Bob Magaw
Footballguy
an important point to make is that with more teams than ever in RBBC mode, it is important to qualify what starter means (thus the quotation marks) in a given context...
an initial survey, working systematicaly through the league... it might shed some light on how many jobs might be open for arguably the top two RB candidates in free agency & the draft... michael "the burner" turner & mcfadden....
best free agents - michael turner, julius jones, deshaun foster, others?
rookies (don't know class of '08 well enough to speculate) - mcfadden, stewart, ? how many are starting caliber?
BUF - marshawn lynch, can do it all
MIA - ronnie brown (if he returns to form from knee injury)
NE - lawrence maroney (didn't carry as much as expected in second season, finished strong), very promising if he can stay healthy, but he has a violent running style
NYJ - thomas jones didn't live up to expectations (played better late), not long term answer, that RB imo not currently on the roster (for long term, i mean, not next year or two)
BAL - mcgahee is the man, solid yadage year but inexplicably few TDs
CIN - rudi johnson, missed a lot of time last year for first time since becoming starter, not getting any younger, also has been driven very hard in past & has high contact style, if not on downside could be getting there soon, chris perry can't stay healthy, a dynamic RB could enhance passing game, they may have to start thinking about this position soon?
CLE - jamal lewis... looked done two years ago, looked rejuvenated in '07, i think reupped, but not sure about the length of contract (not big commitment by browns i recall), the team probably has more pressing concerns at other positions to prioritize RB in draft or FA
PIT - willie parker, he isn't the biggest RB & runs very tough for his size, his staus could change if he starts to get banged up a lot, but i'm not predicting that will happen
HOU - first massive question mark... ahman green can't have much left in the tank & dayne is very iffy & marginal... of course with kubiak coming from DEN & being steeped in the tradition of drafting RBs late & plugging them into system, this won't necessarily be destination of high profile FA like turner
IND - addai one of best young RBs in league, not as explosive as faulk in his prime but has similar game & opportunity in this offense, he was hurt a lot at LSU & more in his second year than first (edit - in the NFL), i think
JAX - taylor & jones-drew might be best tandem in NFL after AD/taylor, only question is will jones-drew definitely become feature RB after taylor retires or is discarded, imo he has what it takes, & perhaps this isn't a big question to many here
TEN - lendale white exceeded expectations in '07 (perhaps a backhanded compliment, as expectations were ultra-low), certainly looks like if he doesn't balloon up in size he could play a big role in the future, chris brown could be odd man out as chris henry flashed potential when he wasn't getting suspended
DEN - travis henry had a turbulent, injury-riddled & controversy-driven year, was supplanted by former longhorn free agent (name escapes me? edit - selvin young), you never know with this team... not even that they don't prioritize RBs in FA/draft, as they did break down in acquiring henry?
KC - larry johnson, assuming his foot is right, is one of biggest locks in NFL as feature RB (with LT & steven jackson)
OAK - wide open, they did just re-sign fargas & after a history dating back to college of injury & underachievment, he looked best since his final year at USC, unclear if he can be a feature RB, lamont jordan doesn't look like he is in the raiders plans (or whatever is going on inside al davis noggin that substitutes for plans)
SD -DUH!
DAL - marion barber looks like the man, though technically he is free agent & some think he will be packaged with one or more 1st round picks by DAL to obtain rights for mcfadden... why trade a known commodity like barber, though? julius jones almost certainly moving on, it should be interesting if he has any chance of being more than a RBBC complement after an auspicious start to his career
NYG - brandon jacobs may not be feature RB (his size could lead to him being banged up near chronically), but he looks to have a big role, which might preclude a big investment on the position in either draft/FA
PHI - westbrook, another one of surer starting jobs in the league (edit - should be mentioned that he is approaching middle age for RB, but he is so elusive that he hasn't absorbed a lot of big shots over his career, & he carried the ball less his first few years with eagles, so he could have relatively fresh legs... at any rate, he isn't playing like a RB about to hit the wall any second)
WAS - portis might break down earlier than RBs with larger physical stature, ladell betts didn't play nearly as big a role in '07 as i thought he would based on '06
CHI - huge question mark (arguably biggest since HOU & OAK so far), cedric benson was a massive disappointment last season & while it may not be controversial to say so (captain obvious part of the programming), he doesn't look like he has what it takes to be a special RB, and may not even be starting material
DET - if kevin jones were healthy he could be a good one, but this is a big question mark, maybe they will continue to employ a RBBC with TJ duckett
GB - ryan grant was a revelation, his best trait might be fearlessness & ability to hit the hole hard
MIN - peterson has a chance to be one of the best ever, taylor is an outstanding RB2
ATL - one of the bigger question marks, dunn is near the end & norwood might be too spindly legged to ever be more than a change of pace back
CAR - foster reportedly on way out (unless he renegotiates cheaper contract), those who have been calling for the insertion of deangelo williams into starting lineup (like me
) could get their wish... hasn't proven he can carry the load at this level, but he hasn't really gotten the chance, and he was a workhorse in college
NO - bush regressed big time in year two, now looks like a souped up situational back, a westbrook wannabe, should split carries with mcalister if he is back, may do more damage in passing game
TB - is cadillac's career over? does it matter if graham plays like he did in '07
ARI - edge is still effective but for how much longer... the team has to be at least thinking about the future, arrington almost certainly not cut out to be feature RB
STL - steven jackson, off year, has the talent to be one of the top RBs in the NFL
SF - frank gore (see immediately above)
SEA - big question mark, alexander done & morris probably not starting caliber, no doubt holmgren would like to have a good running game to complement the aerial attack
an initial survey, working systematicaly through the league... it might shed some light on how many jobs might be open for arguably the top two RB candidates in free agency & the draft... michael "the burner" turner & mcfadden....
best free agents - michael turner, julius jones, deshaun foster, others?
rookies (don't know class of '08 well enough to speculate) - mcfadden, stewart, ? how many are starting caliber?
BUF - marshawn lynch, can do it all
MIA - ronnie brown (if he returns to form from knee injury)
NE - lawrence maroney (didn't carry as much as expected in second season, finished strong), very promising if he can stay healthy, but he has a violent running style
NYJ - thomas jones didn't live up to expectations (played better late), not long term answer, that RB imo not currently on the roster (for long term, i mean, not next year or two)
BAL - mcgahee is the man, solid yadage year but inexplicably few TDs
CIN - rudi johnson, missed a lot of time last year for first time since becoming starter, not getting any younger, also has been driven very hard in past & has high contact style, if not on downside could be getting there soon, chris perry can't stay healthy, a dynamic RB could enhance passing game, they may have to start thinking about this position soon?
CLE - jamal lewis... looked done two years ago, looked rejuvenated in '07, i think reupped, but not sure about the length of contract (not big commitment by browns i recall), the team probably has more pressing concerns at other positions to prioritize RB in draft or FA
PIT - willie parker, he isn't the biggest RB & runs very tough for his size, his staus could change if he starts to get banged up a lot, but i'm not predicting that will happen
HOU - first massive question mark... ahman green can't have much left in the tank & dayne is very iffy & marginal... of course with kubiak coming from DEN & being steeped in the tradition of drafting RBs late & plugging them into system, this won't necessarily be destination of high profile FA like turner
IND - addai one of best young RBs in league, not as explosive as faulk in his prime but has similar game & opportunity in this offense, he was hurt a lot at LSU & more in his second year than first (edit - in the NFL), i think
JAX - taylor & jones-drew might be best tandem in NFL after AD/taylor, only question is will jones-drew definitely become feature RB after taylor retires or is discarded, imo he has what it takes, & perhaps this isn't a big question to many here
TEN - lendale white exceeded expectations in '07 (perhaps a backhanded compliment, as expectations were ultra-low), certainly looks like if he doesn't balloon up in size he could play a big role in the future, chris brown could be odd man out as chris henry flashed potential when he wasn't getting suspended
DEN - travis henry had a turbulent, injury-riddled & controversy-driven year, was supplanted by former longhorn free agent (name escapes me? edit - selvin young), you never know with this team... not even that they don't prioritize RBs in FA/draft, as they did break down in acquiring henry?
KC - larry johnson, assuming his foot is right, is one of biggest locks in NFL as feature RB (with LT & steven jackson)
OAK - wide open, they did just re-sign fargas & after a history dating back to college of injury & underachievment, he looked best since his final year at USC, unclear if he can be a feature RB, lamont jordan doesn't look like he is in the raiders plans (or whatever is going on inside al davis noggin that substitutes for plans)
SD -DUH!
DAL - marion barber looks like the man, though technically he is free agent & some think he will be packaged with one or more 1st round picks by DAL to obtain rights for mcfadden... why trade a known commodity like barber, though? julius jones almost certainly moving on, it should be interesting if he has any chance of being more than a RBBC complement after an auspicious start to his career
NYG - brandon jacobs may not be feature RB (his size could lead to him being banged up near chronically), but he looks to have a big role, which might preclude a big investment on the position in either draft/FA
PHI - westbrook, another one of surer starting jobs in the league (edit - should be mentioned that he is approaching middle age for RB, but he is so elusive that he hasn't absorbed a lot of big shots over his career, & he carried the ball less his first few years with eagles, so he could have relatively fresh legs... at any rate, he isn't playing like a RB about to hit the wall any second)
WAS - portis might break down earlier than RBs with larger physical stature, ladell betts didn't play nearly as big a role in '07 as i thought he would based on '06
CHI - huge question mark (arguably biggest since HOU & OAK so far), cedric benson was a massive disappointment last season & while it may not be controversial to say so (captain obvious part of the programming), he doesn't look like he has what it takes to be a special RB, and may not even be starting material
DET - if kevin jones were healthy he could be a good one, but this is a big question mark, maybe they will continue to employ a RBBC with TJ duckett
GB - ryan grant was a revelation, his best trait might be fearlessness & ability to hit the hole hard
MIN - peterson has a chance to be one of the best ever, taylor is an outstanding RB2
ATL - one of the bigger question marks, dunn is near the end & norwood might be too spindly legged to ever be more than a change of pace back
CAR - foster reportedly on way out (unless he renegotiates cheaper contract), those who have been calling for the insertion of deangelo williams into starting lineup (like me
) could get their wish... hasn't proven he can carry the load at this level, but he hasn't really gotten the chance, and he was a workhorse in collegeNO - bush regressed big time in year two, now looks like a souped up situational back, a westbrook wannabe, should split carries with mcalister if he is back, may do more damage in passing game
TB - is cadillac's career over? does it matter if graham plays like he did in '07
ARI - edge is still effective but for how much longer... the team has to be at least thinking about the future, arrington almost certainly not cut out to be feature RB
STL - steven jackson, off year, has the talent to be one of the top RBs in the NFL
SF - frank gore (see immediately above)
SEA - big question mark, alexander done & morris probably not starting caliber, no doubt holmgren would like to have a good running game to complement the aerial attack
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