Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
Let’s take a peek into next season. I always think the RB are what makes and breaks most FF seasons. The ability to wheel out 2 top5 or top10 RB consistently over the year will rack up a lot of wins. Let’s look where we are at.
AFC East :
Miami Dolphins: Ronnie Brown’s future is looking brighter and brighter. CPepp will help keep defenses very honest and Brown should not see many 8 man fronts. If he does than Chambers will post even better career year numbers. The OL is not great but it is quickly starting to look at least average and not the complete mess it has been in previous years. Brown can run and catch, he has the size needed to take a pounding…and with a year under his belt you have to like his chances this season of being a top12 RB.
New England Patriots: Corey Dillon is still the man however age is going to catch up to him very soon. He is still going to rack up 1,000 yds and 8+TD in all likelihood however he does not pose a dual threat in this offense. Clearly he is not going to be a 1st round pick in FF this season…has to be a mid 2nd in my book at best.
New York Jets: CuMart is really getting old. They have to look for some alternatives here and the draft may be the best way for them to improve. I would look to see who they draft on draft day and than go from there. If they get their hands on one of the top 3-4 1st round RB this season than we may see the changing of the guard quickly in the Big Apple. The OL will take a hit through Free Agency, coupled with an unsettling QB situation, the offense as a whole needs an overhaul IMO…this is a situation I would steer clear of for the time being.
Buffalo Bills: No one was more hyped than McGahee last season and for all that hype there wasn’t a lot of bite. The team is moving in a different direction. They need a more stable QB situation but they have talent at the WR position, the OL is OK but needs some upgrading. Mike Williams was a complete bust and cut the last time I checked. McGahee has shown flashes and will garner a lot of attention again however many owners will not spend a top5 pick on this guy again.
AFC North:
Pittsburgh Steelers: Parker had about the same amount of stats as Willis McGahee did last season. He will certainly be there for the picking in the 2nd…maybe 3rd round this year. Bettis is done and Staley can’t be in the long term plans for Pittsburgh. If they somehow manage to get, LenDale White in the draft than I would be very high on him instead. What I am trying to say is that even though Parker had a nice little season last year I do not see him being an elite RB or doing it on a consistent basis.
Cleveland Browns: Droughns piled up 1,500 yards so I think he proved that Denver was no fluke. However he only crossed the goal line twice all season and I don’t see things suddenly exploding in Cleveland. No RB is going to score 10 TD in the Cleveland offense this upcoming season…unless they address it in the draft somehow. I like RB with at least a lot of potential…Cleveland is not offering that right now.
Cincinnati Bengals: Rudi Johnson will continue to be a potential 1200-1500 yd RB on the ground. He will continue to NOT be a dual threat. He will continue to be able to score at least 8-12+ TD on the ground…remind you of anyone? Perhaps, a young Corey Dillon? Good. Johnson should garner serious consideration at the middle to end of Round 1…I like a dual threat but he seems pretty reliable to score points…pair him with a little more explosive RB and you got something brewing there.
Baltimore Ravens: Jamal Lewis will be overlooked and maybe he should. Mike Anderson is also on board. Lewis will be a decent starter with a good off season program and Anderson pushing him for carries. I was never a big Chester Taylor fan and don’t see the excitement of him in Minnesota but simply speaking about the Ravens…they are still a team that is not an offensive powerhouse…how Brian Billick ever orchestrated the Vikings offense of the late 90’s I will never know. He has done nothing in Baltimore…except win a Super Bowl and that is becoming ancient history. It may be time to change coaches in Baltimore.
AFC South:
Indianapolis Colts: Rhodes will see a lot of action but I think Indy will use a draft pick for a RB…the last guy they got was pretty good as a rookie…in this offense almost any RB is going to be successful. Not taking anything away from Edge but the RB position in this offense is not the focal points most weeks. Whoever has the hammer lock on this position, look for them to produce big numbers but you may have to spend 2 picks in order to secure it…Rhodes, and perhaps any rookie that is picked in the 1st 2-3 rounds of the NFL draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Fred Taylor will be entering his 9th season as an NFL RB…it’s the end of a very rocky career with flashes of unreal talent and also heartbreak for many FF owners over the years. I don’t see anybody in their current stable of RB that is really going to step out and make a big splash. I do know the Jags are a playoff team so Del Rio is going to do what it takes to ensure they can get better production out of their running game. This is a team that basically needs about 20 points to win a lot of their games. They only gave up 269 for the season last year so having a reliable running game would make them a serious playoff contender and not just a team that made it there. They need to address this position in the draft…another team where Mr. White would do very well in.
Tennessee Titans: Brown/Henry combo…it just isn’t going to make things easy for owners of either of them. You hate to wish for injuries but unless one of them goes down than it will most likely be a RBBC of some kind. And we don’t like that. Also the QB position may in transition although McNair’s backup has proven capable if they want to go in that direction. Tennessee is still the bottom half of this division. A work in progress.
Houston Texans: Bring on Reggie Bush. Will that spell the end of Dominick Davis? Probably but I also think Bush will be brought along much like Ronnie Brown was for Miami. Quick trivia…how many yds did Emmitt Smith rush for as a rookie? He didn’t even break 1,000 yds finishing at 937…he did manage 11 TD though so we knew he was going to be “special”. I think Bush will not exceed 20 touches a game but that may be more than enough for him to do his damage. Bush catching passes out of the backfield is what will separate him from the rest of the RB. He has great vision when he is on the move and 5-10 yds beyond the line of scrimmage…it’s not just raw speed, he cuts on a dime literally. You go one way and he can start going the other way. I just described Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk combined...put that in your pipe and smoke it. Let’s see what happens on draft day.
AFC West:
Denver Broncos: Bell? Maybe. Someone not on the roster yet…possibly. Always the potential for big numbers but you will need at least 2 slots reserved to lock up the RB for this team. Bell gained over 5 yds a clip and scored 8 TD in an offense that scored 25 rushing TD and ranked 3rd in the NFL in that dept. He’s going to get some chances. He also totaled up over 1,000 yds rush/rec. Bell for now, and a few rounds you will need to lock up other RB on that team…maybe even the local high school the way Shanny can produce elite numbers from his RB slots.
Kansas City Chiefs: Before everyone gets gushy over Larry Johnson, let’s take a deep breath. The offense is going to be different with Vermeil gone IMO. Johsnon was out to prove he was “the man” when Priest was the starter ahead of him. Is Priest retiring? That could shake things up. I like Larry Johnson but I am cautiously optimistic for this season as the team chemistry might change with Vermeil gone. Vermeil did push this guy with the whole “It’s time to take your diapers off” remark. LJ took it personally and Vermeil knew how to motivate this cat. High 1st round but there is some danger in this pick.
San Diego Chargers: Hopefully Rivers can be at least adequate as a rookie…3rd year QB. It will be his 1st season under Center however. LT is and should be the #1 RB taken but one cannot dismiss what Losman did to the Bills last season and the terrible year McGahee had because of it.
Oakland Raiders: Lamont Jordan, what’s not to like? Aaron Brooks will be fine…he’s no worse than Collins, IMO. He will go pretty high in most drafts. Was a late 2nd round pick last year…I look for him to be off the board by about the mid 1st round. He caught 70 passes last season and while he will do fine again in that dept…I think something in the 40 something range is more likely. His rushing stats were really just avg at best. 3.8 yds a carry, lil over 1,000 yds and 9 rush TD. Middle to back part of the 1st round in most drafts.
NFC East:
New York Giants: Till something better than Tiki Barber comes along he will remain a FF RB bargain at the ned of the 1st beginning of the 2nd round. He is getting older and will not be called on much inside the 5 but he is explosive and can break em form far out. 1,900…1,600…2,000…2,390…those are the total yds he has racked up over the past 4 seasons…the guy has been worth his weight in gold.
Washington Redskins: Clinton Portis till further notice. One of the easiest teams that have a defined identity at RB. 1,600 yds and 10+TD easy.
Dallas Cowboys: I still want to believe it’s Julius Jones with a little MB III mixed in for relief. People will be very cautious of JJ but the addition of TO should mean great things at the RB spot in this offense. TO is a major major major major major major upgrade. In San Fran the RB did very well when Owens was there, also Westy had quite a terrific year when TO was there in 2004. When TO was suspended, Westy went down for the season…coincidence? You decide.
Philadelphia Eagles: Till I see what they do to answer the vacancy of TO I am very leery of any of their RB right now. I don’t think an Eagles RB will crack the top15 this year.
NFC North:
Chicago Bears: Benson will get his shot this year. You cannot draft a guy as high as they did and bench him going into his 2nd season at RB. Benson may have benefited from a light load as he took a lot of pounding in college and should be very fresh this year. I wouldn’t hesitate as long as he has a decent training camp in wanting to secure Benson in the draft. He could be a strong candidate for a big year. The Bears defense means they need to do very little on offense to win and Benson will get a lot of carries.
Minnesota Vikings: before you have a cream session over Chester Taylor, I would remind you that the 2006 Vikings are a far cry from the Vikings of 5 years ago. I am not enamored with their offense and I would like a wait and see approach. Someone on draft day will go after Taylor way too high while you are picking up that WR1, or WR2 but really is a WR1 in the 3rd/4th round. Bank on it.
Detroit Lions: Still like Kevin Jones, still see him getting a lot of looks in this offense. Still see him succeeding and with new management he has a bright future. Not gonna burn a 1st rounder on this guy, but solid 2nd/3rd round pick depending on league size.
Green Bay Packers: Is Favre playing? Is Walker playing? Who is the RB? Run AWAY! Seriously, we just do not know enough right now to make any decisions on this team or where they are at.
NFC South:
Carolina Panthers: DeSahun has been locked up…I still think he is too brittle and unreliable for more than a RB3 in most leagues…you can’t bank on having this guy in your lineup all year can you?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “Cadillac” Maybe he will set the Gold standard this season for the entire year. I love the kid and think he has some big seasons ahead. Needs to get better than a 4 ypc-atch avg though. Needs more catches in general. I like the offense and think they will get even better this season as Simms improves.
Atlanta Falcons: Can we squeeze one more year out of Dunn? Will still get about 100 yds per week on avg but you cannot bank on a lot of TD. A decent RB2 in 12 team leagues.
New Orleans Saints: This team is in the midst of an overhaul. New QB, lost a terrific OL and Deuce coming off another injury. I really think most owners will watch this situation fall to something they are comfortable with and it isn’t the 1st round I assure you.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: Losing Hutch will hurt but he still is going to rack up a lot of yds and TD…I don’t see Seattle being the same team as last season but than against hey will have a better defense with Julian on board so maybe Shaun will se e a lot of short fields and not have to grind it out the entire length. No one can replace Hutch but you can plug in Guards…Tackles are harder to replace.
St. Louis Rams: No Martz, less sparx? Jackson put up 1,200 yds and about 10 TD last year so he should continue to do well. He is not anything like Faulk and I am afraid because he doesn’t share the same grace that one of those knees is going to eventually go poof and that turf they have…we’ll see.
Arizona Cardinals: Edge will help this team and I expect him to do very well on natural grass. Lots of weapons at the WR position to counter balance teams keying in on him as was the case in Indy…I like this move and think he will flourish in the dry heat of Arizona. I have no hesitation in taking him fairly early in the draft.
San Fran 49ers: The Barlow/Gore combo is not the answer…can Frank Gore be the starter? Gore finished well last season…look at his final 3 games. If the Niners do not address the RB in the draft than Gore will see continued increase in carries. He toted the rock 25 times in week 17 last season.
In no certain order.
Top5
Shaun
LT
LJ
Edge
Portis
Some RB looking to crack that top5 in no particular order are…Ronnie Brown, Tatum Bell(maybe), Lamont Jordan, Tiki Barber, “Cadillac”…there are others I am sure you all will discuss. Enjoy.
AFC East :
Miami Dolphins: Ronnie Brown’s future is looking brighter and brighter. CPepp will help keep defenses very honest and Brown should not see many 8 man fronts. If he does than Chambers will post even better career year numbers. The OL is not great but it is quickly starting to look at least average and not the complete mess it has been in previous years. Brown can run and catch, he has the size needed to take a pounding…and with a year under his belt you have to like his chances this season of being a top12 RB.
New England Patriots: Corey Dillon is still the man however age is going to catch up to him very soon. He is still going to rack up 1,000 yds and 8+TD in all likelihood however he does not pose a dual threat in this offense. Clearly he is not going to be a 1st round pick in FF this season…has to be a mid 2nd in my book at best.
New York Jets: CuMart is really getting old. They have to look for some alternatives here and the draft may be the best way for them to improve. I would look to see who they draft on draft day and than go from there. If they get their hands on one of the top 3-4 1st round RB this season than we may see the changing of the guard quickly in the Big Apple. The OL will take a hit through Free Agency, coupled with an unsettling QB situation, the offense as a whole needs an overhaul IMO…this is a situation I would steer clear of for the time being.
Buffalo Bills: No one was more hyped than McGahee last season and for all that hype there wasn’t a lot of bite. The team is moving in a different direction. They need a more stable QB situation but they have talent at the WR position, the OL is OK but needs some upgrading. Mike Williams was a complete bust and cut the last time I checked. McGahee has shown flashes and will garner a lot of attention again however many owners will not spend a top5 pick on this guy again.
AFC North:
Pittsburgh Steelers: Parker had about the same amount of stats as Willis McGahee did last season. He will certainly be there for the picking in the 2nd…maybe 3rd round this year. Bettis is done and Staley can’t be in the long term plans for Pittsburgh. If they somehow manage to get, LenDale White in the draft than I would be very high on him instead. What I am trying to say is that even though Parker had a nice little season last year I do not see him being an elite RB or doing it on a consistent basis.
Cleveland Browns: Droughns piled up 1,500 yards so I think he proved that Denver was no fluke. However he only crossed the goal line twice all season and I don’t see things suddenly exploding in Cleveland. No RB is going to score 10 TD in the Cleveland offense this upcoming season…unless they address it in the draft somehow. I like RB with at least a lot of potential…Cleveland is not offering that right now.
Cincinnati Bengals: Rudi Johnson will continue to be a potential 1200-1500 yd RB on the ground. He will continue to NOT be a dual threat. He will continue to be able to score at least 8-12+ TD on the ground…remind you of anyone? Perhaps, a young Corey Dillon? Good. Johnson should garner serious consideration at the middle to end of Round 1…I like a dual threat but he seems pretty reliable to score points…pair him with a little more explosive RB and you got something brewing there.
Baltimore Ravens: Jamal Lewis will be overlooked and maybe he should. Mike Anderson is also on board. Lewis will be a decent starter with a good off season program and Anderson pushing him for carries. I was never a big Chester Taylor fan and don’t see the excitement of him in Minnesota but simply speaking about the Ravens…they are still a team that is not an offensive powerhouse…how Brian Billick ever orchestrated the Vikings offense of the late 90’s I will never know. He has done nothing in Baltimore…except win a Super Bowl and that is becoming ancient history. It may be time to change coaches in Baltimore.
AFC South:
Indianapolis Colts: Rhodes will see a lot of action but I think Indy will use a draft pick for a RB…the last guy they got was pretty good as a rookie…in this offense almost any RB is going to be successful. Not taking anything away from Edge but the RB position in this offense is not the focal points most weeks. Whoever has the hammer lock on this position, look for them to produce big numbers but you may have to spend 2 picks in order to secure it…Rhodes, and perhaps any rookie that is picked in the 1st 2-3 rounds of the NFL draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Fred Taylor will be entering his 9th season as an NFL RB…it’s the end of a very rocky career with flashes of unreal talent and also heartbreak for many FF owners over the years. I don’t see anybody in their current stable of RB that is really going to step out and make a big splash. I do know the Jags are a playoff team so Del Rio is going to do what it takes to ensure they can get better production out of their running game. This is a team that basically needs about 20 points to win a lot of their games. They only gave up 269 for the season last year so having a reliable running game would make them a serious playoff contender and not just a team that made it there. They need to address this position in the draft…another team where Mr. White would do very well in.
Tennessee Titans: Brown/Henry combo…it just isn’t going to make things easy for owners of either of them. You hate to wish for injuries but unless one of them goes down than it will most likely be a RBBC of some kind. And we don’t like that. Also the QB position may in transition although McNair’s backup has proven capable if they want to go in that direction. Tennessee is still the bottom half of this division. A work in progress.
Houston Texans: Bring on Reggie Bush. Will that spell the end of Dominick Davis? Probably but I also think Bush will be brought along much like Ronnie Brown was for Miami. Quick trivia…how many yds did Emmitt Smith rush for as a rookie? He didn’t even break 1,000 yds finishing at 937…he did manage 11 TD though so we knew he was going to be “special”. I think Bush will not exceed 20 touches a game but that may be more than enough for him to do his damage. Bush catching passes out of the backfield is what will separate him from the rest of the RB. He has great vision when he is on the move and 5-10 yds beyond the line of scrimmage…it’s not just raw speed, he cuts on a dime literally. You go one way and he can start going the other way. I just described Barry Sanders and Marshall Faulk combined...put that in your pipe and smoke it. Let’s see what happens on draft day.
AFC West:
Denver Broncos: Bell? Maybe. Someone not on the roster yet…possibly. Always the potential for big numbers but you will need at least 2 slots reserved to lock up the RB for this team. Bell gained over 5 yds a clip and scored 8 TD in an offense that scored 25 rushing TD and ranked 3rd in the NFL in that dept. He’s going to get some chances. He also totaled up over 1,000 yds rush/rec. Bell for now, and a few rounds you will need to lock up other RB on that team…maybe even the local high school the way Shanny can produce elite numbers from his RB slots.
Kansas City Chiefs: Before everyone gets gushy over Larry Johnson, let’s take a deep breath. The offense is going to be different with Vermeil gone IMO. Johsnon was out to prove he was “the man” when Priest was the starter ahead of him. Is Priest retiring? That could shake things up. I like Larry Johnson but I am cautiously optimistic for this season as the team chemistry might change with Vermeil gone. Vermeil did push this guy with the whole “It’s time to take your diapers off” remark. LJ took it personally and Vermeil knew how to motivate this cat. High 1st round but there is some danger in this pick.
San Diego Chargers: Hopefully Rivers can be at least adequate as a rookie…3rd year QB. It will be his 1st season under Center however. LT is and should be the #1 RB taken but one cannot dismiss what Losman did to the Bills last season and the terrible year McGahee had because of it.
Oakland Raiders: Lamont Jordan, what’s not to like? Aaron Brooks will be fine…he’s no worse than Collins, IMO. He will go pretty high in most drafts. Was a late 2nd round pick last year…I look for him to be off the board by about the mid 1st round. He caught 70 passes last season and while he will do fine again in that dept…I think something in the 40 something range is more likely. His rushing stats were really just avg at best. 3.8 yds a carry, lil over 1,000 yds and 9 rush TD. Middle to back part of the 1st round in most drafts.
NFC East:
New York Giants: Till something better than Tiki Barber comes along he will remain a FF RB bargain at the ned of the 1st beginning of the 2nd round. He is getting older and will not be called on much inside the 5 but he is explosive and can break em form far out. 1,900…1,600…2,000…2,390…those are the total yds he has racked up over the past 4 seasons…the guy has been worth his weight in gold.
Washington Redskins: Clinton Portis till further notice. One of the easiest teams that have a defined identity at RB. 1,600 yds and 10+TD easy.
Dallas Cowboys: I still want to believe it’s Julius Jones with a little MB III mixed in for relief. People will be very cautious of JJ but the addition of TO should mean great things at the RB spot in this offense. TO is a major major major major major major upgrade. In San Fran the RB did very well when Owens was there, also Westy had quite a terrific year when TO was there in 2004. When TO was suspended, Westy went down for the season…coincidence? You decide.
Philadelphia Eagles: Till I see what they do to answer the vacancy of TO I am very leery of any of their RB right now. I don’t think an Eagles RB will crack the top15 this year.
NFC North:
Chicago Bears: Benson will get his shot this year. You cannot draft a guy as high as they did and bench him going into his 2nd season at RB. Benson may have benefited from a light load as he took a lot of pounding in college and should be very fresh this year. I wouldn’t hesitate as long as he has a decent training camp in wanting to secure Benson in the draft. He could be a strong candidate for a big year. The Bears defense means they need to do very little on offense to win and Benson will get a lot of carries.
Minnesota Vikings: before you have a cream session over Chester Taylor, I would remind you that the 2006 Vikings are a far cry from the Vikings of 5 years ago. I am not enamored with their offense and I would like a wait and see approach. Someone on draft day will go after Taylor way too high while you are picking up that WR1, or WR2 but really is a WR1 in the 3rd/4th round. Bank on it.
Detroit Lions: Still like Kevin Jones, still see him getting a lot of looks in this offense. Still see him succeeding and with new management he has a bright future. Not gonna burn a 1st rounder on this guy, but solid 2nd/3rd round pick depending on league size.
Green Bay Packers: Is Favre playing? Is Walker playing? Who is the RB? Run AWAY! Seriously, we just do not know enough right now to make any decisions on this team or where they are at.
NFC South:
Carolina Panthers: DeSahun has been locked up…I still think he is too brittle and unreliable for more than a RB3 in most leagues…you can’t bank on having this guy in your lineup all year can you?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: “Cadillac” Maybe he will set the Gold standard this season for the entire year. I love the kid and think he has some big seasons ahead. Needs to get better than a 4 ypc-atch avg though. Needs more catches in general. I like the offense and think they will get even better this season as Simms improves.
Atlanta Falcons: Can we squeeze one more year out of Dunn? Will still get about 100 yds per week on avg but you cannot bank on a lot of TD. A decent RB2 in 12 team leagues.
New Orleans Saints: This team is in the midst of an overhaul. New QB, lost a terrific OL and Deuce coming off another injury. I really think most owners will watch this situation fall to something they are comfortable with and it isn’t the 1st round I assure you.
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: Losing Hutch will hurt but he still is going to rack up a lot of yds and TD…I don’t see Seattle being the same team as last season but than against hey will have a better defense with Julian on board so maybe Shaun will se e a lot of short fields and not have to grind it out the entire length. No one can replace Hutch but you can plug in Guards…Tackles are harder to replace.
St. Louis Rams: No Martz, less sparx? Jackson put up 1,200 yds and about 10 TD last year so he should continue to do well. He is not anything like Faulk and I am afraid because he doesn’t share the same grace that one of those knees is going to eventually go poof and that turf they have…we’ll see.
Arizona Cardinals: Edge will help this team and I expect him to do very well on natural grass. Lots of weapons at the WR position to counter balance teams keying in on him as was the case in Indy…I like this move and think he will flourish in the dry heat of Arizona. I have no hesitation in taking him fairly early in the draft.
San Fran 49ers: The Barlow/Gore combo is not the answer…can Frank Gore be the starter? Gore finished well last season…look at his final 3 games. If the Niners do not address the RB in the draft than Gore will see continued increase in carries. He toted the rock 25 times in week 17 last season.
In no certain order.
Top5
Shaun
LT
LJ
Edge
Portis
Some RB looking to crack that top5 in no particular order are…Ronnie Brown, Tatum Bell(maybe), Lamont Jordan, Tiki Barber, “Cadillac”…there are others I am sure you all will discuss. Enjoy.
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