Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini praised rookie running back Monterio Hardesty for his efforts during spring practice. Mangini asked questions of his rookies in meetings, and singled out Hardesty for his awareness.
“Some guys couldn’t get the answers,” Mangini said. “He knew the answer. And it was on a range of different things. You could tell he was constantly paying attention, constantly taking notes.”
Although media members in attendance didn't think Hardesty was as big as they thought he would be, Mangini said Hardesty was "pretty well slapped together" and "some guys run big."
While Hardesty won't be hyped like fellow rookies Ryan Matthews and Jahvid Best, he's someone fantasy owners might want to keep in mind for a late-round pick. He's certainly more of a short yardage threat than Jerome Harrison and Cleveland's passing game projects to be shaky, so they'll have to win games on the ground. Harrison has had injury issues in the past, so it's not out of the question Hardesty could become Cleveland's lead back at some point.
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