Willie Parker to be featured (1 Viewer)

[Arnold. S]

Coach Mike Tomlin says the Steelers will not use a rotation in the backfield this season and that Willie Parker remains the club's feature back.

"Willie Parker is our runner," Tomlin said. It's hard to blame him, considering how unimpressive Rashard Mendenhall was in exhibition games. Still, Parker remains hobbled by a hamstring injury and was healthy enough to carry the ball just four times this preseason. His tendency to get nicked up and miss games will likely force Mendenhall into action at some point.

 

[BillyBarooo]

Translation: Our running game will suck, Big Ben will have to throw for 4k yards this year

 

[baldbird]

Translation: Our running game will suck, Big Ben will have to throw for 4k yards this year

YEA we all knoe that WILL NEVER happen.

 

[LHUCKS]

FWP is among the most underrated RBs in the middle rounds...have been targeting him in all of my leagues...gold.

 

[baldbird]

He is in a contract year as well so he could really be the man this year

 

[Maven]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

Parker has notoriously bad hands, so Pitsburgh doesn't even try to use him as a pass catcher - he caught only 3 passes last year. And he's too small to carry at the goal-line; thats one reason he's scored only 7 tds in 26 games the last two years."

-fantasy index

 

[rdstorm]

FWP is among the most underrated RBs in the middle rounds...have been targeting him in all of my leagues...gold.

I totally agree with this, especially in the middle rounds. FWP seems to be underrated every year as there is always some speculation that he will lose GL carries or get injured. I would definitely handcuff him with Mendenhall, but FWP will post at least RB2 numbers as long as he's healthy.

 

[rdstorm]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.Parker has notoriously bad hands, so Pitsburgh doesn't even try to use him as a pass catcher - he caught only 3 passes last year. And he's too small to carry at the goal-line; thats one reason he's scored only 7 tds in 26 games the last two years."-fantasy index

Parker has been money when healthy. I'd rather have a back I could count on when he plays than one that will play all 16 games and suck for 5 or more.

 

[bostonfred]

Love him as a situational start, but hate his week 16 matchup against Baltimore. He'd be great as a #3 RB but not a guy I think you can rely on.

 

[Godsbrother]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

This is accurate but funny ... what running back is effective without good blocking?FWP's problems have been injuries and a crappy o-line. The good news is he is healthy and has not lost any speed, the bad news is the o-line hasn't seemed to get any better. However the Steelers are committed to the run, Parker is the unquestioned starter and the schedule appears to be much easier than last year.

His week 16 matchup vs Baltimore is bad but you have to get to the championship game in order to worry about it. Overall I think Parker is a good value realtive to his ADP.

 

[Sabertooth]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

This is accurate but funny ... what running back is effective without good blocking?FWP's problems have been injuries and a crappy o-line. The good news is he is healthy and has not lost any speed, the bad news is the o-line hasn't seemed to get any better. However the Steelers are committed to the run, Parker is the unquestioned starter and the schedule appears to be much easier than last year.

His week 16 matchup vs Baltimore is bad but you have to get to the championship game in order to worry about it. Overall I think Parker is a good value realtive to his ADP.

Barry is the only one that comes to mind.

 

[acme]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

This is accurate but funny ... what running back is effective without good blocking?FWP's problems have been injuries and a crappy o-line. The good news is he is healthy and has not lost any speed, the bad news is the o-line hasn't seemed to get any better. However the Steelers are committed to the run, Parker is the unquestioned starter and the schedule appears to be much easier than last year.

His week 16 matchup vs Baltimore is bad but you have to get to the championship game in order to worry about it. Overall I think Parker is a good value realtive to his ADP.

Barry is the only one that comes to mind.

Come back Barry... you're not too old.-anonymous Lions fan

(sorry for the hijack)

 

[DrJamesAndrews Fan]

FWP is among the most underrated RBs in the middle rounds...have been targeting him in all of my leagues...gold.

I would agree if only he could stay healthy. Last year he was underated and started off on a tear until he got hurt.

 

[Bankerguy]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

 

[theplayer11]

no catches, no TD's..no thanks

 

[5-ish Finkle]

This is nothing new. It's precisely what Tomlin has been saying for three years. It's never really been a RBBC situation in Pittsburgh since Bettis retired. Parker just didn't stay healthy enough last year to make it the "bell cow" situation it was in '06 and '07. The 3 years since JB hung them up, if Parker's healthy he's been featured: period.

I'm sure Mike would love nothing more than to give Parker 325 touches this season, as he clearly feels he's the best RB on the team. That's all well and good, but that doesn't change that fact that Parker has already been dealing with back and leg crap all of training camp.

I expect this turns into a full blown RBBC by default, whether Coach Mike wants it to or not.

 

[HoTnickZ]

I expect both Ben and Willie to exceed their ADP by a fair bit this year.

 

[HellToupee]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

I'd rather be wrong & pass on FWP.

 

[Bankerguy]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

I'd rather be wrong & pass on FWP.

Yeah, I passed on him in my draft, but was thinking about him for the $35 000 contest. Likely will be going another direction.

 

[Cookiemonster]

I expect both Ben and Willie to exceed their ADP by a fair bit this year.

Judging by the increased effectiveness of the passing game the last couple years, and the decreased effectiveness of the running game, I feel pretty confident that you're right about ONE of those guys. The one I'm going after like mad is H.Ward, and I've been trying to trade for Big Ben after I saw how little improvement was made to the O line this offseason. I don't trust Willie to stay healthy at all, and to be mildly effective when he is. I do expect him to have a couple/few very nice games but it's likely he'd be on my bench when he did.

 

[JuSt CuZ]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

I'd rather be wrong & pass on FWP.

Cuz passin on a guy who is an every down back is smart!Not to mention when he has been healthy he is a stud!

 

[HellToupee]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

I'd rather be wrong & pass on FWP.

Cuz passin on a guy who is an every down back is smart!Not to mention when he has been healthy he is a stud!

sometimes you have to lay a good hand down and walk awayI just don't have faith the OL can adequately run block

 

[HoTnickZ]

I expect both Ben and Willie to exceed their ADP by a fair bit this year.

Judging by the increased effectiveness of the passing game the last couple years, and the decreased effectiveness of the running game, I feel pretty confident that you're right about ONE of those guys. The one I'm going after like mad is H.Ward, and I've been trying to trade for Big Ben after I saw how little improvement was made to the O line this offseason. I don't trust Willie to stay healthy at all, and to be mildly effective when he is. I do expect him to have a couple/few very nice games but it's likely he'd be on my bench when he did.

I agree on Hines, targeted him in one league, landed Santonio in the other. You're right I'm more confident about the passing attack, but I still think Parker could represent some value. simple because the Steelers will move the ball

 

[BillyBarooo]

Translation: Our running game will suck, Big Ben will have to throw for 4k yards this year

YEA we all knoe that WILL NEVER happen.

stranger things have happened

 

[Cookiemonster]

I expect both Ben and Willie to exceed their ADP by a fair bit this year.

Judging by the increased effectiveness of the passing game the last couple years, and the decreased effectiveness of the running game, I feel pretty confident that you're right about ONE of those guys. The one I'm going after like mad is H.Ward, and I've been trying to trade for Big Ben after I saw how little improvement was made to the O line this offseason. I don't trust Willie to stay healthy at all, and to be mildly effective when he is. I do expect him to have a couple/few very nice games but it's likely he'd be on my bench when he did.

I agree on Hines, targeted him in one league, landed Santonio in the other. You're right I'm more confident about the passing attack, but I still think Parker could represent some value. simple because the Steelers will move the ball

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

 

[LHUCKS]

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

Don't start him vs. Baltimore...if you take out the Baltimore games, his standard deviation actually evens out quite nicely. FWP = money

 

[LHUCKS]

no catches, no TD's..no thanks

He'll get enough to justify his ADP.

 

[Arnold. S]

I got him in the 8th round in a 12 team league. I'm hoping for some good games out of him before he gets injured. No faith at this point for a productive healthy season.

 

[LHUCKS]

I got him in the 8th round in a 12 team league. I'm hoping for some good games out of him before he gets injured. No faith at this point for a productive healthy season.

It's funny, people are more convinced FWP will get injured than a 38 year old Kurt Warner.

 

[bostonfred]

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

Don't start him vs. Baltimore...if you take out the Baltimore games, his standard deviation actually evens out quite nicely. FWP = money

Unfortunately, one of the Baltimore games is week 16.

 

[LHUCKS]

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

Don't start him vs. Baltimore...if you take out the Baltimore games, his standard deviation actually evens out quite nicely. FWP = money

Unfortunately, one of the Baltimore games is week 16.

Well he's a guy that slid way too far this year...at his ADP you can stash him as a backup...you should be starting somebody else .

 

[Cookiemonster]

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

Don't start him vs. Baltimore...if you take out the Baltimore games, his standard deviation actually evens out quite nicely. FWP = money

Unfortunately, one of the Baltimore games is week 16.

Well he's a guy that slid way too far this year...at his ADP you can stash him as a backup...you should be starting somebody else .

I was just gonna say that quite a few of us with Parker will have a better option week 16 anyways.

 

[bocksheesh]

Draft FWP in the late 4th, early 5th, and pair him with a rookie RB like Moreno or Wells who breaks out by Week 4 or so.

Get 4 or so solid weeks from Willie, wait for him to inevitably get hurt, and then slot in your ermerging rookie RB a month into the season.

Just follow the recipe, set the timer on the oven, and wait for your tasty pie.

 

[Breesisdaman]

My FF team backfield is Forte, Jackson, Parker and R Bush. Its like an infirmary but what potential if some or all of those guys avoid injury.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Not saying Willie has no value, and I do have him rostered in one of my leagues but he's the kind of guy that puts up dud after dud after dud... gets benched... goes off for 180 total and 3 scores... goes back in the lineup... dud... dud... dud...rinse and repeat. He's the OchoCinco of RBs if you will, and I hate having those guys. Maybe I'm just not in sync with when he will play well, but I'm gonna pass with the run blocking I'm seeing out of that line, the emergence of Holmes and the improved play of Roethlisberger.

Don't start him vs. Baltimore...if you take out the Baltimore games, his standard deviation actually evens out quite nicely. FWP = money

Unfortunately, one of the Baltimore games is week 16.

Well he's a guy that slid way too far this year...at his ADP you can stash him as a backup...you should be starting somebody else .

I was just gonna say that quite a few of us with Parker will have a better option week 16 anyways.

Yep. Get James Davis as your RB5 and use him Week 16 against Oak. Davis gets the Bengals on Parker's other BAL week.

 

[T Bell]

I drafted him Friday night at 6.06 (66 overall) in a 12-team standard performance redraft as my RB2. Mendenhall had already gone, and people were making fun of me for it. With counseling and plenty of gloating, I've persevered.

 

[cubbie5150]

He is one of the most perplexing players this year. I am intrigued but extremely gun shy.

I'd rather be wrong & pass on FWP.

Same here. I decided to pass on him & take shots at other guys later (Moreno, Wells, Bradshaw)

 

[pesh]

Mendenhall isn't a bad running back if you ask me, and Parker was banged up last year and he got a lot of carries. It didn't mess them up to much as they won it all, I do like Parker though and hopefully he stays as the featured back.

 

[Breesisdaman]

Coach Mike Tomlin says the Steelers will not use a rotation in the backfield this season and that Willie Parker remains the club's feature back."Willie Parker is our runner," Tomlin said. It's hard to blame him, considering how unimpressive Rashard Mendenhall was in exhibition games. Still, Parker remains hobbled by a hamstring injury and was healthy enough to carry the ball just four times this preseason. His tendency to get nicked up and miss games will likely force Mendenhall into action at some point.

NFL.com

Parker to share with Mendenhall Willie Parker, RB PITNews: Willie Parker began an NFL season as a virtual unknown. As a 1,000-yard running back. As a Super Bowl star. As one of the league's best running backs. Never has Parker gone into any season as one of two running backs sharing a job, as he and Rashard Mendenhall likely will do for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. Not unexpectedly, Parker is uncertain what to expect four days before the Steelers' first game. Will he get as many carries as usual? Or far fewer? Will he get the ball near the goal line, or will he come off the field? Do the Steelers still look at him as the running back who will get the ball when games are ready to be won, as coach Mike Tomlin said he does? Parker, a three-time 1,000-yard rusher coming off an injury-interrupted season, is unsigned past this season, and that creates another unknown. Namely, is he still the Steelers' primary running back, or is Mendenhall being groomed - and quickly - for that job? A hamstring injury limited Parker to four carries during the preseason, yet Tomlin said he remains the feature back in one of the NFL's most run-heavy offenses. "Willie Parker is our runner," Tomlin said. "He (Mendenhall) is going to get an opportunity to get his touches. But more importantly than anything else, Willie Parker is our runner."Analysis: Parker was held below 1,000 yards for the first time in four seasons as a starter last season - 791 yards on 291 carries - while being bothered by knee and shoulder injuries over the final three months and the playoffs. Parker has had his injury woes the last few seasons and is definitely a bit of a risk entering the 2009 season. You might want to have Rashard Mendenhall on your bench just in case. Think of Parker as a No. 2 Fantasy RB when healthy. Continue to check his status leading up to Week 1 against the Titans. He had 19 carries for 31 yards in one game against Tennessee last season.Profile

The quote seems to say the same thing you are saying but they title it "Parker to share with Mendenhall" i dont get it.

 

[Bills_Fan11]

Lets say Mendenhall gets equal time sometime in September. Is the Pittsburgh Gazette guy going to pull a "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and start grilling Tomlin by referencing this preseason quote? I guess I just don't get why people care about this stuff. The 1st round pick is going to play some. Will it be 50/50 - probably not - that's why FWP's ADP is higher.

 

[M & M]

Okay just a couple of random thoughts. I have not given this a ton of research. One question I would like to know is how many changes did Pittsburgh make between their Superbowl O-line and this years version? Last year FWP was banged up and averaged only 3.8 ypc. Mewlde Moore averaged 4.2 ypc. I am not saying that Moore has ever been on the same level of FWP, but it seems to me that FWP has steadily declined since he burst on the scene in 2005. Further looking at the stats show that FWP ypc has dropped since 2005. In 05 it was 4.7, 06 was 4.4, 07 was 4.1 and the afore mentioned 3.8. This is not a back I would want as a RB 1 or 2. He would however be a nice option at RB 3 if I could lock up Mendenhall as insurance and then be ready to grab Moore off waivers when Parker is missing time.

 

[ultimatefootballnetwork]

I'm going to put this in every thread about the Steelers RBs so no one misses it. The shark play here is to take Mewelde Moore with a late pick and wait for the inevitable.

Willie Parker is 29. He is a speed back who is about 1 or 2 hits away from losing his top end speed for good and hasn't been able to stay healthy for over a year now. He's supposedly healthy, but has missed lots of time this preseason with both back and hamstring injuries, and missed time last season with knee and shoulder injuries and missed the end of the 2007 season with a leg injury. Look at Parker's declining production that has been consistently for 4 seasons now and you'll see a guy you want to avoid. A big-play, speed back who doesn't have a run of 35+ since late 2006. Why this isn't more obvious I'm not sure. Every other 29 y/o RB is facing questions about durability except for Parker, who's probably the least durable of the bunch.

Mendenhall earned no carries even though the Steelers desperately wanted him to take some of the load off of Parker. The Steelers know Parker is aging quickly (and have refused to talk about a new contract) and are hoping to get 1 more season out of him, yet Mendenhall was so poor that they are unlikely to give him any meaningful role. Mendenhall won't play unless there are no other options.

Moore, OTOH, was the top fantasy back in Pittsburgh in 08. I can't remember a quieter 900 yard, 6 TD performance in fantasy football. Even with the 900+ yards, Moore was criminally underutilized and I have a feeling that the Steelers realized this during the offseason. He's already on the field for passing downs and his between the tackles running is extremely underrated.

When Parker gets hurt, I'm betting Moore's role increases before Mendenhall's.

 

[Patoons]

Moore, OTOH, was the top fantasy back in Pittsburgh in 08. I can't remember a quieter 900 yard, 6 TD performance in fantasy football. Even with the 900+ yards, Moore was criminally underutilized and I have a feeling that the Steelers realized this during the offseason. He's already on the field for passing downs and his between the tackles running is extremely underrated. When Parker gets hurt, I'm betting Moore's role increases before Mendenhall's.

Moore had a solid season because of injuries to both Medenhall and Parker last year. If Parker goes down, I'd be tough for Pitt not to see what they got in Mendenhall after using a first round selection last year. Moore is a decent PPR filler, but he seems to be more of a roleplayer unless one of these guys gets injured.

 

[jurb26]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

This is accurate but funny ... what running back is effective without good blocking?FWP's problems have been injuries and a crappy o-line. The good news is he is healthy and has not lost any speed, the bad news is the o-line hasn't seemed to get any better. However the Steelers are committed to the run, Parker is the unquestioned starter and the schedule appears to be much easier than last year.

His week 16 matchup vs Baltimore is bad but you have to get to the championship game in order to worry about it. Overall I think Parker is a good value realtive to his ADP.

This is semantics IMO. All you need to do to make this statement from FFI more accurate is change the word "effective" out with dominant. Sure, all RBs need "effective" blocking to be decent. But Parker is not an elite RB and needs dominant blocking to be effective IMO. His largest weakness is his lack of vision.

 

[Powder]

I love it when people claim to be able to see the future and know that a player is going to get hurt.

 

[Godsbrother]

"Parker has big play speed, but he's not effective without good blocking. He migiht not get that behind an offensive line that has steadily declined. His rushing average has dropped from 92 to 88 to 72 yards per game the last three years.

This is accurate but funny ... what running back is effective without good blocking?FWP's problems have been injuries and a crappy o-line. The good news is he is healthy and has not lost any speed, the bad news is the o-line hasn't seemed to get any better. However the Steelers are committed to the run, Parker is the unquestioned starter and the schedule appears to be much easier than last year.

His week 16 matchup vs Baltimore is bad but you have to get to the championship game in order to worry about it. Overall I think Parker is a good value realtive to his ADP.

This is semantics IMO. All you need to do to make this statement from FFI more accurate is change the word "effective" out with dominant. Sure, all RBs need "effective" blocking to be decent. But Parker is not an elite RB and needs dominant blocking to be effective IMO. His largest weakness is his lack of vision.

Nope. His largest weakness is a crappy offensive line.

 

[Godsbrother]

Moore, OTOH, was the top fantasy back in Pittsburgh in 08. I can't remember a quieter 900 yard, 6 TD performance in fantasy football. Even with the 900+ yards, Moore was criminally underutilized and I have a feeling that the Steelers realized this during the offseason. He's already on the field for passing downs and his between the tackles running is extremely underrated. When Parker gets hurt, I'm betting Moore's role increases before Mendenhall's.

Moore had a solid season because of injuries to both Medenhall and Parker last year. If Parker goes down, I'd be tough for Pitt not to see what they got in Mendenhall after using a first round selection last year. Moore is a decent PPR filler, but he seems to be more of a roleplayer unless one of these guys gets injured.

This guy gets it. The coaching staff views Moore primarily as a 3rd down back and kickoff return man. It doesn't matter what you or I think, this is his role on the Steelers. The only way it will change is if there are injuries to both Parker and Mendenhall.

 

[ultimatefootballnetwork]

Bump.

[Cough, cough]

I'm going to put this in every thread about the Steelers RBs so no one misses it. The shark play here is to take Mewelde Moore with a late pick and wait for the inevitable.

Willie Parker is 29. He is a speed back who is about 1 or 2 hits away from losing his top end speed for good and hasn't been able to stay healthy for over a year now. He's supposedly healthy, but has missed lots of time this preseason with both back and hamstring injuries, and missed time last season with knee and shoulder injuries and missed the end of the 2007 season with a leg injury. Look at Parker's declining production that has been consistently for 4 seasons now and you'll see a guy you want to avoid. A big-play, speed back who doesn't have a run of 35+ since late 2006. Why this isn't more obvious I'm not sure. Every other 29 y/o RB is facing questions about durability except for Parker, who's probably the least durable of the bunch.

Mendenhall earned no carries even though the Steelers desperately wanted him to take some of the load off of Parker. The Steelers know Parker is aging quickly (and have refused to talk about a new contract) and are hoping to get 1 more season out of him, yet Mendenhall was so poor that they are unlikely to give him any meaningful role. Mendenhall won't play unless there are no other options.

Moore, OTOH, was the top fantasy back in Pittsburgh in 08. I can't remember a quieter 900 yard, 6 TD performance in fantasy football. Even with the 900+ yards, Moore was criminally underutilized and I have a feeling that the Steelers realized this during the offseason. He's already on the field for passing downs and his between the tackles running is extremely underrated.

When Parker gets hurt, I'm betting Moore's role increases before Mendenhall's.

 

[PatytonsGhost]

Bump.

[Cough, cough]

I'm going to put this in every thread about the Steelers RBs so no one misses it. The shark play here is to take Mewelde Moore with a late pick and wait for the inevitable.

Willie Parker is 29. He is a speed back who is about 1 or 2 hits away from losing his top end speed for good and hasn't been able to stay healthy for over a year now. He's supposedly healthy, but has missed lots of time this preseason with both back and hamstring injuries, and missed time last season with knee and shoulder injuries and missed the end of the 2007 season with a leg injury. Look at Parker's declining production that has been consistently for 4 seasons now and you'll see a guy you want to avoid. A big-play, speed back who doesn't have a run of 35+ since late 2006. Why this isn't more obvious I'm not sure. Every other 29 y/o RB is facing questions about durability except for Parker, who's probably the least durable of the bunch.

Mendenhall earned no carries even though the Steelers desperately wanted him to take some of the load off of Parker. The Steelers know Parker is aging quickly (and have refused to talk about a new contract) and are hoping to get 1 more season out of him, yet Mendenhall was so poor that they are unlikely to give him any meaningful role. Mendenhall won't play unless there are no other options.

Moore, OTOH, was the top fantasy back in Pittsburgh in 08. I can't remember a quieter 900 yard, 6 TD performance in fantasy football. Even with the 900+ yards, Moore was criminally underutilized and I have a feeling that the Steelers realized this during the offseason. He's already on the field for passing downs and his between the tackles running is extremely underrated.

When Parker gets hurt, I'm betting Moore's role increases before Mendenhall's.

I have no one invested on the Steelers but your cough cough coughing at 8 rushing yards and 4 receptions and 28 yards for a total of 5.60 points. So take that for what its worthNothing really to sneeze at

 

[ultimatefootballnetwork]

I have no one invested on the Steelers but your cough cough coughing at 8 rushing yards and 4 receptions and 28 yards for a total of 5.60 points. So take that for what its worth

Nothing really to sneeze at

Did you watch the game? Moore had 1 carry and 1 reception going into the 4th Quarter. In the 4th he played all 3 downs and short yardage for a full quarter and had got 7 touches in the 4th quarter when Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall spent the 4th quarter healthy and on the bench.

There's a chance a guy who isn't rostered in most leagues has a shot at lots of touches on a contender.

2+2=?