His cuts to make people miss are great. Unfortunately there's just no burst out of those cuts. He just can't pull away from anyone. I hope he sheds a couple pounds, regains a little speed & quickness, and is used in change of pace role vs. an every down back.
Gain what speed back ? Yearby never had elite speed if you have watched him from highschool. He's ALWAYS a been a quicker than fast guy period... The added weight helped his game a lot...
I know Yearby will never be fast, but I'd like to see him play at a weight where he's at his maximum speed & quickness. Probably around 195 vs. the 202 he's listed at.
His game is quickness, so I don't see what gaining extra weight so he can take more of a pounding does, since he shouldn't be an every down back. With Gus & Homer in the backfield this year, there's probably going to be less carries for Yearby, so I think losing some weight will make him more effective in the carries he does get.
I think the same with Duke Johnson. He gained weight his Junior year because he did have to be an every down back for us, and had to take some punishment. He kept that weight on in the pros and it's affected his speed & quickness. He's not an every down NFL back, so he should shed some weight now and regain some of that speed & quickness.