MVN - Most Valuable Network

What To Expect: Ryan Torain

I saved this article for last for a reason.  Normally, a late round draft pick gets little, if any press from the media or discussion from the fans.  That trend is completely thrown out the window, however, if you’re a late round running back selected by the Denver Broncos.  Everyone looks at the track record, from Terrell Davis to Selvin Young, and whispers of “sleeper” are transferred left and right.

It’s unfair to put too much pressure on the Ryan Torain, the latest rookie to fall under this category.  At the same time, it’s also unfair to overcorrect in downplaying what his impact could be in his first season.  So let’s look at a few facts.

Torain started off at Butler Community College for his first two college years before transferring to Arizona State.  The transfer was fortuitous for the Sun Devils, as he exploded on the scene with a junior rushing total of 1,229 yards and a 5.5 yards per carry.  Torain looked to be keeping that pace up his senior year, as his yards per carry remained about five. 

However, his season was cut short midway with a Lisfranc sprain in his foot.  This is an injury not to be toyed with.  Just ask running back Kevin Jones, who suffered a more serious Lisfranc fracture in the 2006 season and still hasn’t fully recovered.  It led to his release from the Detroit Lions and most of his offseason was spent without a team.  This reason alone is enough to take it a bit easy on Torain before we burden him with too many expectations.

However, if the injury is fully put in the past and Torain can grasp the zone blocking scheme that is used in Denver, he has the measurables that fit the system well.  A stature of 6 feet and 220 pounds is excellent, and it helps to offset a subpar 40 yard dash time in the 4.6 range. (Yes, we all know who ran a 4.6 a few years back).  A total of 305 receiving yards and five such touchdowns doesn’t hurt, either.

First things are first for Torain, however.  He’ll need to not aggravate his foot if more mending is necessary.  He’ll also need to pay his rookie dues on special teams, and if he does get significant playing time in 2008, my guess is that it will be there.  But any Broncos fan that knows their history will tell you how a well-executed special teams play can quickly move you up the totem pole…

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 20th, 2008 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.