2009 Rookie RB class (1 Viewer)

[Banger]

2008 turned out to be an absolute bonanza in terms of rookie RB production this year has been the complete opposite. Every year probably since I've been playing this game, probably about 20 years, there always seems to be at least 1 RB that finishes top 15 or so but this year I really don't see that happening. The only one that has a shot at the top 20 IMO is Moreno and that is iffy IMO.

Moreno was supposed to be the one guy that was supposed to be starter worthy and he's been spotty at best. Brown and Wells were thought to maybe have a several week transition but as the season wore on they were supposed to take the jobs and run....ain't happening. Then you have guys like Coffee, McCoy and Greene that are purely backups although McCoy may work himself into the rotation a little more with Westbrooks injury status.

I'm sure some of the stat geeks can whip up a comparison of the futility of this class but my perception is that this is among the worst that I've seen for the last 20 years. I also don't really see it getting a whole lot better going forward...am I wrong?

Last years class and their fantasy finish...

Forte (4)

Slaton (6)

CJ (11)

K. Smith (18)

Stewart (24)

Hightower (34)

McFadden (44)

Hillis (50)

Choice (53)

Rice (55)

This years class...

Moreno (29)

McCoy (32)

Brown (40)

Wells (50)

Coffee (55)

Greene (57)

 

[Moniker]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

 

[FUBAR]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

 

[Banger]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

from a dynasty perspective though you still have CJ who has a much higher ceiling than anyone in this class, Rice who has a higher ceiling than anyone in the class, Mendenhall, Felix Jones, Stewart, Choice...even if you throw out Slaton, Hightower, K. Smith, McFadden, Forte (some of which will continue to be productive backs).I think no matter which perspective you look at this class the ceiling on these guys are all pretty low.

 

[Moniker]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

The problem with JStew and McFadden is that they actually have to PLAY to score fantasy points. That leaves two very good fantasy backs in CJ and Rice vs three guys in GREAT situations in McCoy, Brown and Moreno.

 

[Kitrick Taylor]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.

These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.

Crabtree

Harvin

Nicks

Maclin

Britt

Wallace

Collie

Knox

There's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

 

[Banger]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.CrabtreeHarvinNicksMaclinBrittWallaceCollieKnoxThere's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

agree completely.

 

[FUBAR]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

The problem with JStew and McFadden is that they actually have to PLAY to score fantasy points. That leaves two very good fantasy backs in CJ and Rice vs three guys in GREAT situations in McCoy, Brown and Moreno.

We're talking about ceiling. IMO, ceiling implies they're healthy and starting if they're capable of being a workhorse, etc. I don't know why we would think Stew isn't capable. McFadden might not be but I still would take him over Moreno and Brown. McCoy does have high upside.

 

[simey]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.CrabtreeHarvinNicksMaclinBrittWallaceCollieKnoxThere's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

Stroughter has been productive on the field this year, and he has had quite the QB carousel in his rookie season.

 

[kwille]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.CrabtreeHarvinNicksMaclinBrittWallaceCollieKnoxThere's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

Great list but I'd also add Mike Thomas.

 

[FUBAR]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.CrabtreeHarvinNicksMaclinBrittWallaceCollieKnoxThere's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

the last couple drafts have been pretty good for WR, but this does look like the best of them.

 

[Baron Samedi]

This was the year to take a WR in the rookie drafts.

These guys have all look like they'll be in the league for a while.

Crabtree

Harvin

Nicks

Maclin

Britt

Wallace

Collie

Knox

There's still several others that could develop, like Tate, DHB etc.

Stroughter has been productive on the field this year, and he has had quite the QB carousel in his rookie season.

dude gets no love man

 

[FreeBaGeL]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

Wait, what? The only thing Wells has lacked is opportunity. As far as "signs" go, all he's shown is a giant flashing neon light that has "future stud" plastered on the face of it. The guy looks like a man among boys out there on the field, ridiculously fast and agile for his size and it seems like every time he touches the ball he's ripping off a 12 yard run through a hole that didn't even look like it existed, and shaking off tacklers like they're not even there.Beanie's only concerns are staying healthy and being stuck in a pass heavy offense in the short term. As far as signs go, he's shown as much as any RB I can remember lately. I'm not sure what games you're watching.

 

[lyon812]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

Wait, what? The only thing Wells has lacked is opportunity. As far as "signs" go, all he's shown is a giant flashing neon light that has "future stud" plastered on the face of it. The guy looks like a man among boys out there on the field, ridiculously fast and agile for his size and it seems like every time he touches the ball he's ripping off a 12 yard run through a hole that didn't even look like it existed, and shaking off tacklers like they're not even there.Beanie's only concerns are staying healthy and being stuck in a pass heavy offense in the short term. As far as signs go, he's shown as much as any RB I can remember lately. I'm not sure what games you're watching.

I agree, Wells looks damn good out there on the field. His only problem is that he isn't as good as Hightower in the passing game (catch/block), which is limiting him a bit. Wells is the one guy I wish I'd made more of an attempt to get earlier.

 

[FUBAR]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

Wait, what? The only thing Wells has lacked is opportunity. As far as "signs" go, all he's shown is a giant flashing neon light that has "future stud" plastered on the face of it. The guy looks like a man among boys out there on the field, ridiculously fast and agile for his size and it seems like every time he touches the ball he's ripping off a 12 yard run through a hole that didn't even look like it existed, and shaking off tacklers like they're not even there.Beanie's only concerns are staying healthy and being stuck in a pass heavy offense in the short term. As far as signs go, he's shown as much as any RB I can remember lately. I'm not sure what games you're watching.

I agree, Wells looks damn good out there on the field. His only problem is that he isn't as good as Hightower in the passing game (catch/block), which is limiting him a bit. Wells is the one guy I wish I'd made more of an attempt to get earlier.

don't get me wrong, I think he can be a decent RB and has shown glimpses of having a role on the team, but I'm talking about showing that he can be a complete back, most of the "top players" / top RBs are more complete than we've seen from him. He just seems like a one dimensional rusher, we've seen those come and go, very few last as a top player unless they learn to block well and catch more passes. I actually like the kid as part of a RBBC, but not as a top player with a high ceiling.

 

[strong]

2008 turned out to be an absolute bonanza in terms of rookie RB production this year has been the complete opposite. Every year probably since I've been playing this game, probably about 20 years, there always seems to be at least 1 RB that finishes top 15 or so but this year I really don't see that happening. The only one that has a shot at the top 20 IMO is Moreno and that is iffy IMO.Moreno was supposed to be the one guy that was supposed to be starter worthy and he's been spotty at best. Brown and Wells were thought to maybe have a several week transition but as the season wore on they were supposed to take the jobs and run....ain't happening. Then you have guys like Coffee, McCoy and Greene that are purely backups although McCoy may work himself into the rotation a little more with Westbrooks injury status. I'm sure some of the stat geeks can whip up a comparison of the futility of this class but my perception is that this is among the worst that I've seen for the last 20 years. I also don't really see it getting a whole lot better going forward...am I wrong?Last years class and their fantasy finish...Forte (4)Slaton (6)CJ (11)K. Smith (18)Stewart (24)Hightower (34)McFadden (44)Hillis (50)Choice (53)Rice (55)This years class...Moreno (29)McCoy (32)Brown (40)Wells (50)Coffee (55)Greene (57)

while rookie production is very different, down the road, it will even out. the cream from 2009 will rise. 1--after so many teams got great production from the rb last year, there weren't as many teams with rb need this year. not as many rookies fell into perfect situations. a different class of team drafted rbs this year--most of the teams already had decent production from their current rb. that couldn't have been said for most of the teams that took a rb high in 2008. 2--the overall talent does look lower this year, but i still think there's a couple guys on the 2009 list that will be top 10/20 guys over the next several years (moreno, wells, brown, mccoy), while several 2008 guys will drop once their teams find better replacements (forte, k smith, hightower--wants beanie learns to pass block they won't be able to keep him off the field).

 

[Chaos Commish]

I think Beanie's future is as a perennial top ten RB in just about any scoring system with top 5 finishes in non PPR. FUBAR, I'm not saying you haven't watched him, but you read like you haven't, so maybe you haven't and you're just commenting from the numbers, which is fine. He will be very complete, very soon, maybe already if given the chance, but Hightower has a role for this year. He'll have a role in future years too, like every team in the NFL has a role for an RB2. Beanie is the future, and while Freebagel's praise might be a little over the top, he sure does look like a stud RB in the making to me. If AZ has some nice leads later this season, I expect Beanie to post some very big numbers. As long as they are in a tight game, they will throw first for now. I'll even predict that Beanie ends this season as the top FF scoring rookie RB. He was the best RB in this class, not Knowshon, and I like Knowshon too.

 

[FUBAR]

I think Beanie's future is as a perennial top ten RB in just about any scoring system with top 5 finishes in non PPR. FUBAR, I'm not saying you haven't watched him, but you read like you haven't, so maybe you haven't and you're just commenting from the numbers, which is fine. He will be very complete, very soon, maybe already if given the chance, but Hightower has a role for this year. He'll have a role in future years too, like every team in the NFL has a role for an RB2. Beanie is the future, and while Freebagel's praise might be a little over the top, he sure does look like a stud RB in the making to me. If AZ has some nice leads later this season, I expect Beanie to post some very big numbers. As long as they are in a tight game, they will throw first for now. I'll even predict that Beanie ends this season as the top FF scoring rookie RB. He was the best RB in this class, not Knowshon, and I like Knowshon too.

I haven't seen every game, but I've seen enough to form an opinion. He may easily end up the top rookie this year, although that likely depends on Westbrook's health. Perennial top 10 though? We just disagree there. time will tell. Maybe after Warner retires the team will change enough so he's Larry Johnson-like, but that doesn't seem to fit the Cards current personnel.

 

[lyon812]

If you look at it from a redraft perspective this year's class is terrible.

Since I don't really play redraft, except for some for-fun, free espn leagues, this year's class has a much higher ceiling than even last year's class. For dynasty/deep keeper leagues, Forte looks just as pedestrian as advertised coming out of college, Slaton doesn't look like he can carry the load, Stewart is behind Williams, Hightower should be displaced, McFadden can't stay healthy.... while Moreno, McCoy, Brown, Wells and Greene should all play pretty important roles for their teams next season.

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew. I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

Wait, what? The only thing Wells has lacked is opportunity. As far as "signs" go, all he's shown is a giant flashing neon light that has "future stud" plastered on the face of it. The guy looks like a man among boys out there on the field, ridiculously fast and agile for his size and it seems like every time he touches the ball he's ripping off a 12 yard run through a hole that didn't even look like it existed, and shaking off tacklers like they're not even there.Beanie's only concerns are staying healthy and being stuck in a pass heavy offense in the short term. As far as signs go, he's shown as much as any RB I can remember lately. I'm not sure what games you're watching.

I agree, Wells looks damn good out there on the field. His only problem is that he isn't as good as Hightower in the passing game (catch/block), which is limiting him a bit. Wells is the one guy I wish I'd made more of an attempt to get earlier.

don't get me wrong, I think he can be a decent RB and has shown glimpses of having a role on the team, but I'm talking about showing that he can be a complete back, most of the "top players" / top RBs are more complete than we've seen from him. He just seems like a one dimensional rusher, we've seen those come and go, very few last as a top player unless they learn to block well and catch more passes. I actually like the kid as part of a RBBC, but not as a top player with a high ceiling.

I understand what you're saying. I think the talent is there, and that the biggest obstacle to him is not that he's a two-down back (because, like Turner or Jacobs, they can be very successful), but that he plays in a system that places such a huge emphasis on the passing game. If he was on a different team, his route to full-time starting might be happening faster. The second obstacle is that Hightower, despite being a 3rd down back, has enough power to run in short-yardage situations fairly effectively. This flexibility gives him an advantage, and doesn't make it a clear cut "RB1 for main/short yardage, RB2 for passing downs" split.

Regardless, I think his talent is for real and that eventually it will win out.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

probably one of the worst Rookie seasons by a class in awhile, but the jury is still out. I like what I see from Wells/Brown in their limited action.

Moreno has been a bit a of a disappointment though, looking a little timid and slow to pick up the pace of the game

 

[Rovers]

Shon Greene could be added to this discussion.

I think most RB's need time to acclimate and adjust to the NFL. So many come out of college lacking in receiving and blocking skills, they often need time to develop. R Rice is a good example. He bulked up some after his rookie year, and that helped quite a bit from the looks of it.

Why did Benson take so long? Then, there are just some that bust. Has there ever been a draft year when not one RB didn't eventually break into the top ten?

 

[JamesTheScot]

I can't argue with the OP's analysis of this class for a redraft league as it compares to last year's class, but I don't know that is that bad historically. While we remember how Tomlinson and Edge came on as rookies, there were other RB's drafted in those classes that didn't make a big splash their rookie years.

If you look at how Forte and Slaton have struggled this season (for non-health related reasons) and how Mendenhall has come on, I think any conclusions about this year's class as whole based on their first year is a bit premature.

 

[Banger]

I can't argue with the OP's analysis of this class for a redraft league as it compares to last year's class, but I don't know that is that bad historically. While we remember how Tomlinson and Edge came on as rookies, there were other RB's drafted in those classes that didn't make a big splash their rookie years.If you look at how Forte and Slaton have struggled this season (for non-health related reasons) and how Mendenhall has come on, I think any conclusions about this year's class as whole based on their first year is a bit premature.

so it's slow today so I went back 10 years and this is what I found....1999Edge (1st)Gary (14th)2000Mike Anderson (4th)Jamal (16th)2001LT (7th)Rhodes (11th)Atrain (13th)2002Portis (4th)Shipp (21st)2003D. Williams (14th)2004McGahee (9th)K. Jones (21st)2005Caddy (19th)2006 Addai (11th)Bush (17th)2007Peterson (3rd)Lynch (12th)2008Forte (4th)Slaton (6th)CJ (11th)K. Smith (18th)Interesting stuff. A couple of interesting names that have been in or around the top 20 that were flash in the pans. In relation to the 2008 draft I'd say Forte, Smith and Slaton are in danger of that distinction going forward. Also interesting, 7 out of the 10 years there has been a rookie in the top 10, in 6 of the 10 years there have been 2 rookie backs that have made it into the top 20 and in 10 of the 10 years there has been a rookie in top 20. This may be the year that that trend is broken unless something drastic happens down the stretch in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[jurb26]

I think Beanie's future is as a perennial top ten RB in just about any scoring system with top 5 finishes in non PPR. FUBAR, I'm not saying you haven't watched him, but you read like you haven't, so maybe you haven't and you're just commenting from the numbers, which is fine. He will be very complete, very soon, maybe already if given the chance, but Hightower has a role for this year. He'll have a role in future years too, like every team in the NFL has a role for an RB2. Beanie is the future, and while Freebagel's praise might be a little over the top, he sure does look like a stud RB in the making to me. If AZ has some nice leads later this season, I expect Beanie to post some very big numbers. As long as they are in a tight game, they will throw first for now. I'll even predict that Beanie ends this season as the top FF scoring rookie RB. He was the best RB in this class, not Knowshon, and I like Knowshon too.

Absolutely agree. I still don't understand why so many people are down on Wells. Is it because he is in Arz and they don't see a lot of the games? Wells is going to be a stud. He was indeed the best RB in this class and if you watch him run the ball now it only looks more clearer IMO. I've said it 100 times this year. The only thing in Wells way right now is that he struggles in pass protection and has had fumbles. Both are common rookie mistakes and easily fixable with the proper coaching and effort.

 

[Arnold. S]

Mendenhall belongs in the discussion also, even though he really didn't play last year.

 

[Illegal Pants Downfield]

I can't argue with the OP's analysis of this class for a redraft league as it compares to last year's class, but I don't know that is that bad historically. While we remember how Tomlinson and Edge came on as rookies, there were other RB's drafted in those classes that didn't make a big splash their rookie years.If you look at how Forte and Slaton have struggled this season (for non-health related reasons) and how Mendenhall has come on, I think any conclusions about this year's class as whole based on their first year is a bit premature.

so it's slow today so I went back 10 years and this is what I found....1999Edge (1st)Gary (14th)2000Mike Anderson (4th)Jamal (16th)2001LT (7th)Rhodes (11th)Atrain (13th)2002Portis (4th)Shipp (21st)2003D. Williams (14th)2004McGahee (9th)K. Jones (21st)2005Caddy (19th)2006 Addai (11th)Bush (17th)2007Peterson (3rd)Lynch (12th)2008Forte (4th)Slaton (6th)CJ (11th)K. Smith (18th)Interesting stuff. A couple of interesting names that have been in or around the top 20 that were flash in the pans. In relation to the 2008 draft I'd say Forte, Smith and Slaton are in danger of that distinction going forward. Also interesting, 7 out of the 10 years there has been a rookie in the top 10, in 6 of the 10 years there have been 2 rookie backs that have made it into the top 20 and in 10 of the 10 years there has been a rookie in top 20. This may be the year that that trend is broken unless something drastic happens down the stretch in the 2nd half of the season.

From a dynasty perspective, it's also interesting to consider the guys who were drafted highly in the NFL draft, but had to wait a year (or more) before getting a shot - guys like Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, etc. compared to a guy who might've been drafted later, into a more 'immediate' situation (i.e. a Julius Jones type). The idea of drafting talent, not opportunity, tends to bear itself out over time...

 

[gonzobill5]

I didn't have to go far to see that 2003 was pretty bad.

(first five rounds only)

McGahee

LJ

Musa Smith

Chris Brown

Justin Fargas

Artose Pinner

Domanick Davis

Onterrio Smith

Quentin Griffin

Lee Suggs

LaBrandon Toefield

Lots of role - player type guys, and then guys like LJ and DD that were really good for a short time. 2009 will likely be better than these guys when all is said and done. Honestly, I think with more opportunities Beanie, McCoy, Greene and Brown would be the talk of ff circles. They are in GREAT situations and I hope they continue to "disappoint" so I can get them at value in redrafts next year. I think Mendenhall is the poster child for giving up on rbs too soon (which I was guilty of!)

 

[zamboni]

1--after so many teams got great production from the rb last year, there weren't as many teams with rb need this year. not as many rookies fell into perfect situations. a different class of team drafted rbs this year--most of the teams already had decent production from their current rb. that couldn't have been said for most of the teams that took a rb high in 2008.

This is a very good point and shouldn't be overlooked. Many times it's not just talent, but situation, that dictates immediate fantasy success for a rookie RB.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

this class will not produce RBs with near the ceiling of CJ, McFadden, Rice, or JStew.

I won't call this class one of the worst, but it doesn't look like it will wield many top players. Moreno has a chance as does McCoy. Wells isn't performing and shows little sign that he will, I do like Brown still.

Wait, what? The only thing Wells has lacked is opportunity. As far as "signs" go, all he's shown is a giant flashing neon light that has "future stud" plastered on the face of it. The guy looks like a man among boys out there on the field, ridiculously fast and agile for his size and it seems like every time he touches the ball he's ripping off a 12 yard run through a hole that didn't even look like it existed, and shaking off tacklers like they're not even there.Beanie's only concerns are staying healthy and being stuck in a pass heavy offense in the short term. As far as signs go, he's shown as much as any RB I can remember lately. I'm not sure what games you're watching.

I agree, Wells looks damn good out there on the field. His only problem is that he isn't as good as Hightower in the passing game (catch/block), which is limiting him a bit. Wells is the one guy I wish I'd made more of an attempt to get earlier.

don't get me wrong, I think he can be a decent RB and has shown glimpses of having a role on the team, but I'm talking about showing that he can be a complete back, most of the "top players" / top RBs are more complete than we've seen from him. He just seems like a one dimensional rusher, we've seen those come and go, very few last as a top player unless they learn to block well and catch more passes. I actually like the kid as part of a RBBC, but not as a top player with a high ceiling.

Fair enough, however it's worth noting that the top dynasty player right now (Adrian Peterson) as well as two of the top three dynasty running backs coming into this year (Michael Turner) are two-down backs right now.I've seen nothing out of Beanie that makes me think he'll be limited to a RBBC for his career, or even to being a two-down back. He wasn't asked to block or catch much in college so he was behind there, but he's already done a lot to show that that doesn't mean he can't do it in the NFL. If you'll recall earlier on in the year any time Beanie was in the game you could be 100% sure that it was a running play, because they didn't trust him to pass block. If you've noticed the past couple weeks, the Cardinals are passing a lot more with Beanie in the game...a LOT more. And this past week he had a tremendous blitz pickup on what ended up being a huge play for the Cardinals, so I'd say they're already gaining a lot of faith in his pass blocking.

Granted, he's locked into the two-down back (at best) role in the short term with Hightower there right now, but who knows how long that will last.