Hold the Ray Rice bus. (1 Viewer)

[jurb26]

McGahee love

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- The Baltimore Ravens might not know the identity of their starting quarterback, but they do know who they expect to carry the bulk of their offensive load.

Willis McGahee has demonstrated the capacity to do exactly that during his five NFL seasons.

In 2007, his first year with the Ravens, he was an alternate selection to the Pro Bowl after finishing fourth in the AFC in rushing with 1,207 yards and seven touchdowns. And McGahee is expected to be asked to do even more this year, given that the Ravens' No. 1 quarterback will either be a rookie (Joe Flacco), a second-year pro with only two starts (Troy Smith), or a sixth-year veteran who has yet to establish himself (Kyle Boller).

"I'm looking forward to that challenge," McGahee said during the Ravens' recent mandatory minicamp. "Actually, this is a year I'm really excited about. Out of all my years playing football, I'm (most) excited about this year."

He should be.

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Willis McGahee will be the central figure in the Ravens' offense this season, a role the running back is looking forward to filling.

Cam Cameron, the Ravens' new offensive coordinator, is installing a scheme that will call for McGahee to have the ball in his hands plenty of times as a runner and a receiver. Cameron has the same plans for McGahee that he used so successfully with LaDainian Tomlinson when Cameron ran the San Diego Chargers' offense.

It is not a stretch to see a highly productive McGahee easing the burden on Flacco, Smith, or Boller the way Tomlinson has during Philip Rivers' first two seasons as the Chargers' starter in 2006 and 2007.

"I'm excited about him, I can tell you that," Cameron said of McGahee. "Last year was the first time I had seen him in person playing. I didn't know he was that big (6-foot, 232 pounds). He's big and physical. I think he's just scratching the surface of what he can be, based on what I've seen."

McGahee couldn't agree more.

He arrived in Baltimore last season with the intention of being a major contributor. For the most part, he achieved that, despite missing the season finale with broken ribs. Now he is prepared to be a large part of the Ravens' efforts to rebound from the bitter disappointment of a 5-11 record.

"The main thing was to come here to try to help the team, be that back that they wanted me to be," McGahee said. "I did accomplish a couple of things when I got here. One of my goals was to go to the Pro Bowl. That's still part of my goals, to go to the Pro Bowl, but be a certified pick-in. I was an alternate last year. I want to be guaranteed, so that's the goal this year."

The Ravens' new offensive approach should do plenty to help make that a reality.

"Sometimes you can say, 'I want to throw to set up the run,'" Cameron said. "Well, we're going to run to set up the passing game. That's our starting point. That's kind of my history. It just gives you a foundation to build from.

"You want to help a young quarterback? A running game helps tremendously. I don't think there are any quarterbacks that are just carrying teams. Defenses are too good for that. You look at the quarterbacks that are playing well, they've got talent around them.

"But you can't just figure you're going to hand it to (the running backs) all the time. You want to get them the ball in a variety of ways. There are so many good run defenses. There's one for sure (Pittsburgh's), maybe two, in our division. Sometimes you get those guys biting and you throw it to (the backs)."

Willis McGahee's career stats

Year Att. Yards Rec. Yards TDs

2007 294 1,207 43 231 8

2006 259 990 18 156 6

2005 325 1,247 28 178 5

2004 284 1,128 22 169 13

McGahee, traded to Baltimore last year after four seasons with the Buffalo Bills (he missed the entire 2003 season with a knee injury), has never been used extensively as a receiver. He caught a career-high 43 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown in '07, but anticipates making many more receptions in Cameron's offense. He's looking forward to matching one of the top pass-catching seasons that Tomlinson has enjoyed: 100 in 2003, 79 in 2002, and 60 last season.

It stands to reason that the greater a multiple threat that McGahee can become, the more effective the Ravens' offense can be in keeping opposing defenses off-balance and creating a more comfortable atmosphere in which the quarterback can make reads and decisions.

"We've got a new coaching staff and the offense they're putting in is the best one I've been around so far, so I'm excited about it," McGahee said. "(Cameron) gets the backs more involved in the passing game. I feel I've got pretty good hands, so I felt like I should have been more (involved) in the passing game. We're looking forward to (doing what Tomlinson has done in San Diego). Not to be like him, but to be better."

"It was fun to watch LaDainian develop as a receiver in his first couple of years," Cameron said. "He's really developed into a great receiver, but he'll tell you that it took a lot of work. And no question (McGahee's receiving skill is) going to do nothing but get better and better and better."

No one should be happier about that than the Ravens' starting quarterback, whoever that might be.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

I'm not too high on Ray Rice, but going to the Ravens probably didn't hurt his stock as much as some may think...

 

[BigSteelThrill]

SHOTGUN!

 

[az_prof]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

 

[Jason Wood]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

 

[jurb26]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Lots of people have posted just that.

 

[BoltBacker]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

 

[Winning IS Everything]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

I think he is 27 this year.Edit to add: He will be 27 in October.

 

[BoltBacker]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

 

[BoltBacker]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

I think he is 27 this year.Edit to add: He will be 27 in October.

That's pretty much what I thought... I was just curious to hear from as_prof how that's relevant. Should it have mentioned he'll start the season at the age of 26?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Lots of people have posted just that.

Really? For this year? I must have missed those posts.I like Rice for dynasty purposes, but I wouldn't rank McGahee any lower in a redraft than I would have before Rice was drafted. I think Rice will get some action this season, just like Musa Smith or Mike Anderson would have. I feel pretty confident that McGahee will get +70% of the RB carries again this year, assuming health of course.

 

[Snotbubbles]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

I think he is 27 this year.Edit to add: He will be 27 in October.

27 year old RB with a 72 year old pair of knees.

 

[Hoss_Cartwright]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

I think he is 27 this year.Edit to add: He will be 27 in October.

...but how old are his knees?

 

[Tanner9919]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

McGahee's lifetime rushing avg is a paltry 3.9/carry, 75.0 yards/gm, 7.5 tds/yr ( hasn't scored double-digit tds since his rookie season), 27 receptions/yr, and has averaged just 4.5 100+ yard games/yr, and just 1 receiving TD in his career....... y-a-w-n...he also has 13 career fumbles and only once has he carried the ball more than 300 times in a single season..Cameron's offenses like the workhorse-type RB, someone who can carry the ball 320+ times and catch 50+ balls...I doubt McGahee can hold up..The O-line in Baltimore is marginal at best, and they STILL have QB woes..

yeah, I'd rank him between 14-19...he's a solid #3, borderline #2..

file me in the 'not impressed' folder..

 

[Banger]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

McGahee's lifetime rushing avg is a paltry 3.9/carry, 75.0 yards/gm, 7.5 tds/yr ( hasn't scored double-digit tds since his rookie season), 27 receptions/yr, and has averaged just 4.5 100+ yard games/yr, and just 1 receiving TD in his career....... y-a-w-n...he also has 13 career fumbles and only once has he carried the ball more than 300 times in a single season..Cameron's offenses like the workhorse-type RB, someone who can carry the ball 320+ times and catch 50+ balls...I doubt McGahee can hold up..The O-line in Baltimore is marginal at best, and they STILL have QB woes..

yeah, I'd rank him between 14-19...he's a solid #3, borderline #2..

file me in the 'not impressed' folder..

He might not wow you but like last year he'll probably put up 100 combined yards and 1/2 td per week. Solid not spectacular and a very solid #2 back.

 

[Jason Wood]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

Well having him 14th/15th does strike me as too low. On the other hand, Baltimore's offensive line is a BIG question mark this year assuming Ogden retires as is expected; and it's unclear if the Ravens have a QB [if you have three, you really don't have any]. But by the time we're in the middle of camp, I would bet McGahee slots closer to the RB10-RB12 area.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

Well having him 14th/15th does strike me as too low. On the other hand, Baltimore's offensive line is a BIG question mark this year assuming Ogden retires as is expected; and it's unclear if the Ravens have a QB [if you have three, you really don't have any]. But by the time we're in the middle of camp, I would bet McGahee slots closer to the RB10-RB12 area.

Losing Ogden won't hurt as much as some seem to think. He was injured for the bulk of the season, and wasn't the Ogden of old even when he was playing any amount of time. I actually think the line will be better this year than last.QB is more worrisome, though it became apparent pretty early on that McNair was shot & as the season wore on Boller seemed the better player. Now, if Smith or Flacco get the starter's job I'd maybe knock Willis back a notch. But if it's Boller, I don't see any appreciable drop-off from last year.

 

[Scooby1974]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

McGahee's lifetime rushing avg is a paltry 3.9/carry, 75.0 yards/gm, 7.5 tds/yr ( hasn't scored double-digit tds since his rookie season), 27 receptions/yr, and has averaged just 4.5 100+ yard games/yr, and just 1 receiving TD in his career....... y-a-w-n...he also has 13 career fumbles and only once has he carried the ball more than 300 times in a single season..Cameron's offenses like the workhorse-type RB, someone who can carry the ball 320+ times and catch 50+ balls...I doubt McGahee can hold up..The O-line in Baltimore is marginal at best, and they STILL have QB woes..

yeah, I'd rank him between 14-19...he's a solid #3, borderline #2..

file me in the 'not impressed' folder..

The only issue I would take up with you is that Willis had to spend 4 years behind the Buffalo offensive line and then switched to Baltimore who has an equally poor Offense as well. It was painful to watch him get tackled in the backfield time and time again. Bledsoe had an aging Erik Moulds and nobody else to throw to. All the defense had to do was stop McGahee and the Bills lose. To blame Willis for a 3.9/carry average is rough. I'm not saying he'll light the world on fire in Cam's offense, but the new philosophy in Baltimore should give Willis a chance to really prove his worth.

 

[Banger]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice

Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

McGahee's lifetime rushing avg is a paltry 3.9/carry, 75.0 yards/gm, 7.5 tds/yr ( hasn't scored double-digit tds since his rookie season), 27 receptions/yr, and has averaged just 4.5 100+ yard games/yr, and just 1 receiving TD in his career....... y-a-w-n...he also has 13 career fumbles and only once has he carried the ball more than 300 times in a single season..Cameron's offenses like the workhorse-type RB, someone who can carry the ball 320+ times and catch 50+ balls...I doubt McGahee can hold up..The O-line in Baltimore is marginal at best, and they STILL have QB woes..

yeah, I'd rank him between 14-19...he's a solid #3, borderline #2..

file me in the 'not impressed' folder..

The only issue I would take up with you is that Willis had to spend 4 years behind the Buffalo offensive line and then switched to Baltimore who has an equally poor Offense as well. It was painful to watch him get tackled in the backfield time and time again. Bledsoe had an aging Erik Moulds and nobody else to throw to. All the defense had to do was stop McGahee and the Bills lose. To blame Willis for a 3.9/carry average is rough. I'm not saying he'll light the world on fire in Cam's offense, but the new philosophy in Baltimore should give Willis a chance to really prove his worth.

YPC is a nice stat but I don't get any points for it. Is it better to have a Norwood/Turner with a 5+ ypc or a McGahee with a 4.0? Give me the workhorse that's going to touch the ball 320+ times/year.

 

[AnonymousBob]

People are probably going to overvalue Ronnie Brown even though imo it's Cam that turned him into a top fantasy option last year. If McGahee stays healthy, I believe McGahee will easily finish in the top ten.

 

[kethnaab]

what I don't get is how Willis McGahee catches hell for having a low YPC, yet Marshawn Lynch, running behind the same line, is being hailed by so many, despite having the same YPC.

funny how people pick and choose the facts they wish to acknowledge

 

[EBF]

what I don't get is how Willis McGahee catches hell for having a low YPC, yet Marshawn Lynch, running behind the same line, is being hailed by so many, despite having the same YPC.funny how people pick and choose the facts they wish to acknowledge

McGahee was also hailed as a stud after his first year in Buffalo. People are always looking for the next big thing.

 

[Thorpe]

what I don't get is how Willis McGahee catches hell for having a low YPC, yet Marshawn Lynch, running behind the same line, is being hailed by so many, despite having the same YPC.funny how people pick and choose the facts they wish to acknowledge

It's a completely different o line.

 

[az_prof]

It's a fluff piece mostly stating the opinion of the reporter and McGahee. Cam praises McGahee but he never says he is going to get 300 carries and the reporter didn't ask him about Rice's role. It also doesn't mention McGahee's age or previous injuries or say anything about Rice's talent one way or another. So, I think I'll stay on the Rice bus because we don't expect the bus to really get moving for a year or two anyway. No one drafting Rice expects him to be the starter this year unless McGahee has another ACL injury.

What is McGahee's age?

I think he is 27 this year.Edit to add: He will be 27 in October.

That's pretty much what I thought... I was just curious to hear from as_prof how that's relevant. Should it have mentioned he'll start the season at the age of 26?

It 's relevent because the average shelf life of a RB is about 5 years--and given the devastating injury he endured in college I would be surprised if he is the kind of guy who plays into his 30s. So two more years puts him at 29 and I think we will see Rice take over then, if not sooner due to injury.I don't recall reading anywhere on here that people think he is going to step in and take over the featured job this year. But there are alot of people who see him as more than just a "backup." Talent is the reason that the Ray Rice bus is filling up and we can wait for a couple of years for the bus to get moving.

 

[Banger]

what I don't get is how Willis McGahee catches hell for having a low YPC, yet Marshawn Lynch, running behind the same line, is being hailed by so many, despite having the same YPC.funny how people pick and choose the facts they wish to acknowledge

I think a lot of people overvalued McGahee years back and got burned.

 

[Todem]

what I don't get is how Willis McGahee catches hell for having a low YPC, yet Marshawn Lynch, running behind the same line, is being hailed by so many, despite having the same YPC.funny how people pick and choose the facts they wish to acknowledge

I think a lot of people overvalued McGahee years back and got burned.

Agreed. People drafting Lynch in the top 5-6 of start ups in dynasty leagues will be shell shocked becuase they are not going to get cow bell numbers that they expect. that team has no passing game that is a worth a damm.

 

[mdog1967]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

I think the Money invested in McGahee is going to dictate that he is going to continue to start. If McGahee falters I believe as a big Rice fan and owner(So Im Biased) that outside of Stewart and Mendenhal, Ray Rice going to Baltimore was the worst scenario for McGahee. I dont think there is anything that MG does better than Rice except to prove that he is a NFL caliber back.If you feel real strong that McGahee is in the 6-9 range, I cant really dispute your reasoning. I personally have him ranked in the 20-25 range.

 

[gianmarco]

People are probably going to overvalue Ronnie Brown even though imo it's Cam that turned him into a top fantasy option last year. If McGahee stays healthy, I believe McGahee will easily finish in the top ten.

Agree 100%.I only wish Ronnie didn't get hurt so we can see the proof clearly. Of course, if Ronnie does falter this year and McGahee does do better, there will be the injury to blame for Ronnie's decrease.

 

[BoltBacker]

Not sure what this has to do with Ray Rice Who thought McGahee wouldn't continue to be the offensive focal point?

Wood, you have him ranked higher than quite a few of the other FBG experts, and I think you still have him too low(but I'm a big fan of Cameron and RB's in his offense). I really can't understand the likes of Bryant/Dodds and Wimer ranking him all the way down at 14/15. In my opinion he should be in the 6-9 range and not a single FBG expert has him ranked higher than 10.

Well having him 14th/15th does strike me as too low. On the other hand, Baltimore's offensive line is a BIG question mark this year assuming Ogden retires as is expected; and it's unclear if the Ravens have a QB [if you have three, you really don't have any]. But by the time we're in the middle of camp, I would bet McGahee slots closer to the RB10-RB12 area.

I think people make a fair point about both the OL and QB but I'd counter by pointing out that when Cam went to MIA neither the OL or the QB play was spectacular, yet Ronnie Browns yards/carry increased almost an entire yard (from 4.2y/c to 5.1y/c). Like I said in the earlier post, perhaps it's just because I'm a big fan of Cameron as an offensive mind but I really see the addition of Cameron as the only real difference in the BAL offense from last season. The OL shouldn't be worse(I don't think Ogden was very good last season even when he did play - but maybe I'm in the minority) and the QB play shouldn't be much worse either(I'm a McNair fan over his career but he simply got outplayed by Boller last year not that either played great).People tend to criticize McGahee's explosiveness and receiving but he was the #8 RB last year based on FBG scoring. With Cameron running the offense I think #8 is near his bottom and wouldn't be surprised at all if he slid up a couple of spots.

 

[jurb26]

People are probably going to overvalue Ronnie Brown even though imo it's Cam that turned him into a top fantasy option last year. If McGahee stays healthy, I believe McGahee will easily finish in the top ten.

Agree 100%.I only wish Ronnie didn't get hurt so we can see the proof clearly. Of course, if Ronnie does falter this year and McGahee does do better, there will be the injury to blame for Ronnie's decrease.

Well, if Brown plays well again while "recovering" then you will have your proof.

 

[gianmarco]

People are probably going to overvalue Ronnie Brown even though imo it's Cam that turned him into a top fantasy option last year. If McGahee stays healthy, I believe McGahee will easily finish in the top ten.

Agree 100%.I only wish Ronnie didn't get hurt so we can see the proof clearly. Of course, if Ronnie does falter this year and McGahee does do better, there will be the injury to blame for Ronnie's decrease.

Well, if Brown plays well again while "recovering" then you will have your proof.

Yep, I will. And will gladly admit I was wrong about him being a top-tier talent if he produces like one in his situation.

 

[Banger]

People are probably going to overvalue Ronnie Brown even though imo it's Cam that turned him into a top fantasy option last year. If McGahee stays healthy, I believe McGahee will easily finish in the top ten.

Agree 100%.I only wish Ronnie didn't get hurt so we can see the proof clearly. Of course, if Ronnie does falter this year and McGahee does do better, there will be the injury to blame for Ronnie's decrease.

Well, if Brown plays well again while "recovering" then you will have your proof.

Posted this a few days back in a Brown thread....The big difference between Brown last year and prior years wasn't really the rushing it was his receiving stats. Yes his YPC was better but in his few games (7) he ran against 3 of the worst defenses in the league (and beat up on them big time) and a below avg rush defense. Against good defenses (3) he averaged 3.6 ypc (47 yrds/game) and 0 tds, against the bad defenses he ran for 5.76 ypc and 4 tds.

The REAL difference in his stats and the thing that made him so valuable was his MUCH improved receiving stats. In his 7 games he had 39-389-1. In 2007, his receiving stats were 33-276 in 13 games and in '06 they were 32-232-1 in 17 games. So anyone saying that Cam's impact wasn't dramatic wasn't watching. Will the next OC use him in the same receiving capacity as Cam did? That's the big question and that will determine if he'll be a good RB, like he'd been in prior years, or a top RB.

ETA...consider Jamal Lewis last year... he ran for 5.12 ypc in 8 games vs. poor defenses (189-968) and 3.6 in 7 games vs. good defenses (93-336). R. Brown = Jamal rush wise, the difference is the receiving. If the new OC doesn't feature R. Brown and force feed him the ball, Brown ends up being a a good, not great RB. His receiving numbers extrapolated were 89-900. Those are LT type numbers and guess who his OC was, LT's old OC.

 

[Banger]

One interesting thing is that the Ravens apparently liked McGahee's receiving ability and were talking all preseason about using him as a receiving threat and they did get him the ball 43 times (which was 53% more than his reception high of 28 in '05). Considering that R. Brown went from an average of 32 catch's in his 1st 2 years to 39 catchs in 7 games, could McGahee go through that same kind of big increase with Cameron now calling the plays? That big increase is what made Brown a top RB before he got hurt and may end up doing the same for McGahee. It'll be interesting...