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Rank the Top 25 RBs PPR considering all the movement (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rzrback77
- Start date
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
I doubt he sees the field much in the preseason
I see Leon Washington and perhaps others as still being involved. Not that I wouldn't own him but not before he became a value pick. That said, I expect him to go high and he's just not someone I would reach for with expected mid RB2 numbers and the risk of less.
EBF
Footballguy
I'm curious about that ranking too. Barber has some talent, but I don't think he's clearly a better option than Julius Jones. I think it will be tough for either of those guys to have a monster year unless one of them leaves.
EBF
Footballguy
He's the same player on the same team. He'll do fine. The only reason I'd be concerned about Gore is his extensive injury history.
We really differ on this one then. I just can't see him outperforming 2006 as his high end with Washington likely to steal time and perhaps a GL back available too. This is also a team less likely to be grinding away late leads let alone the injury risk. I just can't see him as a RB1 but somewhere as a mid RB2 I would strongly consider him after the top WR's are gone.
EBF
Footballguy
I really think he's head-and-shoulders above Washington.
Whiplash Inc.
Footballguy
You're kidding right?
The Ref
Footballguy
Garts
Footballguy
could see NYJ as a home for Goal-line guy TJ Duckett??
zamboni
Footballguy
I don't think the Jets need more guys in the backfield with Jones, Washington and Houston. Even Brad Smith has lined up there on a few occasions.
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
I think TJ Ducketts career is about over, fantasy wise anyway
zamboni
Footballguy
And it's not like it ever really began, other than one sizable TD year.
I could see Houston as the GL and Washington as the change of pace keeping TJ to under 70% of the touches.
Going back to those propping up SJax at #2 over LJ and others does this take into account McMichael and Bennett both capable possession threats not to mention Holt and Bruce? They may not need to check down to SJax for so many of their pass attempts next year.
Going back to those propping up SJax at #2 over LJ and others does this take into account McMichael and Bennett both capable possession threats not to mention Holt and Bruce? They may not need to check down to SJax for so many of their pass attempts next year.
I have not done any projections yet, so these comments are just my initial impressions.
Tomlinson is obviously number one. There's nothing interesting about that in leagues that use a serpentine draft. The interesting thing will be how much more he goes for than anyone else in auction leagues.
Steven Jackson and Larry Johnson are two and three, and I would go with Jackson because I don't think the Chiefs will fix their offensive line problems. They lost Willie Roaf last year and will probably lose Will Shields this year plus Casey Weigmann is on his last legs, and Jordan Black really played poorly last year. (Will Kyle Turley ever be a solid tackle again?) They may be looking at four new starters, with only Brian Waters a lock to keep his starting job.
I'd still take LJ third, though. He'll get too many touches to pass up at number three.
I'd take Shaun Alexander fourth. I think he'll bounce back from his disappointing 2006 season. Too bad for Alexander that the Seahawks couldn't sign Kris Dielman. Still, I think Alexander will return to 4+ YPC this year, and easily over 300 carries if he stays healthy.
Looking at the list in post #3, Clinton Portis really jumps out at me as being ranked way too low. Rudi Johnson is also too low.
Cedric Benson has nice upside, but I don't think I'd draft him in the second round, which is where he'll go. Too much of a risk for my tastes. I would take Edgerrin James, Ronnie Brown, and Chester Taylor ahead of Benson.
The Giants missed out on D.Rhodes, W.McGahee, T.Jones, and A.Green, and probably won't pony up a first and third for M.Turner. But I seem to be one of the few people who think that Brandon Jacobs could be effective as an every-down back. That is a situation worth watching.
Reggie Bush is really hard to rank. He's at number six on the consensus list, which is really high for a guy who shares the backfield with Deuce McAllister. But he's one of the top few backs in the league in terms of talent. I don't know if I could bring myself to pull the trigger on him in the middle of the first round, but I love his upside potential.
I like Maroney and Addai quite a bit, and would take either one in a heartbeat before Willie parker.
Travis Henry is intriguing in Denver, but it's really not the same Bronco offense that made fantasy stars out Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, and Reuben Droughns. The Broncos scored only twelve rushing touchdowns last year as a team. I don't think Henry is overrated at #13, but I don't think he's underrated, either.
Westbrook, Gore, and Bush all seem rated a bit high at 4, 5, and 6 -- but other than Shaun Alexander I don't know who I would take ahead of them. I think I would just hope to have one of the top picks or one of the bottom picks this year. Picking in the middle of the first round doesn't seem too enticing.
Tomlinson is obviously number one. There's nothing interesting about that in leagues that use a serpentine draft. The interesting thing will be how much more he goes for than anyone else in auction leagues.
Steven Jackson and Larry Johnson are two and three, and I would go with Jackson because I don't think the Chiefs will fix their offensive line problems. They lost Willie Roaf last year and will probably lose Will Shields this year plus Casey Weigmann is on his last legs, and Jordan Black really played poorly last year. (Will Kyle Turley ever be a solid tackle again?) They may be looking at four new starters, with only Brian Waters a lock to keep his starting job.
I'd still take LJ third, though. He'll get too many touches to pass up at number three.
I'd take Shaun Alexander fourth. I think he'll bounce back from his disappointing 2006 season. Too bad for Alexander that the Seahawks couldn't sign Kris Dielman. Still, I think Alexander will return to 4+ YPC this year, and easily over 300 carries if he stays healthy.
Looking at the list in post #3, Clinton Portis really jumps out at me as being ranked way too low. Rudi Johnson is also too low.
Cedric Benson has nice upside, but I don't think I'd draft him in the second round, which is where he'll go. Too much of a risk for my tastes. I would take Edgerrin James, Ronnie Brown, and Chester Taylor ahead of Benson.
The Giants missed out on D.Rhodes, W.McGahee, T.Jones, and A.Green, and probably won't pony up a first and third for M.Turner. But I seem to be one of the few people who think that Brandon Jacobs could be effective as an every-down back. That is a situation worth watching.
Reggie Bush is really hard to rank. He's at number six on the consensus list, which is really high for a guy who shares the backfield with Deuce McAllister. But he's one of the top few backs in the league in terms of talent. I don't know if I could bring myself to pull the trigger on him in the middle of the first round, but I love his upside potential.
I like Maroney and Addai quite a bit, and would take either one in a heartbeat before Willie parker.
Travis Henry is intriguing in Denver, but it's really not the same Bronco offense that made fantasy stars out Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, and Reuben Droughns. The Broncos scored only twelve rushing touchdowns last year as a team. I don't think Henry is overrated at #13, but I don't think he's underrated, either.
Westbrook, Gore, and Bush all seem rated a bit high at 4, 5, and 6 -- but other than Shaun Alexander I don't know who I would take ahead of them. I think I would just hope to have one of the top picks or one of the bottom picks this year. Picking in the middle of the first round doesn't seem too enticing.
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And as I was typing, it looks like the Giants have made a play for Reuben Droughns.That bumps B.Jacobs up my list a bit, since he should start over Droughns, I would think.
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
The reason Bush is so high is cause of the PPR requirements. If no PPR, his value drops considerably
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
You just saved me a lot of time trying to mull over RB in redraft leagues...seriously this year there is more talent and depth at RB than I can remember in a long time. Sure the top3 are who you want...but you're telling me there are plenty of RB2 pick wise that have a chance to out perform their draft spots by a mile.
Marauder
Footballguy
But at least SF should be running basically the same offense. They're not bringing in a guy from a Bed and Breakfast to run a 1970's era scheme.I agree that it bears watching though.
Iron Mike Tomczak
Footballguy
1 Tomlinson
2 LJ
3 Westbrook
4 Gore
5 Jackson
6 Parker
7 S Alexander
8 Maroney
9 Addai
10 Jones
11 Bush
12 Rudi Johnson
13 Cadillac Williams
14 Cedric Benson
15 Portis
16 Edgerrin James
17 McGahee
18 Henry
19 Ahman Green
20 C Taylor
21 Jamal Lewis
22 Ronnie Brown
23 MBIII
24 Jacobs
25 Rhodes
2 LJ
3 Westbrook
4 Gore
5 Jackson
6 Parker
7 S Alexander
8 Maroney
9 Addai
10 Jones
11 Bush
12 Rudi Johnson
13 Cadillac Williams
14 Cedric Benson
15 Portis
16 Edgerrin James
17 McGahee
18 Henry
19 Ahman Green
20 C Taylor
21 Jamal Lewis
22 Ronnie Brown
23 MBIII
24 Jacobs
25 Rhodes
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Jeff Pasquino
Footballguy
Last year MB3 was 19th in PPR leagues, and he wasn't the primary back.I expect that he becomes more of the feature back and JJ is minimized.Last year: 12th was 230.2 points in WCOFF scoring. 19th was 204.1. That's less than a 10 yard catch a game.He's long been rumored to become the #1 ball carrier (and receiver) RB in Dallas this season.RB1 is attainable.
H.K.
Footballguy
Jacobs is useless in any scoring system now. Droughns will be the primary. He's a proven feature RB. Jacobs hasn't had 100 carries in a season, Reuben has done that in 4-5 games.
My head is still spinning from all of the movement! While I appreciate the rankings in herre right now, there's simply way too much conjecture involved to comfortably post a top 10 list, LET ALONE A TOP 25!
I'll be watching this thread closely though
I'll be watching this thread closely though
dgreen
Footballguy
Define "proven feature RB". He had one decent season in Denver and one in Cleveland. The list is long that have accomplished that and his resume isn't nearly strong enough to hold off good competition. Whether Jacobs offers good competition or not is another story.
Riffraff
Footballguy
Provide a list of accomplished 1000 rushing yard seasons in Cleveland in the last 20 years.
Consensus thus far (includes 11 rankings)......
1) Tomlinson
2) S Jackson
3) L Johnson
4) Westbrook
5) S Alexander
6) Frank Gore
7) Addai
8) Portis
9) Reggie Bush
10)Willie Parker
11) Maroney
12) Rudi Johnson
13) Ronnie Brown
14) Travis Henry
15) McGahee
16) Thomas Jones
17) Benson
18) Caddilac Williams
19) MJ Drew
20) Edge James
21) C Taylor
22) M Barber
23) Ahman Green
24) Deuce McAllister
25) L Jordan
Thanks for the participation. Need more rankings please.
1) Tomlinson
2) S Jackson
3) L Johnson
4) Westbrook
5) S Alexander
6) Frank Gore
7) Addai
8) Portis
9) Reggie Bush
10)Willie Parker
11) Maroney
12) Rudi Johnson
13) Ronnie Brown
14) Travis Henry
15) McGahee
16) Thomas Jones
17) Benson
18) Caddilac Williams
19) MJ Drew
20) Edge James
21) C Taylor
22) M Barber
23) Ahman Green
24) Deuce McAllister
25) L Jordan
Thanks for the participation. Need more rankings please.
Jeff Pasquino
Footballguy
Let me expound upon this.Here are the Top 24 RBs in PPR scoring last year, with their rankings and Overall rankings, as well as Fantasy Points:Jeff Pasquino said:
Code:
# Ovr Player YTD Pts 1 1 Tomlinson, Ladainian SDC RB 483.3 2 2 Jackson, Steven STL RB 419.4 3 3 Johnson, Larry KCC RB 374.9 4 5 Westbrook, Brian PHI RB 334.6 5 6 Gore, Frank SFO RB 333.0 6 12 Barber, Tiki FA RB 300.7 7 14 Parker, Willie PIT RB 299.7 8 17 Jones-Drew, Maurice JAC RB (R) 273.7 9 22 Bush, Reggie NOS RB (R) 267.1 10 33 Betts, Ladell WAS RB 243.1 11 37 Johnson, Rudi CIN RB 238.2 12 42 Jones, Kevin DET RB 230.2 13 44 Addai, Joseph IND RB (R) 228.6 14 45 Taylor, Chester MIN RB 228.2 15 46 Green, Ahman GBP RB 226.9 16 55 McAllister, Deuce NOS RB 215.5 17 57 James, Edgerrin ARI RB 211.6 18 60 Jones, Thomas CHI RB 208.4 19 62 Barber, Marion DAL RB 204.1 20 66 Taylor, Fred JAC RB 197.9 21 67 Lewis, Jamal BAL RB 196.7 22 73 Brown, Ronnie MIA RB 191.7 23 75 Henry, Travis TEN RB 190.9 24 76 Dillon, Corey NEP RB 188.9
Code:
# Ovr Player YTD Pts Carries Rec Touches FPTs/Touch1 1 Tomlinson, Ladainian SDC RB 483.3 349 56 405 1.192 2 Jackson, Steven STL RB 419.4 346 90 436 0.963 3 Johnson, Larry KCC RB 374.9 416 41 457 0.824 5 Westbrook, Brian PHI RB 334.6 240 77 317 1.065 6 Gore, Frank SFO RB 333.0 313 61 374 0.896 12 Barber, Tiki FA RB 300.7 327 58 385 0.787 14 Parker, Willie PIT RB 299.7 337 31 368 0.818 17 Jones-Drew, Maurice JAC RB (R) 273.7 166 46 212 1.299 22 Bush, Reggie NOS RB (R) 267.1 154 89 243 1.1010 33 Betts, Ladell WAS RB 243.1 245 53 298 0.8211 37 Johnson, Rudi CIN RB 238.2 341 23 364 0.6512 42 Jones, Kevin DET RB 230.2 181 61 242 0.9513 44 Addai, Joseph IND RB (R) 228.6 226 40 266 0.8614 45 Taylor, Chester MIN RB 228.2 304 42 346 0.6615 46 Green, Ahman GBP RB 226.9 266 46 312 0.7316 55 McAllister, Deuce NOS RB 215.5 244 30 274 0.7917 57 James, Edgerrin ARI RB 211.6 337 38 375 0.5618 60 Jones, Thomas CHI RB 208.4 297 36 333 0.6319 62 Barber, Marion DAL RB 204.1 136 23 159 1.2820 66 Taylor, Fred JAC RB 197.9 231 23 254 0.7821 67 Lewis, Jamal BAL RB 196.7 314 18 332 0.5922 73 Brown, Ronnie MIA RB 191.7 242 33 275 0.7023 75 Henry, Travis TEN RB 190.9 270 18 288 0.6624 76 Dillon, Corey NEP RB 188.9 199 15 214 0.88
Code:
# Ovr Player YTD Pts Carries Rec Touches FPTs/Touch1 1 Tomlinson, Ladainian SDC RB 483.3 349 56 405 1.194 5 Westbrook, Brian PHI RB 334.6 240 77 317 1.068 17 Jones-Drew, Maurice JAC RB (R) 273.7 166 46 212 1.299 22 Bush, Reggie NOS RB (R) 267.1 154 89 243 1.1019 62 Barber, Marion DAL RB 204.1 136 23 159 1.28
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Well I play in a non-ppr league with 2 Keepers (mine are Chestery & either Edge / Ronnie Brown), rest is redraft. 10 franchises, so 20 keepers, and 12 were RBs, so players with ^ after their name are off the board in my leagueI think playoff teams will have either LT, LJ, and/or 2 of the top 12 fantasy RBs on their team (ie they guess right on their #2RB like an Addai, Cadillac, Thomas Jones)1. LT^2. LJ^3. S Jackson^4. Alexander^ (forget last season)5. Rudi^ -- plays NFC west6. Westbrook (has to be high, but injury concerns**)7. Addai^8. Gore^ - (i forsee a letdown,loses Norv Turner, plays BAL/MIN, @PIT,@CAR,@ATL)9. Ronnie Brown (assuming no Ricky Williams)10. Portis (if you take him, draft Betts in 5th/6th round)11. Willie Parker12. Edge^ (Whisenhunt knows how to get his RBs TDs)13. T Henry14. Jones-Drew^ (feels like he should be higher, good value)15. Bush^16. Chester Taylor^ (if he's still feature back)17. Marion Barber^ [too many TDs to ignore]18. Mcgahee (not many catches)19. T.Jones20. Cadillac (could have top10 value- great upside)21. Deuce22. Maroney23. LenDale White24. Falcons #1 RB25. Benson (attitude & injury problems belie success)other RBs to consider-Packers #1 RB-Ahman Green-jamal lewis-Dominc Rhodes-Julius Jones
This is exactly what I am hoping my league thinks. What a joke. I would place money on if he isn't hurt that he is a lock top 10 in standard PPR leagues.
PahtyTom
Footballguy
Edited to add: This list is NOT for a PPR league
1. LT
2. LJ
3. Ste. Jax
4. Gore
5. Westbrook
6. FWP
7. Henry
8. Alexander
9. Rudi
10. Addai
11. Ronnie Brown
12. Maroney
13. MJD
14. D'angelo Williams
15. Portis
16. Bush
17. Edge
18. Thomas Jones
19. Chester
20. McGahee
21. Benson
22. Deuce
23. Betts
24. Kevin Jones
25. Ahman Green
1. LT
2. LJ
3. Ste. Jax
4. Gore
5. Westbrook
6. FWP
7. Henry
8. Alexander
9. Rudi
10. Addai
11. Ronnie Brown
12. Maroney
13. MJD
14. D'angelo Williams
15. Portis
16. Bush
17. Edge
18. Thomas Jones
19. Chester
20. McGahee
21. Benson
22. Deuce
23. Betts
24. Kevin Jones
25. Ahman Green
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mlball77
Footballguy
Yeah, this knocks Jordan's value for sure. May be a RBBC now in Oak.
RBM
Footballguy
Why? TJ is $ at the stripe. No way Houston could do better
LBH
Footballguy
I thought this was a pretty interesting read on LJ......
Trouble in paradise?
Quote:
Consider trading him
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
Previous columns
No one asked me, but just in case Carl Peterson and Clark Hunt would like to know where I stand: I’d consider trading Larry Johnson rather than handing him a lucrative contract extension.
Seriously. Oh, I respect what Larry Johnson has accomplished the last two years, back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and 37 touchdowns.
Larry is owed big money. He’s earned it. You could make a pretty strong argument he’s the NFL’s second-best running back after LaDainian Tomlinson.
I just wouldn’t be in a rush to be the general manager or owner who gave L.T.-type money to L.J. And I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be the coach forced to deal with L.J.’s T.O.-like behavior, especially after that behavior gets protected with close to $20 million in guaranteed bonuses.
The Chiefs have a big decision to make this offseason, and there’s no reason we should act as if reworking Larry’s contract way north is a no-brainer. It’s not.
Larry is far from the most popular player in the Chiefs’ locker room with the players. He’s aloof, moody and constantly distracted by his desire to be misunderstood and to be a member of Jay-Z’s posse.
“If they give him a huge contract, they’ll create a monster,” one Chiefs player told me this offseason. “And I told Herm that.”
Johnson, according to another teammate, can be a disruptive force in locker-room chemistry. The team’s most valuable and important player, according to a teammate, oftentimes sits in meetings text messaging friends and associates.
We all know Larry loves to make headlines with tell-all interviews. He went on HBO this season and claimed that it was easier for him to play for a black head coach because Herm Edwards knows what it’s like to, among other things, go to nightclubs in the ’hood.
Larry also finds it easier, I assume, to question the offensive strategy of a black head coach who bends over backward trying to satisfy the ego of his star running back, because L.J. had little trouble throwing Edwards and the coaching staff under the bus after Kansas City’s playoff loss.
Three years ago, when the Chargers made Tomlinson the richest running back in the history of the league with a $60 million contract and $20 million in guaranteed bonuses, here’s what the Chargers’ team president was quoted saying about L.T.:
“LaDainian represents everything you want from a player. He is our role model. Every young player should aspire to be like L.T., the way he carries himself on and off the field. He has demonstrated he can do and will do what it takes to be a winner and to be the best.”
Could Carl Peterson say that about L.J. with a straight face?
No way. (FYI: I attempted to contact Peterson and Edwards on Wednesday. They were both legitimately unavailable. Peterson, I was told, was out of town. Edwards, I was told, spent most of Wednesday in meetings with the scouting department.)
But the reasons to consider trading L.J. go deeper than just the quirks in his personality, deeper than the possibility that he might be the next T.O. or Randy Moss.
Johnson carried the ball an NFL-record 416 times last year. In the history of the league, nine running backs have accumulated 390-plus carries in a season. Only one, Eric Dickerson, continued to ascend after toting the rock that many times. Everyone else faded quickly.
Is L.J. the next Eric Dickerson, a terrific player and locker-room cancer with the Rams, Colts, Raiders and Falcons?
Or is L.J. the next Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, Terrell Davis or James Wilder?
The one thing I really respect about Johnson is his brutal honesty. He doesn’t hide who he wants to be. As soon as the season was over, he high-tailed it to New York to get to work on whatever it is he wants to do with rapper Jay-Z.
I mean, really, there were two certainties when this season ended: Tiki Barber would begin his career as a broadcaster, and Larry Johnson would be in New York working on his street cred and Roc-A-Fella hand signals.
In pursuit of a new contract, some athletes wouldn’t be nearly as truthful as L.J. They would sneak off to New York while telling everyone about their elaborate plans to rest up and begin a new training regime with their own specialist, Bay Bay McWorkout. They might even invite a television crew to tape them while they push a mobile home on a giant treadmill.
L.J. is going to skip the publicity tour. He believes he has all the leverage he needs. Tony Gonzalez will be 31 in a couple of weeks. Trent Green is still woozy. Dante Hall has fallen and can’t get up. Jared Allen is headed to jail.
L.J. is Kansas City’s lone, unblemished, in-his-prime star. Herm Edwards’ whole plan of attack falls apart without a punishing running back.
The Chiefs have to pay Larry Johnson.
No they don’t. Not if another team is willing to offer something resembling fair value (a top-12 draft pick and a defensive starter or wide receiver). You can find and develop young running backs quickly.
Finding, developing and maintaining a Super Bowl-level chemistry is a lot more elusive, especially when you have a potential T.O. or Randy Moss in your locker room.
I’m not saying the Chiefs should trade Larry Johnson. I’m saying they should consider doing it.
Trouble in paradise?
Quote:
Consider trading him
JASON WHITLOCK
The Kansas City Star
Previous columns
No one asked me, but just in case Carl Peterson and Clark Hunt would like to know where I stand: I’d consider trading Larry Johnson rather than handing him a lucrative contract extension.
Seriously. Oh, I respect what Larry Johnson has accomplished the last two years, back-to-back 1,700-yard seasons, consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and 37 touchdowns.
Larry is owed big money. He’s earned it. You could make a pretty strong argument he’s the NFL’s second-best running back after LaDainian Tomlinson.
I just wouldn’t be in a rush to be the general manager or owner who gave L.T.-type money to L.J. And I sure as heck wouldn’t want to be the coach forced to deal with L.J.’s T.O.-like behavior, especially after that behavior gets protected with close to $20 million in guaranteed bonuses.
The Chiefs have a big decision to make this offseason, and there’s no reason we should act as if reworking Larry’s contract way north is a no-brainer. It’s not.
Larry is far from the most popular player in the Chiefs’ locker room with the players. He’s aloof, moody and constantly distracted by his desire to be misunderstood and to be a member of Jay-Z’s posse.
“If they give him a huge contract, they’ll create a monster,” one Chiefs player told me this offseason. “And I told Herm that.”
Johnson, according to another teammate, can be a disruptive force in locker-room chemistry. The team’s most valuable and important player, according to a teammate, oftentimes sits in meetings text messaging friends and associates.
We all know Larry loves to make headlines with tell-all interviews. He went on HBO this season and claimed that it was easier for him to play for a black head coach because Herm Edwards knows what it’s like to, among other things, go to nightclubs in the ’hood.
Larry also finds it easier, I assume, to question the offensive strategy of a black head coach who bends over backward trying to satisfy the ego of his star running back, because L.J. had little trouble throwing Edwards and the coaching staff under the bus after Kansas City’s playoff loss.
Three years ago, when the Chargers made Tomlinson the richest running back in the history of the league with a $60 million contract and $20 million in guaranteed bonuses, here’s what the Chargers’ team president was quoted saying about L.T.:
“LaDainian represents everything you want from a player. He is our role model. Every young player should aspire to be like L.T., the way he carries himself on and off the field. He has demonstrated he can do and will do what it takes to be a winner and to be the best.”
Could Carl Peterson say that about L.J. with a straight face?
No way. (FYI: I attempted to contact Peterson and Edwards on Wednesday. They were both legitimately unavailable. Peterson, I was told, was out of town. Edwards, I was told, spent most of Wednesday in meetings with the scouting department.)
But the reasons to consider trading L.J. go deeper than just the quirks in his personality, deeper than the possibility that he might be the next T.O. or Randy Moss.
Johnson carried the ball an NFL-record 416 times last year. In the history of the league, nine running backs have accumulated 390-plus carries in a season. Only one, Eric Dickerson, continued to ascend after toting the rock that many times. Everyone else faded quickly.
Is L.J. the next Eric Dickerson, a terrific player and locker-room cancer with the Rams, Colts, Raiders and Falcons?
Or is L.J. the next Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, Terrell Davis or James Wilder?
The one thing I really respect about Johnson is his brutal honesty. He doesn’t hide who he wants to be. As soon as the season was over, he high-tailed it to New York to get to work on whatever it is he wants to do with rapper Jay-Z.
I mean, really, there were two certainties when this season ended: Tiki Barber would begin his career as a broadcaster, and Larry Johnson would be in New York working on his street cred and Roc-A-Fella hand signals.
In pursuit of a new contract, some athletes wouldn’t be nearly as truthful as L.J. They would sneak off to New York while telling everyone about their elaborate plans to rest up and begin a new training regime with their own specialist, Bay Bay McWorkout. They might even invite a television crew to tape them while they push a mobile home on a giant treadmill.
L.J. is going to skip the publicity tour. He believes he has all the leverage he needs. Tony Gonzalez will be 31 in a couple of weeks. Trent Green is still woozy. Dante Hall has fallen and can’t get up. Jared Allen is headed to jail.
L.J. is Kansas City’s lone, unblemished, in-his-prime star. Herm Edwards’ whole plan of attack falls apart without a punishing running back.
The Chiefs have to pay Larry Johnson.
No they don’t. Not if another team is willing to offer something resembling fair value (a top-12 draft pick and a defensive starter or wide receiver). You can find and develop young running backs quickly.
Finding, developing and maintaining a Super Bowl-level chemistry is a lot more elusive, especially when you have a potential T.O. or Randy Moss in your locker room.
I’m not saying the Chiefs should trade Larry Johnson. I’m saying they should consider doing it.
H.K.
Footballguy
Well since he's useless, I'll send you my 15th round pick for your Jacobs in CHUGs.
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
Hmm ... called more right so far (Henry, TJ, Benson, etc) than I missed so far (ADP, MJD, Norwood). A few are still TBD (Addai's health) Fun thread to review to see how our predictions came true so far.
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