Could Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier 'Outrush' Bijan Robinson?
Less than 100 days from the NFL season kicking off, some media pundits are spewing hot takes, guessing how aspects of the Atlanta Falcons season will play out.
Sports Illustrated made 100 bold predictions for the upcoming season and believes that Tyler Allgeier could have more rushing yards than Bijan Robinson. As ludicrous as that may sound, their argument had some logic.
“Robinson is going to be everywhere in the Falcons’ offense—he’d better be after they drafted him No. 8,” SI writes. “He’ll outpace Allgeier in terms of overall value and be heavily involved in the passing game. However, the second-year back who topped 1,000 yards in his own rookie campaign didn’t just all of a sudden become less valuable inside the red zone or as a straight-up muscle back when Atlanta needs tough yards.”
While it’s improbable that Robinson gets outrushed following the team’s decision to make him the highest-drafted running back in five years, Atlanta might deploy a similar rushing split to last year’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars used a first-round pick on Travis Etienne despite undrafted free agent James Robinson rushing for over a thousand yards as a rookie. When Etienne stepped onto the field with Robinson for the first time, they had a near-even share of the snaps.
Robinson accounted for 60 percent of the carries. At the same time, Etienne was deployed primarily as a receiver, accounting for 75 percent of the long down-distance work. Eventually, Jacksonville took the training wheels off their first-round running back and traded away Robinson, despite his 4.5 yards per carry average.
They then gave Etienne 74 percent of the carries, a percentage that would have ranked as the third-highest overall workload across the entire season. Amongst the likes of Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, and James Conner: all running backs that have dealt with injuries. That explains why the team used a day-two pick in this year’s draft on another running back to lessen Etienne’s workload.
Rather than run their superstar offensive weapon into the ground, it’s fathomable that the Falcons use Robinson and Allgeier as a tandem like the Cleveland Browns were known to do with proven elite rushers Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.
Yes, Robinson will be the focal point of Atlanta’s offense based on the draft capital they invested in him, but this isn’t fantasy football. A committee backfield is good for team success, as the Philadelphia Eagles proved during their Super Bowl run.
Allgeier just rushed for over a thousand yards at a highly efficient 4.9 yards per carry. The offense isn’t going to toss him to the curb and increase the risk of injuring Robinson.
It makes sense for the Falcons to split rushing duties and keep Robinson and Allgeier fresh, especially since this team has legitimate postseason aspirations. So, maybe reconsider a bet guaranteeing the rookie a rushing title.
You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Falcons? Click Here.
Follow Falcon Report on Twitter.
Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
