is the shocking improvement in his return skills. Cadet showed a real knack for finding the right hole in the coverage and made a number of nice returns in a very short time period. He gets a B for what I expected from him, but the + is for exceeding reasonable expectations. I don’t know if the Saints will bring him back next year, but he clearly showed he can be of value to the team.
Tim Hightower: A-
I’m absolutely positive there are members of the Saints fanbase that are going to yell at me for not giving Hightower and A+ here. Unfortunately a great story doesn’t affect the grades and I’m being generous with the A-. Hightower ran HARD on every carry he got, and that relentless effort got him a lot of extra yards. That is the biggest reason that he gets the boost. Effort is a huge component of success in sports and oftentimes its the player on your team who pushes himself to his limits that inspires the rest of the team to reach greater heights. Hightower was exceptional from that standpoint and he ran with a reckless abandon and passion that is rarely seen. However, he also struggled mightily with pass protection, didn’t always diagnose holes very well, and showed only flashes of the burst he once had. If I was grading him on a whole season I would probably dock him more for those issues because they were significant…if He is the team’s starter.
The reality is that he wasn’t the team’s starter and Hightower came in basically off the street at the end of the season to become the Saints ‘bell cow’ back over the final few games. He did this after the Saints star running back Mark Ingram suffered an injury that caused the team to decide to sit him (you preserve your best players health in a losing season unless they are a crazy person *cough* Drew *cough*). Everything has its context and while Hightower wasn’t totally deserving of all the hype he got, the man EARNED all of it. It is less what he did, and more when and how he did it that earns him an A- in my book. If it had been sustained throughout a season and the pass protection had been better he would have a rock solid A without question. I hope to see him back next season and actually really like the idea of him and Ingram sharing a backfield.
C.J. Spiller: D
There are two reasons and two reasons ONLY why he doesn’t get an F. Spiller made an AWESOME play against the Cowboys to win the game. And I don’t think he was ever fully recovered from his knee scope. Spiller never really showed the instant acceleration that has always been one of the things that made him special, and he also never showed the fluidity and elusiveness that have been his calling cards. I won’t flat out fail him, nor will I write off him coming back next season only because I do believe a healthy C.J. Spiller can still be a major X-factor for this team. However, it also wouldn’t surprise me if the Saints were to try to trade him and acquire a couple of extra picks in the this year’s draft. Spiller is still a special talent, and the injury was real, but that doesn’t prevent him from being a HUGE disappointment.
Marcus Murphy: D-
This probably is going to come across as a very harsh grade, but when a player serves in only a single role, their grade is going to be prone to great swings simply because mistakes are magnified. Marcus Murphy scored the Saints first special teams TD in a few years, and good for him, but other than that he was a mediocre return man who COULDN’T HOLD ON TO THE BALL!!! The Saints lost in embarrassing fashion to the Tennessee Titans earlier last season, and a large part of that loss came down to Murphy having one of his patented ‘Whoopsies’ trying to field the punt. The reality is that he’s a dime a dozen return man (who isn’t better than Spiller and probably not better than Cadet) who can’t be trusted to hold on to the football. I really don’t think the Saints are going to bring him back, especially not with how crowded the backfield is going to be.
Khiry Robinson: C-
Last season was a step backwards for Khiry, and not just because he suffered a gruesome leg injury (really hope he fully recovers from that by the way). Khiry often ran into his linemen, failed to diagnose plays and go for the correct gap, and just generally played too hard. While the effort level he displays is similar to what Hightower brought late in the season the biggest difference between them is that Hightower is a patient runner, while Khiry is basically shot out of a canon. Robinson is likely (and I’ve said this before) the most talented back the Saints have on their roster, however he has never been able to harness those talents to become a truly effective running back. I DO believe he can be a solid player in the NFL, but I don’t think it will be in New Orleans. Robinson will hopefully have a full recovery and will sign with another team, possibly Dallas, and I hope he has success there. However, the fact is that for what the Saints need he’s just too out of control and inconsistent.
Mark Ingram: A+
That’s Right!!! You read that correctly, Mark Ingram got an A+. Not only was Ingram a consistent contributor and playmaker on the team, but he was a man of his word. Mark told us that he could play in the passing game as well as just running downhill, and he backed up every word of it. There were games this year where Ingram really was the Saints #2 receiver and the biggest safety valve for Brees. He ran with passion, vision, and explosiveness all year (even playing through a significant shoulder injury) until he was put on the Injured Reserve list to preserve his health going forward. Mark’s performance all year long, and especially in the face of the inconsistent and at times awful play of the offensive line, deserves a rock solid A. He gets that boosted to an A+ because he not only exceeded all expectations with his performance in the passing game, but he was arguably the team’s best pass protector not named Terron Armstead. Ingram was phenomenal at blitz pick up and keeping Drew standing throughout the season. There is no question he will be the Saints main back for the next few years, and if the offensive line play ever improves (it has to) expect some pretty impressive stat lines from our favorite ‘angry’ person.
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