Teams That Need RBs (1 Viewer)

[Bob Magaw]

a systematic look through the divisions...AFC East - NE & NYJ could be candidates with aging feature RBs martin & dillon, neither team having clear cut plan B... BUF & MIA would appear to be fine with mcgahee & brown/williams (latter could be trade bait to move up in draft to get cutler)AFC North - PIT is possible with bettis retirement probably imminent (though parker could still be starter & they may just need complementary, bruiser-type... duce could be a factor)... BAL is mentioned a lot with jamal lewis having a very underwhelming season, they may not want to give him the big payday he is looking for... droughns isn't a superstar, but CLE seems to have too many other holes to use a high pick on a RB... though he did also mention wanting to get paid after what amounted to a one season audition to prove he wasn't JUST a DEN system back... CIN set with rudi & perry.AFC South - IND, JAX & HOU all possible/likely... edge almost certainly gone UNLESS he can't get the kind of contract he is looking for & is forced to accept hometown discount... it seems likely one or two teams will pay him more than IND wants to for one season, as he auditions for a longer contract... JAX may not feel like they can depend on taylor any more, & his skills could be slowly eroding even if they do keep him long enough to groom replacement... HOU likely voting for bush... maybe TEN should be looking for somebody other than chris brown... he seems to be hurt a lot & there aren't many 6'3" RBs built like WRs that run upright for a reason... henry's future with titans uncertain... many think they will take VY with the third pick overall. if bush were miraculously there, they would certainly jump all over it.AFC West - first division in AFC that appears will be able to stand pat in running game... LT, LJ & jordan aren't going anywhere... DEN made it to the conference championship game with the trio of MA/bell/dayne.NFC East - another division that on the surface likely won't see a lot of movement... with the possible exception of PHI... WAS has portis, DAL looks OK with JJ & barber (though nobody will do well until they shore up OL... parcells is more aware of this than anybody)... tiki not a pup but obviously playing at extremely high level... they may want to bring in somebody to groom as eventual replacement (doubtful jacobs will fill that role), but this doesn't look like pressing need for team that needs a lot of help in the back seven of their defense... depending on if & when buckhalter is able to return, PHI may want to look at a bruiser-type RB to complement jitterbug westbrook... if lendale white dropped to them, they might have to jump on him... though reid needs to do some patching on the OL, a place he has been more inclined to burn high picks based on recent history.NFC North - MIN & GB are obvious potential landing spots... between bennett (probably allowed to walk), SOD (could soon be an extra in a cheech & chong movie), moore (can't get out of the training room) & fason (might be best of bunch that doesn't own a whizzenator, but unclear if he can be a franchise-type, feature RB)... ahman could be gone... if he returns it will be at a steep discount on packers terms... if they even want him back... CHI has two RBs with jones & benson, & DET doesn't look like they are in market with still promising KJ.NFC South - deuce & cadillac aren't going anywhere... CAR could be looking if foster finds a FA suitor... they won't rely on unproven shelton... ATL may have soured on duckett... dunn was top 10 in rushing, but is not a 20 carry a game RB & he will be going into his tenth season.NFC West - jackson is entrenched for STL... faulk isn't a factor any more... all three other teams in the division could be in need depending on what happens with SA... ARI will probably be looking to upgrade arrington... & SF could be looking to upgrade barlow & gore... nolan coaching deangelo williams at senior bowl has fueled rumors that they may select him with the #7 pick... he may view it as a way to surround 2005 #1 overall pick alex smith with more talent & facilitating his development... they used a couple picks on OL last season, & they get injure kareem mckenzie back.by my count, this could be as many as FIFTEEN teams looking to upgrade running game immediately or start grooming replacements...this will of course in part depend on what happens to SA, edge, green, lewis, taylor & foster... at least a few of these probably stay put.lets look at the draft order (putting asterisk by all those teams potentially with interest in RB in first round)... looks like MIN may not be a lock to get white... maroney may not be a lock, either... maybe the dom davis trade rumors will have legs... or they dip into the FA class... after them, are teams like NE, CAR & JAX... i don't see maroney making it past them... after that, it seems doubtful any of top 4 RBs make it to last three teams in round one... IND (who do they get in FA to replace edge... unlikely they roll with rhodes, though possible?), PIT & SEA (could influence SA contract negotiations)...1 - HOU * (bush?) 2 - NO (leinert?) 3 - TEN (young?) 4 - NYJ (da brick?) 5 - GB * (white rumored... mario or hawk good fit, too?) 6 - OAK (super mario nice bookend to NFL sack leader burgess... hawk?) 7 - SF * (deangleo... michaelk huff?) 8 - BUF (ngata?) 9 - DET (cutler... impact DE, LB or DB?) 10 - ARI * (deangelo or white if not taken earlier... cutler also possible?) 11 - STL (greenway or huff?) 12 - CLE 13 - BAL * 14 - PHI * 15 - ATL * 16 - MIA 17 - MIN *18 - DAL 19 - SD 20 - KC 21 - NE * 22 - WAS 23 - TB 24 - CIN 25 - NYG 26 - CHI 27 - CAR *28 - JAX * 29 - DEN 30 - IND * 31 - PIT/SEA * 32 - SEA/PIT *

 

[beto]

It's a little higher than normal although I don't see any one team that will insert a new starter in week 1. (that could change)I've been toying with the idea that the Jets and the Titans should consider Lendale White with their #3 and #4 slots.

 

[Otis]

Good analysis.

 

[loqutis]

Nothing kills a RBs value faster than being drafted to team with an established bcak2004Cincinnati Chris Perry2003Kansas City Larry Johnson2002Atlanta T.J. DuckettDenver Clinton Portis

 

[Family Matters]

Bob-the question is good. The thing that I remember last year is that there were more RB's than there were teams in need. Not much has changed in 1 year as there are numerous teams will multiple RB's options like Denver, (who is looking for another) Miami, Philly, Tenn and Chicago just to name a few. Add a few that will be drafted and you still have plenty of backs to fill the bill.So I guess we'll see some trades between now and the draft to address a few of these needs.

 

[Bloom]

Nothing kills a RBs value faster than being drafted to team with an established bcak

2004

Cincinnati Chris Perry

2003

Kansas City Larry Johnson

2002

Atlanta T.J. Duckett

Denver Clinton Portis

dont you mean nothing TEMPORARILY kills value?and shouldn't McGahee be on this list?

 

[beto]

Nothing kills a RBs value faster than being drafted to team with an established bcak

2004

Cincinnati Chris Perry

2003

Kansas City Larry Johnson

2002

Atlanta T.J. Duckett

Denver Clinton Portis

dont you mean nothing TEMPORARILY kills value?and shouldn't McGahee be on this list?

Could add Deuce McAllister and Shaun Alexander to the list.

 

[nygiants56]

rb's like foster, ahman green. barlow, TJ, ricky,edge,sa, jamal lewis or chester taylor could all be in new locations next year..TJ has been rumored as trade bait to indy as they let edge go, ricky to SF has been a rumor, same with denver and Jax.barlow will get a shot in SF or will be a starter elsewhere I'm sure..the panthers NEED a rb so I'd expect a big push from them to get a guy like Ricky..GB might be able to draft a rb to replace Green..,bears are too cheap to pay Benson and TJ and Peterson..tj is most likely trade bait..

 

[Bloom]

GREAT stuff! my additional comments:

a systematic look through the divisions...

AFC East - NE & NYJ could be candidates with aging feature RBs martin & dillon, neither team having clear cut plan B... BUF & MIA would appear to be fine with mcgahee & brown/williams (latter could be trade bait to move up in draft to get cutler)

Jets will have to take a long look at DeAngelo with the 4. They could be in position to scoop up Maroney in the 2nd, or maybe Calhoun. Cedric Houston is still a solid dynasty sleeper with thyroid condition cleared up - don't give up on him if the jets go RB - he's worth stashing. NE is a tough a call. let's assume that the top 3 Rbs are gone once they pick - do they go with Maroney? A first round RB just seems out of character for them, not sure why, just a gut feeling. I could see them going with a guy like De'Arrius Howard or Cedric Humes later on.

AFC North - PIT is possible with bettis retirement probably imminent (though parker could still be starter & they may just need complementary, bruiser-type... duce could be a factor)... BAL is mentioned a lot with jamal lewis having a very underwhelming season, they may not want to give him the big payday he is looking for... droughns isn't a superstar, but CLE seems to have too many other holes to use a high pick on a RB... though he did also mention wanting to get paid after what amounted to a one season audition to prove he wasn't JUST a DEN system back... CIN set with rudi & perry.

I love the idea of the Steelers taking Howard or Humes in the 4th to compliment Parker. I expect BAL to let Taylor go and franchise Lewis. Savage has already said he wants to sign Droughns long term.

AFC South - IND, JAX & HOU all possible/likely... edge almost certainly gone UNLESS he can't get the kind of contract he is looking for & is forced to accept hometown discount... it seems likely one or two teams will pay him more than IND wants to for one season, as he auditions for a longer contract... JAX may not feel like they can depend on taylor any more, & his skills could be slowly eroding even if they do keep him long enough to groom replacement... HOU likely voting for bush... maybe TEN should be looking for somebody other than chris brown... he seems to be hurt a lot & there aren't many 6'3" RBs built like WRs that run upright for a reason... henry's future with titans uncertain... many think they will take VY with the third pick overall. if bush were miraculously there, they would certainly jump all over it.

If Indy goes RB at the end of first (Maroney? Addai?) or the end of second, that could really blow up rookie draft rankings, because there may not be a better situation for an RB to land in if they let James walk (and signs point to Wayne being a higher priority in FA). I dont see Rhodes as an option there, I was reading that he might even be cut with his million plus bonus coming? JAX could definitely go RB at the end of first (again, Maroney?) - they also have two nice complimentary backs in Jones and Pearman, so who knows? TEN is very interesting, with Brown's contract expiring soon and Henry looking like an afterthought right now. Like JAX and IND, they are in position to possibly snag Maroney if he falls.

AFC West - first division in AFC that appears will be able to stand pat in running game... LT, LJ & jordan aren't going anywhere... DEN made it to the conference championship game with the trio of MA/bell/dayne.

You just know Denver is going to take an RB, it's becoming a Springtime ritual. When and who? I have no idea.

NFC East - another division that on the surface likely won't see a lot of movement... with the possible exception of PHI... WAS has portis, DAL looks OK with JJ & barber (though nobody will do well until they shore up OL... parcells is more aware of this than anybody)... tiki not a pup but obviously playing at extremely high level... they may want to bring in somebody to groom as eventual replacement (doubtful jacobs will fill that role), but this doesn't look like pressing need for team that needs a lot of help in the back seven of their defense... depending on if & when buckhalter is able to return, PHI may want to look at a bruiser-type RB to complement jitterbug westbrook... if lendale white dropped to them, they might have to jump on him... though reid needs to do some patching on the OL, a place he has been more inclined to burn high picks based on recent history.

White to philly, i just don't see it. just a hunch. They have too many other needs. I agree about Jacobs not being a feature back in the future. It would be very interesting to see a guy like Jerome Harrison or Jerious Norwood go to the Giants in the 3rd.

NFC North - MIN & GB are obvious potential landing spots... between bennett (probably allowed to walk), SOD (could soon be an extra in a cheech & chong movie), moore (can't get out of the training room) & fason (might be best of bunch that doesn't own a whizzenator, but unclear if he can be a franchise-type, feature RB)... ahman could be gone... if he returns it will be at a steep discount on packers terms... if they even want him back... CHI has two RBs with jones & benson, & DET doesn't look like they are in market with still promising KJ.

Like the jets, GB will have to take a long look at DeAngelo after his senior bowl week. I've liked the idea of Maroney to MIN, and I have a gut feeling White doesnt get past them. Like NE and PIT, a bigger back to compliment MMoore is an interesting possibility, and a more ideal feature back like Addai would make sense too.

NFC South - deuce & cadillac aren't going anywhere... CAR could be looking if foster finds a FA suitor... they won't rely on unproven shelton... ATL may have soured on duckett... dunn was top 10 in rushing, but is not a 20 carry a game RB & he will be going into his tenth season.

CAR is another team where Maroney could land and really blow up rookie drafts, since that situation is so plum for an RB. ATL should be in the market for a power back, and Calhoun looks like a sweet replacement for Dunn if he somehow lasts til their 2nd rnd pick. Drew, Norwood, and Harrison would also make sense as a future replacement.

NFC West - jackson is entrenched for STL... faulk isn't a factor any more... all three other teams in the division could be in need depending on what happens with SA... ARI will probably be looking to upgrade arrington... & SF could be looking to upgrade barlow & gore... nolan coaching deangelo williams at senior bowl has fueled rumors that they may select him with the #7 pick... he may view it as a way to surround 2005 #1 overall pick alex smith with more talent & facilitating his development... they used a couple picks on OL last season, & they get injure kareem mckenzie back.

deangelo or white to ARI makes complete sense to me. A trade for culpepper would cinch this imo. I buy the idea that Nolan may have been sold on DeAngelo the same Gruden was sold on Caddy last year. I love the way Gore plays his heart out, but with his injury history, he's burning the candle at both ends. I expect SA to stay in Seattle.

 

[QuizGuy66]

This is interesting given how the FA/trading block RBs of last year such as Travis Henry couldn't find any takers at all. RB is always the most fluid and temporary position in the league.-QG

 

[stbugs]

Nothing kills a RBs value faster than being drafted to team with an established bcak

2004

Cincinnati Chris Perry

2003

Kansas City Larry Johnson

2002

Atlanta T.J. Duckett

Denver Clinton Portis

dont you mean nothing TEMPORARILY kills value?and shouldn't McGahee be on this list?

Could add Deuce McAllister and Shaun Alexander to the list.

I think loquits is trying to point out that there is a lot of dynasty value in some 1st (and Portis in rd 2) round picks that are picked on teams with an established RB. They are probably glossed over in drafts because they might not ever become the #1 RB, but based on McAllister, Alexander, McGahee, Portis, and Larry Johnson's value now, they were great values because of their "seemingly" horrible luck of where they were drafted.