Player Projection: Running Back Alfred Blue
By Randy Gurzi
The Houston Texans look to expand upon a successful 2014 season where they finished 9-7 under first year head coach Bill O’Brien. As we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2015 season we here at the Toro Times want to take a look at what can be expected from key players on the roster this season.
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Next up on the list of players we will look at for the upcoming year is back up running back, Alfred Blue. The LSU product saw the field a lot more than the team expected him to in 2014 as starter Arian Foster missed three games with injuries.
Speaking of injuries, Blue had a long list of them while at LSU, and his durability could be a concern for the Texans moving forward. However, as it stands now, Blue looks to be entrenched as the number two guy behind Foster.
A Look Back
I already mentioned the litany of injuries Blue suffered while at college where foot injuries, ankle injuries and a torn ACL cost the 6’2″ 223 pound back a lot of snaps. When all was said and done, Blue’s stat line in not what you would call impressive.
209 rushes for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns would be a lot to brag about for a season. But for the second-year pro, that was his totals for his entire collegiate career. The most carries he ever received in a season was his sophomore year when he ran the ball 78 times.
Shockingly though Blue showed he has a place in the NFL, despite his limited stat line in college, as he had 169 rushes during his rookie year, only 40 less than he had his entire college career. The rushing average was a big dip though as he averaged six yards per carry in the NCAA and only 3.1 yards per rush for Houston.
Still, he managed to suit up when the team needed him and fill in for the workhorse Foster. When the year was all said and done the sixth round selection had 528 yards and two touchdowns.
What To Expect
It seems that maybe all Alfred Blue needed was to stay healthy to make it in the pros. One thing he has done that I like is stay hungry, as he is not happy with his 500-plus yards from his rookie year and he plans to improve on his effectiveness moving forward.
Already learning behind one of the best in the game, Blue has also picked up a famous workout partner in Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
Alfred Blue is not Foster or AP, but trying to learn from such guys is a smart move on his part for sure. Look for the young man to keep his role as the number two guy as it seems he only has Chris Polk as a true threat to his job on the roster.
If Foster stays healthy, Blue will see the field a minimal number of times each game, but history is not on the side of Arian there. I expect Blue to get less than the 169 carries, while seeing his average start to climb in year two as a pro.
Toro Times Bold Prediction For Alfred Blue
65 carries 293 yards (4.5 average per carry) and two touchdowns.
10 receptions 115 yards and one touchdown