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This has been a great discussion, but you are certainly right that the "debate" isn't really that important anyway because the season is going to unfold either way regardless. You are correct in that I am not backing up my position with stats. To do so wouldn't carry that much weight anyway. You make the point that CL racked up yards on a bad offense and the fact that it was a bad offense makes his numbers look even better. I would actually counter this argument another way highlighting why I chose not to use stats to start with. I could argue that CL got as many yards as he did precisely because we were a bad offense. He was our best option at the time and received a ton of snaps that he probably wouldn't have in a better year. When you look at who DH had to compete against just to get on the field, you may see my point. It is difficult to forecast how much time CL would have gotten if everybody was healthy or how many snaps/yards DH would have gotten if he was available last year. In any case, I am extremely grateful for CL's contributions and I am rooting for him this season.to be fair in his point boomer provided no stats stating the contrary either to his point. So both are simply opinions based on impression and general memory. CL is a better AB than DH and its not a debate. His numbers were ridiculously good on a bad offense compared to DH one good year; and he was a freshman. Breaking tackles is great when you need too. CL is downfield quicker and doesn't need to as often; and is shiftier and doesn't need to as often as a result.
I do agree with Boomer in one area though. Our AB potential is good enough Lynch could see reduced time. That says alot about the skill at that position, because Lynch is a starter on many of Pauls teams.
There is no such thing as a perfect player. Guys who are quicker and shiftier often don't and WILL NEVER break tackles like pounders. But pounders aren't shifty and have lower YPC usually but get tough yards. DH was not as shifty a guy, he was bit a more drudger so his style was a tad more contact. CL is not that type of AB. So for me the stat of TAC for this debate is a bit pointless.
The only stat that matters is does he TRY to get the tough yard. And he does. He may not get it, because its not the player he is or ever will be...but he tries. By the same token DH TRIED to make the move to get into space and have a higher YPC like Lynch. But he didn't, because its not who he was either.
Its a bit of a silly debate. For every time lynch didn't succeed getting the tough yard, DH didn't succeed in making a guy miss and getting 10 more yards, which is another 1st down and equivalent to getting one tough yard on 3 and 1. The whole debate is a wash
One of the things I feel I have done poorly in this discussion overall is allow this thing to turn into a CL vs DH argument. I used DH's name primarily just to make a point. My overall point in all of this is that the AB position last year was not nearly dynamic enough and is highly likely to be a lot more so this season. I feel sure the bar is being raised. Here is to hoping that CL clears the bar with everybody else. CHEERS!