Robbie Frey

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I am going to be making a bold prediction here. Frey if he remains healthy, will not only make the 52 man roster but be the third down back and in his 2nd season make second string and get a few starts as Michael Turner will get injured. He is clearly faster than Turner and Snelling and the kid is a class act which NFl teams seem to be looking for more of nowadays.
His highlight film is limited but he clearly has a second gear and has the strength of a back 20 pounds heavier. What do people here think?
 
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One thing I've noticed about Frey is when he makes his first cut around a defender or corner he has an amazing initial burst to get up field. With the size of NFL players and the speed of the game I think this will work to his advantage. I am not sure I have seen a quicker running back get up field other than Rex Burkhead though Rex is clearly the more patient runner which is not conducive in the NFl and its speed.
 

Highlander

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One thing I've noticed about Frey is when he makes his first cut around a defender or corner he has an amazing initial burst to get up field. With the size of NFL players and the speed of the game I think this will work to his advantage. I am not sure I have seen a quicker running back get up field other than Rex Burkhead though Rex is clearly the more patient runner which is not conducive in the NFl and its speed.
During Spring Ball Rex specifically mentioned this, saying that he was focusing primarily on improving that aspect of his game...making a quicker initial decision and then hitting the hole with more authority.
 

Don Wassall

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The Falcons drafted Jacquizz [sic] Rodgers just last year, so he and Snelling both back up Turner. I like your knowledge of high school and college players a lot and your enthusiasm, but I'd put the odds of Frey making the team this year as the third down back and then starting some games next year at about 1,000 to 1, barring a lot of injuries to a number of black RBs. And of course I'd like nothing better than to be wrong.
 

dwid

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I think Rex is fine with his patience most of the time and takes what the blocking is giving him, he can go quick when the hole opens up fast, he will have no problem adjusting to the pro game and probably one of the most talented backs to be coming out in the past few years. What he needs to work on is his open field running, its usually fine when the game is back in forth early on, he can use his agility and break tackles and keep going, but it seems like when they have a close lead or the score is close you see less of these types of runs, he gets the first down and goes down pretty easily. I don't think its really much of an issue, I am not sure if he needs to work on stamina, or if the coaches are telling him to get the first down and don't try anything extra, kind of like a ball control offense, being that their defense let them down quite a few times last year.

Zach Line is another guy that needs to work on open field runnning. He was a goal line back his first year and spent his entire offseason learning how to make people miss in the open field. However there are times when he should just try to use his power instead of trying to a guy miss. He needs to find a better balance, because there were runs where there was just a scrawny db in the way that he could have given a mean stiff arm, instead he tries to make miss and the guy gets a hand on him and gets him a little off balance allowing for another guy to catch up and get him down. I mean he is 250 pounds, his agility is great but he has the power, so he should use it a little more.

I hope the best for Robbie Frey but these are the two guys right now with the most NFL potential imo, and Rex is the most likely to get a chance to run the ball in the NFL out of the two being that he is getting national exposure in the Big 10. Frey looked good from the footage I saw but he is a small school guy that is going to be playing special teams at best, no matter what he shows in practice since of his skin "disease". They have Rodgers who will fill in and will get a bigger role this season. He looked like an "explosive" player in college, but from what I have seen in the NFL, he looks like a mini version of Michael Turner, chubby and average skillset. It will take a situation like with Hillis in Denver where 6 backs go down.

Another thing going against him is the NFL only likes to portray Whites in certain roles as runningbacks, bruising type backs that just run people over, even though someone like Hillis can make people miss, has good agility and more top end speed than he is given credit for , which is probably why the Vikings seem set on Gerhart being 230 pounds if Peterson is going to miss time, I don't see why he has to have set weight, he should be at what weight is comfortable where he can maintain quickness. Then there is the "small little engine that could/rudy type" which usually applies to slot receivers but now it has extended to Woodhead, even though Danny is bigger than quite a few backs in the league and has freakish measurables. Frey is 6 ft 208 pounds with elite athletic ability, that is the kind of talent they like to hide on the bench similar to Riley Cooper at receiver, although Jordy Nelson did manage to finally get a shot his 4th year in the league. The Falcons don't seem to be as fair as the Packers though.
 

DixieDestroyer

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The Falcons drafted Jacquizz [sic] Rodgers just last year, so he and Snelling both back up Turner. I like your knowledge of high school and college players a lot and your enthusiasm, but I'd put the odds of Frey making the team this year as the third down back and then starting some games next year at about 1,000 to 1, barring a lot of injuries to a number of black RBs. And of course I'd like nothing better than to be wrong.

"(crack)Burner" Turner is overrated and "Jackwizz" should be on the practice squad....neit
 

DixieDestroyer

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The Falcons drafted Jacquizz [sic] Rodgers just last year, so he and Snelling both back up Turner. I like your knowledge of high school and college players a lot and your enthusiasm, but I'd put the odds of Frey making the team this year as the third down back and then starting some games next year at about 1,000 to 1, barring a lot of injuries to a number of black RBs. And of course I'd like nothing better than to be wrong.

"(crack)Burner" Turner is grossly overrated and "Jackwizz" should be on the practice squad. :thumbdown:
 
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Rogers is 5'6" standing on a bar of soap at best. I know very little about Atlanta's offensive line but Snelling is slow and he and Rogers average on ypc is a whopping 3.5.
Rogers was supposed to come in and give them speed. A 3.6 yard average shows a lack of speed to me unless the line is really that bad.
Frey is fast strong and does not dance much though I saw him put a triple juke move on a Syracuse linebacker once and the guy just whiffed.
Frey also has a chance to stick because Atlanta needs a new kickoff returner.
I have a huge hunch he is going to light it up in his second year. I do think he will make the team and not just the practice squad. All bets are on.
 

dwid

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Rogers is 5'6" standing on a bar of soap at best. I know very little about Atlanta's offensive line but Snelling is slow and he and Rogers average on ypc is a whopping 3.5.
Rogers was supposed to come in and give them speed. A 3.6 yard average shows a lack of speed to me unless the line is really that bad.
Frey is fast strong and does not dance much though I saw him put a triple juke move on a Syracuse linebacker once and the guy just whiffed.
Frey also has a chance to stick because Atlanta needs a new kickoff returner.
I have a huge hunch he is going to light it up in his second year. I do think he will make the team and not just the practice squad. All bets are on.

Like Don said, I, and I am sure everyone on this site would love for you to be right which is why you won't get any bets. Why would we bet against the chance of a White guy getting a chance?

The problem with your thinking is that it actually uses logic, something that is lost in the NFL and most NCAA teams. They aren't going to give up on Rodgers any time soon, he is going to get several years to prove that "limitless upside" and Snelling has somehow earned that special role after his average season a few years back as a change of pace/3rd down guy, similar skillset to someone like Tolbert who many teams view as a "great player". Just look at the Bengals, Brian Leonard has averaged more ypc than Scott and Benson that past two years and still not given a bigger role. Now Leonard wouldn't be an elite back, but definitely above average and definitely better than those two. What do they do this year? bring in Lawfirm who also is a lesser talent, after his one average season he declined last year with well under 4 ypc, not to mention like Benson, still not a threat in the passing game.

and no, the line hasn't been bad, Turner needs a hole to drive a truck through in order to thrive, with addition of Peter Konz they just made things easier on him and the other two. So like already mentioned several times, its going to take injuries for him to get carries and even that isn't a guarantee because they could always bring in another afflete, there seems to be a limitless supply of below average backs that the NFL seems to love to employ. I mean did you see the guys that had stealing reps away from Gerhart his rookie season? guys that have no business in the league. Did you see the guys the Browns use last year besides Hillis? They WANTED those guys to steal carries away from Hillis regardless of whether he was healthy or not.

I think if we are going to see any increase in White backs running the ball then Hillis and Woodhead will have to put up good numbers for a few years, and that all depends on how often they get the ball. Gerhart shining in Peterson's absence will help greatly as well. I think it will be similar to the Welker situation, the longer he dominated, the more we saw teams picking up White receivers, even though its not even close to the rate it should be its better than it was before. The only problem is that Welker had a coach that gave him the chance to do that. People act like he didn't shine until the Pats but the only thing that changed from 06 to 07 was the amount of time he was on the field and how much they were willing to target him.

Hopefully we at least see an increase of Whites used as rotational backs. I can understand dwfs being brainwashed by the caste media into thinking that Whites can't be "featured backs" (its identical to the whole "Whites can't be the 'number 1' receiver), but they can't even grasp the idea of a White guy doing what Snelling does, or Tolbert and all the other rotational backs? I think this should be pointed out to them as much as possible to show them that a caste system does exist. I know the true reason why we don't see more rotational backs, its because plenty of Whites would show that they are more than capable of handling a bigger role if used as a rotational player. They use the size argument for Woodhead and people buy into it but someone like Frey, it would be much harder to say why he isn't used more. Which is why I think Tolbert was used instead of the more talented Jacob Hester when they needed another back to step up, and probably the reason why Gerhart went from being considered in a "Chester Taylor" type role to strictly a backup that only gets carries when the number 1 guy is injured. He showed no problem catching the ball, running the ball or pass protection, so no reason not to use him in a Chester Taylor role. What he did show when Peterson was injured was the capability to be used as a featured back. If they didn't want to use him in the future then you would think they would showcase his talent at any given opportunity and trade him to a team in need of a feature guy. Michael Turner got plenty of carries when LT was still good and even got plenty of carries when LT was healthy, averaging about 70 carries for 3 seasons with ZERO starts, and unlike Gerhart, Turner can't catch very well or pass protect, which is why Turner is still taken out on 3rd downs in passing situations. However, that idea makes perfect sense and not likely to happen.

If Frey is going to get any carries, then this would be the year to do it. If he makes the 53 man roster like you predicted then this is his best shot. Michael Turner is 30 which is when most black runningbacks break down, I know he had a few seasons without much wear and tear but there have been other backs in similar situations that burnt out regardless of wear and tear around 30. Then it would take a couple of injuries to help guarantee a decent amount of carries. Otherwise we might see them draft a back high next year or pick up a big name free agent.
 
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Don Wassall

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It's easier for me to deal with spammers if you contact me by pm to alert me. I usually catch them anyway as they're a daily nuisance, but posting after them only makes it more difficult for me to spot them.
 

FootballDad

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From looking around the web, it looks like he suffered a foot injury of some sort, but I was unable to get any specific details. In the meantime, it looks like even the DWF's are bummed by his injury, which is really something. Here's a snipped from a Falcon's fan blog in regards to Frey:

Injuries are crawling their way through the Falcons roster, unfortunately. Their latest victim was an undrafted free agent.
Robbie Frey was a promising back who absolutely dominated the competition at tiny Kutztown, rushing for over 1,000 yards on just 189 carries. The Falcons have quality depth at the position, but at 6 feet and over 200 pounds with good speed, Frey looked like an intriguing practice squad candidate.
Having been waived/injured now, there's no chance Frey will catch on and provide any value this year. With Michael Turner possibly gone after this season and the team's penchant for keeping talented UDFAs around, though, it's not impossible to think that value may be there down the line.
In the meantime, take a second to wish Frey well. It always sucks to lose your season to injury.
We may not have seen the last of Frey for these Falcons, is all I'm saying.
 

dwid

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where the hell is Frey this year? I can't find news for him anywhere, its not like his injury was career ending, he was amazing at both levels he played in college. This would be the year they would need him, Steven Jackson is old and Rodgers isn't anything special. Frey could come in as a rotational guy at least, but no mention of him. I read they reached an "injury settlement" when he was released, what did that include a contract saying he can't play in the NFL ever again?

no team wants him? this draft wasn't exactly filled with stars. I see some rotational backs, Montee Ball might not even beat out Knowshon Moreno.
 

Don Wassall

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I just did a search for Frey and there's nothing since he was cut last August. He isn't currently listed on the roster of the Falcons or any other team. Maybe he realized what he was up against as a White RB and began his "real" career sooner rather than later.
 

dwid

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I just did a search for Frey and there's nothing since he was cut last August. He isn't currently listed on the roster of the Falcons or any other team. Maybe he realized what he was up against as a White RB and began his "real" career sooner rather than later.

yeah he probably got a general idea of it at UConn but probably dismissed it as it just being the program he was at, then realized the real deal once it was time to move up, the whole "if you have talent they will find you" is garbage Its a damn shame, good size and great speed.

I wonder how much his injury settlement was. I wouldn't mind delaying my career for a few years if I was younger to make 8k a month for training camp and then possibly 5k a week on a practice squad per week. I say younger because I recently played semi pro ball and the wear and tear is much more than I remember almost a decade ago, plus they paid just enough to cover equipment and traveling expenses and a few meals while you were out, plus having a real job on top of it, practicing on a crappy muddy field a few times a week in the evening and traveling to the middle of nowhere to play games on the weekend. It was a mostly black team I was on and they went harder on me than opposing teams with a black quarterback that couldn't lead and talked real low, and i am hard of hearing and had trouble hearing the plays but not hard to figure it out with the dumb black head coach we had. We played Texas teams full of White guys, they could really play, some looked like they could play the real deal, just way above the talent level of everyone on the field. Of course we know why they were playing for some crap league. A White db picking off the black quarterback looked like he was just jogging taking it back to the house compared to the affletes trying to stop him who looked like they were really trying just not getting close even with an angle. The main difference was lines being smaller, or if they did have the size it was mostly fat. I am guessing this is the type of semi pro league Odin Lloyd was playing in.

However, if it was the opportunity to make around 80k a year to play a a game, well practice material I might reconsider but my back isn't exactly in the best shape, and neither am I right now. I would have to go 100 percent all the time if that were the case, something I am not going to do not really getting paid (NFL players, mostly black do this but not really fringe players). Eventually having to play both ways because of people quitting was too much.

Although even with that kind of money I don't know how someone like Mike Hass did it for so long , knowing that he could compete never getting a chance. He mustve have really loved football. You would think some of these guys getting screwed over would speak up eventually.

Although Frey's real career could probably involve more money.
 
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FootballDad

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At least Frey, like most white RB's have the wherewithal to pursue other careers, and to get a (real) degree during their time in college, unlike the majority (sadly) of black players currently on scholarship at D1 universities.

We've often commented on this site about how in the 60's and 70's black players were not the "thug"-type players that they are today. This week at a football camp my son attended, I was able to meet Theotis Brown, who was a star tailback for Dick Vermeil's UCLA Bruins back in the 70's, and went on to have a decent NFL career. He was a true gentleman, articulate, great coach. He told about his making the most of his opportunity to walk-on at UCLA, earned a scholarship, and went on to graduate with honors. Back in those days, this story was probably more common, but today, an absolute rarity.
 
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