Zach Zenner, Z2K

Flint

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Saturdays game was a let down from the perspective of Zenner. 11 for 34 yds. 3.1 avg, with a long of 17. He also led the team in receiving with 6 catches for 54 yds. Not a bad day for a player on a losing team that was seriously outplayed. And the offensive line is atrocious. The Lions haven't had a 100 yd. rushing game in a couple of years. The effort was not enough for him to change a lot of minds though. He's still considered a back up forced into starter duty because of injuries.

I figured yards would be tough to come by, the Seahawks are good against the run. Zenner's only shot at a good game was if the passing game was clicking. It was not. Besides the dropped passes, Stafford was wildly inconsistent. He was obviously effected by the busted finger on his throwing hand. One of the other ways that hurt Zenner is that Stafford did not want to take any snaps under center so he was in the pistol all game. Mixing it up and giving Zenner a chance to run from the typical spot of a RB, perhaps even with (gasp) a blocker in front of him, would have helped. The Lions also only run on 1st down which helps the defense anticipate a run play.

For next season it does not look good for Zenner either. The Lions are high on Ameer Abdullah and his infinite upside that is never realized. Theo Riddick is locked in as a pass catcher out of the backfield, which he is good at. Rookie Dwayne Washington also has that infinite upside that only needs 3 or 4 years to appear. Plus the organization is sure to draft a running back at some point which will add another player with infinite upside. I don't see room for Zenner anywhere. It's possible that GM Bob Quinn picked up some white player friendliness from his time under Bill Belichick, but more likely the Pats will have a shot at him after late cuts.
 

DixieDestroyer

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Saturdays game was a let down from the perspective of Zenner. 11 for 34 yds. 3.1 avg, with a long of 17. He also led the team in receiving with 6 catches for 54 yds. Not a bad day for a player on a losing team that was seriously outplayed. And the offensive line is atrocious. The Lions haven't had a 100 yd. rushing game in a couple of years. The effort was not enough for him to change a lot of minds though. He's still considered a back up forced into starter duty because of injuries.

I figured yards would be tough to come by, the Seahawks are good against the run. Zenner's only shot at a good game was if the passing game was clicking. It was not. Besides the dropped passes, Stafford was wildly inconsistent. He was obviously effected by the busted finger on his throwing hand. One of the other ways that hurt Zenner is that Stafford did not want to take any snaps under center so he was in the pistol all game. Mixing it up and giving Zenner a chance to run from the typical spot of a RB, perhaps even with (gasp) a blocker in front of him, would have helped. The Lions also only run on 1st down which helps the defense anticipate a run play.

For next season it does not look good for Zenner either. The Lions are high on Ameer Abdullah and his infinite upside that is never realized. Theo Riddick is locked in as a pass catcher out of the backfield, which he is good at. Rookie Dwayne Washington also has that infinite upside that only needs 3 or 4 years to appear. Plus the organization is sure to draft a running back at some point which will add another player with infinite upside. I don't see room for Zenner anywhere. It's possible that GM Bob Quinn picked up some white player friendliness from his time under Bill Belichick, but more likely the Pats will have a shot at him after late cuts.

Unless he gets some (more) "lucky breaks", ZZ will be back on the bench next season (in alignment with caste policy). :(
 

Don Wassall

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It's only a matter of time until the little guy gets hurt again:

When asked if Ameer Abdullah or Theo Riddick could be lead backs, Lions GM Bob Quinn said, "I do." The Riddick remark can be safely ignored — he's more of a wide receiver than running back — but Quinn's continued trust in Abdullah is notable. The Lions' run game scuffled badly in his absence this year, though Zach Zenner emerged as a passable three-down back down the stretch. We're guessing Abdullah will be the No. 1 running back heading into training camp, but won't be gifted the starting job.
 

celticdb15

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Flint

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As I have always said the rules for a white running back in the NFL are as follows:

1) be productive every game
2) don't have a highly touted black back up
3) make sure the team wins

After the Lions last dud against the Seahawks all of the good will Zenner accumulated from his good play the previous 3 weeks disappeared. One bad game due to poor team play and he was back to being considered a 3rd stringer. Abdullah has been doing interviews and the media has been playing him up. He is a black guy with an african name and once in a while breaks off 15 yard gains. So he has limitless upside.

NFL teams turn over about a third of their roster each year. Some of it is due to injuries and free agency but teams like to shuffle out marginal players. It looks like they are doing something, and there is a lot of pressure for management to do something. Non super star white players are easy targets because of the low regard the DWF fanbase has for them. NFL players are virtually interchangeable with a fresh crop of players coming in from college every year. The rabid enthusiasm for the draft drives the desire to add young players that have not disappointed anyone yet and so the fans and management can imagine that every pick is a future super star. Especially black players who bring "speed" and "athleticism" to the roster, even if they don't.

.
 

wile

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What Flint said. I even wrote a post as advice for a white RB on the edge not from ability but neglect by the System to excel at special teams and advertise it as such. In the copy cat league the gimps who administer to it need some cover to keep the average ability white players instead of bringing in the "upsiders" for whatever reasons. And as a Packers fan I'll take ZZ over the current backup RB who no doubt tests well but in game situations runs sideways and then gets tackled.

Edit: Call it the Travis Jervey strategy
 
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Since it is NFL Combine time thought that I would just provide a reminder ZZ's 2015 combine performance.. Pretty impressive for 5'11" 223 lbs and a Top Performer in a number of categories..

40 Yard Dash: 4.60 seconds
20 Yard Dash: 2.71 seconds
10 Yard Dash: 1.64 seconds
Bench Press: 25 reps (225 lb)
Wonderlic: 35 (0-50)
Vertical Leap: 41.0 inches
Broad Jump: 121 inches
20 Yd Shuttle: 4.14 seconds
Three Cone: 7.08 seconds
60 Yd Shuttle: 11.69 seconds
 

Flint

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Detroit fans and sports blabbers are in a panic that they might have to count on Zenner next season. RB has become the top priority for the Lions now, with everyone insisting that their first draft pick be an "every down" running back like Ezekial Elliot. As if those guys are a dime a dozen and will be plentiful at pick 21.

The fear of having to count on a white RB is rampant among the DWF's of Detroit football. They thought they had the black super back when they drafted the african with an african name Ameer Abdullah. But after several years of injuries and lack of production they appear to have given up on him. The other supa affalete Dwayne Washington was last years draft hero, but after getting beat out by Zenner he has lost his luster so it is time to turn the attention to the next mythical black RB that will cure their running game ills.

It would be nice if they drafted McCaffery if only to watch head explodes as one NFL team would then feature more white RB's then the rest of the league combined.
 

PHillisFan

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Detroit fans and sports blabbers are in a panic that they might have to count on Zenner next season. RB has become the top priority for the Lions now, with everyone insisting that their first draft pick be an "every down" running back like Ezekial Elliot. As if those guys are a dime a dozen and will be plentiful at pick 21.

The fear of having to count on a white RB is rampant among the DWF's of Detroit football. They thought they had the black super back when they drafted the african with an african name Ameer Abdullah. But after several years of injuries and lack of production they appear to have given up on him. The other supa affalete Dwayne Washington was last years draft hero, but after getting beat out by Zenner he has lost his luster so it is time to turn the attention to the next mythical black RB that will cure their running game ills.

It would be nice if they drafted McCaffery if only to watch head explodes as one NFL team would then feature more white RB's then the rest of the league combined.


If Zenner, Burkhead, Woodhead, McCaffrey etc all have early success next season there will be an early pour of outrage.
 
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Zenner is being screwed, completely. I actually like Theo Riddick. Seems humble, had to fight for a roster spot after being a 6th round pick. His limited size means he will never be anything but a third down back, but he's a pretty good pass catcher out of the backfield. I'd keep him. But Abdullah? I keep reading that the Lions are sold on Trent Richardson 2.0 as their feature back, and it's ridiculous. He has done nothing but fumble and injure himself. Zenner tore up the second best run defense in the league (for one half, before being inexplicably unused in the 2nd). He had a bad playoff game, but the Lions were outclassed period. He could start on half the teams in the NFL, and yet, the Lions and their cuck fan base just downplay him. Hell, NFL.com STILL lists him as a fullback, and he has been a tailback from day one.

Zenner needs to go to a team like the Packers. He is a 1,000 yard back who will never get the chance if he stays in Detroit.
 

sprintstar

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Has Zenner even seen the field in the first two games? I still laugh when they say he is only a one cut downhill runner, great hands out of the backfield, excellent pass blocker, very good lateral movement, fast, strong, intelligent yet he sits behind lesser negro running backs..because he is "WHITE"!
 

BeyondFedUp

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Flint

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The most important thing about that article is that Washington is going to miss some games so it's a good chance Zenner gets activated. At the worst it will be Jace Billingsley off the practice squad.
 

Don Wassall

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After being thoroughly screwed over by the Lions this past season, it could be the end of the line in the Caste NFL for Zach:

The Lions are not expected to tender a contract offer to restricted free agent RB Zach Zenner. It means Zenner will reach the open market. The Lions were never going to pay Zenner at the "low"/original-round level of $1.9 million. He could eventually be brought back on a cheaper deal. Even in a 2017 where Ameer Abdullah struggled, Zenner took the rock just 14 times for 26 yards.
 

Westside

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After being thoroughly screwed over by the Lions this past season, it could be the end of the line in the Caste NFL for Zach:

The Lions are not expected to tender a contract offer to restricted free agent RB Zach Zenner. It means Zenner will reach the open market. The Lions were never going to pay Zenner at the "low"/original-round level of $1.9 million. He could eventually be brought back on a cheaper deal. Even in 2017 where Ameer Abdullah struggled, Zenner took the rock just 14 times for 26 yards.
I know the caste system is widespread in the NFL, but there is no doubt in my mind that the idiot black HC did not or could not believe Zenner could excel when given the opportunity. I hope he catches on with another team in 2018.
 

Don Wassall

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Here's highlights from ZZ's 2016 season, the only one he saw any real playing time, with 334 rushing yards and 196 receiving yards. That should have translated into a lot more use in '17 as Zach was the Lions' best RB that year, but instead he was phased out (just 26 total yards in 2017). Now he's fifth or sixth on the depth chart and a strong candidate to be cut. At least Jim Caldwell is gone and there's a new coaching regime, but Detroit signed Legarrette Blount and drafted Kerryon Johnson in the second round to be their main back, so it's looking grim for Zach. There's no one to take up his cause other than CF, while if black QBs were still a rarity and one was being screwed over this badly, there would be lots of "mainstream" attention directed to it.

 

MrPoon

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Here's highlights from ZZ's 2016 season, the only one he saw any real playing time, with 334 rushing yards and 196 receiving yards. That should have translated into a lot more use in '17 as Zach was the Lions' best RB that year, but instead he was phased out (just 26 total yards in 2017). Now he's fifth or sixth on the depth chart and a strong candidate to be cut. At least Jim Caldwell is gone and there's a new coaching regime, but Detroit signed Legarrette Blount and drafted Kerryon Johnson in the second round to be their main back, so it's looking grim for Zach. There's no one to take up his cause other than CF, while if black QBs were still a rarity and one was being screwed over this badly, there would be lots of "mainstream" attention directed to it.

The way this amazingly talented athletic kid was treated may bother me more than any other caste case! It deserves a discrimination lawsuit!! The absolute garbage, trash, rubbish who got opportunities ahead of Zach makes me so boiling mad.
 

Westside

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Just watched the ZZ video. Incredible crimes against him and elite white skill players in Nat'L Felon League. Hopefully, he will make an impact this year ala Burkhead did in his last year with the Bungals. Which lead to a SB trip with NE last year.
 

Carolina Speed

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Here's highlights from ZZ's 2016 season, the only one he saw any real playing time, with 334 rushing yards and 196 receiving yards. That should have translated into a lot more use in '17 as Zach was the Lions' best RB that year, but instead he was phased out (just 26 total yards in 2017). Now he's fifth or sixth on the depth chart and a strong candidate to be cut. At least Jim Caldwell is gone and there's a new coaching regime, but Detroit signed Legarrette Blount and drafted Kerryon Johnson in the second round to be their main back, so it's looking grim for Zach. There's no one to take up his cause other than CF, while if black QBs were still a rarity and one was being screwed over this badly, there would be lots of "mainstream" attention directed to it.

Great HL's Don! Zenner has a quick step when cutting and great vision as well. Should be a starting RB in the NFL as we already know this.
Thanks for posting.
 

Flint

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There was some detailed discussion of the RB position on the radio today. And it was surprising that they thought Zenner would make the team. I thought for sure he was going to be a late camp cut and still do. However Abdullah played poorly in the last game and now they think he is odd man out. Kereon Johnson is the next coming of Barry Sanders as is every black RB drafted highly that manages to gain a few yards in the preseason. Riddick is the 3rd down guy, Blount is the power back. Zenner because of his special team play, is now the Lions WSTD, and should make the team. That's good news because the other backs are all injury prone, and this might give Zenner a last shot as an injury fill in.

Note that Jace Billingsley is playing well in the preseason, he is on the bubble but maybe the ex-Patriot organization GM and coach, of the Lions might find it useful to have a "Welker-Edelman" on the team.
 
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