Chester Taylor info...

[0021 0]

Vikings | Childress responds to talk about C. Taylor criticism

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:15:32 -0700

 

Sean Jensen, of the Pioneer Press, recently interviewed Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress and he asked him about the team not being thrilled with RB Chester Taylor. Childress replied: "If I could give you an analogy. In college recruiting, there's that period where you're being wooed by this school and that school. You go through that rubber chicken circuit, where they bring you in and feed you a big meal. Then you need to make sure that you're taking care of yourself physically. Typically, you see that with all the free agents, everybody that travels and takes trips. So I would say this: Each and everyone, and he's not the lone ranger, had to work on their conditioning level from minicamp one to the end, and I would say they all progressed. He was quite a different guy in the second minicamp than he was in the first minicamp."

[Toltec 0]

Vikings | Childress responds to talk about C. Taylor criticism

Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:15:32 -0700

 

Sean Jensen, of the Pioneer Press, recently interviewed Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress and he asked him about the team not being thrilled with RB Chester Taylor. Childress replied: "If I could give you an analogy. In college recruiting, there's that period where you're being wooed by this school and that school. You go through that rubber chicken circuit, where they bring you in and feed you a big meal. Then you need to make sure that you're taking care of yourself physically. Typically, you see that with all the free agents, everybody that travels and takes trips. So I would say this: Each and everyone, and he's not the lone ranger, had to work on their conditioning level from minicamp one to the end, and I would say they all progressed. He was quite a different guy in the second minicamp than he was in the first minicamp."

 

 

NFL coaches speak for, "The GM stuck me with this guy and we are shallow at RB so I gotta use him."

[dreadlocks34 0]

NFL coaches speak for, "The GM stuck me with this guy and we are shallow at RB so I gotta use him."

 

I think I speak for most everyone on this bored when I say we all hope you continue to add great insight with your posts such as this one.

[Zaphod 0]

Nice to see this article. There are a few articles every summer that FF people just seem to want to blow up beyond belief. I can't believe that a fairly typical player was a bit overweight article has gotten this much play.

 

Minn went out and signed him to a fairly decent contract. Whether he will be able to earn it is another matter, but his ability to earn it in Nov won't be predicated by a few extra pounds in June.

[qimqam 1]

Nice to see this article. There are a few articles every summer that FF people just seem to want to blow up beyond belief. I can't believe that a fairly typical player was a bit overweight article has gotten this much play.

 

Minn went out and signed him to a fairly decent contract. Whether he will be able to earn it is another matter, but his ability to earn it in Nov won't be predicated by a few extra pounds in June.

 

It's not the extra pounds it's the complacency. You would think the piece-O-crap would be in the best shape of his life to show his gratitude for being set up financially for life. That tells you how motivated he is ... I bet Mewelde Moore showed up in shape.

[SmartassBoiler 0]

A lot of Chester Taylor doubters continuously based their dislike of him on him showing up to the first camp out of shape. I've lost track of how many times that was used in arguments as to why we shouldn't draft him. Now I'm not making excuses for him or saying that's expected behavior out of an NFL player, but maybe this report will put those harping on that to rest so we can focus on a real assessment of his skills and his surrounding offensive situation.

[football_scooter 0]

A lot of Chester Taylor doubters continuously based their dislike of him on him showing up to the first camp out of shape. I've lost track of how many times that was used in arguments as to why we shouldn't draft him. Now I'm not making excuses for him or saying that's expected behavior out of an NFL player, but maybe this report will put those harping on that to rest so we can focus on a real assessment of his skills and his surrounding offensive situation.

 

No, they base it on being Moore owners in keeper leagues, but will never admit it to you.

[dreadlocks34 0]

That tells you how motivated he is ... I bet Mewelde Moore showed up in shape.

 

You would actually be wrong. Moore is still nursing the wrist problem last I read. He looked great the times he is actually on the field but if Tice wouldn't put up with him I am fairly confident Childress will have very little patience for him at all.

 

And I agree completely with Scooter and that just doesn't go for this thread. A large majority of opinions on this bored have very little to do with what someone may actually think of a certain player but much more to do with if you made a questionable or poor move on one of your teams and you are trying to jusitify it to yourself.

[NAn 39]

A lot of Chester Taylor doubters continuously based their dislike of him on him showing up to the first camp out of shape. I've lost track of how many times that was used in arguments as to why we shouldn't draft him. Now I'm not making excuses for him or saying that's expected behavior out of an NFL player, but maybe this report will put those harping on that to rest so we can focus on a real assessment of his skills and his surrounding offensive situation.

 

I'm admittedly on the fence with Taylor but I'm just throwing it out there.

 

Does this really dispense anything?

 

I read the quote a couple of times and wondering...if Childress/staff is fine with Taylor, why didn't he just come out and say so?

 

Something like 'That was blown way out of proportion, we're happy with Taylor'.

 

Instead he gives an answer a politician would give to what is basically a 'yes' or 'no' question.

 

Discuss.

[football_scooter 0]

Instead he gives an answer a politician would give to what is basically a 'yes' or 'no' question.

 

Discuss.

 

what's to discuss? Coaches have done this since the beginning of time. How's Deion Branch's knee coming along? Just a bruise? Week to week? whew...what a relief - I think I'll lock up my lone IR spot for him.

 

If I were the Vikes I'd say he was fat & lazy too....then game 1 when he busts out a buck fourty with 3 Tds behind the man mountain Hutch, coach will say something like, "yeah, we were a little concerned about his shape in camp, but he really looks like he migh have turned the corner". Then they'll ask the player and he'll say, "just doing whatever I can to help the team."

 

player-speak/coach-speak is what it is. No one's going to tip their hand in July.

[qimqam 1]

You would actually be wrong. Moore is still nursing the wrist problem last I read. He looked great the times he is actually on the field but if Tice wouldn't put up with him I am fairly confident Childress will have very little patience for him at all.

 

What does a wrist problem have to do with conditioning?

 

And I agree completely with Scooter and that just doesn't go for this thread. A large majority of opinions on this bored have very little to do with what someone may actually think of a certain player but much more to do with if you made a questionable or poor move on one of your teams and you are trying to jusitify it to yourself.

 

My opinion is completely unbiased ...I am in redraft only leagues and we do not draft until week before kickoff. When I player signs up out of shape after signing a big contract ... It's a warning sign!

[Buttmonkey 8]

LOL. You guys are too funny. If you want to buy into the hype he's out of shape and doesn't care, go ahead. If you want to buy into Taylor being a good #2 this season, go ahead. But it's getting silly analyzing words and trying to read between the lines. Taylor is Childress' guy. He (Childress) had seen Taylor in College and was impressed, he knew him in the pros, and he was the first guy they brought in via free agency. Baltimore has a different standard (show up and get into game shape), Minny doesn't. It's really rediculous saying "oh he said this but didn't say that" or "he showed up to the first camp out of shape - he's lazy". From what I remember, Taylor is pretty cut and it wouldn't surprise me that his "out of shape" status was just because it was the freaking "OFF SEASON". Let's go through pre-season before we start this foolessness of saying he's a lazy player.

 

And no, I don't own him.

 

HTH

[Ignignokt 0]

what's to discuss? Coaches have done this since the beginning of time. How's Deion Branch's knee coming along? Just a bruise? Week to week? whew...what a relief - I think I'll lock up my lone IR spot for him.

Knee? Excuse me, that's "lower body injury."

 

Belichick would list "soul injury" if he could.

[SoloMatisse 0]

When considering Taylor's prospects, just take a look at Minnesota's QB and WR situation. Its not really all that promising. Brad Johnson, the grizzled veteran that he is, is being paid $1.2 mil this year as a starting QB, and he's not arguing....because he knows he's lucky to have a job at this point in his career. He doesnt have the arm to stretch the field anymore, and the way Ds line up will reflect that. the receivers? Koren Robinson is the best theyve got....that's all you really need to know. But if you need more, theyre backing him up with career dissapointment Travis Taylor, old man Marcus Robinson and Troy Williamson, who's speed cant be utilized because Johnson cant throw the ball far enough for him to benefit. Im not hating on Taylor...I could care less either way, but the bottom line is Ds will stack the box up against this team until the Vikes prove they can consistently make them pay, and I just dont see that happening considering the players. Taylor is being a tad overrated, imo.

[hoffdaddy 1]

Taylor gets to play the Lions and Packers twice. Plus, the Bears in the dome. He'll be fine.

 

This system is a good fit for his talent. Remember when Brian Westbrook just wasn't big enough/fast enough/tough enough? I think Taylor can do what Westbrook does in Philly.

[Belushi 9]

I hope there's allot more negative press about him before the season starts. I'll love to pick this guy up in the 3rd round and watch him finish with top 10 numbers.

[SmartassBoiler 0]

Taylor gets to play the Lions and Packers twice. Plus, the Bears in the dome. He'll be fine.

 

This system is a good fit for his talent. Remember when Brian Westbrook just wasn't big enough/fast enough/tough enough? I think Taylor can do what Westbrook does in Philly.

 

I think so too. I personally think he'll be pretty close to Westbrook, with a few more rushing yards and a few less receiving yards. He was brought in to be their 3 down back. Another great comparison is LaMont Jordan since both are in the same situation with similar skills. The only thing that worries me is that Childress is from Philly, and Philly always used a goal line back. I'm not sure Fason really qualifies as being a better goal line back than Taylor. Does anyone know how Taylor did in the limited short yardage situations he was in during his time with Baltimore?

 

Another thing to think about is that you need to compare him to other RB2 types with a similar ADP. If you're going to be drafting in that range and are considering him, compare him to Reuben Droughns, Kevin Jones, Jamal Lewis, etc.

[akaoni 0]

This system is a good fit for his talent. Remember when Brian Westbrook just wasn't big enough/fast enough/tough enough? I think Taylor can do what Westbrook does in Philly.

 

I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this comparison. I think that Westbrook is a different kind of back. Yes, Chester has good recieving skills, but I don't think that he has as much big play ability as Westy. I think he'll be a decent #2 if he works hard in camp, but I don't think he cracks the top 10. Anything else smells too much like wishful thinking to me...

[unckeyherb 2]

I think so too. I personally think he'll be pretty close to Westbrook, with a few more rushing yards and a few less receiving yards. He was brought in to be their 3 down back. Another great comparison is LaMont Jordan since both are in the same situation with similar skills. The only thing that worries me is that Childress is from Philly, and Philly always used a goal line back. I'm not sure Fason really qualifies as being a better goal line back than Taylor. Does anyone know how Taylor did in the limited short yardage situations he was in during his time with Baltimore?

 

Another thing to think about is that you need to compare him to other RB2 types with a similar ADP. If you're going to be drafting in that range and are considering him, compare him to Reuben Droughns, Kevin Jones, Jamal Lewis, etc.

 

 

I think Taylor he is the bigger back (taller and heavier than Fason and Moore) which doesn't worry me about his goaline carries going to anyone else. He is a very good receiver as he was a third down back. And he has Tony Richardson at full back, who opened holes for Priest and LJ. Oh yeah and Hutchinson who opened holes for Alexander. I think he should be a very good pickup this year. I thought earlier on that his hype would be so high that come draft day his value would be in the toilet, but these negative comments make me very happy. Let him keep falling in the eyes of everyone else. I'll gladly take him as my #2 RB.

[dreadlocks34 0]

My opinion is completely unbiased ...I am in redraft only leagues and we do not draft until week before kickoff. When I player signs up out of shape after signing a big contract ... It's a warning sign!

 

If you want to really worry about what shape a guy is in for early non-mandatory workouts be my guest. I'm pretty sure other players on every NFL team didn't report there in game shape. Just a guess.

If a guy shows up to training camp not in shape then I am going to pay a lot more attention personally then some informal workouts.

[GetThePoint 0]

One of the keys to Taylor's success will be the offensive line that he is running behind. All-Pro C Matt Birk is back healthy this year. Steve Hutchinson may be the league's best run blocking guard, and left tackle Bryant McKinnie is no slouch at left tackle either. Add lead blocker Tony Richardson to the mix, and there are few running backs that will have the Offensive line advantage that Taylor will have. To sweeten the deal, Taylor is a skilled receiver that fits perfectly into a Brad Childress' vision of a west coast offense. The fact that Taylor could possibly catch 50 passes is definitely a major bonus- and he certainly has the size to handle goalline duties as well.

 

My take on the "Chester is a lazy player, out of shape" stuff that went on this past summer is that it was the Vikings' way of telling Chester that he was going to get the ball a lot and that he better show up for Training Camp ready to go. And I have no doubts that he will. If you didn't get a chance to see him play last year, you should know that he looked like twice the back of Jamal Lewis.

 

Also consider the organizational direction, the Vikings were loaded at runnning back, and then after they took on Chester Taylor, they cut ties with Michael Bennett, Onterrio Smith and Moe Williams. Leaving only the injury prone Mewelde Moore and the unproven Ciatrick Fason. Everything that the organization has done has signaled that they expect big things out of Taylor, and that they have confidence in Taylor's ability to deliver. Most importantly, by grabbing Hutchinson and Richardson, they are making sure they give him the tools he needs to succeed.

[The Moz 69]

Childress IMO might look to Moore to be the main guy if for no other reason Moore is alot like Westbrook. Westy was really injury prone and a great reciever as well and Taylor play the Buckhalter role of a few years ago. Taylor gets most of the carries while Moore gets most of the receptions and it end up being a 50/50 split RBBC.

[rebooters 1]

I hope there's allot more negative press about him before the season starts. I'll love to pick this guy up in the 3rd round and watch him finish with top 10 numbers.

keep dreaming. you have found fools gold.

[jgcrawfish 232]

Jerome Bettis never showed up in shape, ever! I could run for nearly a 1000 yds behind Hutchinson. I think the only thing that hurts Chester this year is the lack of a Minny verticle game...but the guy is going off the board around the 20th RB taken and is capable of putting up #'s of the 10-12 RB I feel. He's gonna be a solid #2 RB for somebody.

[mozzy84 0]

Editor's note: As the Vikings prepare to report to training camp, we look at some of the key issues facing the team. Today's question: Can the running game carry the offense?

 

Since leading the NFL in rushing in 2003, the Vikings have spent the past two seasons mostly running in place, but that might be about to change.

 

Coming off an offseason in which they signed all-pro guard Steve Hutchinson away from Seattle and promising young running back Chester Taylor from Baltimore, the Vikings' ground game appears ready to take off this fall.

 

With no Randy Moss or Daunte Culpepper, it also seems poised to supplant the team's formerly high-powered passing game for top billing in the team's new West Coast offense coach Brad Childress brought with him from Philadelphia.

 

The main reason for those high hopes is the addition of Hutchinson, a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the NFC-champion Seahawks, whose March 20 signing to a seven-year, $49 million contract sent shock waves through the NFL.

 

That happens to be the richest deal in league history for a guard, but the Vikings believed it was worth the cost to pry the transition free agent loose from Seattle and instantly upgrade one of the team's weakest areas.

 

With four-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk back after sitting out last season following hip surgery and Bryant McKinnie at tackle, Hutchinson makes the left side of the Vikings' line one of the most formidable in the NFL. His new linemates spent the offseason minicamps salivating about what that could mean to them and the running game.

 

"He's as good as there is," Birk said. "Just from the little bit I know about him from some Pro Bowls and around the league, he's a quality guy, too. When people were asking me about the deal he signed, I said if anybody's worth that kind of money, he is. In my opinion, he's that good."

 

Add in the offseason acquisitions of right guard Artis Hicks from Philadelphia and blocking fullback Tony Richardson (Kansas City), and the Vikings should have no trouble improving on their rushing performance of last season, when they ranked 27th in the league and averaged a puny 91.7 yards per game.

 

The 2005 Eagles actually finished one spot behind the Vikings and their 365 rushes were the third fewest in the league, but injuries had a lot to do with that, and Childress has made an improved running game a top priority.

 

The main beneficiary of all this figures to be Taylor, who was signed to a four-year, $14.1 million contract after four seasons of backing up Jamal Lewis in Baltimore.

 

Taylor never had more than 160 carries or rushed for more than 714 yards in any season with the Ravens, and the Vikings' coaches weren't happy with his conditioning at the first offseason minicamp.

Even so, he is expected to get every opportunity to become the team's featured back after two seasons of a running back-by-committee approach involving Mewelde Moore and the departed Michael Bennett and Onterrio Smith.

 

"I'm ready for the challenge," Taylor said. "I had my spurts in Baltimore when Jamal got hurt and then he got suspended (for two games in 2004) and I had to take the load. I know I can do it. I just want to prove I can do it for a whole season this time."

Taylor had the luxury of running behind a Ravens offensive line anchored by left tackle Jonathan Ogden, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, but, based on what he saw during the offseason, the Vikings' front five could be even better.

 

"I'm real excited," Taylor said. "I had a great offensive line in Baltimore, but I'm really looking forward to playing behind this line."

http://www.twincities.com

[Nichee 0]

No, they base it on being Moore owners in keeper leagues, but will never admit it to you.

 

 

Hey Scoot, remember almost 2 months ago, when I put a thread up about this?

I believe you said you wouldn't believe it til it came from a reputable source. It's now on every fantasy site out there.

And I believe you said I was doing FFT a disservice with my post.

 

As it turns out, this is still being talked about and we were way ahead of the curve in early June with this.

 

So, friend, how you like dem apples?

[unckeyherb 2]

Hey Scoot, remember almost 2 months ago, when I put a thread up about this?

I believe you said you wouldn't believe it til it came from a reputable source. It's now on every fantasy site out there.

And I believe you said I was doing FFT a disservice with my post.

 

As it turns out, this is still being talked about and we were way ahead of the curve in early June with this.

 

So, friend, how you like dem apples?

 

not the "there is talk" argument again.

[esoitl 0]

My opinion is completely unbiased ...I am in redraft only leagues and we do not draft until week before kickoff. When I player signs up out of shape after signing a big contract ... It's a warning sign!

When someone cannot post using proper english, it's a warning sign!