For us, since he's such a player of contention recently, let me use Bill as an example.
Bill had 800 yards in a pass first offense and especially in the first half of the season looked impressive. Now, by midseason, defenses had pretty much figured out the running game or at least stacked the box so no one was effective. I still go back to the Super Bowl. The MVP running back got a hell of a lot of 2 yard rushes against stacked boxes. More important to me, I bet if Bill was running with a Shanahan or a Bill Roman as playcaller than he would have gotten 2-400 more yards. The unimaginative running plays, the fact that we were constantly behind and desperate to score, the injuries, and many other factors contributed to Bill not shining as well as he might under other circumstances.
Then again, maybe we did see Bill at his best. We will find out. We will find out if a more run-friendly, run-varied system benefits him. We will see if other factors limited him. Hell, we'll see if he improved from his weaknesses as a rookie.
Ultimately, I think we saw a good player with potential to be better, but I also think circumstances did not allow him to shine as much as he could have on other teams.
Maybe. But that's another "if." It's like Giants fans hyping Skattebo as the next John Riggins lite. Could it happen? Sure. But we have to see it happen first. My point isn't that none of these guys can become elite. They absolutely can. The point is that so much of the optimism around this roster is based on projection. It's always, "What if Chig becomes the next George Kittle?" instead of, "We already have George Kittle." And I think that's part of what makes this team more of a wildcard-unpredictable. The best wishes could come true or maybe they don't or maybe its somewhere in the middle?
It's actually funny for me to be throwing cold water on the Croskey-Merritt hype because I was one of his biggest supporters before the draft. I watched every New Mexico game I could find, kept pounding the table for him throughout Day 3, and was thrilled when Washington picked him. I still think he's a terrific value for a seventh-round pick. But do I expect him to become a great player? No. Could he? Absolutely. We'll see, and I hope he proves me wrong.
I still like Croskey-Merritt and think he'll be a solid NFL back, but I'd be surprised if he develops into a superstar. He's already 25, which isn't especially young for a running back. He's limited in the passing game as both a route runner and pass protector, and ball security has been an issue. On top of that, I pay attention to Keim's hints. He keeps cautioning people not to assume Croskey-Merritt will win the No. 1 job, and Quinn has publicly said he wants to see more improvement from him. That suggests the coaching staff still believes he has work to do. I think he'll be a useful player. Elite? I'd be very surprised.
If I had to pick one under-the-radar player on this roster with true star upside, it'd be Styles. The athletic traits are freakish, and so are the intangibles. He'd be my bet.
If I had to name the players I think some fans and even parts of the local media are getting a little carried away with, it'd be Chig and Croskey-Merritt. Ironically, those are two guys I wanted before they got here. I think both will be good players. I just don't see either as future superstars. And I also think some people have underrated what Zach Ertz brought to this offense while he was here.
As for Rachaad White, he's another player I wanted before free agency, and I'm generally in line with the optimism around him. Where I disagree is when people compare his explosiveness to TreVeyon Henderson or a younger Austin Ekeler. I don't think he's quite at that level, but he's only a notch below it, and that's still a really valuable player. Keim has subtly hinted that White has a legitimate chance to win the No. 1 job, although it will probably end up as a committee. Maybe I am reading too much into it, though. That said, I think it's difficult to judge running backs this early in camp, so I'm expecting that narrative to evolve.
If I had to name three newcomers I'm probably higher on than most fans, it'd be Nick Cross, Chaisson, and Antonio Williams. Do I think any of them become superstars? No. But I do think all three have a chance to be productive, impactful players.
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