Booker vs. Hunt

by Dr. Greenthumb on Aug 20, 2008 10:56 AM EDT

It appears to be that Tony Hunt is the odd man out at the HB position....And I don't know why. I graduated from Penn State in 2005, so I had the opportunity to follow Tony Hunt's college career pretty thoroughly. I think its safe to say that we're obviously not dealing with Kijana Carter type PSU talent, but what we do have on our hands is a solid, hard-nosed, suprisingly quick running back who is highly motivated. The kid wants to play and he proves his value almost every time he takes a snap.

I'm sure we would all agree that teams use training camps and preseason games as a guage. It's the only time to really evaluate your players before the regular season begins, so coaches try to distribute the touches, the catches, the throws - depends on the position. I hear great things about Lorenzo Booker, but unfortunately, I never made it to training camp this year, so I couldn't personally validate any of the Booker praise that seems to run rampant. But, I do study the preseason games and my conclusion thus far on Booker is that, so far, I'm unimpressed. Booker the RB looks OK - certainly very quick and shifty, but Booker the KR looks scared. He's playing scared and we can't afford that type of attitude on the field. How else would you explain his three drops at the KR spot? And I hear people saying he's never done this before, but that's false. He did it in college. I remember him returning kicks at the Senior bowl. Already, the team has taken away his starting KR reps and instead have given them to Quintin Demps. So, we've learned that Booker's true value lies in his versatility at the RB position.

But hasn't Tony Hunt performed a lot better in the first two preseason games than Lorenzo Booker? I don't have many stats prepared at the moment, but I can tell you that I don't see Booker trucking people and plowing through tackles. I don't see him breaking 51 yard runs for a touchdown. I don't see him averaging over 15 yards a carry....And to switch positions on Hunt now just seems unreasonable. On the other hand, I'm glad to see that the coaches recognize his athleticism and are attempting to get him on the field in any way possible, even if it means asking him to play FB.

I'd be curious to hear anyone's opinion on Booker, especially if you went to FSU. By the way, the main advantage that Booker brings to the able is his ability to catch out of the backfield. Hunt does this pretty well also......

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wow

I’m glad you qualified that post by saying you were form Penn State, because otherwise I would have to try to get you some crazy pills.

“The kid proves his value almost every time he takes a snap.”

Really? Last year I remember him averaging 1.6 yards a carry, compared to Booker’s 4.5. I also remember him whiffing on blocks just about every time he was in the game. A 51-yard touchdown run in a preseason game against rookie free agents from Carolina is not nearly enough for us to think he is as good as Booker, who has averaged over 4 yards a carry against the 1’s in preseason. Yes, he has dropped a couple kicks but let’s give the guy a chance as an RB before we bury him below Tony Hunt…

by Jack B. on Aug 20, 2008 11:58 AM EDT reply actions

I think that Hunts best chance to stay in the league is as a full back.

Lets face it, he isn’t much of a short yard back. And his speed is a major issue in this league. I know if he is cut, some team will give him a chance as a RB. But he will stay in this league for some time with out any problems if he is a FB. He know this is his best chance to have some job security.

Dallas Sucks

by yophillybro on Aug 20, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Jack B.'s comments

You know, I actually thought about that very statement that made you think I’m crazy. I had originally written “The kid proves his value every time he takes a snap”, but then I remembered some of his blitz-pick up issues last year and some of his short runs, albeit very few since he had very few opportunities anyway. So I changed the sentence to, “The kid proves his value ALMOST every time he takes a snap.”

haha

hey man, i’m trying to prove a point, but maybe not so successfully. I don’t have a man-crush on Tony Hunt or anything I just feel the same as you do about Booker. Why cut Tony Hunt or put him behind Booker without giving him ample opportunity? From the first day they brought Booker here, he’s been getting more attention than Tony Hunt. I would venture to guess that Hunt’s stats in college were superior to Booker’s. Both went up against good defenses. I could be wrong – I’ll have to look it up and let you know. If Tony Hunt does get cut, I think most would agree that he wasn’t given the chance he deserved.

by Dr. Greenthumb on Aug 20, 2008 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

i dont think he’ll get cut tho, i really think that one more strong performance in the next 2 preseason games, and he’s in, moats out.

by Remis on Aug 20, 2008 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Speed

He’s a 230 lb back. I don’t think his speed is the issue. They don’t expect him to be super fast. But he is quick. There’s a difference between quick and fast. You watch him make cuts and he makes guys miss. And if he doesn’t school a defender with a juke, at least he has the potential to truck someone. He’s extremely strong.

by Dr. Greenthumb on Aug 20, 2008 12:32 PM EDT reply actions

I agree that Hunt probably won’t get cut. But I have to say that Hunt certainly hasn’t been impressive, except for last week against backups. However, I reiterate that Hunt is the answer at FB. It will give him that chance that Dr. Greenthumb talks about. Perhaps not as a RB, but he will get the chance to develop further.

The NFC East goes through Philly.

by LeonSA on Aug 20, 2008 2:05 PM EDT reply actions

Hunt is a power back and Booker is a finesse back. Booker was a target of the Eagles in the 07 draft and when the Phins took him they turned to Hunt so its not really strange he would get more chances he was there first choice anyway.

I think we will have Westy/Buck/Booker/Hunt on the 53 man roster sort Moats … I can’t see them getting rid of Hunt but they might considering Booker would be hear already and not Hunt if the Phins hadn’t drafted him

by Whodie126 on Aug 20, 2008 2:11 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah I didn’t mean to be so harsh on your guy, Greenthumb. I just think that what they did in college is irrelevant. I don’t care if a guy set records in college or if he never played in a single game. Both guys have limited experience in the pros to draw from, but Booker seems to be a little bit more NFL-ready that Hunt is as an all-around back. If you look at his stats from Miami last year, he really only played in the last 5 games and averaged 4.5 yards/carry and also had 28 receptions. Hunt played sparingly, and wasn’t even active most of the time, even though we only had Westbrook and Buck.

Still, I don’t think they should cut Hunt, simply because we’ll lose Buckhalter after this year and I’d like to see if Hunt has what it takes to become his replacement next year. The best option is what they’re doing right now, which is trying to see if he can make it as a FB to give him another year of experience before they make a determination about whether he’s an NFL-caliber player or not.

by Jack B. on Aug 20, 2008 2:38 PM EDT reply actions

I'm a little confused by the running back situation

I am an advocate of retaining Tony Hunt, but not as a fullback. I see him as the inevitable replacement of Buckhalter. He is a strong runner, and he is able to make moves. As I have read, and am to understand Hunt is the type of back who gets better as the game moves on. We could benefit from a back like this. He’s the type of back we could use to chew up the clock, and hold on to the lead.

I wouldn’t be suprised if Lorenzo Booker isn’t around beyond this season. He’s certainly not of the caliber to replace Westbrook. Besides Westbrook just got an extension, so the front office probably isn’t ready to replace him any time soon.

by Midnightgreen33 on Aug 22, 2008 4:18 PM EDT reply actions