LenDale White - Why the sudden interest? (1 Viewer)

[Sigmund Bloom]

Ok, I am seeing LenDale White going in the 7th/8th round of the 16 team SSLs (over backs like Sproles, MBush, Harrison, Hardesty, Ben Tate). He just went in the 12th round of a 16 team dynasty startup. How have people not left this guy for dead?

1) Seattle only gave up a 7 pick bump and 9 pick bump for White AND Kevin Vickerson (Compare that to the 97 pick bump they gave up for LWash). In other words, Tennessee pretty much gave him to Seattle for free. Seattle has nothing invested in him, and "competition" is their motto right now. I don't see a player with White's work ethic doing well in that situation.

2) White looked slow and lacked power in his game for pretty much his entire career in Tennessee. He didn't crack four yards per carry in any of the last three years, and he only had fantasy relevance because he was the designated TD scorer in 07 and 08. He only mattered because he was the finisher for one of the best running teams in the league, he always looked like the worst RB who we cared about in fantasy leagues to me, and it wasn't close.

3) Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.

I think there's at least a 50/50 chance White doesn't make it through camp - I just can't picture him outplaying three of LWash, Forsett, JJones, and Ganther decisively enough to earn a spot. If he does make the final roster and get a good amount of work, is he really going to do anything with it? Isn't this Seahawks team destined to struggle and be in game situations that are tailored for more versatile backs like LWash and Forsett anyway?

I see people bringing home LenDale like a stray who can be a good pet, but to me, he's just roadkill that I wouldn't even stop to poke with a stick.

 

[EBF]

His competition for touches is:

- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury

- Julius Jones

- Justin Forsett

- Quinton Ganther

That pretty much explains it.

I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

 

[fantasysharkctb]

As a Titans fan I agree 100% with you. Good riddance. Don't hate the guy (He's actually got some good whit and is quite candid in interviews), but he is lazy and only worked out ERRR stopped drinking patron before his walk year.

Pass

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

He was given away for pick bumps that amount to 2 or 3 players on a team's draft board (along with another player at that), he basically was cut already by Tennessee. Even if he does make the roster, how good is the "thunder" in an offense that will be about as fierce as the constant soaking rain that plagues Seattle? Let's also remember that those Wheatley Oakland teams were actually good teams, winning teams, even Super Bowl teams. Seattle will be lucky to win 5 games this year, and that's only possible because they play in the same division as St. Louis. White is much more likely to become TJ Duckett slowly swirling down the drain in Washington, Detroit, and (wait for it) Seattle. I just don't see how anyone could have watched White in Tennessee and thought he is a good NFL RB, one worth believing in once he was out of that plum situation.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.

This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

On those 07 and 08 Tennessee teams, I think a lot of backs that weren't even in the league anymore could have come close to those numbers. White didn't crack 4 ypc in either year. Those numbers were produced by the situation, not the player - I can't remember being underwhelmed more by a 1000 yard rusher.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

His competition for touches is:

- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury

- Julius Jones

- Justin Forsett

- Quinton Ganther

That pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

That does pretty much explain it, that's why the talk anyway. Now, I could be running for Seattle and just because I'm competing against those guys doesn't make me any better and White won't be any better than what we've seen in the recent past either.

EBF, I think you were on to something when saying why there's a bit of a buzz for Lendal White this offseason but then you go into actually defending him in why he can actually do well this upcoming season and that's where I have to get off.

There's not a lot of talent compared to other teams at RB in Seattle. You have a guy who once ran for double digit TD in the not so distant past. Those are the reasons Bloom he's at least being talked about.

However, the guy is a flat tire.

 

[EBF]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

He was given away for pick bumps that amount to 2 or 3 players on a team's draft board (along with another player at that), he basically was cut already by Tennessee. Even if he does make the roster, how good is the "thunder" in an offense that will be about as fierce as the constant soaking rain that plagues Seattle? Let's also remember that those Wheatley Oakland teams were actually good teams, winning teams, even Super Bowl teams. Seattle will be lucky to win 5 games this year, and that's only possible because they play in the same division as St. Louis. White is much more likely to become TJ Duckett slowly swirling down the drain in Washington, Detroit, and (wait for it) Seattle. I just don't see how anyone could have watched White in Tennessee and thought he is a good NFL RB, one worth believing in once he was out of that plum situation.

When you're potentially the best RB on your team, you have value in deep redraft leagues. It's as simple as that. White may not be a great pro, but his NFL achievements trump those of Forsett and Ganther. Washington will most likely beat out Jones for the "lightning role" and White will be the big back. I don't think he's very good, but I don't think he's as bad as you're making him out to be. He was a 2nd round pick, he has an 1100+ yard rushing season under his belt, and he's being reunited with a coach who knows his strengths. I don't usually put much stock in the "he's in the best shape of his career" offseason hype, but in LenDale's case it's obvious that he's much more fit than he was in his first three years in Tennessee. That might have been apparent last season if he hadn't been stuck behind a Pro Bowler who was in the midst of a career year. I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling. My read is that they weren't happy with their RB options and once they missed out on the top RBs in the draft, they settled on White and Washington as their stopgap solution. I think there's basically zero chance of him getting cut and I'll be surprised if he's not a significant part of their rushing offense next season. I would say he's comparable in talent to Antowain Smith and Tyrone Wheatley, both of whom found spurts of success when given chances. No, the Seahawks aren't a great team, but they're not one of the worst in the league either. I'm not sure it matters a whole lot, as teams like Cleveland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Buffalo yielded useful FF RBs last season. I expect something like 800-1000 rushing yards with 6-8 TDs. That would make him a decent depth candidate in best ball redraft leagues.

 

[finito]

Maybe he has some talent and will get another shot with a former coach. He has had some success, so it's not like he's been a complete failure his whole career. Still, I like both Washington and Forsett over him, though I could see White getting a number of short TDs.

 

[Tau837]

IMO the factors that give him potential are these:1. Carroll and their prior relationship2. Lack of RB competition3. He is supposedly in better shape... per Rotworld:

White, who weighed 250 pounds at USC, is currently at 218 and says he "feels great." "He looks great," coach Pete Carroll said. "He's 218. I can't remember him ever being that light. I don't think he was that light when we recruited him way back when." White will contend with Justin Forsett and rehabbing Leon Washington for carries in Alex Gibbs' zone-blocking system.

I think it comes down to what he costs. IMO there is some potential upside there.

 

[Tau837]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

He was given away for pick bumps that amount to 2 or 3 players on a team's draft board (along with another player at that), he basically was cut already by Tennessee. Even if he does make the roster, how good is the "thunder" in an offense that will be about as fierce as the constant soaking rain that plagues Seattle? Let's also remember that those Wheatley Oakland teams were actually good teams, winning teams, even Super Bowl teams. Seattle will be lucky to win 5 games this year, and that's only possible because they play in the same division as St. Louis. White is much more likely to become TJ Duckett slowly swirling down the drain in Washington, Detroit, and (wait for it) Seattle. I just don't see how anyone could have watched White in Tennessee and thought he is a good NFL RB, one worth believing in once he was out of that plum situation.

When you're potentially the best RB on your team, you have value in deep redraft leagues. It's as simple as that. White may not be a great pro, but his NFL achievements trump those of Forsett and Ganther. Washington will most likely beat out Jones for the "lightning role" and White will be the big back. I don't think he's very good, but I don't think he's as bad as you're making him out to be. He was a 2nd round pick, he has an 1100+ yard rushing season under his belt, and he's being reunited with a coach who knows his strengths. I don't usually put much stock in the "he's in the best shape of his career" offseason hype, but in LenDale's case it's obvious that he's much more fit than he was in his first three years in Tennessee. That might have been apparent last season if he hadn't been stuck behind a Pro Bowler who was in the midst of a career year. I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling. My read is that they weren't happy with their RB options and once they missed out on the top RBs in the draft, they settled on White and Washington as their stopgap solution. I think there's basically zero chance of him getting cut and I'll be surprised if he's not a significant part of their rushing offense next season. I would say he's comparable in talent to Antowain Smith and Tyrone Wheatley, both of whom found spurts of success when given chances. No, the Seahawks aren't a great team, but they're not one of the worst in the league either. I'm not sure it matters a whole lot, as teams like Cleveland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Buffalo yielded useful FF RBs last season. I expect something like 800-1000 rushing yards with 6-8 TDs. That would make him a decent depth candidate in best ball redraft leagues.

 

[TS Garp]

Ok, I am seeing LenDale White going in the 7th/8th round of the 16 team SSLs (over backs like Sproles, MBush, Harrison, Hardesty, Ben Tate). He just went in the 12th round of a 16 team dynasty startup. How have people not left this guy for dead?1) Seattle only gave up a 7 pick bump and 9 pick bump for White AND Kevin Vickerson (Compare that to the 97 pick bump they gave up for LWash). In other words, Tennessee pretty much gave him to Seattle for free. Seattle has nothing invested in him, and "competition" is their motto right now. I don't see a player with White's work ethic doing well in that situation.2) White looked slow and lacked power in his game for pretty much his entire career in Tennessee. He didn't crack four yards per carry in any of the last three years, and he only had fantasy relevance because he was the designated TD scorer in 07 and 08. He only mattered because he was the finisher for one of the best running teams in the league, he always looked like the worst RB who we cared about in fantasy leagues to me, and it wasn't close.3) Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.I think there's at least a 50/50 chance White doesn't make it through camp - I just can't picture him outplaying three of LWash, Forsett, JJones, and Ganther decisively enough to earn a spot. If he does make the final roster and get a good amount of work, is he really going to do anything with it? Isn't this Seahawks team destined to struggle and be in game situations that are tailored for more versatile backs like LWash and Forsett anyway? I see people bringing home LenDale like a stray who can be a good pet, but to me, he's just roadkill that I wouldn't even stop to poke with a stick.

I get everything you're saying and I certainly wouldn't reach for him, but I do think he's worth taking a flier on. Chances are he won't get it together, BUT, if there was an ideal situation for him to land in (in terms of opportunity), this is it. He has his old coach who believes in him and he's going to a backfield where he'll have a chance to see the majority of the carries. Would I bet on him turning his career around? No. But remember that he just turned 25, and it has been known to happen before. Cedric Benson is and always has been more talented than White, but how many people believed in him when he went to the Bengals? I get that Seattle gave up nothing for White, but it doesn't mean that Carroll doesn't believe in him, and I do think White has upside that makes him worth considering. Again, I feel like I need to qualify that by saying that he's not going to pull a Cedric Benson, but would it truly be a shocker if he put up 900 yards and 8 td's? I don't think it would, and that makes him worth picking up late.

 

[RustyFA2]

I disagree with your assessment Sigmund. I think that White will be the starter in Seattle and will be in on the 1st two downs. 1000 yards rushing and 7 TDs this year makes him a good flex.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling.

Judging by the price paid, that trade negotiation went something like this:Tennessee: Hey, you guys want LenDale?Seattle: Sure, what do you want for him?Tennessee: How about we get to move a couple of our picks up a round?Seattle: Hmm, we would be willing to move a couple of your picks up say, 7 or 9 slots, but not a round.Tennessee: SOLD!Seattle: And you have to throw in another player.Tennessee: DONE AND DONE!Seattle (privately): Geez, we gave up too much, didn't we?

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

that makes him worth picking up late.

Yes, LATE, I can see that. I can see taking LenDale as your 5th or 6th RB, last one on your roster. Draft him and see what happens. People in the SLs (EBF and BSS for two) are taking him as an RB3, around RB35-RB40, certainly not late by any stretch of the imagination. It seems like his value has already priced in 1) winning the starting job, 2) Seattle actually being viable on offense enough to give him decent numbers, and 3) LenDale looking better than he has in his entire career.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

White has an opportunity to be a poor man's Jerome Bettis, he is worth a late round flier.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Also, 1000 yards? Tennessee had to give him over 300 carries for LenDale to get 1000 - Seattle only mustered 395 last year. Even if they force-feed LenDale the rock, I'm not sure how he'll get more than 250 carries with Forsett and LWash around.

 

[bonesman]

Ok, I am seeing LenDale White going in the 7th/8th round of the 16 team SSLs (over backs like Sproles, MBush, Harrison, Hardesty, Ben Tate). He just went in the 12th round of a 16 team dynasty startup.

That's all too rich for my blood on LenDale too... but I think you are either highly exaggerating or way off on the rest.50/50 to not make the roster?Can you think of a wager for legal tender based on that belief that you'd be willing to make?

 

[ICON211]

I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling.

Judging by the price paid, that trade negotiation went something like this:Tennessee: Hey, you guys want LenDale?Seattle: Sure, what do you want for him?Tennessee: How about we get to move a couple of our picks up a round?Seattle: Hmm, we would be willing to move a couple of your picks up say, 7 or 9 slots, but not a round.Tennessee: SOLD!Seattle: And you have to throw in another player.Tennessee: DONE AND DONE!Seattle (privately): Geez, we gave up too much, didn't we?

So you are basing his value on what he was traded for not the situation he ended up in? The Raiders traded Randy Moss to NE for a 4th round pick. I am not saying he is a lock to do anything of significance but the opportunity is certainly there and he is definitely worth drafting.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Ok, I am seeing LenDale White going in the 7th/8th round of the 16 team SSLs (over backs like Sproles, MBush, Harrison, Hardesty, Ben Tate). He just went in the 12th round of a 16 team dynasty startup.

That's all too rich for my blood on LenDale too... but I think you are either highly exaggerating or way off on the rest.50/50 to not make the roster?Can you think of a wager for legal tender based on that belief that you'd be willing to make?

I wouldn't wager on it because of the unpredictable factor of Carroll loyalty, but if he was a viable starting RB, wouldn't Tennessee have gotten more than insignificant pick bumps in the 4th and 6th round for him? Carroll can get White on the roster, and even get him touches, but he can't make him a good RB. As down as I am on Julius Jones, I think he has more game than White and Quinton Ganther can at least play some FB and special teams, which is more than you can say for LenDale in terms of versatility. If the camp competition is fair, LenDale will have to earn that spot, and I don't think that's a given.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling.

Judging by the price paid, that trade negotiation went something like this:Tennessee: Hey, you guys want LenDale?Seattle: Sure, what do you want for him?Tennessee: How about we get to move a couple of our picks up a round?Seattle: Hmm, we would be willing to move a couple of your picks up say, 7 or 9 slots, but not a round.Tennessee: SOLD!Seattle: And you have to throw in another player.Tennessee: DONE AND DONE!Seattle (privately): Geez, we gave up too much, didn't we?

So you are basing his value on what he was traded for not the situation he ended up in? The Raiders traded Randy Moss to NE for a 4th round pick. I am not saying he is a lock to do anything of significance but the opportunity is certainly there and he is definitely worth drafting.

I am basing his value on what I have observed watching him play the last four years. The value he was traded just confirms that valuation. Worth drafting? Sure, why not. Worth drafting anywhere except the last few rounds - no way.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.Also, 1000 yards? Tennessee had to give him over 300 carries for LenDale to get 1000 - Seattle only mustered 395 last year. Even if they force-feed LenDale the rock, I'm not sure how he'll get more than 250 carries with Forsett and LWash around.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

Since we're playing this game...The year before LenDale came to Tennessee they scored roughly the same number of points Seattle did last year, they had 397 rushing attempts, and they..............(wait for it)...........ran for seven touchdowns as a teamThings change fast in the NFL.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.Also, 1000 yards? Tennessee had to give him over 300 carries for LenDale to get 1000 - Seattle only mustered 395 last year. Even if they force-feed LenDale the rock, I'm not sure how he'll get more than 250 carries with Forsett and LWash around.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

Since we're playing this game...The year before LenDale came to Tennessee they scored roughly the same number of points Seattle did last year, they had 397 rushing attempts, and they..............(wait for it)...........ran for seven touchdowns as a teamThings change fast in the NFL.

Unless Whitehurst's first year in Seattle goes something like VY's in Tennessee, that's a stretch. Yes, it is possible that Seattle is better than anyone expects, but would you count on it? Would you stake one of your first 8 picks in a draft on it?

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.Also, 1000 yards? Tennessee had to give him over 300 carries for LenDale to get 1000 - Seattle only mustered 395 last year. Even if they force-feed LenDale the rock, I'm not sure how he'll get more than 250 carries with Forsett and LWash around.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

Since we're playing this game...The year before LenDale came to Tennessee they scored roughly the same number of points Seattle did last year, they had 397 rushing attempts, and they..............(wait for it)...........ran for seven touchdowns as a teamThings change fast in the NFL.

Unless Whitehurst's first year in Seattle goes something like VY's in Tennessee, that's a stretch. Yes, it is possible that Seattle is better than anyone expects, but would you count on it? Would you stake one of your first 8 picks in a draft on it?

Don't change your argument based on seeing a few reaches on the guy. I think you are saying that White has minimal value, while the majority seem to think he is worth a RB 4 on a roster.

 

[MAC_32]

There's a lot of uncertainty about what's going to happen in Seattle's backfield, so betting on the best talent and thinking the cards will fall for them is really the only way to play this situation if you're going to take anybody before the very, very late rounds. Forsett and Washington are the only two talents on the team, everyone else in the roster is replacement level or worse.

If LenDale is given as many carries as those who are drafting him early (RB3 is early) think then this team is going to be one of the worst at running the football, again. Seattle's offensive line is much worse than Tennessee's when LenDale was producing and a thin LenDale is just another guy, he's neither big nor fast and with marginal instincts, field vision, agility, etc. already there's little if any upside here.

I picked him up as a free agent week 17 of a dyno last year hoping he'd go somewhere that (on paper at least) provided an opportunity, since it seems as though he has I'm selling to the highest bidder. Hell, a marginal pick upgrade will do it, kind of like what Tennessee did in Apqril.

 

[EBF]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.

I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Holmes is going to be suspended for 4 games and he's in a contract year, hence the low price. Boldin is getting up there in years, has been injured a ton, and wanted a new contract with a lot of guaranteed money, hence the low price. But you're comparing paying Volkswagen prices for a BMW to paying taxi cab fare for a used El Camino. You also gloss over the admission that White has been "less than stellar" - if he doesn't perform any better in Seattle, do you think they'll keep giving him the rock? Spend a last-round draft pick on him, sure. But take White over more talented RBs on better teams with more certain roles? Makes no sense to me.

 

[Matt Waldman]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Gotta agree with EBF...White wasn't special for several reasons: 1) He played much of his best season on a bad knee. As good as the Titans line is, it doesn't help if you're gutting it out due to injury (and the line was still gelling at that point).2) He was overweight for most of his career in Tennessee3) He has a reputation for not having a consistent, killer instinct as a ball carrier. However, he had moments during his USC career where he showed the vision, footwork, and balance to be better than he's been. I don't see White taking the job outright, but I think 150-200 carries is logical here given Washington's injury/Forsett's limited upside (IMO). I will be very surprised if Seattle doesn't target a big-time rookie RB next year though...White is a nice gamble on the present. I wouldn't take White over some of the RBs Bloom mentioned, but I do think he's worth a late-round pick (and not just the last pick...significantly earlier than that)

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Gotta agree with EBF...White wasn't special for several reasons: 1) He played much of his best season on a bad knee. As good as the Titans line is, it doesn't help if you're gutting it out due to injury (and the line was still gelling at that point).2) He was overweight for most of his career in Tennessee3) He has a reputation for not having a consistent, killer instinct as a ball carrier. However, he had moments during his USC career where he showed the vision, footwork, and balance to be better than he's been. I don't see White taking the job outright, but I think 150-200 carries is logical here given Washington's injury/Forsett's limited upside (IMO). I will be very surprised if Seattle doesn't target a big-time rookie RB next year though...White is a nice gamble on the present. I wouldn't take White over some of the RBs Bloom mentioned, but I do think he's worth a late-round pick (and not just the last pick...significantly earlier than that)

If White has looked sluggish for most of his pro career because of injuries and weight issues, and we're about to see the real White because he is over that stuff, then I'll happily bump this thread during the season, but until I see it, I won't believe it.

 

[EBF]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Holmes is going to be suspended for 4 games and he's in a contract year, hence the low price. Boldin is getting up there in years, has been injured a ton, and wanted a new contract with a lot of guaranteed money, hence the low price. But you're comparing paying Volkswagen prices for a BMW to paying taxi cab fare for a used El Camino. You also gloss over the admission that White has been "less than stellar" - if he doesn't perform any better in Seattle, do you think they'll keep giving him the rock? Spend a last-round draft pick on him, sure. But take White over more talented RBs on better teams with more certain roles? Makes no sense to me.

In the end, I just have a slightly different view of White's talent and the situation in Seattle.You seem to view White as a complete zero who's lucky to have an NFL roster spot. I view him as a less then ideal starting option who has enough talent to contribute in spot duty. Somewhere along the lines of Ron Dayne, Antowain Smith, Anthony Thomas, Tyrone Wheatley, and Ladell Betts. Maybe even a little bit better than those guys. That's more of a condemnation than an endorsement for dynasty purposes, but we're not talking about 2010 and beyond. We're talking about 2010, when the competition for touches is minimal. In this context I could see LenDale playing pretty well and putting up surprising numbers.Personally, I view Seattle's backfield as Leon Washington, LenDale White, and a handful of scrubs who will be lucky to make the roster. White and Washington are the guys to own this year. They'll be the thunder and lightning for this team. Sure, the Seahawks haven't been a rushing powerhouse since Shaun Alexander's demise, but it's pretty apparent that RBs can have significant FF value even on bad teams (and the Hawks aren't really THAT bad, they could even win the division). You could do a lot worse if you're looking for a RB3-RB4 in best ball redraft leagues. I think the fact that four experienced FF players took White in roughly the exact same range of the SSL drafts should be a hint that maybe it's you and not us who has a skewed view of his redraft value. People who didn't watch a lot of USC games during the White/Bush era probably don't know how dominant White was for that team. It was a lower level of competition and he definitely benefited from his stellar supporting cast, but the guy was flat out unstoppable in the second half of games. Literally 5+ yards almost every carry. He has nimble feet for a bigger back and although he lacks great workout strength, he's a load to bring down because of his lower body bulk and leg drive. I think Carroll will use him well this year and I wouldn't be shocked to see a renaissance season. Is he ever going to be a great pro back? No, but when you get into the RB30+ range in redraft leagues, the same can be said for just about all of the other options left on the board.

 

[Pickle Rody]

Disclosure: I did not finish reading the entire thread......wanted to comment here on Bloom's original comments first.....

Ok, I am seeing LenDale White going in the 7th/8th round of the 16 team SSLs (over backs like Sproles, MBush, Harrison, Hardesty, Ben Tate). He just went in the 12th round of a 16 team dynasty startup. How have people not left this guy for dead?

M. Bush is the RB I like the best out of this group.....well ahead of L. White.

1) Seattle only gave up a 7 pick bump and 9 pick bump for White AND Kevin Vickerson (Compare that to the 97 pick bump they gave up for LWash). In other words, Tennessee pretty much gave him to Seattle for free. Seattle has nothing invested in him, and "competition" is their motto right now. I don't see a player with White's work ethic doing well in that situation.

2) White looked slow and lacked power in his game for pretty much his entire career in Tennessee. He didn't crack four yards per carry in any of the last three years, and he only had fantasy relevance because he was the designated TD scorer in 07 and 08. He only mattered because he was the finisher for one of the best running teams in the league, he always looked like the worst RB who we cared about in fantasy leagues to me, and it wasn't close.

3) Even if White does somehow win a piece of this backfield (Pete Carroll favoritism?), he is in an offense with a washed-up QB and a completely unproven backup, an offensive line that is under construction, and a passing offense that features TJ Houshmandzadeh as the #1 WR. He isn't going to get all of the layup TDs he got in Tennessee.

I totally agree on all three points of contention here Bloom.

I think there's at least a 50/50 chance White doesn't make it through camp - I just can't picture him outplaying three of LWash, Forsett, JJones, and Ganther decisively enough to earn a spot. If he does make the final roster and get a good amount of work, is he really going to do anything with it? Isn't this Seahawks team destined to struggle and be in game situations that are tailored for more versatile backs like LWash and Forsett anyway?

I see people bringing home LenDale like a stray who can be a good pet, but to me, he's just roadkill that I wouldn't even stop to poke with a stick.

I agree Bloom that White has been going off the board way to early for 16 team survivors with ONLY 18 rounds. If anything I might consider White in the last round if the rest of my team was very solid and I could afford the risk of him not even making Seattle's roster. Forsett and Washington are the Seattle RB's I have been looking at currently as the most likely to garner the most touches and thus be the most valuable this year.

 

[Matt Waldman]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Gotta agree with EBF...White wasn't special for several reasons: 1) He played much of his best season on a bad knee. As good as the Titans line is, it doesn't help if you're gutting it out due to injury (and the line was still gelling at that point).2) He was overweight for most of his career in Tennessee3) He has a reputation for not having a consistent, killer instinct as a ball carrier. However, he had moments during his USC career where he showed the vision, footwork, and balance to be better than he's been. I don't see White taking the job outright, but I think 150-200 carries is logical here given Washington's injury/Forsett's limited upside (IMO). I will be very surprised if Seattle doesn't target a big-time rookie RB next year though...White is a nice gamble on the present. I wouldn't take White over some of the RBs Bloom mentioned, but I do think he's worth a late-round pick (and not just the last pick...significantly earlier than that)

If White has looked sluggish for most of his pro career because of injuries and weight issues, and we're about to see the real White because he is over that stuff, then I'll happily bump this thread during the season, but until I see it, I won't believe it.

And as one who felt White was overrated before he stepped foot in an NFL facility, I understand your perspective. I guess I just don't see much in the Seattle backfield that is much better than him other than Washington, who I'm waiting to see if he's healthy.

 

[Jason Wood]

He's in great shape

He's got virtually no competition for touches, certainly no one else that should engender MORE confidence (maybe equivalent)

He's reunited with his college coach

They want to run the ball a lot

Where's the mystery?

As a RB4? I think he's a potential gem.

 

[renesauz]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

My thoughts exactly. NOBODY on the Seahawks is a lock, and I could easily see Lendale rebounding nicely. I expect him to garner the (slightly) heavier load in a RBBC. IN SSL's (best ball), he should be a nice play.

 

[Jail]

Also, 1000 yards? Tennessee had to give him over 300 carries for LenDale to get 1000 - Seattle only mustered 395 last year. Even if they force-feed LenDale the rock, I'm not sure how he'll get more than 250 carries with Forsett and LWash around.

You've made a few comments about his YPC, but it doesn't make sense to me to use that as much of a measure for a short yardage back. I don't know how to look up how successful he was in that role, but that stat would be more accurate at describing his effectiveness.I think RB3 is too rich for me, but RB4 is definitely worth his value. Your fellow FBG staff has him at RB42 right now. In fact only 2 out of 12 rank him less then RB4 range. Bob Henry has him as RB29! that surprised me cause I usually like his ranking quite a bit. My point is just that you seem a bit extreme in your position here.ETA: 4 out of 12 FBG staff rankings have him as RB3.

 

[SoopaCee]

for the record Eddie George only had a 3.6 YPC in his career......anywho

you said it best, he is in a crappy backfield, that said with his old coach he has potential to do good there and get the chance

regardless, i dont like him and will never draft him....but i see where people are coming from

 

[Andrew Garda]

White's biggest problem since he hit the league has been his attitude. He's got talent - but a weak work ethic. Will that change heading into Seattle?

If it's EVER going to, you won't see a better situation. He's back with a coach who loved him, believes in him and was able to motivate him (though college and NFL are of course different animals) and he's out of a situation where he was unhappy.

Change of venue can be huge for a player.

Things i am concerned about: health. Motivation. The majority of the last few years of Pete Carroll at USC he did NOT have a lead back. Not that he didn't have a player who could be a lead back. They just changed ball carriers frequently.

In fact, THAT'S my biggest worry. If all the backs are healthy, who's to say Carroll doesn't use them all and frequently change it up?

White may be incredibly motivated but it won't help him if he's relegated to bench because Pete is 'changing it up' frequently.

Although to play my own Devils Advocate - White was the one of the last backs to get a featured role (even then, split with Bush) in a Pete Carroll offense.

It's a mess in seattle. I can see taking a flier on him somewhere as your RB4 or so. I wouldn't want to depend on him a ton and that's as much because of his messy situation and uncertainty I have about Carroll as it is about his poor work ethic.

 

[doowain]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

He was given away for pick bumps that amount to 2 or 3 players on a team's draft board (along with another player at that), he basically was cut already by Tennessee. Even if he does make the roster, how good is the "thunder" in an offense that will be about as fierce as the constant soaking rain that plagues Seattle? Let's also remember that those Wheatley Oakland teams were actually good teams, winning teams, even Super Bowl teams. Seattle will be lucky to win 5 games this year, and that's only possible because they play in the same division as St. Louis. White is much more likely to become TJ Duckett slowly swirling down the drain in Washington, Detroit, and (wait for it) Seattle. I just don't see how anyone could have watched White in Tennessee and thought he is a good NFL RB, one worth believing in once he was out of that plum situation.

When you're potentially the best RB on your team, you have value in deep redraft leagues. It's as simple as that. White may not be a great pro, but his NFL achievements trump those of Forsett and Ganther. Washington will most likely beat out Jones for the "lightning role" and White will be the big back. I don't think he's very good, but I don't think he's as bad as you're making him out to be. He was a 2nd round pick, he has an 1100+ yard rushing season under his belt, and he's being reunited with a coach who knows his strengths. I don't usually put much stock in the "he's in the best shape of his career" offseason hype, but in LenDale's case it's obvious that he's much more fit than he was in his first three years in Tennessee. That might have been apparent last season if he hadn't been stuck behind a Pro Bowler who was in the midst of a career year. I think the fact that Seattle made a trade for him in the middle of the draft is telling. My read is that they weren't happy with their RB options and once they missed out on the top RBs in the draft, they settled on White and Washington as their stopgap solution. I think there's basically zero chance of him getting cut and I'll be surprised if he's not a significant part of their rushing offense next season. I would say he's comparable in talent to Antowain Smith and Tyrone Wheatley, both of whom found spurts of success when given chances. No, the Seahawks aren't a great team, but they're not one of the worst in the league either. I'm not sure it matters a whole lot, as teams like Cleveland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, and Buffalo yielded useful FF RBs last season. I expect something like 800-1000 rushing yards with 6-8 TDs. That would make him a decent depth candidate in best ball redraft leagues.

Not saying that I disagree about White being the "thunder" side of a RBBC, but I think you are way off base in thinking that the other side of the coin will be Julius Jones/Leon Washington. There is a very good chance that Jones is not even on the roster Week 1. Forsett outplayed him by miles last year and is far and away a better 3rd down option. And we all know how devastating of an injury Washington is attempting to come back from (I don't see that happening this year, if ever).I see it being the White/Forsett show in Seattle this year.ETA: I still don't get why the Seahawks didn't draft Dwyer.

 

[kremenull]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

On those 07 and 08 Tennessee teams, I think a lot of backs that weren't even in the league anymore could have come close to those numbers. White didn't crack 4 ypc in either year. Those numbers were produced by the situation, not the player - I can't remember being underwhelmed more by a 1000 yard rusher.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and state that Lendale will certainly light it up this season, but I believe you are basing too much of your outlook on last year's Seattle team and their results. Current NFL team projections from one year to the next are not such a clear, smooth trajectory as in the past. Teams can drastically improve/decline from year-to-year. More specifically, Pete Carroll is now in charge, and he has assembled a very fine coaching staff. The O.C. Is a rising star amongst his peers and lest we forget about the ZBS guru, Alex Gibbs, is the o-line coach. Add in the fact that their division is pretty weak overall, and I can see the Seahawks enjoying at least a fair amount of success, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a very nice running game in place. See Alex Gibbs' portfolio. Now, it will be up to Lendale to capitalize on the situation at-hand, but I wouldn't totally dismiss him as being incapable.

 

[Jason Wood]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

On those 07 and 08 Tennessee teams, I think a lot of backs that weren't even in the league anymore could have come close to those numbers. White didn't crack 4 ypc in either year. Those numbers were produced by the situation, not the player - I can't remember being underwhelmed more by a 1000 yard rusher.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and state that Lendale will certainly light it up this season, but I believe you are basing too much of your outlook on last year's Seattle team and their results. Current NFL team projections from one year to the next are not such a clear, smooth trajectory as in the past. Teams can drastically improve/decline from year-to-year. More specifically, Pete Carroll is now in charge, and he has assembled a very fine coaching staff. The O.C. Is a rising star amongst his peers and lest we forget about the ZBS guru, Alex Gibbs, is the o-line coach. Add in the fact that their division is pretty weak overall, and I can see the Seahawks enjoying at least a fair amount of success, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a very nice running game in place. See Alex Gibbs' portfolio. Now, it will be up to Lendale to capitalize on the situation at-hand, but I wouldn't totally dismiss him as being incapable.

Excellent point. Gibbs is a legendary figure for a reason, and while I don't see the Seahawks as contenders this year, I do think the upside of taking LenDale once the first 30 RBs are off the board is very attractive because it wouldn't be hard to envision a scenario where the pieces all fall into place. A year ago today, no one was talking about Cedric Benson resurrecting his career in Cincinnati (much less CIN winning the division), and that's just one example. Each year there are countless situations that go far better than consensus expects (and many others that go off the rails).

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

On those 07 and 08 Tennessee teams, I think a lot of backs that weren't even in the league anymore could have come close to those numbers. White didn't crack 4 ypc in either year. Those numbers were produced by the situation, not the player - I can't remember being underwhelmed more by a 1000 yard rusher.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and state that Lendale will certainly light it up this season, but I believe you are basing too much of your outlook on last year's Seattle team and their results. Current NFL team projections from one year to the next are not such a clear, smooth trajectory as in the past. Teams can drastically improve/decline from year-to-year. More specifically, Pete Carroll is now in charge, and he has assembled a very fine coaching staff. The O.C. Is a rising star amongst his peers and lest we forget about the ZBS guru, Alex Gibbs, is the o-line coach. Add in the fact that their division is pretty weak overall, and I can see the Seahawks enjoying at least a fair amount of success, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a very nice running game in place. See Alex Gibbs' portfolio. Now, it will be up to Lendale to capitalize on the situation at-hand, but I wouldn't totally dismiss him as being incapable.

Gibbs presided over the 30th ranked rushing attack in the league in Houston last year, so I wouldn't get too excited about him piloting the running game in Seattle.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

I think he's an excellent buy in TD heavy leagues. In PPR no thanks. There will be a committee but I expect Pete to give his boy plenty of touches short term.This is a guy who has a 1000 yard season and a 15 td season to his credit. He can play a little

On those 07 and 08 Tennessee teams, I think a lot of backs that weren't even in the league anymore could have come close to those numbers. White didn't crack 4 ypc in either year. Those numbers were produced by the situation, not the player - I can't remember being underwhelmed more by a 1000 yard rusher.Oh, BTW, Seattle had SEVEN rushing touchdowns last year.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and state that Lendale will certainly light it up this season, but I believe you are basing too much of your outlook on last year's Seattle team and their results. Current NFL team projections from one year to the next are not such a clear, smooth trajectory as in the past. Teams can drastically improve/decline from year-to-year. More specifically, Pete Carroll is now in charge, and he has assembled a very fine coaching staff. The O.C. Is a rising star amongst his peers and lest we forget about the ZBS guru, Alex Gibbs, is the o-line coach. Add in the fact that their division is pretty weak overall, and I can see the Seahawks enjoying at least a fair amount of success, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a very nice running game in place. See Alex Gibbs' portfolio. Now, it will be up to Lendale to capitalize on the situation at-hand, but I wouldn't totally dismiss him as being incapable.

Excellent point. Gibbs is a legendary figure for a reason, and while I don't see the Seahawks as contenders this year, I do think the upside of taking LenDale once the first 30 RBs are off the board is very attractive because it wouldn't be hard to envision a scenario where the pieces all fall into place. A year ago today, no one was talking about Cedric Benson resurrecting his career in Cincinnati (much less CIN winning the division), and that's just one example. Each year there are countless situations that go far better than consensus expects (and many others that go off the rails).

Actually there was a movement getting behind Benson on this board, and he looked 1000x better in the second half of 2008 than White ever has in the NFL.That's where the big disconnect is for me - what has White ever done in the NFL to suggest that he will have success this year? His 1000 yard season only happened because his team led the NFL in carries (543) anchored by a very strong defense, and it took over 300 carries for him to get there. His 15 TD season came on a 13-3 #1 seed that was absolutely dominant on defense. No way Seattle comes close to 07-08 Tennessee's success on the ground. and Yes, theoretically any of the 32 teams could surprise us greatly with their results, but what stance are you going to take, will it happen for Seattle or won't it? We don't ignore team analysis because "hey, every year there are situations that end up different than the consensus", we take a stance on what we think that team will do. Who in this thread actually believes that Seattle will be better than a 6 or 7 win team this year?

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Another thing that has been bugging me is the glossing over of the minuscule price Tennessee took for White. Running the ball is extremely important to their offense, and it isn't like Javon Ringer has been so incredible that they should feel like they don't need to worry about backup RB at all (eight whole carries last season). If they thought White was still a useful RB, why wouldn't they keep him as insurance against a Chris Johnson injury? Why would they part with him for insignificant pick bumps? He was under contract relatively cheap (1.8 mil) and they knew his game in and out. Why are we just disregarding the actions (and inferred meaning) of the team that White has played for since 2006? Backup RB is a pretty important position to a team like Tennessee and they indicated through their actions that they had no interest in White filling that role.

 

[comfortably numb]

I'm with you on this one Bloom,

The only way I draft LenDale is to trade him.

I understand the no competition, change of scenery, reunited with old coach, and he is a flier pick in most cases.

But, I just do not think he is very good.

The line is not going to be anything to write home about, and guys like Lendale, IMO need a good line to succeed.

I would think a play maker like Leon has the best chance to make the most of the situation.

I am not sure of what Lendale's contract, but I was surprised to see how cheap TEN let him go considering he is someone who knows the system and considering how good CJ did, and that he is going to make 550K this year and 800k next year, he WILL see more money, even if he has to hold out to get it. I would have thought keeping him around would have been better in case there was a CJ hold out.

My thoughts on him for 2010

FLOOR

CUT

CEILING

400yds 8TD's

(as you can see, not high at all on him, and the ONLY value I can see from him is a TD vulture type of player)

 

[JamesTheScot]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

This is my take as well.While one could argue that White isn't that good a power back, he's still going to fit that role better than any of his competition.The big question is whether Carroll likes the power/speed split as a philosophy or if he just tailors his scheme to suit his roster.I'd say he's pretty comfortable with the former and will at least start the season that way. That means that White is going to get his chances with a coach who may know a little something about how to motivate/use him.Don't get me wrong, I'm not buying any White. But I can see where someone swings at that pitch that late in the game.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

His competition for touches is:- Leon Washington coming off a serious injury- Julius Jones- Justin Forsett- Quinton GantherThat pretty much explains it.I haven't forgotten how $$$ he was at USC and I doubt Pete Carroll has either. I think this could be the "Tyrone Wheatley in Oakland" phase of his career. I wouldn't give anything to get him in a dynasty league, but in best ball he's a nice depth play. I think you're way off base if you expect him to get cut. He's the only power back on the roster and a good bet to be the "thunder" side of their committee next season.

Well, let's look at that...Leon Washington - better RBJulius Jones - everybody hates him, and he's never been great, but I honestly don't see that White is better than him either (I do think he's worn out his welcome though)Forsett - very promising RBGanther - mehNone of these guys are studs. But neither is White. In fact, three of them at certain points in their careers have looked better overall than White has ever looked as an actual NFL runner. No, none of them have scored 15 TDs, but none of them played for a rushing juggernaut either.So to elevate White because of his lack of competition seems very flawed to me. The competition is below average, but so is White. He's more Ron Dayne than Jerome Bettis.

 

[JamesTheScot]

You're putting way too much emphasis on what Seattle gave up to get him. The Jets only gave a 5th for Holmes. The Ravens gave up a 3rd and a move down from the 4th-5th to get Boldin. This doesn't mean those guys won't make a big impact. With a few exceptions, veterans command surprisingly little in trades. It's easy to see why LenDale would be particularly cheap given that Tennessee doesn't need him at all and that the early portion of his career was less than stellar.

I think you're excessively pessimistic about White's value in this situation. The competition for touches is absolutely pitiful and there's basically no one in his path for the "thunder" role. I think there's a near zero probability of him not making the roster and I think he's a strong favorite to be one of their top two rushers. Considering that the other guys on the roster are really only suited for committee roles, that makes LenDale a pretty realistic candidate to put up respectable stats in deep leagues. He will get something like 150-250 carries and be the primary short yardage back.

Gotta agree with EBF...White wasn't special for several reasons:

1) He played much of his best season on a bad knee. As good as the Titans line is, it doesn't help if you're gutting it out due to injury (and the line was still gelling at that point).

2) He was overweight for most of his career in Tennessee

3) He has a reputation for not having a consistent, killer instinct as a ball carrier.

However, he had moments during his USC career where he showed the vision, footwork, and balance to be better than he's been. I don't see White taking the job outright, but I think 150-200 carries is logical here given Washington's injury/Forsett's limited upside (IMO).

I will be very surprised if Seattle doesn't target a big-time rookie RB next year though...White is a nice gamble on the present. I wouldn't take White over some of the RBs Bloom mentioned, but I do think he's worth a late-round pick (and not just the last pick...significantly earlier than that)

This is a point that bears some discussion.White lost quite a bit of weight last season. While it's easy to say "He should've done more then", it's possible that his body lost some muscle performance as a result. It's pretty hard to maintain peak muscle mass and performance during significant weight loss. I'd say that keeping your performance levels adequate to play at the NFL level while dropping weight would be even harder. It's not like White was just going through a cutting phase like a pro body builder. He was dropping some pretty significant body fat.

I could see it taking him another offseason of work to fully realize the benefits of his weight loss by rebuilding muscle after the weight loss.

But if he's down to 218 now, he's lost even more. That kinda concerns me.

 

[Thomsen]

Agree with Bloom. Yes he is worth a late round flier. But come on, Seattle will lose 10-12 games this season and when they are behind Forsett or Washington will be on the field. White can't produce on his own, and that O-line won't help him get yards. I honestly can't see White producing even like a RB4. I'd rather have Forsett to be honest.

 

[VaCatFan]

As a rb3/4, no I don't think I go there. I take someone who has a greater possibility for upside. As a RB5/6, yeah, I'll take a chance with him. He should have some opportunity in Seattle as the rest are fairly underwhelming or coming off injury.

The O-line may be somewhat better with the addition of Okung, but it remains to be seen. Taking White is a risk. If it pays off, you look like a genius. If it doesn't and you spent a 7th/8th for him when you could be picking up your QB1 or WR3 seems to be a stretch and could potentially wreck your season.

 

[maxwelledison]

I think most of us understand and agree with your point, Sigmund. And I think most of us also feel that taking White as anything but a lottery ticket (Bloom trademark) is a big mistake. However, I still think you are overstating the case.

IMHO one of the worst mistakes a fantasy owner can make is to categorically reject a player who can be had at low-to-zero cost. (if that is not what you are doing here I am misunderstanding). That's not to say I haven't done it and won't do it again in the future; I just think it is a mistake we tend to make when certain factors (laziness, diva approach, etc.) influence our opinion on a player. Still, what we are really talking about here is a late pick and a lower-tier roster spot. I may roll the dice on a guy like White for that cost than most other options still available at that point in the draft/auction.

Just my $.02.