Parker's return an intriguing possibility

[flippy]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

FWP will want more money than Moore. So Moore will stay and Willie will likely be gone.

[Steeler Mafia]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

I would like to see FWP back. If anything, just to see LVG throw a fit on these boards.

[feltdizz]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

FWP will want more money than Moore. So Moore will stay and Willie will likely be gone.

The market sets the price... I don't think Willie or his agent are greedy. He was happy with a below average payday for his work a few years ago...

[ikestops85]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

FWP will want more money than Moore. So Moore will stay and Willie will likely be gone.

Do you think LVG noticed how much better Parker did against the Ravens than Mendy did? Wasn't that the biggest knock against Parker -- that he couldn't run against the Ravens?

[skyhawk]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

This OL usually cannot open holes for FWP.

Fix that and you have a potent run game with FWP. Even more with Mendy.

I think the Miami game could be a hint of things to come. Both rushed for almost 100 yards each. Give the OL some credit for improving.

I think it's still hard to evaluate a back (esp a Willie Parker) in this offense with the poorest OL the past 3 years I have seen in 20+ years. Mendy is the #1 back now. Parker can be (or a solid #2) if we can return to 2005 form (OL wise).

[NorthCoast]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

I ripped this from postgameheroes.. I think the points brought up have obvious holes but it may make you reconsider whether you want Parker back:

Willie Parker, running back, Steelers

“Fast” Willie Parker broke off a long touchdown run in the 2005 Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks and parlayed that into millions of dollars and a long-term contract with the Steelers. Parker fooled everyone including fans, coaches, media, and even Steelers management by having them believe that his straight line speed somehow made him a great running back. It took about four years for many to figure out that Parker’s play was nothing more than a fluke. Throughout his time with the Steelers, Parker routinely was near the top of the league in stuffs per carry. He would also routinely collapse against the better run defenses in the league.

Consider the following data that lists all of Parker’s opponents since 2005 that were ranked in the top one-third of the league in defensive yards per rush allowed. Listed to the right are two numbers. The first is each opponent’s season average in defensive yards per rush allowed. The second number is the average yards per carry gained by Parker per contest.

Parker 2008

Philadelphia Eagles – 3.6 > 1.5 (Below)

Washington Redskins – 3.8 > 3.3 (Below)

Baltimore Ravens – 3.4 > 3.4 (Even)

Tennessee Titans – 3.6 > 1.6 (Below)

Ravens 3.4 – > 2.0 (Below)

Arizona Cardinals – 3.9 > 2.8 (Below)

Parker 2007

San Francisco 49ers – 3.8 > 5.3 (Above)

Cardinals – 3.9 > 1.8 (Below)

Ravens – 2.9 > 1.8 (Below)

Parker 2006

Miami Dolphins – 3.5 > 4.0 (Above)

Jacksonville Jaguars – 3.5 > 1.8 (Below)

Atlanta Falcons – 3.8 > 2.4 (Below)

Oakland Raiders – 4.0 > 3.8 (Below)

Ravens – 3.3 > 2.2 (Below)

Tampa Bay Buccaneeers – 3.9 > 2.9 (Below)

Carolina Panthers – 3.9 > 5.7 (Above)

Ravens – 3.3 > 2.2 (Below)

Parker 2005

New England Patriots – 3.6 > 3.2 (Below)

San Diego Chargers – 3.2 > 2.6 (Below)

Ravens – 3.7 > 4.5 (Above)

Ravens – 3.7 > 3.3 (Below)

Packers – 4.0 > 2.6 (Below)

Bears – 3.7 > 3.2 (Below)

From 2005 to 2008, Parker played 25 games against run defenses that were ranked in the top third of the league using the yards per rush allowed statistic. Parker failed to at least equal their average yards per rush allowed, a whopping 72% of the time! In fact, he didn’t just fail to reach average, he often collapsed.

For example, in 2008, the Eagles defense allowed 3.6 yards per rush on the season, but against Willie Parker in week three, they stuffed him for 1.6 yards per rush. That type of collapse hurt the Steelers offense a great deal as they constantly found themselves in 3rd down and long throughout the Parker era. Roethlisberger helped mask this issue as he has often ranked near the top in first downs per pass attempt throughout his career.

Parker is a great sprinter but not a great running back. He doesn’t have the vision that true great backs have. He doesn’t often break tackles and make something out of nothing. He routinely dances in the backfield and produces negative gains instead of just taking what he can get to help keep the offense out of third and long situations.

Parker’s overall rushing yards total is simply a byproduct of his relatively high amount of carries he receives per game, not his efficiency per carry.

Case in point, in 2007 when Parker had 1300 yards rushing before his season ended in a broken leg, Adrian Peterson had about the same overall yardage, but accomplished that number with nearly 100 fewer carries. That is what I call efficiency.

The other issue with Parker is that he is not a pass receiving threat out of the backfield. In 2007, Mewelde Moore had 17 first downs in pass receiving. Parker didn’t have any.

Unfortunately, Parker never lived up to the hype as his averages have fallen every year since 2005. Parker’s yards per rush average by year.

2005 – 4.7

2006 – 4.4

2007 – 4.1

2008 – 3.8

2009 – 3.5

It is amazing how much time one long run in a Super Bowl can buy a player.

[url]http://www.postgameheroes.com/?p=8507[/url]

I think a team needs at least two and preferably 3 good backs to make it through a season. If Willie is willing to take a team discount, sign him...and what is wrong with the idea of having them both on the field at the same time? That should slow a defense down...

[Shawn]

Re: Parker's return an intriguing possibility

Moore underperformed this year. I'm not sure what anyone saw in Moore this year that indicates he's worth having around. Not that Parker is great either, but if I had my choice of backs to spell Mendenhall for a series or two, I'd take Parker and use Mendenhall as the 3rd down back in the Parker package.

When Moore comes on the field, the defense knows there's a very good chance that the Steelers are going to try and get him the ball.

If Mendenhall came in on 3rd down, he could potentially be a blitz pickup back, Moore isn't that.

Pappy

I think people still see Moore's highlights from 2 years ago... Mend crushed the Moore hype. He is no longer needed. IMO course

I agree that Mendy has replaced Moore as the primary back on 3rd down, howver RB is a high injury rate position and you need good back ups. Moore is a good back up who can do several thing for you on offensive and special teams.

This is $$$