I didn’t understand Philadelphia’s decision to trade Bryce Brown. They sent him to Buffalo for a fourth-round pick that could upgrade to a third based on how much he plays.
Brown is pretty good though, right?
Two years in a row he’s had a touchdown run of 65-plus yards, even though he’s hardly played. The only other running back who’s had 65-yard touchdowns two straight years is Adrian Peterson.
Brown went over 165 yards in both of his first two starts a year ago.
Yet, for whatever reason, he and Chip Kelly didn’t seem to get along. I remember the Eagles demoting behind Chris Polk in training camp last year. I figured it was some kind of off-field deal, where maybe Brown was falling asleep in meetings or flipping off coaches or whatever.
But I think I’ve figured out the root of the issue. Brown appears to be a freelancer. When he’s out there, he’s trying for the big runs, even if that’s not how the play is designed. If the play is designed to go between the guard and the tackle, Brown is maybe more likely than others to try to bounce it outside if he doesn’t like the look of the way things are developing.
A lot of coaches – and Kelly might be in this group – want the plays run the way they’re supposed to be run. They’d rather have a running back take a 2-yard gain rather than taking off on his own on a play that may result in a 25-yard gain but more often turns into a 5-yard loss.
Sure enough, Brown lost yards on 20 percent of his rushing attempts last year, worst of all running backs.
Not that one of Buffalo’s other running backs, C.J. Spiller, is also down there near the bottom, having lost yards on 15 percent of his carries.
Many are trying to push Fred Jackson out of the league. He’s 33, which is really old for a running back. But he runs with a more disciplined style than either of those other two guys. He lost yards on only 5 percent of his carries, 5th-best among all running backs with at least 100 attempts.
Brown looks a lot more like Spiller than he does like Jackson. Assuming Jackson just doesn’t completely lose too much power and burst, I think he’ll continue to have an important role in that offense.
| RUNNING BACKS LOSING YARDS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Att | Lost | Pct |
| 1. | Danny Woodhead, S.D. | 106 | 3 | 2.8% |
| 2. | Rashad Jennings, Oak. | 163 | 7 | 4.3% |
| 3. | Jamaal Charles, K.C. | 259 | 12 | 4.6% |
| 4. | Bilal Powell, NYJ | 176 | 9 | 5.1% |
| 5. | Fred Jackson, Buff. | 206 | 11 | 5.3% |
| 6. | James Starks, G.B. | 89 | 5 | 5.6% |
| 7. | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | 241 | 14 | 5.8% |
| 8. | Mike Tolbert, Car. | 101 | 6 | 5.9% |
| 9. | Ryan Mathews, S.D. | 285 | 18 | 6.3% |
| 10. | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | 153 | 10 | 6.5% |
| 11. | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 217 | 15 | 6.9% |
| 12. | Rashard Mendenhall, Ariz. | 217 | 15 | 6.9% |
| 13. | BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cin. | 220 | 17 | 7.7% |
| 14. | Shonn Greene, Tenn. | 77 | 6 | 7.8% |
| 15. | Donald Brown, Ind. | 102 | 8 | 7.8% |
| 16. | Stevan Ridley, N.E. | 178 | 14 | 7.9% |
| 17. | Ray Rice, Balt. | 214 | 17 | 7.9% |
| 18. | Arian Foster, Hou. | 121 | 10 | 8.3% |
| 19. | Ben Tate, Hou. | 181 | 15 | 8.3% |
| 20. | Montee Ball, Den. | 120 | 10 | 8.3% |
| 21. | Trent Richardson, Clv.-Ind. | 188 | 16 | 8.5% |
| 22. | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 244 | 21 | 8.6% |
| 23. | Eddie Lacy, G.B. | 284 | 25 | 8.8% |
| 24. | Mark Ingram, N.O. | 78 | 7 | 9.0% |
| 25. | Joique Bell, Det. | 166 | 15 | 9.0% |
| 26. | Robert Turbin, Sea. | 77 | 7 | 9.1% |
| 27. | Daniel Thomas, Mia. | 109 | 10 | 9.2% |
| 28. | Zac Stacy, St.L. | 250 | 23 | 9.2% |
| 29. | Reggie Bush, Det. | 223 | 21 | 9.4% |
| 30. | Steven Jackson, Atl. | 157 | 15 | 9.6% |
| 31. | DeAngelo Williams, Car. | 201 | 20 | 10.0% |
| 32. | Giovani Bernard, Cin. | 170 | 17 | 10.0% |
| 33. | Alfred Morris, Wash. | 276 | 28 | 10.1% |
| 34. | Chris Ivory, NYJ | 182 | 19 | 10.4% |
| 35. | LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 314 | 33 | 10.5% |
| 36. | Darren McFadden, Oak. | 114 | 12 | 10.5% |
| 37. | Adrian Peterson, Minn. | 279 | 30 | 10.8% |
| 38. | Matt Forte, Chi. | 289 | 33 | 11.4% |
| 39. | Marshawn Lynch, Sea. | 301 | 36 | 12.0% |
| 40. | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 234 | 28 | 12.0% |
| 41. | Chris Johnson, Tenn. | 279 | 34 | 12.2% |
| 42. | Willis McGahee, Clev. | 138 | 17 | 12.3% |
| 43. | Andre Ellington, Ariz. | 118 | 15 | 12.7% |
| 44. | Frank Gore, S.F. | 276 | 36 | 13.0% |
| 45. | Bernard Pierce, Balt. | 152 | 20 | 13.2% |
| 46. | Doug Martin, T.B. | 127 | 17 | 13.4% |
| 47. | Lamar Miller, Mia. | 177 | 24 | 13.6% |
| 48. | Andre Brown, NYG | 139 | 19 | 13.7% |
| 49. | Bobby Rainey, Clv.-T.B. | 150 | 21 | 14.0% |
| 50. | Jordan Todman, Jac. | 76 | 11 | 14.5% |
| 51. | C.J. Spiller, Buff. | 202 | 30 | 14.9% |
| 52. | Kendall Hunter, S.F. | 78 | 12 | 15.4% |
| 53. | Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl. | 96 | 15 | 15.6% |
| 54. | Pierre Thomas, N.O. | 147 | 23 | 15.6% |
| 55. | Bryce Brown, Phil. | 75 | 15 | 20.0% |
—Ian Allan