John Conner: Stay or Go?
by John B on Jan 24, 2012 10:12 AM EST
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John Conner took over as the starting fullback for the Jets in 2011. Statistics do not really exist for fullbacks so one can only really eyeball judge the position. I liked what I saw a lot from Conner. When the Jets were effectively running the football, Conner was frequently throwing key punishing blocks. It seems like he learned well from Tony Richardson. He should get better as time goes on.
It might be fashionable to blame Conner for the relative lack of success for the run game. I would argue it has more to do with the personnel packages Brian Schottenheimer used. Conner was lead blocker for just over half of the runs Jets running backs had. An offense based on the power run game will probably utilize the fullback more.
Conner did not get many carries in 2011, only 13. He did well in short yardage work. Of those 13 runs, over half resulted in a first down. I would not be against seeing him get a little more work as a power back given how hard he pounds the holes.
Conner is young, cheap, and good. I vote stay. How do you vote?
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Based on what I remember from Hard Knocks
This kid blows people up. What a nice 6th round pick.
I believe he was a 5th round pick, but the sentiment is the same and I agree.
He’s only going to improve with age and getting more use to pro speeds and angles.
Stay
Dude is pretty good and will only get better with time. He was a waste this bc of the way we ran our offense, what with all the 3-wides. With a redidication to the power run, and hopefully another big back to punish fools with, Connor can really shine.
Would like to see him develop his pass catching though. Would be nice to line up in an offset-I in short yardage situations and sneak him out for an easy conversion off playaction.
by Crackback on Jan 24, 2012 10:21 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Would be cool if we drafted Burfict and could watch those two in some epic collisions during camp.
by Crackback on Jan 24, 2012 10:22 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Agreed on everything you just said
I think Sparano will make him a bigger part of the offense
Oh yes that's right, I'm a Jets fan.
by Bob_The_Friendly_Baker on Jan 24, 2012 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
Stay, I guess
I personally think the fullback position is obsolete, but he seems decent enough, especially if you want to commit to a power run game (which I also think is pretty much obsolete).
The best way to judge a FB is to watch replays of his lead blocks and watch how the RB reacts to him.
This is one of the reasons I am not so high on Greene anymore.
Conner shows a great ability to read the line of scrimmage and flow to the right block instead of just the designed block on the play.
He improvises very well and Greene doesn’t always react to it very well.
Many times I have seen John and the line adjust to a stunt perfectly and Greene just buries his head in the designed gap for little to no gain where he could have had something if he followed Conner.
Greene is probably a better fit in a power running scheme rather than a zone blocking scheme
Oh yes that's right, I'm a Jets fan.
by Bob_The_Friendly_Baker on Jan 24, 2012 10:36 AM EST up reply actions
Yup. Greene HAS to follow play design.
He’s not good with the nature of an unfolding play like in a zone scheme.
Everything that Greene is defined by- running behind his pads, his bullish nature, lack of patience and poor field vision do not match well in zone blocking.
Upright runners who run chest out fair much better.
It’s one of the resons I like Powell so much. He ran zone all through college and has nice anticipation in the scheme. He runs upright and showed great patience. I hope Tony takes notice and gives the kid a shot in some zone blocking sets in preseason.
+1
Honestly we might be better off just trading Greene in the offseason and draft a guy like Lamar Miller (perfect fit for a zone blocking scheme imo).
And I agree on Powell, with some good coaching I think he could be a nice addition to the offense.
Oh yes that's right, I'm a Jets fan.
by Bob_The_Friendly_Baker on Jan 24, 2012 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
For a wheeler and dealer like Tanny, I would almost expect this to occur to him at some point in the near future.
Greenes value on the market is at it’s peak right now. Trade him now to get maximum return. I’m done with the guy.
I love Miller but drafting Greenes replacement isn't easy for me to wrap my head around.
Unless the Jets were completely sold on taking a RB high in the draft (which is kind of against their nature). I just don’t see the team leaving their RB core so thin by trading Greene and loosing LDT in one offseason without a veteran coming in to the team to take the majority on the snaps.
plus there are plenty of FA backs this yr.
I don’t see many trade options.
I may not be the most noble of men but in a town of lepers, im the one with the most fingers.
Giant LB'zz SUCK!! Mark Herzlich, Jacquian Williams,...Maybe .. Sadly this has been modified.
Your right.
Unless the teams blows their wad on a guy like Forte. But I don’t see that happening despite my love affair with the guy.
Stay, but Josh Baker may compete
Connor is Rex’s fullback, but Josh Baker, nice size, could be explosive in the passing game as a FB
I'm confused...why is this article up?
And, how the heck do people say leave…
It’s the TERMINATOR!
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Stay - in fact, get him more involved in the run game
I feel like Conner is one of the players who could help Sparano bring the Jets back to a steady and hard ground attack.
Arm chair GM. Mod/contributing writer at SBN Jets blog GGN.
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Unless Leach suddenly becomes available stay...
or maybe Sparano is considering a return to the Run and Shoot days, lol.
founding member of PACOS (People Against the Constant Overuse of Sarcastic font)
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he's a stay all the way
But… I would like to see him get better at picking up blocks, and anticipating where the defender is going to come from and go to them before they hit the hole. On a few plays this year, Connor ran right through the hole, and didn’t hit anyone, only to have a defender step into the hole he already ran through and make the tackle. He needs to work more on finding the Linebackers.
"Schotty... You Suck!" - Mark Sanchez
rex's puppy
Conners has not shown much, with the exception of his birth on hard knocks. The Jets could have used Richardson’s leadership this year. He could have made the difference this year bringing them to the playoffs. Why wasn’t he offered a coaching job. I thought Rex and Tanny loved him.
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