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merlin
On my eyes and personal evaluation of these guys. I am not a scout. Not a coach. Not a guy who bats a thousand either. Just my opinion.
Losing Akers makes this offense into something less. Subtracting him and looking at the depth chart it's now a "finesse" offense. Because Akers is a guy who can make it go.
If you disagree that's fine man. I'm just sharing my take.
What I would do right now if I'm Snead is go find McVay a power option. A chain mover. Forget all the big play nonsense from the backfield, you're not gonna find a balanced back like Akers right now. What we lack now is oomph so I'd get after that addition right now. CJ Anderson no idea how much he weighs or whether he's in shape but if he's where he was last time I'd bring him in just so that I am not risking the season on two unproven options.
And for the record I like Hendy as a change of pace. Jones meanwhile might be able to be a bell cow, no idea on him but I do like his game from what I've seen on his college tape. But this is about risk now IMO.
We don't know about Jones but Akers has things in his arsenal Henderson doesn't. Both have high-end contact balance but the difference is Akers's elusiveness in space. You know what I mean Merlin--that short area foot quickness that allows him to make plays where ostensibly there is no play. Akers is routinely capable of creating yards on his own.
The difference goes back to college. Open a hole for Henderson and he produces. Meanwhile Akers was productive behind a genuinely terrible OL because his ability to make yards from nothing FAR outstrips Henderson.
And Henderson is a good back, he's just not Akers. Which is why the Rams raved about Akers (they never RAVE about Henderson). There are good reasons for that and it gets down to their physical skills. Akers has stuff in that dept. that Henderson doesn't.
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