Rhodes vs. Addai (1 Viewer)

[Chaos Commish]

Link

Rhodes, Addai ready for competition to fill Edge's job

MICHAEL MAROT

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Dominic Rhodes spent his entire career dreaming of the day he would become a regular starter in the NFL. On Friday, it became a reality.

With reporters crammed around his locker for the start of the Indianapolis Colts' mandatory three-day mini-camp, the diminutive Rhodes unleashed a set of textbook answers when he faced the one question that won't go away: Can he replace Edgerrin James?

"Like I've said, I know I can perform in this league if I'm given the opportunities," Rhodes said. "Hopefully, it will all come together by the time we're playing in Giants Stadium."

For now, it's Rhodes' job to lose.

The confident running back has long proclaimed he could start in the NFL, if given the chance, and enters the summer as the No. 1 back on the depth chart.

But first he must win this summer's most visible battle. The competition between Rhodes and first-round draft pick Joseph Addai is likely to be the highest-profile competition on offense since The Triplets - Peyton Manning, receiver Marvin Harrison and James - became the Colts' core players in 1999.

Rhodes now has the unenviable task of being the first Colts player to replace one of the three.

"I don't think Edge is really replaceable, I think it's more adjustable," Manning said. "He was one of the best teammates I ever played with. ... But whoever is the starting tailback will have a good year, I can promise you that."

Rhodes' advantage is that he's a known commodity.

At 5-foot-9, 203 pounds, he's shorter than prototypical NFL running backs but has shown he can handle a big workload. In 2001, when James tore his anterior cruciate ligament and the Colts missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998, Rhodes emerged as the starter and responded by rushing for 1,104 yards.

Since then, Rhodes has been relegated primarily to spot duty although Colts president Bill Polian routinely calls him one of the Colts' key players.

The concern is whether Rhodes can remain healthy for a full season. He missed all of 2002 after tearing his ACL in training camp and has been slowed by shoulder injuries that have become the norm rather than the exception.

So this season, Rhodes must prove he can survive the punishment.

"I'm taking it more personal, I guess," he said. "A lot of things are being said because Edge isn't here, so I want to go out and prepare myself to be a reliable source in the backfield."

Addai has a different style.

At 5-11, 214 pounds, he looks like a virtual carbon copy of James - strong, powerful and ready to run over tacklers. He was considered the best blocking back in the draft and also catches the ball well out of the backfield.

The biggest obstacle for Addai will be learning a new system and adapting to the litany of audibles Manning calls at the line of scrimmage.

At least Addai will get a chance to practice this weekend.

Coach Tony Dungy estimated about a dozen others will sit out because of injuries or offseason surgery.

Among those sitting out are Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders, who had offseason arm surgery; Pro Bowl linebacker Cato June, who played through a sports hernia last year; safety Mike Doss, and cornerback Marlin Jackson.

Backup receiver Aaron Moorehead will miss two months after having back surgery last week, and defensive back Tim Jennings, the Colts' second-round draft pick, also is out after having ankle surgery following the rookie minicamp two weeks ago.

The good news was that cornerback Nick Harper, whose agent had said last month that he would skip the mini-camp because of a contract dispute, was in town.

But the biggest question is who will replace James?

"Year after year, we've had good players who have left, and we've been able to replace them with good players," Dungy said. "When Marcus Washington leaves, we replaced him with Cato June, who went to the Pro Bowl and that's what our system is all about."

But if Rhodes has his way, this summer's big competition will end quickly.

"I think about it every night, and it's hard to sleep," he said. "I'm just relishing this opportunity and thinking about different ways I can make this team better."

 

[Big Score]

Colts will likely use a two-back rotation

Reggie Hayes

5/19/2006

Indianapolis Colts veterans are back in Indy for a three-day mini-camp, and for once, there’s some intrigue with the offense.

Peyton Manning must adjust to a new backfield.

Gone is longtime Manning cohort Edgerrin James. His successors are veteran backup Dominic Rhodes and rookie Joseph Addai from LSU.

Three days in May give everyone a chance to get comfortable working together at the Colts complex at the Union Federal Football Center. The Colts will likely use a two-back rotation, unless Rhodes or Addai earn the job outright during full camp in late July and August.

“We haven’t had to do that (use two backs), and we’ve been pretty fortunate,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said during last month’s draft. “That is the norm around the league, and Tom (Moore, offensive coordinator) has done it in the past and it’s not going to be that big of a deal. It really won’t matter who gets more carries or any of that.”

Other adjustments for the Colts in mini-camp, which began today, will involve replacing some key veterans. Those who left in free agency were James (Arizona), linebacker David Thornton (Tennessee), defensive tackle Larry Tripplett (Buffalo) and kicker Mike Vanderjagt (Dallas). The Colts signed former New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri to replace Vanderjagt. Other spots will be filled from within.

On the defensive side, the Colts may experiment with second-year defensive back Marlin Jackson at safety, giving rookie Tim Jennings from Georgia a chance to compete for a spot as the fifth defensive back in the nickel defense.

“He’s tough. That’s the No. 1 thing I like,” Dungy said of Jennings. “He’s really in keeping with the guys that we’ve had the last couple of years in Mike Doss, Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden. He’ll fit right in that mold. He’s got a great deal of speed and I think he can play inside and outside. We’ll just see how it goes. I think we just added another fast tough guy.”

Nothing quite compares to the challenge of replacing James, who twice led the NFL in rushing and rushed for 1,506 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

“We had a gap there at running back,” Dungy said. “Dominic Rhodes is going to start the year as the starter, and we’re happy to have a guy to complement him now.”

From the Colts will likely use a two-back rotation thread.

 

[purestrength]

Rhodes certainly sounds determined.

I'd really like to know what's going to happen in this situation. I have a redraft league draft this Sunday (yes, I know, way too early to be drafting). I'm not sure whether to target Rhodes or Addai. Getting both would probably be too costly.

 

[Bankerguy]

Rhodes certainly sounds determined.

I'd really like to know what's going to happen in this situation. I have a redraft league draft this Sunday (yes, I know, way too early to be drafting). I'm not sure whether to target Rhodes or Addai. Getting both would probably be too costly.

I wish my league did this. It separtes the sharks from the guppies. By the end of August most people just barf out ADP reports in their draft strategy.

 

[CA_7]

Rookie Addai makes good 1st impression

Joseph Addai's official debut with the Indianapolis Colts earned much better reviews than expected summer movie blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code."

RUSHING ATTACK: Rookie Joseph Addai (right), a first-round draft pick from LSU, and veteran Dominic Rhodes talk with running backs coach Gene Huey at the first practice of Colts minicamp. - Robert Scheer / The Star

"He did great," coach Tony Dungy said Friday evening after putting Addai, the Colts' first-round draft pick, and the rest of the team through the first of five mandatory minicamp workouts. "Probably will be in the Hall of Fame in six years."

Dungy was kidding, of course. All joking aside, the rookie from LSU was one of the lightning rods as nearly three dozen members of the local and national media descended on the Colts' Union Federal Football Center. Most gravitated to Addai when he appeared in the locker room.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti.../605200434/1100

 

[djcolts]

ESPN's Pastabelly on Addai

 

[zamboni]

It seems like Dungy and Co. are doing and saying the right things by showing respect to Rhodes and making Addai work for it.

That said, one has to think that team brass fully intends Addai to be the guy if he's up to it. Rhodes is a nice player, but he had one very good season about 4 years and a major injury ago.

You can't fully replace an Edge, but I would say Addai has greater potential to fill much of the gap than Rhodes does at this juncture. And if neither guy gets it done, then the Colts will get someone else next year.

 

[Boston]

This is really one of the more important situations to watch this year (both in fantasy and in real football). Edge was a stud that really kept defenses honest. If Addai/Rhodes can't get the job done it will really change the complexity of the Colt offense. A worst case scenario of Addai/Rhodes not being anything special and an injury to either Wayne or Harrison would really make the Colts vulnerable IMO.

As far as fantasy goes both guys have big swings in their upside/downside. It's easy to see big numbers or nothing special for both of them. Right now I'd go with Addai for two reasons. One, while I don't like him Bill Polian knows what he is doing and if he thinks Addai is worthy of a first rounder than he has solid plans for him. Two, I just can't get over the fact that when Rhodes was on the free agent market recently he didn't seem to have any interest from other teams. While I know he's comfortable in the Indy system I really see that as something that allows me to give the nod to Addai. It's not the most scientific method but it's May and you have to hang your hat on something.

 

[Evilgrin 72]

I think Addai has a better then usual chance of unseating Rhodes. Typically, most coaches will tell you that the main concern with rookie RBs is not the ability to run effectively, but the failures in blocking that can lead to a QB getting killed. the inability to be a solid blocker is more often than not what keeps a young talent off the field. Addai, on the other hand, was considered the best blocker of all the RBs coming out in this calss, so I think his ability to see significant time early is greatly enhanced.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

there were two comments above that caught my eye...

one was that rhodes has had only one good season in last four... yeah, but he had edge in front of him which pretty much precluded looking good... that is the point here, edge is no longer with the team... the ONLY other time rhodes was afforded the opportunity, he had a good season.

the other remark was that he didn't fetch a lot of interest as free agent... neither did edge himself in 2005, or alexander, when they might have cost a second rounder tops...

evil grin does raise an excellent point... when i looked at his film, he didn't overly impress me, compared to other frontline prospects... in most he would get a hand off or catch the ball, run 5-10 yards and get tackled... i was just thinking if that is his HIGHLIGHT package & it is best he has to offer, it was worrisome to me...

what i do like about him is he has a very unusual skill set for a rookie RB... he was tough enough for saban to play him at FB as rookie, so you know he can block... he even played some WR at LSU so you know he can catch... so EG is right... an exceptionally complete, fully formed, NFL-ready game for rookie RB...

my concern if i was addai owner (i'm not in interests of disclosure), that rhodes is superior runner if not complete RB with blocking & receiving skills, & he gets something close to splitting carries (maybe a little more or less, but enough to limit addai, at least first year)...

i also had worries about addai in dynasty that they settled for him (really wanted maroney) & they maybe upgrade in future... on other hand, colts have a lot invested in offense already in manning, harrison & wayne & they are always looking to upgrade defense so it can catch up & they can become more balanced & competitive... in next few years there will probably be other directions they would like to spend high picks on than RB... so i could see addai being RB of future almost by default, even if he is just competent & not spectacular...

and whoever they get, will have some GAPING holes to run through with many teams dropping 8 in coverage at times...

 

[bikerider']

I think Rhodes is due a chance and I bet they give him the ball opening day. Anyway we're all just guessing right now. I'm not taking any of it.

But I will play one of them in FFTOC once I see how things work out.

 

[CA_7]

I think Rhodes is due a chance and I bet they give him the ball opening day. Anyway we're all just guessing right now. I'm not taking any of it.

But I will play one of them in FFTOC once I see how things work out.

I will playing Rhodes early and Addai later in the season

 

[bikerider']

I will playing Rhodes early and Addai later in the season

 

[Traders2001]

I will playing Rhodes early and Addai later in the season

What if Rhodes delivers . Let say after 5 weeks 450rush yds , 100 receiving yards and 4 TD's.What do the Colts do , ( they keep Addai on the bench for 1 year ) and trade Rhodes next spring.

 

[The Ref]

I cant help but think that one of these two guys is going to help a lot of teams to a fantasy football super bowl this year.

Of course, I have no idea who it will be.

 

[bikerider']

If Rhodes does well early and keeps the job all season thats fine.

Who cares? I'm starting Rhodes early in the FFTOC season.

Since I'm starting Rhodes early in the FFTOC, I'll get his points.

If he gets hurt later, then I can start Addai too.

Start Rhodes early in the FFTOC and you got it covered. Is this logic bad?

 

[John Mamula]

Rhodes certainly sounds determined.

I'd really like to know what's going to happen in this situation. I have a redraft league draft this Sunday (yes, I know, way too early to be drafting). I'm not sure whether to target Rhodes or Addai. Getting both would probably be too costly.

I wish my league did this. It separtes the sharks from the guppies. By the end of August most people just barf out ADP reports in their draft strategy.

Less information leads to more luck so your logic is a little counter-intuitive.

 

[ren hoek]

Rhodes certainly sounds determined.

I'd really like to know what's going to happen in this situation. I have a redraft league draft this Sunday (yes, I know, way too early to be drafting). I'm not sure whether to target Rhodes or Addai. Getting both would probably be too costly.

I wish my league did this. It separtes the sharks from the guppies. By the end of August most people just barf out ADP reports in their draft strategy.

Less information leads to more luck so your logic is a little counter-intuitive.

Agreed. With the risk of injuries and a lack of information still at play, an early draft is much more of a crapshoot than a late one.

 

[gman8343]

It seems like Dungy and Co. are doing and saying the right things by showing respect to Rhodes and making Addai work for it.

That said, one has to think that team brass fully intends Addai to be the guy if he's up to it. Rhodes is a nice player, but he had one very good season about 4 years and a major injury ago.

You can't fully replace an Edge, but I would say Addai has greater potential to fill much of the gap than Rhodes does at this juncture. And if neither guy gets it done, then the Colts will get someone else next year.

I agree with this big time. They're not going to hand the job over, but I really think they're hoping Addai can win it outright. Personally, I think he's up to the task.

 

[Boston]

the other remark was that he didn't fetch a lot of interest as free agent... neither did edge himself in 2005, or alexander, when they might have cost a second rounder tops...

There is no way you can compare Edge/Alexander and Rhodes. Edge and Alexander are players that command top dollar (i.e. major salary cap committment) and also were not unrestricted last year. Once they both hit or were about to hit unrestricted free agency this year they received big money deals. Rhodes on the otherhand was an unrestricted free agent who resigned with the Colts for low money. If another team wanted him they could have got him without compensation and without putting much of a dent in their salary cap. From everything I saw/read he did not fetch much interest on the free agent maket which is why he ended up back in Indy.

 

[Dave Baker]

I think that the job, in essence, is Addai's to lose. He will get every opportunity to prove himself while splitting carries with Rhodes early on.

Rhodes will have to really impress to ever become the main RB at Indy. That's not impossible, but my money would be on Addai taking over at some point this year.

 

[bikerider']

Rhodes will have to really impress to ever become the main RB at Indy. That's not impossible, but my money would be on Addai taking over at some point this year.

I'm inwith that.That's why I say start Rhodes early in FFTOC, then if it works out good for Addai, you still can start him later.I think it's obvious.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I'm very interested in the answer to the following question.

Has any RB ever been a team's backup for 5 or more years, and then taken over the starting roll in the next season? Is there anyone in the history of the NFL that's done it because I can't think of anyone? If so, what were the results?

It seems to me that if a guy is good enough to be a starting NFL RB, he will do it by year five no matter the situation because at some point if he's got the talent SOMEONE will give him a shot. I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance. Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

 

[Big Score]

I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance. Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

I think Rhodes has been under contract with the Colts all this time hasn't he?Tough to get a chance with another team, when you're locked in to the team you're on.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance. Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

I think Rhodes has been under contract with the Colts all this time hasn't he?Tough to get a chance with another team, when you're locked in to the team you're on.

He was a FA this past season at the very least. And I don't believe his contract was anywhere near what Chester or Jordan got.

 

[Big Score]

I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance.  Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance.  No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

I think Rhodes has been under contract with the Colts all this time hasn't he?Tough to get a chance with another team, when you're locked in to the team you're on.

He was a FA this past season at the very least.

He signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus in February 2005. Then March 11 2006 the Colts paid out another $1.45 million bonus, to keep Rhodes under contract next season as well.

 

[Boston]

I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance.  Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance.  No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

I think Rhodes has been under contract with the Colts all this time hasn't he?Tough to get a chance with another team, when you're locked in to the team you're on.

He was a FA this past season at the very least.

He signed a two-year, $4.75 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus in February 2005. Then March 11 2006 the Colts paid out another $1.45 million bonus, to keep Rhodes under contract next season as well.

Prior to that deal I'm almost positive he was unrestricted.

 

[Orgazmo]

Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

They probably didn't feel he could survive the role.Check out these injuries, just from limited action.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/...3/injuries.html

 

[Bob_Magaw]

the other remark was that he didn't fetch a lot of interest as free agent... neither did edge himself in 2005, or alexander, when they might have cost a second rounder tops...

There is no way you can compare Edge/Alexander and Rhodes. Edge and Alexander are players that command top dollar (i.e. major salary cap committment) and also were not unrestricted last year. Once they both hit or were about to hit unrestricted free agency this year they received big money deals. Rhodes on the otherhand was an unrestricted free agent who resigned with the Colts for low money. If another team wanted him they could have got him without compensation and without putting much of a dent in their salary cap. From everything I saw/read he did not fetch much interest on the free agent maket which is why he ended up back in Indy.

your point is well taken that SA & edge signing would have entailed a huge committment to future contract that few teams would want to take on (nobody in 2005)...i was just trying to make point that we can't necessarily infer from lack of interest from other teams that he isn't a good RB...

for instance, another reason teams may have passed was a combination of not a lot of teams needing a back & there being a few good ones in draft...

good RBs like maroney, williams & white fell to from 21-45, & to good teams like NE & CAR (white nearly went to PIT if they had been unable to secure holmes with trade up)...

probably a more direct way to evaluate rhodes on his merits is just to look at what he did the one year he was called on... which was pretty good...

rhodes isn't a blue, chip elite talent or the incumbent... so he will have to earn a role... but conversely, a higher priority for polian & dungy than getting their first rounder the starting job is to WIN... if he plays decisively better, he will get the job...

i have no doubt addai is better in pass pro & as receiver... so at a minimum, he will initially see field a lot in third down role... plus whatever carries he gets spelling rhodes...

unlike some on board, i think rhodes, while not a special RB, is good enough to keep this a RBBC at least this season... if he pulls his weight, they aren't just going to hand the job to the rookie... if he plays lots worse, all bets are off... but i don't expect that...

if deangelo williams or maroney had been taken by IND, i would think there would be much stronger chance of them quickly seizing feature RB role... i don't see addai as in their league, though...

 

[BigRed]

rhodes is superior runner

Obviously hard to say but I've seen nothing to indicate this. Both seem to have a good-not-great running ability, with Addai perhaps having a little more explosiveness.

they settled for him (really wanted maroney)

Haven't seen/heard anything to indicate this either, although that may very well be.Addai looks like a great fit on paper, but you know how that can go. I'm as worried about his injury possibilities more than anything else right now.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

rhodes is superior runner

Obviously hard to say but I've seen nothing to indicate this. Both seem to have a good-not-great running ability, with Addai perhaps having a little more explosiveness.

they settled for him (really wanted maroney)

Haven't seen/heard anything to indicate this either, although that may very well be.Addai looks like a great fit on paper, but you know how that can go. I'm as worried about his injury possibilities more than anything else right now.

when writing that, i was thinking in terms of hypothetical... as in... i'd be worried if (from above), but after looking at context, i didn't make that clear...i acknowledge addai may be better than he looked on highlights... i just didn't see him breaking a lot of tackles... i have seen rhodes in game situations when he was the starter once before, look more impressive to me, but perhaps this is subjective...

i think rhodes is an underrated runner (injuries question about him as well as addai)... if he does a pretty good job, & addai isn't decisively better, i see them more or less splitting carries a lot...

* to be more specific on running style, & i applaud you for inviting that as it can only help to compare notes... the board generally can see more & deeper collectively than virtually any individual could...

its good to be north south runner, but sometimes it just looks like addai is barrelling straight into defender where he could have tried to be a little shiftier (he is ex-FB & maybe has straight ahead mentality... maybe he could be broken of it in pros, but it is hard to impart running instincts)... & he has been red flagged by some observors for running too upright...

in my recollection, rhodes ran lower (with deceptive power) & broke tackles better than addai (& may be shiftier & more elusive as well)...

 

[BigRed]

rhodes is superior runner

Obviously hard to say but I've seen nothing to indicate this. Both seem to have a good-not-great running ability, with Addai perhaps having a little more explosiveness.

they settled for him (really wanted maroney)

Haven't seen/heard anything to indicate this either, although that may very well be.Addai looks like a great fit on paper, but you know how that can go. I'm as worried about his injury possibilities more than anything else right now.

when writing that, i was thinking in terms of hypothetical... as in... i'd be worried if (from above), but after looking at context, i didn't make that clear...i acknowledge addai may be better than he looked on highlights... i just didn't see him breaking a lot of tackles... i have seen rhodes in game situations when he was the starter once before, look more impressive to me, but perhaps this is subjective...

i think rhodes is an underrated runner (injuries question about him as well as addai)... if he does a pretty good job, & addai isn't decisively better, i see them more or less splitting carries a lot...

* to be more specific on running style, & i applaud you for inviting that as it can only help to compare notes... the board generally can see more & deeper collectively than virtually any individual could...

its good to be north south runner, but sometimes it just looks like addai is barrelling straight into defender where he could have tried to be a little shiftier (he is ex-FB & maybe has straight ahead mentality... maybe he could be broken of it in pros, but it is hard to impart running instincts)... & he has been red flagged by some observors for running too upright...

in my recollection, rhodes ran lower (with deceptive power) & broke tackles better than addai (& may be shiftier & more elusive as well)...

Good call, agree - Rhodes isn't "powerful" by any means but somewhat moreso than his size would have you expect. And yeah Addai is known as an upright kinda runner.Really neither has particularly impressed me so far - not to say they're bad either, and really they don't have to "dazzle" per se, just be dependable enough to keep Ds honest ie not key on Manning alla time. Course I'd love to see an occasional hightlight kinda run - you just didn't get that w/EJ.

I think it gets down to Addai being a better blocker as a plus vs (I'm guessing) more injury risk as a con. Most of the other stuff appears to be roughly a wash between the 2. I think.

Regardless, I'm not touching either of these two FF-wise unless they come real cheap.

 

[djcolts]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not. I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season. If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not.  I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season.  If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

how good could he look with 2.5 carries per GAME?he did have the lowest rushing YPC average of his career, but he just hasn't had any shot at getting in a rhythm in last three years if you look at his carries, since that one season he had the opportunity... that year he averaged 4.7 YPC, had 1,300+ combined yards & 9 TDs (he is only 27)...

last season, he had almost a third of james rushing TDs (4 to 13) in about a ninth of the carries (40 to 360)... was he a goal line specialist? i don't think so in conventional sense... james definitely got some there, but i would sometimes see him take himself off field at times after a long drive... he didn't seem to mind sharing the wealth...

 

[djcolts]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not.  I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season.  If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

how good could he look with 2.5 carries per GAME?he did have the lowest rushing YPC average of his career, but he just hasn't had any shot at getting in a rhythm in last three years if you look at his carries, since that one season he had the opportunity... that year he averaged 4.7 YPC, had 1,300+ combined yards & 9 TDs (he is only 27)...

last season, he had almost a third of james rushing TDs (4 to 13) in about a ninth of the carries (40 to 360)... was he a goal line specialist? i don't think so in conventional sense... james definitely got some there, but i would sometimes see him take himself off field at times after a long drive... he didn't seem to mind sharing the wealth...

He looked terrible on KO returns, which shows burst (and in this case, lack of it) - and behind the 2nd OL in the last 2 regular season games he did nothing (maybe not his fault - but he didn't make anything happen, either).

 

[H.K.]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not.  I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season.  If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

how good could he look with 2.5 carries per GAME?he did have the lowest rushing YPC average of his career, but he just hasn't had any shot at getting in a rhythm in last three years if you look at his carries, since that one season he had the opportunity... that year he averaged 4.7 YPC, had 1,300+ combined yards & 9 TDs (he is only 27)...

last season, he had almost a third of james rushing TDs (4 to 13) in about a ninth of the carries (40 to 360)... was he a goal line specialist? i don't think so in conventional sense... james definitely got some there, but i would sometimes see him take himself off field at times after a long drive... he didn't seem to mind sharing the wealth...

OK, for the people pointing to last year's 40 carry sample to assess Rhodes, go look at the game logs from last year. It tells quite a story.First off, in weeks 16 & 17 when the Colts packed it in for the year in preparation for the playoffs, Rhodes carried 10 times for 0 yards. He was not playing with Manning et al at the time and the team clearly was not giving its "A" game.

If you eliminate those two games, Rhodes averaged 4.0 a carry in the other 14 games they played to win, this is more indicative of what to expect from him under normal circumstances.

However, if you analyze Rhodes' carries even futher, he had his average hampered even more by situational carries. In weeks 1-15 he had ten carries inside the opponents 10 yard line, where he produced 24 yards, 5 first downs and four TD's. Six of those carries came inside the five yard line, too. So his aggregate numbers may not appear very good, but he did produce considering the down and distance.

If you take his numbers since his injury in 2002, here is what you get:

130 carries for 529 yards for ~ 4.1 YPC (this includes 2005 which really bring him down, despite that he has a career YPC of 4.5), now add in 21 catches for 174 yards at 8.3 YPC. Those numbers tell quite a different story.

As for the future, I don't know if he and Addai will be split time or if one will emerge, but I do know that the Colts were forced to take the best available RB in the draft based on their current depth at the position on their roster. I am not pimping Rhodes as heir apparent to Edge, but do think it is premature to annoint Addai as the main RB right now. If I had a gun to my head I'd guess that the two will probably share the job, but to what degree will probably be determined by Addai's development and how well Rhodes performs early in the year.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not.  I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season.  If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

how good could he look with 2.5 carries per GAME?he did have the lowest rushing YPC average of his career, but he just hasn't had any shot at getting in a rhythm in last three years if you look at his carries, since that one season he had the opportunity... that year he averaged 4.7 YPC, had 1,300+ combined yards & 9 TDs (he is only 27)...

last season, he had almost a third of james rushing TDs (4 to 13) in about a ninth of the carries (40 to 360)... was he a goal line specialist? i don't think so in conventional sense... james definitely got some there, but i would sometimes see him take himself off field at times after a long drive... he didn't seem to mind sharing the wealth...

He looked terrible on KO returns, which shows burst (and in this case, lack of it) - and behind the 2nd OL in the last 2 regular season games he did nothing (maybe not his fault - but he didn't make anything happen, either).

would you concur that 2.5 carries per game doesn't allow getting in much of a rhythm?

 

[djcolts]

I haven't seen Addai to know if I'll be impressed or not.  I've seen Rhodes and he was AWFUL last season.  If Addai can't beat Rhodes out by mid-season I'll be very concerned.

how good could he look with 2.5 carries per GAME?he did have the lowest rushing YPC average of his career, but he just hasn't had any shot at getting in a rhythm in last three years if you look at his carries, since that one season he had the opportunity... that year he averaged 4.7 YPC, had 1,300+ combined yards & 9 TDs (he is only 27)...

last season, he had almost a third of james rushing TDs (4 to 13) in about a ninth of the carries (40 to 360)... was he a goal line specialist? i don't think so in conventional sense... james definitely got some there, but i would sometimes see him take himself off field at times after a long drive... he didn't seem to mind sharing the wealth...

He looked terrible on KO returns, which shows burst (and in this case, lack of it) - and behind the 2nd OL in the last 2 regular season games he did nothing (maybe not his fault - but he didn't make anything happen, either).

would you concur that 2.5 carries per game doesn't allow getting in much of a rhythm?

Fine. I'm basing my view of Rhodes from watching every Colts game last year, and he did not impress me at all last year. Going into last season, the talk from Colts camp was that Rhodes was going to get more carries, and he didn't - Edge carried the ball a lot more than what was originally talked about before the season started. I believe it is because Rhodes didn't perform well enough last year - and that is why he got so few carries. And, with getting so few carries last season, you'd think he'd at least perform as well on KO returns as he did in 2004 because he wasn't getting worn down carrying the ball. He was much worse on KO returns last year.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

no doubt LT, SA & LJ could make better returners than rhodes... but it is fundamentally different than being a RB...

on a return, all 11 defenders (10 plus kicker ) converge on ONE person... the returner...

as the RB in that offense, defenses dropped huge numbers into coverage last season in wake of manning's historic passing TD numbers in 2004... they will be HEAVILY distracted by harrison, wayne, stokely & clark...

even in the few carries he got, as HK noted in his post, the avergaed was skewed down further by being in short yardage situations a lot...

i don't think it is too controversial to suggest rhodes will enjoy best situation since the one when he was the starter... there will be some gaping holes to run through when the defense is far more spread out than many of the short yardage attempts he got in situational role...

hey, if addai averages 6 yards a carry & rhodes three, i'd be the first to say i think addai might have job by oct... but addai doesn't look like a special talent... i expect something in the low-mid 4s... with the advantage for more quality carries & opportunity to get in a rhythm for first time since... the last season he was starter & had pretty good year, it shouldn't be too hard to get close to addai's average.

 

[higgins]

I think you two should just dook it out. Just sayin'....

 

[djcolts]

I think you two should just dook it out. Just sayin'....

I'd lose in a fight.

 

[djcolts]

no doubt LT, SA & LJ could make better returners than rhodes... but it is fundamentally different than being a RB...

on a return, all 11 defenders (10 plus kicker ) converge on ONE person... the returner...

as the RB in that offense, defenses dropped huge numbers into coverage last season in wake of manning's historic passing TD numbers in 2004... they will be HEAVILY distracted by harrison, wayne, stokely & clark...

even in the few carries he got, as HK noted in his post, the avergaed was skewed down further by being in short yardage situations a lot...

i don't think it is too controversial to suggest rhodes will enjoy best situation since the one when he was the starter... there will be some gaping holes to run through when the defense is far more spread out than many of the short yardage attempts he got in situational role...

hey, if addai averages 6 yards a carry & rhodes three, i'd be the first to say i think addai might have job by oct... but addai doesn't look like a special talent... i expect something in the low-mid 4s... with the advantage for more quality carries & opportunity to get in a rhythm for first time since... the last season he was starter & had pretty good year, it shouldn't be too hard to get close to addai's average.

Again, I have no idea about Addai's talent - and neither guy will average 5 yards a carry this season - and probably not 4.5. If Rhodes shows the burst he showed in 2004, then you'll be right and I'll be wrong. If not - I have my doubts. The point about KO returns I've been making was that Rhodes declined signficantly in terms of burst from 2004 to 2005.

 

[Bob_Magaw]

i have to go partly with what i see with my own eyes... i follow/ed rhodes a little bit as we have him in one dynasty league, & the little i got to see him in recent years, i didn't notice the burst i saw four years ago (or five, when he was last starter) discernibly diminish...

but i concede i couldn't have seen as him as much as a homer & a local/regional authority (though i still think there hasn't been a lot for anybody to see)... but i'll defer & say, despite limited carries, i respect fact that you had opportunity to follow him more closely than i, and are no doubt more plugged into wider local opinion...

maybe you're right... i'll keep a closer eye on him in initial weeks based on your taking a strong negative stance, & see what i see... we had already thought about maybe moving him at the right time... obviously how he & addai start season relative to each other will play strong part in driving our decision on the timing of not if, but when to move him...

i didn't make it clear, & was focusing on next season... but in dynasty leagues i am if anything usually accustomed to longer perspective... i think addai will supplant him, just that it may not be early or mid-season... it could be later, or maybe even 2007, imo...

sorry if i put too fine a point on things... i learn a lot from debates that are put in sharp relief, but not everybody likes to delve into the level of detail that i do... thanx for your input in the debate, i appreciate it...

 

[djcolts]

i have to go partly with what i see with my own eyes... i follow/ed rhodes a little bit as we have him in one dynasty league, & the little i got to see him in recent years, i didn't notice the burst i saw four years ago (or five, when he was last starter) discernibly diminish...

but i concede i couldn't have seen as him as much as a homer & a local/regional authority (though i still think there hasn't been a lot for anybody to see)... but i'll defer & say, despite limited carries, i respect fact that you had opportunity to follow him more closely than i, and are no doubt more plugged into wider local opinion...

maybe you're right... i'll keep a closer eye on him in initial weeks based on your taking a strong negative stance, & see what i see... we had already thought about maybe moving him at the right time... obviously how he & addai start season relative to each other will play strong part in driving our decision on the timing of not if, but when to move him...

i didn't make it clear, & was focusing on next season... but in dynasty leagues i am if anything usually accustomed to longer perspective... i think addai will supplant him, just that it may not be early or mid-season... it could be later, or maybe even 2007, imo...

sorry if i put too fine a point on things... i learn a lot from debates that are put in sharp relief, but not everybody likes to delve into the level of detail that i do... thanx for your input in the debate, i appreciate it...

We'll see. I've been wrong plenty of times. I won't likely have either RB on my fantasy teams since I live in Indy and Colts are always taken too soon/overpriced.

 

[Charley]

I'm very interested in the answer to the following question.

Has any RB ever been a team's backup for 5 or more years, and then taken over the starting roll in the next season? Is there anyone in the history of the NFL that's done it because I can't think of anyone? If so, what were the results?

It seems to me that if a guy is good enough to be a starting NFL RB, he will do it by year five no matter the situation because at some point if he's got the talent SOMEONE will give him a shot. I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance. Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

Priest Holmes was 27 when he was traded from BAL to KC, and he turned 28 in October. His best season was his 2nd in BAL when he was RB15, followed by very mediocre seasons until he was traded to KC. The results were RB1, RB1, and RB2 in his first 3 seasons with KC.Rhodes turned 27 in January. I'm not suggesting that Rhodes is comparable to Holmes, but the featured back in IND will post top-10 numbers (if not better) unless they use RBBC. If Indy has a featured back this year, who knows who it will be at this point, or if it will be Rhodes in the 1st half and Addai in the 2nd half of the season.

Last year, Indy maintained that they would re-sign Edge -- until they let him go. I think Rhodes has always been a big part of their plan. But if Addai wins the starting job in preseason (or during the season), then I'm sure Indy will go with the best player.

 

[jdoggydogg]

...I think Rhodes has always been a big part of their plan. But if Addai wins the starting job in preseason (or during the season), then I'm sure Indy will go with the best player.

I'm not sure he's been a big part of Indy's plan. Indy kept Rhodes at a moderate salary because he's solid and knows the system. But I don't think Indy would go RB in the first round if they thought Rhodes was the long-term answer. They still have enough holes on defense to the point that RB in the first round says to me that Rhodes is not a big part of their plan.

 

[Gopher State]

If Addai signs on time, and gets to camp from day one, I see him starting the season spliting the carries for about 3 games, and then a 80/20 split with Addai getting the 80. The kid has to much talent to not be starting. He was a great steal/pick where Indy took him in the draft.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I'm very interested in the answer to the following question.

Has any RB ever been a team's backup for 5 or more years, and then taken over the starting roll in the next season? Is there anyone in the history of the NFL that's done it because I can't think of anyone? If so, what were the results?

It seems to me that if a guy is good enough to be a starting NFL RB, he will do it by year five no matter the situation because at some point if he's got the talent SOMEONE will give him a shot. I think of guys like Jordan stuck behind Cmart, and Chesta stuck behind Lewis and even if they couldn't beat out the great player in front of them someone else was willing to come in and give them a chance. Yet no one gave Rhodes that chance. No one thought he was good enough to be a starting NFL RB.

Priest Holmes was 27 when he was traded from BAL to KC, and he turned 28 in October. His best season was his 2nd in BAL when he was RB15, followed by very mediocre seasons until he was traded to KC. The results were RB1, RB1, and RB2 in his first 3 seasons with KC.Rhodes turned 27 in January. I'm not suggesting that Rhodes is comparable to Holmes, but the featured back in IND will post top-10 numbers (if not better) unless they use RBBC. If Indy has a featured back this year, who knows who it will be at this point, or if it will be Rhodes in the 1st half and Addai in the 2nd half of the season.

Last year, Indy maintained that they would re-sign Edge -- until they let him go. I think Rhodes has always been a big part of their plan. But if Addai wins the starting job in preseason (or during the season), then I'm sure Indy will go with the best player.

I thought about Priest, but he certainly doesn't fit the bill. He falls right inline with with Jordan/Taylor. After 4 years (basically when the rookie contract ends) someone went out and got him to be the starter. Again, someone thought he was good enough to be an NFL RB. After 4 years of Rhodes in Indy no one really showed much interest in making him a starter at all. And let's not forget that Indy went out and reached for a first round RB when there was good value at another position of big need (OLB).The bottom line is that there is not a team in the NFL that thinks Rhodes is good enough to be an NFL starter, or he would have been one by now. So why should I think he's good enough to be one?

 

[Big Score]

After 4 years of Rhodes in Indy no one really showed much interest in making him a starter at all.

That argument doesn't hold water.Once again, Indy extended Rhode's contract before his rookie contract expired. He was never able to test the open market.

Perhaps girding themselves for the possibility that Edgerrin James could be a training camp holdout, the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday signed reserve tailback Dominic Rhodes to a two-year contract extension, ESPN.com has learned.

The contract, which includes a $2 million signing bonus, totals more than $4 million. By signing the four-year veteran to the extension, the Colts will keep Rhodes off the unrestricted free-agent market. The league free-agent signing period begins on March 2.

LinkThen again this year.

The Indianapolis Colts paid a $1.45 million bonus to keep Rhodes under contract next season, his agent, Mike McCartney, said Tuesday

LinkRhodes won't get a chance to test the open market until the 2008 season.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I highly doubt Rhodes would've signed that deal if he was getting any sense of interest from the rest of the league. I'm pretty sure the guys like Chesta and Jordan made quite a bit more than that, and if Rhodes was good enough for someone to bring him on as the starter he likely would've made more as well.

Didn't Chester/Jordan turn down deals on their teams because they knew they would draw interest from teams looking for a starter? Rhodes didn't draw any interest.