Derrick Ward (1 Viewer)

[Homer @ RJ]

How would you Buc fans compare Derek Anderson to McCown? In terms of trading for him....

I like McCown's arm and his ability to scramble more. They both seem terribly inaccurate and make poor decisions.I would prefer to just go with Luke.

 

[cstu]

It's possible, but why are they talking about him if that's the thought???I think he will be back early... maybe it's just wishful thinking... I do own Caddy & Graham! But not Ward. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Same here, in 2 leagues. This is the final year of Caddy's contract, so if he ends the season healthy he may be playing elsewhere until retirement.

Found this regarding his contract:

For Williams, at five, the bonus is $11.417 million ($2.9 million to sign, $5 million option, $1.517 million roster bonus, and $2 million "log" bonus), the guaranteed money is $15.1 million, and the total package is worth $30.302 million over five years. But league insiders have other ways of looking at these deals. The "total package" numbers can be deceptive, since many of these deals don't last beyond four seasons. Before the start of year five, the player is signed to a new deal, or the player is released. So one way of assessing the deals is to look at the value over the first four years.

 

[Jason Wood]

Love this signing. See Ward as the top dog in TB until we get indications otherwise.

 

[zdaddy]

Don't underestimate this signing FFL guys, the Bucs have a very good YOUNG offensive line. I would say this is similar to the situation that Chester Taylor came into MN prior to AP's arrival. It would not surprise me at all to see 1400 combined with 40 catches and maybe 8TDs.

Did Graham die?

Not funny but even moreso considering the news today in the Gulf.

DQ?

 

[Ron_Mexico]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

After signing Ward I highly doubt they add a RB with a high draft pick.Maybe a mid round or lower round flier, but nothing that will eat into Ward's production.

Caddy is a non-issue, imo.

 

[•TheRealMcCoy]

Good signing by the Bucs in my opinion! Get 2 or 3 solid years out of Ward(if healthy) and Graham as backup? Gives them time to get a RB in the draft this year or next??

I cant see Caddy coming back at all?? First one knee, now the other?? Just doesn't look promising to me?

 

[Bri]

Dunn got CUT last week & most reports I've seen have Caddy likely on the PUP to start the year (like 2008)....

caddy needs to go meet Earl Campbell before he decides to play again

What in the world does Earl Campbell have to do with two knee injuries? Maybe he should talk to Terry Allen instead.

Earl has difficulty walking due to the wear and tear of the NFL. He pushed himself to a point that was simply too much.It is the concern of many NFL RB to not wind up like him in that regard. His spirit is awesome and inspiring but,...well here's a couple quick snips:

He took roughly six minutes to cover 40 yards – a distance he used to breeze through in less than five seconds as a punishing running back at Texas and during an eight-year, Hall of Fame career in the NFL, mostly with the Houston Oilers. Still wearing his trademark beard, now gray, he stands at a 45-degree angle, unable to straighten at his lower back. He can no longer straighten his knees, either.

When the walker becomes too much work, he uses a wheelchair that he travels with at all times. During a 40-minute interview with a few reporters on Friday, Campbell was totally lucid one second and struggling to recall names and prominent dates the next.

"The doctor says I'll be playing golf by October," Campbell said in eternal optimism, even though he hasn't swung a club in six years.

Campbell is being honored this weekend along with former Texas A&M running back John David Crow by the Heisman Winners Association. The event, sponsored by Triton Financial, has attracted more than 20 former Heisman Trophy winners to Austin to help raise funds for charity and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Campbell's Heisman win (1977) and 50th anniversary of Crow's win (1957).

****

"I stay focused and prayerful that I won't have to deal with the situation of Earl Campbell one day," said former Tennessee Titans and Cowboys running back Eddie George, who won the Heisman at Ohio State in 1995.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...an.345dcee.html

(The Eddie quote-the article is about Earl's injuries/physical struggles, his lack of insurance coverage, and a bit about his awesome attitude)

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Don't underestimate this signing FFL guys, the Bucs have a very good YOUNG offensive line. I would say this is similar to the situation that Chester Taylor came into MN prior to AP's arrival. It would not surprise me at all to see 1400 combined with 40 catches and maybe 8TDs.

Did Graham die?

Not funny but even moreso considering the news today in the Gulf.

Didnt even think of that but if you're that easily offended so be it.

Good one. Question whether I should or shouldn't be offended and deflect the attention off your lack of class. This response says more about you than the first response, IMO. Have a nice season.

Everything offends you.

Right. Making a joke about an NFL player dying on the day that two of them most likely died is hilarious. What was I thinking? This place is quickly becoming FFToday2.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Don't underestimate this signing FFL guys, the Bucs have a very good YOUNG offensive line. I would say this is similar to the situation that Chester Taylor came into MN prior to AP's arrival. It would not surprise me at all to see 1400 combined with 40 catches and maybe 8TDs.

Did Graham die?

Not funny but even moreso considering the news today in the Gulf.

Didnt even think of that but if you're that easily offended so be it.

Good one. Question whether I should or shouldn't be offended and deflect the attention off your lack of class. This response says more about you than the first response, IMO. Have a nice season.

Why so much drama?

Of all people to ask this, didn't you get into a mock draft fight over Kirwan's mock and then tried to claim you hit on half of the picks with your mock last year that no one seems to be able to provide. And you're worried about someone elses drama?

 

[Two Deep]

I like it a lot. This could be an outstanding offense (even with McCown at QB) & Ward is totally underrated. The pieces are definitely in place. With a good QB, the Bucs have the potential to be the best young offense in the NFL (comparable to Denver, maybe better).

Whoa.... settle down. They've got an unproven backup QB in McCowan, Bryant the one hit wonder, Ward the previous backup and new guy, Winslow the new guy and Clayton the underacheiver. Not to mention possibly a new offenseive scheme that none of them may be familiar with.

 

[bucsbaby]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

 

[QUEZILLA]

This is a great signing for the Bucs, and with the addition of Winslow gives them a really potent offense (potentially). The best thing Gruden/Allen left behind is that offensive line...now they have some real weapons around it. Excited to see the offense...the defense worries me though.

I pretty much feel the same way. Our two biggest needs were run D, and QB. We haven't addressed either.

 

[QUEZILLA]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

This is a great signing for the Bucs, and with the addition of Winslow gives them a really potent offense (potentially). The best thing Gruden/Allen left behind is that offensive line...now they have some real weapons around it. Excited to see the offense...the defense worries me though.

I pretty much feel the same way. Our two biggest needs were run D, and QB. We haven't addressed either.

right all weapons in world dont matter if you ont have a QB. who is the starter again?

 

[Da Guru]

This is a great signing for the Bucs, and with the addition of Winslow gives them a really potent offense (potentially). The best thing Gruden/Allen left behind is that offensive line...now they have some real weapons around it. Excited to see the offense...the defense worries me though.

I pretty much feel the same way. Our two biggest needs were run D, and QB. We haven't addressed either.

The Bucs offense seemd to grow stagnent under Gruden, hopefully they will more exciting this year, and I think Warner would be a very good 2 year addition to the Bucs.

 

[Ned]

Love this signing. See Ward as the top dog in TB until we get indications otherwise.

agreed

 

[bucsbaby]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

Why not? I thought Simms looked good at times (despite many balls tipped at the los) and that he never really got the chance to develop and prove himself. Warner is the type of QB that needs a good offensive line and we have that. With some playmakers now available to catch the ball, we could use a good vet QB like Warner imo. He has been to the big game more than once and has the experience of winning it all. We're only a few pieces away from having a strong team and a good vet QB is one of them. If we are going to roll with McCown, I wouldn't mind seeing Simms brought in to compete. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind the Bucs going after Warner who is the best FA QB available right now. There aren't really any great franchise QBs in the draft apparently and I'm kind of leery of the Bucs starting the season with McCown under center.

 

[Tanner9919]

I'm optimistic that he'll be the starting RB...Last season, Graham gave no indications that he was able to carry the load

as a starting RB, missing 6 games and only rushing for 563 yards on 132 carries, a somewhat pedestrian 4.2 per clip..

DW ran for 1025 yards on 182 carries, avg'd 5.6 last season, 4.8 in 2007.Caught 41 balls last year as a p/t player in a RBBC..

I think he's going to be the main ball carrier for Tampa..it might be RBBC , but I'd expect Ward to earn the top spot over Graham..Graham was given a chance to win the starting role last season, and squandered it. He seems to be better suited as a short yardage battering ram..

and then there's Caddy, the oft-injured, slower RB who has proven to be a bust thus far, averaging just 3.8/ypc during his brief NFL career..

Ward doesn't have to do much in order to win that starting RB spot..beating out Caddy and Graham should be fairly easy..

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Fantasy-wise, let somebody else draft Ward too early. Draft Graham late and hope Ward suffers from the increased workload.From an NFL standpoint, I like the signing a lot.

I like this angle from a redraft perspective. Probably a nice late round pick of a RB who has high upside.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Great signing for the bucs. They upgrade from Dunn to a much younger, faster, about the same hands version at RB. You have to give them a fair shake on this one. $4 million a year, he'll likely carry at least 50% of the load plus be involved in the passing game. RB1-Ward, RB2-Graham, RB3...Bucs don't have to focus on this position now and can concentrate perhaps on defense in the draft...cause they're gonna need it.

 

[QUEZILLA]

I'm optimistic that he'll be the starting RB...Last season, Graham gave no indications that he was able to carry the load

as a starting RB, missing 6 games and only rushing for 563 yards on 132 carries, a somewhat pedestrian 4.2 per clip..

DW ran for 1025 yards on 182 carries, avg'd 5.6 last season, 4.8 in 2007.Caught 41 balls last year as a p/t player in a RBBC..

I think he's going to be the main ball carrier for Tampa..it might be RBBC , but I'd expect Ward to earn the top spot over Graham..Graham was given a chance to win the starting role last season, and squandered it. He seems to be better suited as a short yardage battering ram..

and then there's Caddy, the oft-injured, slower RB who has proven to be a bust thus far, averaging just 3.8/ypc during his brief NFL career..

Ward doesn't have to do much in order to win that starting RB spot..beating out Caddy and Graham should be fairly easy..

Are you just looking at stats here? Graham was in a RBBC with Dunn last year, and wasn't "given every chance to win the starting role." When Askew got hurt he played at FB quite a bit. I agree Graham may be a good "battering ram," but he is an extremely versatile back who catches the ball well. I expect this to be a full RBBC again.

 

[QUEZILLA]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

Why not? I thought Simms looked good at times (despite many balls tipped at the los) and that he never really got the chance to develop and prove himself. Warner is the type of QB that needs a good offensive line and we have that. With some playmakers now available to catch the ball, we could use a good vet QB like Warner imo. He has been to the big game more than once and has the experience of winning it all. We're only a few pieces away from having a strong team and a good vet QB is one of them. If we are going to roll with McCown, I wouldn't mind seeing Simms brought in to compete. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind the Bucs going after Warner who is the best FA QB available right now. There aren't really any great franchise QBs in the draft apparently and I'm kind of leery of the Bucs starting the season with McCown under center.

If they are indeed headed in a different direction the last two guys I want to see on the team are Simms & Clayton. We already got stuck with Clayton again, so I'll pass on Simms. The only guy that could bring back worse memories for Bucs fans would be Kenyatta Walker.

 

[bucsbaby]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

Why not? I thought Simms looked good at times (despite many balls tipped at the los) and that he never really got the chance to develop and prove himself. Warner is the type of QB that needs a good offensive line and we have that. With some playmakers now available to catch the ball, we could use a good vet QB like Warner imo. He has been to the big game more than once and has the experience of winning it all. We're only a few pieces away from having a strong team and a good vet QB is one of them. If we are going to roll with McCown, I wouldn't mind seeing Simms brought in to compete. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind the Bucs going after Warner who is the best FA QB available right now. There aren't really any great franchise QBs in the draft apparently and I'm kind of leery of the Bucs starting the season with McCown under center.

If they are indeed headed in a different direction the last two guys I want to see on the team are Simms & Clayton. We already got stuck with Clayton again, so I'll pass on Simms. The only guy that could bring back worse memories for Bucs fans would be Kenyatta Walker.

Although Simms may bring back bad memories, I don't know what that has to do with his potential as a QB, tbh. I thought he showed flashes of potential at times and I thought he really showed me something in that near-playoff win a couple years back (where the "non-catch" in the endzone--which came off a very accurate long-bomb thrown by Simms--was the difference). If he didn't rupture his spleen, I think he could've developed. If he is healthy now, I wouldn't mind seeing him get another shot to prove himself.

 

[QUEZILLA]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

Why not? I thought Simms looked good at times (despite many balls tipped at the los) and that he never really got the chance to develop and prove himself. Warner is the type of QB that needs a good offensive line and we have that. With some playmakers now available to catch the ball, we could use a good vet QB like Warner imo. He has been to the big game more than once and has the experience of winning it all. We're only a few pieces away from having a strong team and a good vet QB is one of them. If we are going to roll with McCown, I wouldn't mind seeing Simms brought in to compete. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind the Bucs going after Warner who is the best FA QB available right now. There aren't really any great franchise QBs in the draft apparently and I'm kind of leery of the Bucs starting the season with McCown under center.

If they are indeed headed in a different direction the last two guys I want to see on the team are Simms & Clayton. We already got stuck with Clayton again, so I'll pass on Simms. The only guy that could bring back worse memories for Bucs fans would be Kenyatta Walker.

Although Simms may bring back bad memories, I don't know what that has to do with his potential as a QB, tbh. I thought he showed flashes of potential at times and I thought he really showed me something in that near-playoff win a couple years back (where the "non-catch" in the endzone--which came off a very accurate long-bomb thrown by Simms--was the difference). If he didn't rupture his spleen, I think he could've developed. If he is healthy now, I wouldn't mind seeing him get another shot to prove himself.

He did play behind a pretty bad line when he was here, but his passes got batted down way too often.

 

[bucsbaby]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

Please no.

Why not? I thought Simms looked good at times (despite many balls tipped at the los) and that he never really got the chance to develop and prove himself. Warner is the type of QB that needs a good offensive line and we have that. With some playmakers now available to catch the ball, we could use a good vet QB like Warner imo. He has been to the big game more than once and has the experience of winning it all. We're only a few pieces away from having a strong team and a good vet QB is one of them. If we are going to roll with McCown, I wouldn't mind seeing Simms brought in to compete. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind the Bucs going after Warner who is the best FA QB available right now. There aren't really any great franchise QBs in the draft apparently and I'm kind of leery of the Bucs starting the season with McCown under center.

If they are indeed headed in a different direction the last two guys I want to see on the team are Simms & Clayton. We already got stuck with Clayton again, so I'll pass on Simms. The only guy that could bring back worse memories for Bucs fans would be Kenyatta Walker.

Although Simms may bring back bad memories, I don't know what that has to do with his potential as a QB, tbh. I thought he showed flashes of potential at times and I thought he really showed me something in that near-playoff win a couple years back (where the "non-catch" in the endzone--which came off a very accurate long-bomb thrown by Simms--was the difference). If he didn't rupture his spleen, I think he could've developed. If he is healthy now, I wouldn't mind seeing him get another shot to prove himself.

He did play behind a pretty bad line when he was here, but his passes got batted down way too often.

I agree that that was his greatest failing. But I don't think that is something that couldn't be improved upon.

 

[3nOut]

Who is going to get thr GL carries? If its Graham, then Ward's FF value only marginally improved, IMO. Not much of a difference between Jacobs stealing GL carries and Graham. And as a Jacobs owner...

 

[bucsbaby]

I saw Caddy get some goalline carries when he was healthy last year, so I would say that Ward will get his share of goalline work, but I guess it depends on the new guy calling the shots.

 

[THE UNDERCOVER BROTHA]

Who is going to get thr GL carries? If its Graham, then Ward's FF value only marginally improved, IMO. Not much of a difference between Jacobs stealing GL carries and Graham. And as a Jacobs owner...

You gonna be really pissed at D.Ware bro, its a reason they let Ward walk.....They been SOOOO HIGH on Ware its ridiculous....alot of peeps dont know this...AB and Ware will keep BK where he was at last year not to say he isnt good but i dont think the subtraction of Ward means alot more fp for jacobs....time will tell though

 

[JPeso]

You gonna be really pissed at D.Ware bro, its a reason they let Ward walk.....They been SOOOO HIGH on Ware its ridiculous....alot of peeps dont know this...

AB and Ware will keep BK where he was at last year not to say he isnt good but i dont think the subtraction of Ward means alot more fp for jacobs....time will tell though

I agree here. The battle between Bradshaw/Ware will be worth watching. One of these guys will get a nice chunk. For fantasy purposes, I'm hoping it is a 2-person RBBC as opposed to 3, though.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

So on the flipside of this, does whoever comes out of the Bradshaw/Ware battle get as big of a piece of the pie in New York as Ward did?

 

[fruity pebbles]

So on the flipside of this, does whoever comes out of the Bradshaw/Ware battle get as big of a piece of the pie in New York as Ward did?

Probably close. Giants seem set on giving Jacobs around 17 carries a game, which isnt a bad thing. He seems like the type of player, who you get diminishing returns on,as the load goes up past a certain point. 270-280 carries in 16 games seems like the optimal number for him. Still will put upvery good numbers if he can stay healthy. At that rate you're looking at around 1400 yards and double digit TDs.

 

[bentley]

Dunn got CUT last week & most reports I've seen have Caddy likely on the PUP to start the year (like 2008)....

caddy needs to go meet Earl Campbell before he decides to play again

What in the world does Earl Campbell have to do with two knee injuries? Maybe he should talk to Terry Allen instead.

Earl has difficulty walking due to the wear and tear of the NFL. He pushed himself to a point that was simply too much.It is the concern of many NFL RB to not wind up like him in that regard. His spirit is awesome and inspiring but,...well here's a couple quick snips:

He took roughly six minutes to cover 40 yards – a distance he used to breeze through in less than five seconds as a punishing running back at Texas and during an eight-year, Hall of Fame career in the NFL, mostly with the Houston Oilers. Still wearing his trademark beard, now gray, he stands at a 45-degree angle, unable to straighten at his lower back. He can no longer straighten his knees, either.

When the walker becomes too much work, he uses a wheelchair that he travels with at all times. During a 40-minute interview with a few reporters on Friday, Campbell was totally lucid one second and struggling to recall names and prominent dates the next.

"The doctor says I'll be playing golf by October," Campbell said in eternal optimism, even though he hasn't swung a club in six years.

Campbell is being honored this weekend along with former Texas A&M running back John David Crow by the Heisman Winners Association. The event, sponsored by Triton Financial, has attracted more than 20 former Heisman Trophy winners to Austin to help raise funds for charity and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Campbell's Heisman win (1977) and 50th anniversary of Crow's win (1957).

****

"I stay focused and prayerful that I won't have to deal with the situation of Earl Campbell one day," said former Tennessee Titans and Cowboys running back Eddie George, who won the Heisman at Ohio State in 1995.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...an.345dcee.html

(The Eddie quote-the article is about Earl's injuries/physical struggles, his lack of insurance coverage, and a bit about his awesome attitude)

As a former University of Texas student myself, I'm intimately aware of Earl's story. I've seen him somewhere in public once every 18 months or so for the last 15 years and he's looked worse every time. It's still completely irrelevant to a guy that wrecked his knee twice.

 

[JamesTheScot]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

 

[JamesTheScot]

Maybe I'm in the minority, but Chris Simms is a free agent and I would like to see him brought in to compete for the starting job. I would also like to see the Bucs take a run at Warner, since they've got the cap space. I think the Bucs are only a couple of pieces away from being competitors, especially in the NFC.

That's what I was thinking. Warner gives a proven veteran presence in the huddle and I'd think the Tampa O-line can keep him on his feet, which is what he needs to do his damage.

 

[gianmarco]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

 

[JamesTheScot]

So on the flipside of this, does whoever comes out of the Bradshaw/Ware battle get as big of a piece of the pie in New York as Ward did?

Probably close. Giants seem set on giving Jacobs around 17 carries a game, which isnt a bad thing. He seems like the type of player, who you get diminishing returns on,as the load goes up past a certain point. 270-280 carries in 16 games seems like the optimal number for him. Still will put upvery good numbers if he can stay healthy. At that rate you're looking at around 1400 yards and double digit TDs.

I'm not 100% sure I'm remembering this correctly but it seemed that Jacobs's YPC really dipped in the second and fourth quarters and that he didn't get near as many 2nd half carries as he did first half carries.I'm not so much believing he was wearing down the defenses for Ward as it was that HE was wearing down quickly by lugging all that weight into full contact. If Coughlin likes Ware as much as it seems, I take him over Bradshaw. Ward was subbed in for drives, not just third downs. That tells me that Coughlin is looking for a back to spell Jacobs who has legitimate 3 down ability rather than 3rd down ability.

 

[gianmarco]

So on the flipside of this, does whoever comes out of the Bradshaw/Ware battle get as big of a piece of the pie in New York as Ward did?

Probably close. Giants seem set on giving Jacobs around 17 carries a game, which isnt a bad thing. He seems like the type of player, who you get diminishing returns on,as the load goes up past a certain point. 270-280 carries in 16 games seems like the optimal number for him. Still will put upvery good numbers if he can stay healthy. At that rate you're looking at around 1400 yards and double digit TDs.

I'm not 100% sure I'm remembering this correctly but it seemed that Jacobs's YPC really dipped in the second and fourth quarters and that he didn't get near as many 2nd half carries as he did first half carries.I'm not so much believing he was wearing down the defenses for Ward as it was that HE was wearing down quickly by lugging all that weight into full contact. If Coughlin likes Ware as much as it seems, I take him over Bradshaw. Ward was subbed in for drives, not just third downs. That tells me that Coughlin is looking for a back to spell Jacobs who has legitimate 3 down ability rather than 3rd down ability.

If "really dipped" means dropping to 4.8 ypc in the 2nd qtr, then yes, it did. He did drop to 4.3 ypc in the 4th, but his ypc in qtrs 1-3 were fantastic. As for the carries split, he had 136 carries in the first 2 qtrs and 101 in the last 2 qtrs. But again, that's also when they would often bring in Ward/Bradshaw. So the question is, did they bring those guys in late because Jacobs was tired or because the opposing defense was tired and those other 2 were thus more effective? Maybe a combination of both.

 

[gopherII]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

 

[JamesTheScot]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

Your bewilderment is mine as well. I scratched my head at this signing for that very reason.There's a certain logic to having two guys that are very indistinguishable from one another from the stand point of substitutions. There's no package tip-off when you sub. You aren't limited in the playbook by which RB may be healthy for that game, or may be spelling the other one, etc. The line can expect similar running styles regardless who is in there. An injury doesn't disrupt your gameplan because your RBBC specialization mix isn't thrown off. Basically, if one guy does go down, you plug the next guy in and he does the exact same thing.

But the NFL seems sold on the idea of complimentary specialization right now so I don't think that's why they did it.

I do think Ward has been signed to see if he can be the RB1 or at least the RB1a. I follow the money that far, so to speak. But at the end of the day, after training camps and a few games, I just see two solid but not great RB's whose versatility makes them valuable not being able to send the other to the bench.

Once the season starts, it doesn't matter who is getting paid more. Coaches want results and the roster is costing the same no matter who's getting the carries.

It may simply be that Dunn was going to get cut anyway, Graham is coming off IR, though not that serious IIRC, and Caddy is not going to be counted on. So the front office was going to sign somebody no matter what. With some cap room, why not grab one of the better FA's out there when the price isn't sky high?

BTW, I think the TB line is pretty good, but I don't think it's anywhere near the Giants. It looks to me like some here think Ward is just going to pop in and plug in his 5.0 YPC in Tampa. I don't see that happening. Like with Graham last year, Ward owners are going to cringe everytime someone else gets a carry.

 

[gianmarco]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

Again, though, I ask why? Why would TB want to have 2 RB's with almost identical skillsets? Is there any other team in the NFL that does this? I guess Miami would be the closest, but Ronnie got the larger share due to his current talent level vs. Ricky. Has TB ever done this? Last year, they brought in another RB to share carries, but that guy was W. Dunn who is a different runner than Graham. I guess I just don't understand bringing in a guy who functions very similarly to what you already have. Maybe I'm off in comparing these 2 like this or maybe I'm off in thinking we don't see this, but something just doesn't make sense to me to give Graham and Ward a 50/50 share. Again, I have a feeling Graham may be headed elsewhere at some point.

 

[JamesTheScot]

So on the flipside of this, does whoever comes out of the Bradshaw/Ware battle get as big of a piece of the pie in New York as Ward did?

Probably close. Giants seem set on giving Jacobs around 17 carries a game, which isnt a bad thing. He seems like the type of player, who you get diminishing returns on,as the load goes up past a certain point. 270-280 carries in 16 games seems like the optimal number for him. Still will put upvery good numbers if he can stay healthy. At that rate you're looking at around 1400 yards and double digit TDs.

I'm not 100% sure I'm remembering this correctly but it seemed that Jacobs's YPC really dipped in the second and fourth quarters and that he didn't get near as many 2nd half carries as he did first half carries.I'm not so much believing he was wearing down the defenses for Ward as it was that HE was wearing down quickly by lugging all that weight into full contact. If Coughlin likes Ware as much as it seems, I take him over Bradshaw. Ward was subbed in for drives, not just third downs. That tells me that Coughlin is looking for a back to spell Jacobs who has legitimate 3 down ability rather than 3rd down ability.

If "really dipped" means dropping to 4.8 ypc in the 2nd qtr, then yes, it did. He did drop to 4.3 ypc in the 4th, but his ypc in qtrs 1-3 were fantastic. As for the carries split, he had 136 carries in the first 2 qtrs and 101 in the last 2 qtrs. But again, that's also when they would often bring in Ward/Bradshaw. So the question is, did they bring those guys in late because Jacobs was tired or because the opposing defense was tired and those other 2 were thus more effective? Maybe a combination of both.

IIRC, Ward also had more first half carries than he had second half carries. That's what made me think that it was more Jacobs needing rest within the quarters, not just at the end of the games.Again, I'm going from memory here. But I came away with the distinct impression that Ward wasn't just benefiting from Jacobs pounding away for 3 quarters and then coming in to mop up in the fourth. Instead, Ward was getting his touches in the first half when you would still expect the RB1 and the defenses to still be reasobably fresh. And if that was simply a matter of trying to keep Jacobs fresh for the second half, I'd expect better YPC numbers and more carries for Jacobs into the late third and fourth quarters. Conversely, IIRC, Ward's numbers did get better in terms of ypc in the second and fourth quarters.

I'd like to see numbers for Jacobs in terms of plays within a drive over the season. That might be insightful. I looked at the Philly playoff game and it was striking how well he ran on the first plays of drives and then tapered off dramatically as the drive progressed.

Consider this thread hijacked!

 

[JamesTheScot]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

Again, though, I ask why? Why would TB want to have 2 RB's with almost identical skillsets? Is there any other team in the NFL that does this? I guess Miami would be the closest, but Ronnie got the larger share due to his current talent level vs. Ricky. Has TB ever done this? Last year, they brought in another RB to share carries, but that guy was W. Dunn who is a different runner than Graham. I guess I just don't understand bringing in a guy who functions very similarly to what you already have. Maybe I'm off in comparing these 2 like this or maybe I'm off in thinking we don't see this, but something just doesn't make sense to me to give Graham and Ward a 50/50 share. Again, I have a feeling Graham may be headed elsewhere at some point.

I'm just not sure that they sign Ward so they can move Graham unless they plan on cutting him outright. Signing Ward so you can trade Graham doesn't seem like much of a plan. I'm not sure how much demand there is for Graham as trade bait coming off IR and not coming from the higher profile Giant juggernaut like Ward.If they cut him, we'll know they think Ward was clearly better RB1 material.

But it may simply be that the front office knew they were going to need some more bodies at RB and decided to take a shot with Ward. If he pays off, great. If not, you know you have reliable, steady Graham and you haven't mortgaged the future to sign Ward.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

Good for D Ward, he got his payday and thanks for a great effort and we'll miss you in the Meadowlands guy! Tear it up in Tampa!

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

Again, though, I ask why? Why would TB want to have 2 RB's with almost identical skillsets? Is there any other team in the NFL that does this? I guess Miami would be the closest, but Ronnie got the larger share due to his current talent level vs. Ricky. Has TB ever done this? Last year, they brought in another RB to share carries, but that guy was W. Dunn who is a different runner than Graham. I guess I just don't understand bringing in a guy who functions very similarly to what you already have. Maybe I'm off in comparing these 2 like this or maybe I'm off in thinking we don't see this, but something just doesn't make sense to me to give Graham and Ward a 50/50 share. Again, I have a feeling Graham may be headed elsewhere at some point.

I think it makes some sense if you like your main Rb to be of that skill set and you have an older RB coming off IR. So you get a young replacement than may end up being better, but fills the same roles. Not to mention that you've already seen that the older RB is a team player and will play some FB if necessary. I think they go with both and phase out Graham as the year goes on if Ward is better/as good and can handle the load.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Again, I'm going from memory here. But I came away with the distinct impression that Ward wasn't just benefiting from Jacobs pounding away for 3 quarters and then coming in to mop up in the fourth. Instead, Ward was getting his touches in the first half when you would still expect the RB1 and the defenses to still be reasobably fresh. And if that was simply a matter of trying to keep Jacobs fresh for the second half, I'd expect better YPC numbers and more carries for Jacobs into the late third and fourth quarters. Conversely, IIRC, Ward's numbers did get better in terms of ypc in the second and fourth quarters.

Ward's YPC in the first 3 quarters: 4.7 (3.5 in the 1st quarter)Ward's YPC in the fourth quarter: 6.6Jacob's YPC in the first 3 quarters: 5.1 (5.1 in the 1st quarter)Jacob's YPC in the fourth quarter: 4.4Also as far as carries go, Jacobs got far more carries in the 1st and 3rd quarters, whereas the carries were closer to 55/45 in Ward's favor in the 2nd and 4th quarters.Ward's YPC in games without Jacobs: 4.1Ward's YPC in games with Jacobs: 6.1

 

[gianmarco]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

Again, though, I ask why? Why would TB want to have 2 RB's with almost identical skillsets? Is there any other team in the NFL that does this? I guess Miami would be the closest, but Ronnie got the larger share due to his current talent level vs. Ricky. Has TB ever done this? Last year, they brought in another RB to share carries, but that guy was W. Dunn who is a different runner than Graham. I guess I just don't understand bringing in a guy who functions very similarly to what you already have. Maybe I'm off in comparing these 2 like this or maybe I'm off in thinking we don't see this, but something just doesn't make sense to me to give Graham and Ward a 50/50 share. Again, I have a feeling Graham may be headed elsewhere at some point.

I think it makes some sense if you like your main Rb to be of that skill set and you have an older RB coming off IR. So you get a young replacement than may end up being better, but fills the same roles. Not to mention that you've already seen that the older RB is a team player and will play some FB if necessary. I think they go with both and phase out Graham as the year goes on if Ward is better/as good and can handle the load.

You do realize that D. Ward is turning 29 this August right? He's only 8 months younger than Graham.

 

[Neil Beaufort Zod]

At least the Bucs are doing something. Winslow and Ward look pretty good on opening day coupled with Bryant and (sort of) Clayton. I still have NO IDEA who will be throwing them the ball, but that part looks good.

 

[BespokeJort]

Don't underestimate this signing FFL guys, the Bucs have a very good YOUNG offensive line. I would say this is similar to the situation that Chester Taylor came into MN prior to AP's arrival. It would not surprise me at all to see 1400 combined with 40 catches and maybe 8TDs.

Did Graham die?

Not funny but even moreso considering the news today in the Gulf.

Didnt even think of that but if you're that easily offended so be it.

Good one. Question whether I should or shouldn't be offended and deflect the attention off your lack of class. This response says more about you than the first response, IMO. Have a nice season.

Everything offends you.

Right. Making a joke about an NFL player dying on the day that two of them most likely died is hilarious. What was I thinking? This place is quickly becoming FFToday2.

I think we can all agree that it's terrible what happened in the Gulf, but it's quite clear that the post wasn't intended to poke fun at those players. Also, it's the internet, and nobody cares about your online moral crusade. If you think that original post was intended to make fun of the players who got lost at sea, punch yourself in the face for lack of reading comprehension. If you think it wasn't, punch yourself in the face twice for trying to start needless drama over what expression someone uses to make their point.On the subject of Ward, think this is shaping up to be an RBBC. Don't see em casting Graham off lightly if he's healthy. Definitely a good signing though, can't rely on Caddy at this point unfortunately.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Last reports I read was that Caddy would be 100% after the start of the season. Going into Week 1 with Graham as RB1 and little to no depth (Clifton Smith?), they needed a RB to add to the roster. Graham was a nice surprise early, but he is 29 yr old as an undrafted player. He does not have the heavy wear & tear like most RB's (only 400 carries in 5 seasons at TB).

TB needed RB help. I see RBBC growing again in RB. Graham could be the Short Yardage / Goal Line RB with Ward getting 65% of the touches. If Ward does not "excel", I think you will see more Caddy mid-season.

I would not be surprised to see them draft a RB late Day 1.

I see that this signing hurts them all (Graham, Caddy & Ward).

This is my take as well though I'm not convincd that Ward gets 65% of the touches.To me, Ward and Graham are almost the same guy with very similar skills. Neither is flashy in the moves, quickness or top speed sense but they run hard, they run fast enough to break a long one when given the chance, they read their blocks well and they can catch the ball out of the backfield. Both guys are capable of being 3 down backs and produce yoeman-like numbers.

I just don't see either one as special enough to knock the other out of the lineup. I think it's going to be one of those situations where you hang onto them to capitalize on an injury but both guys do enough to frustate he owners of the other one.

As for Caddy, I'm not expecting much. I admire his desire to come back, but I just don't see it.

This is actually a great posting and analyzes the 2 guys very well. I've liked what I've seen from Ward and I think this is still one of the better landing spots for him, but there is definitely the potential for a full, even RBBC.My only argument to the above and why I'd gamble on Ward is the following. WHY would TB bring in a guy that is almost exactly like the primary ball carrier for the last 2 yrs? If they planned on going with Graham, wouldn't they have brought in a complimentary RB instead? I think this might be suggesting that Graham may NOT be there at the start of the season for whatever reason. Anyone know implications of sending Graham elsewhere? I think we see one of the following:

1. They use the 2 as described above in a true 50/50 split

2. They use 1 as the lead carrier and the other as a more 3rd down/COP back.

3. They send Graham elsewhere and Ward becomes the lead carrier.

#1 above just doesn't make much sense to me. #2 would not bode well for Ward as I think he would be more likely to be the #2 guy. #3 seems to make the most sense but I haven't heard a thing about this and it's purely speculation on my part.

I think you will see a RBBC here. Following the money TB paid, Ward will be 1a and Graham will be 1b. They both have similar skills with Ward owning an edge by being a better receiver. They will complement one another in a rotation, not with one being a third down back. Fantasy-wise, we'll have to wait and see, but I would have to give Ward the greater value in a dynasty league right now.

Again, though, I ask why? Why would TB want to have 2 RB's with almost identical skillsets? Is there any other team in the NFL that does this? I guess Miami would be the closest, but Ronnie got the larger share due to his current talent level vs. Ricky. Has TB ever done this? Last year, they brought in another RB to share carries, but that guy was W. Dunn who is a different runner than Graham. I guess I just don't understand bringing in a guy who functions very similarly to what you already have. Maybe I'm off in comparing these 2 like this or maybe I'm off in thinking we don't see this, but something just doesn't make sense to me to give Graham and Ward a 50/50 share. Again, I have a feeling Graham may be headed elsewhere at some point.

I think it makes some sense if you like your main Rb to be of that skill set and you have an older RB coming off IR. So you get a young replacement than may end up being better, but fills the same roles. Not to mention that you've already seen that the older RB is a team player and will play some FB if necessary. I think they go with both and phase out Graham as the year goes on if Ward is better/as good and can handle the load.

You do realize that D. Ward is turning 29 this August right? He's only 8 months younger than Graham.

Less wear and tear is younger too.

 

[AKA]

Don't underestimate this signing FFL guys, the Bucs have a very good YOUNG offensive line. I would say this is similar to the situation that Chester Taylor came into MN prior to AP's arrival. It would not surprise me at all to see 1400 combined with 40 catches and maybe 8TDs.

Did Graham die?

Not funny but even moreso considering the news today in the Gulf.

Didnt even think of that but if you're that easily offended so be it.

Good one. Question whether I should or shouldn't be offended and deflect the attention off your lack of class. This response says more about you than the first response, IMO. Have a nice season.

Everything offends you.

Right. Making a joke about an NFL player dying on the day that two of them most likely died is hilarious. What was I thinking? This place is quickly becoming FFToday2.

Lighten up.....it's not like he said "did Graham go fishing"....but thanks for being our moral compass