Which way is Moreno trending?
All in all, Knowshon Moreno was pretty disappointing as a rookie. He averaged a meager 3.8 yards per carry while Correll Buckhalter ripped off 5.4 yards per tote. Moreno had just two carries of 20+ yards on the season and didn’t have a single 100-yard game.
The offseason has brought a significant change for Moreno. The Broncos have confirmed that they’re moving away from their traditional zone blocking scheme and will become a power running team. They’re dumping some of the smaller offensive linemen while promoting big guys like Seth Olsen. That should fit Moreno’s style much better and he deserves an upgrade based on that alone.
However, coach Josh McDaniels is already squashing any hope of Moreno getting 20+ carries a game in this new scheme. He said he doesn’t want to lean too heavily on either one of his backs. Here are McDaniels’ quotes, courtesy of the Colorado Spring Gazette:
“That’s something we’ll always be interested in,” McDaniels said about using multiple backs. “If there’s another player we can put into the mix and share carries, we’ll never be averse to that.”
Last year, Moreno averaged 15.4 carries a game vs. Buck’s 8.5. Moreno would have to absolutely blow the doors off in camp and out of the gate to alter that split significantly. Even with the new scheme, it’s hard to see that happening.
Comments
I'll also be keeping an eye on the Broncos passing game through the offseason.
If Brandon Marshall gets traded, I'm sure we'll see more eight men in the box against Kyle Orton, which would be bad news for all Denver rbs.
As a talent, I like Moreno and don't necessarily think splitting carries has to be a bad thing if it keeps your guy healthy in the fantasy playoffs (assuming you're not counting on him as your RB1), but I certainly wouldn't want to see him get any less than he got last year.
Posted by: Fredex | March 3, 2010 1:28 PM
To add to that, I'd like to see Denver add more size to their front 7 this offseason.
With Nolan leaving, I worry that their defense will take a step back (I still don't exactly understand how it held up as well as it did last year) and the Broncos' TOP might be way down, which would also hurt Moreno, particularly if it leads to the Broncos trailing more.
Posted by: Fredex | March 3, 2010 1:30 PM
To put an even finer point on it, if your rb is going to be splitting carries, I think you want to make sure he consistently gets enough to produce points and that he does something with the ball when he touches it. (which is what I meant by worrying about 8 men in the box and TOP)
So a lot of where I'd draft Moreno depends on what the Broncos do in the next few months.
Posted by: Fredex | March 3, 2010 1:54 PM
Why did McDaniels draft Knowshon so high (12th overall) if he was only planning to use him as a complementary RB??
Posted by: TC | March 3, 2010 6:07 PM
I'm wondering the same thing TC.
From trading Cutler to not using Royal and Scheffler to vowing to use multiple rb's, is it just me or is this Mcdaniels guy the worst?
Posted by: The Upsetter | March 4, 2010 9:11 AM
When you fire a two-time superbowl winning coach who was coming off a season with a top-rated offense the only place that offense can go is down. You betray a franchise QB, make life uncomfortable for a top 5 WR and then was a top draft pick on a time sharing RB - the wheels, my friends, have come off this bus. Little Josh hired a GREAT defensive mind in Nolan and has now blown that as well. This will be the year he stops riding Shanahan's residual value and has to manage his own team. Denver is in for a LONG 10 year drought. Shanahan wasn't perfect, didn't know defense nearly as well as offense, but he was (and will be in DC) a winner...
I was a big Broncos fan but have to say i'm looking elsewhere these days; i just don't agree with the decision making anymore.
Posted by: Jrwill73 | March 4, 2010 2:41 PM
i just dont think moreno is that good. and with the way the nfl is copycating towards full blown committees I just dont see much more than a mid RB2. hes not explosive/dynamic or anything, but the possibility of carring the load made him attractive cus it would allow him to pad his stats. But RBBC's will only get worse as the Saints proved that super bowl teams can win w/o a workhorse rb - thats all it takes for everyone elso to follow along, even the Steelers could be included as well with their SB win year before.
Moreno's a mid level RB2, the guy ud start in really good matchups and flex him in during those weeks. if he keeps GL carries that helps, but not greatly, since doubtful he will get more than 10 total a year.
Posted by: scott c | March 4, 2010 4:36 PM