Arizona Cardinals - (Tim
Hightower, Chris Wells) The Arizona offense is no doubt the Kurt
Warner show (with a little help from Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin).
The running game just couldn't get it going last year. Edgerrin
James averaged 3.9 YPC and lost his job to Tim Hightower midway through
the year. However, Hightower only averaged 2.8 YPC. Looks
like Hightower will begin the year as the #1 RB, but the Cardinals
drafted Buckeye Chris Wells. As long as Arizona doesn't play any
SEC teams, Wells will see plenty of carries, and if he plays well, could
end up starting in AZ.
UPDATE: Wells has been banged up all preseason, and Hightower has
looked good. Hightower will be the week 1 starter. |
| Atlanta Falcons - (Michael
Turner, Jerious
Norwood) - MICHAEL TURNER IS A STUD. There. 1700 yards
and 17 TD's in his first year starting, and with a rookie QB leading the
offense. Pretty freakin' good. And Norwood chipped in 800+
total yards and 6 total TD's as a change-of-pace back. The
Falcon's running game is on fire. I see a repeat performance on
tap as the offense gets even more comfortable in it's second year. |
Baltimore Ravens - (Willis
McGahee, Le'Ron McClain, Ray Rice) - Last year McGahee had a down year -
and missed 3 games. Enter Le'Ron McClain. McClain rushed for
900 yards and 10 TD's splitting time with McGahee and Ray Rice.
Word on the street is McClain (6'-0", 260 lbs.) is going back to more of
a fullback / red zone RB with McGahee and Ray Rice getting the majority
of the carries.
UPDATE: Ray Rice has looked good in the preseason, and will likely
got the majority of the touches this year. |
| Buffalo Bills - (Marshawn
Lynch, Fred Jackson, Dominic Rhodes) - Last year Lynch had a respectable
year with 1036 yards and 8 TD's. Fred Jackson added almost 600
yards and 3 TD's. This year they've added Dominic Rhodes (Indy)
who had close to 900 total yards and 9 TD's with Indy last year.
Strong group of runners, but I don't see any breakout potential there. |
| Carolina Panthers -
(DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart) The Panthers duo of Williams
and Stewart had an OUTSTANDING year. Williams broke out for 1515
yards rushing and 18 (20 total) TD's. Add to that Stewart's 800+
yards rushing and 10 TD's and that was one fine running game. Too
bad the Panthers tanked in the playoffs. Look for a similar year
from the duo, but I see a slight decrease in the numbers. Last
year everything clicked. |
| Chicago Bears - (Matt
Forte, Kevin Jones) In 2008, Forte quietly put together a really
nice rookie campaign. 1238 yards rushing and 8 TD's on an offense
that has struggled for years. Add to that almost 500 receiving
yards and 4 more TD's. With the addition of Jay Cutler the offense
gets a boost and so does Forte. Kevin Jones is a more than capable
backup when he can stay healthy. Da Bears. |
Cincinnati Bengals - (Cedrick
Benson, Chris Perry) OK, I admit it. Last year I thought
Chris Perry was going to have a breakout type season. As my good
friend and comedian Ron White would say... I was wroooooonnnng.
Perry, with his 2.6 YPC went over like a lead balloon. He was
so bad, Chicago reject Cedrick Benson took his job away, and kept it.
Benson wasn't all that much better. He rushed for 747 yards at a
3.5 YPC clip. The Bungholes were horrible in 2008. They did
draft a stud OL out of Alabama with the # 6 overall pick. He's a
great run-blocker with, you guessed it, character issues. He'll
fit right in there.
UPDATE: Chris Perry is no longer a Bengal. |
| Cleveland Browns - (Jamal Lewis,
Jerome Harrison, James Davis) Cleveland's running game in 2008
consisted of Jamal Lewis and...
[crickets chirping]. Well, I guess that's it. Lewis had a
serviceable season with 1002 yards and 4 TD's. But after that -
NOTHING. Cleveland drafted James Davis out of Clemson, who may
spell Lewis more and more as the season goes on. Harrison (the #2
back) had a whopping 34 carries last year. |
| Dallas Cowboys - ( Marion
Barber III, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones) Dallas has 3 very good
RB's on their roster. Barber had a down year compared to
expectations. He finished with 885 yards and 7 TD's plus another
417 and 2 TD receiving. His 3.7 YPC is the biggest concern, down
from 4.8 the previous 2 years. Tashard chioce got his chance to
shine down the stretch as Barber only had 13 carries in the final 4
games combined. Choice added 472 yards rushing (5.1 YPC) rushing
and 2 TD's mostly over the final 5 games. Felix Jones, who only
played in 5 games due to injury, added 266 rushing yards on only 30
carries (8.9 YPC). He added 3 rushing TD's. With T.O gone,
look for Dallas to concentrate on Jessica Simpson. ...I mean look
for Dallas to concentrate on the running game. |
| Denver Broncos - (Correll
Buckhalter, Knowshon Moreno, LaMont Jordan, JJ Arrington, Peyton Hillis)
I could go on. Denver has more running backs than a [insert
quantity joke here]. Last year no Denver RB even made it to 350
yards rushing. Peyton Hillis led the way with 343 yards and 5 TD's.
So what did they do? They went out and got 4 new RB's (1 via
draft). Correll Buckhalter will likely start the season as the #1
back, but watch for the rookie from Ga. to eventually take over.
With Cutler gone, I look for Denver to run a good bit more this year.
IF. Let me repeat... IF Denver can somewhat stick with one guy
this year at RB, he may give a top 10 performance.
(update 5/28/09)
Denver released JJ Arrington, who many believed would get a lot of time
as a 3rd down back. |
| Detroit Lions - (Kevin
Smith, Rudi Johnson, Maurice Morris) Kevin Smith turned in a good
rookie performance. Especially considering he played on a team
that was ALWAYS playing from behind. 1262 total yards and 8
rushing TD's was a good year for him. His numbers should only go
up with Detroit eventually breaking in a rookie QB this year in Matthew
Stafford. Rudi Johnson and Maurice Morris are the backups.
That's all I got for them. It's Detroit. |
| Green Bay Packers - (Ryan
Grant, Brandon Jackson) Ryan Grant is very streaky. He goes
through periods where he just can't get it together. Then he looks
like a top 10 back for a while. Last year he rushed for over 1200
yards, but his YPC fell from 5.1 to 3.9. AND his rushing TD's
dropped from 8 to 4. Look for Grant to put in a better effort this
year - a more consistent effort. |
| Houston Texans - (Steve
Slaton, Chris Brown, Ryan Moats) Slaton had an outstanding rookie
campaign. Especially when you consider he's 5'-9" and 200 pounds.
I think he was real fortunate to make it through the entire season.
I look for him to be spelled a lot more this year to keep him healthy.
He will have some big games, but I see his overall numbers going down
this year. |
| Indianapolis Colts - (Joseph Addai,
Donald Brown) The Colts are hard to read. So is Joseph Addai.
The Colts offense started slow last year while Peyton Manning recovered
from knee problems. Addai had injuries most of the year. But
even when he was supposedly healthy, he didn't perform. Gone is
Dominic Rhodes. But they drafted Donald Brown from Connecticut.
If Addai doesn't pick his game up, he will be splitting time with Brown
by season's end. |
| Jacksonville Jaguars - (Maurice Jones-Drew,
Greg Jones, Rashad Jennings) MJD finally gets his chance to be the
unquestioned star of the show with Fred Taylor moving to New England.
After a bit of a disappointing season by his standards (1300+ total
yards, 14 total TD's), MJD signed a large contract extension in the off
season. His "struggles" can be attributed to a horrible string of
injuries on the O. line. With a much healthier line, and a
full-time starters gig, the sky is the limit for MJD. And there's
not much competition for carries. Greg Jones has had many
opportunities in his 5 years with the Jaguars, but has never really
materialized. His biggest season was 2005 when he rushed to 575
yards and 4 TD's (Fred Taylor had missed 5 games). The rookie
Rashad Jennings is a longshot to contribute any signifigant playing
time. |
| Kansas City Chiefs - (Larry Johnson,
Jamaal Charles)
Larry Johnson missed 4+ games last year and finished with 874 yards and
5 TD's rushing. When backup Jamaal Charles played, he averaged 5.3
YPC, and garnered 273 yards receiving (with a TD). Look for
Charles to spell LJ even more this year. KC may very well pick up
another F.A. running back to add some depth before the season starts. |
| Miami Dolphins - (Ronnie Brown, Ricky
Williams) Ronnie Brown was a pleasant surprise for Miami last year
- starting the year with 7 TD's in his first 5 games. He finished
with 900+ yards and 10 TD's rushing splitting time with Ricky Williams
(659 yds, 4 TD). Miami is an offense on the rise, and I see both
players possibly improving their numbers. One wildcard is QB Pat
White - drafted in the 2nd round - who could run some from the QB
position in certain formations. |
| Minnesota Vikings - (Adrian
Peterson, Chester Taylor) A.P. continues to dominate running the
ball. If Minnesota had a passing game to balance the running game,
he would have a lot more TD's. Still, 1760 yards rushing and 10
TD's isn't bad when the defense knows what's coming. Peterson is
the best runner in the game today. Chester Taylor added 800 total
yards and 6 TD's. They traded for Sage Rosenfels who may be a
slight upgrade at QB. Also, Brett Favre is flirting with coming
back at Minnesota. And finally, they drafted Percy Harvin, who is
a WR, but will probably average a few carries a game. |
| New England Patriots - (Laurence Maroney,
Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk) Last year Maroney only
played in 3 games after breaking a shoulder. If he doesn't produce
this year, he's probably gone from N.E. In a related note, the
Patriots signed Fred Taylor - probably to bridge the gap a year or 2
until they can draft a decent starting RB. Sammy Morris picked up
the slack last year (727 yards, 7 TD's.) I see N.E. playing all 3
or 4 RB's a lot early, then giving the one with the hot hand the
majority of the carries eventually. Note readers: avoid N.E. RB
situation altogether. |
| New Orleans Saints - (Reggie Bush,
Pierre Thomas) Deuce McAllister (and his bum knees) is finally
gone. Bush returns and aims to play a complete season. He
finished with 800+ total yards and 6 TD's. Pierre Thomas added
900+ total yards and 12 total TD's. Look for a 50/50 split in
total touches this year between Bush and Thomas, with Bush getting more
passes out of the backfield. If healthy, this could be quite a
tandem in 2009. |
New York Giants - (Brandon Jacobs,
Amahd Bradshaw, Andre Brown) Similar to last year - with Bradshaw moving
up to take Ward's place and rookie Andre Brown getting carries as the #3
RB. Jacobs is a hoss, and could put up top 5 numbers if
healthy. It's hard to carry that much weight around and not take a
beating. Although he delivers one as well. Andre Brown could
surprise as a rookie IF he can get some carries.
UPDATE: The rookie, Brown, is out for the year. |
| New York Jets - (Thomas Jones, Leon
Washington, Shonn Greene) - Jones and Washington both want their
contracts re-worked (more money) and Shonn Green has been banged up
already in camp. Watch the pre-season to see if one seems to
emerge. The Jets plan to run more this year, so the primary
ball-carrier here will benefit. Jones had a nice year last year,
but why is it I feel like he can't repeat that?? |
| Oakland Raiders - (Darren
McFadden, Justin Fargas, Michael Bush) - McFadden will get a chance to
show his stuff this year. He will take over as the primary RB, but
Fargas will get his share too. Look for Michael Bush to see a much
larger role than in the past. He showed some flashes down the
stretch last year. He could end up being a nice goal-line vulture. |
| Philadelphia Eagles - (Brian Westbrook,
LeSean McCoy, Lorenzo Booker) - Westbrook had a good year with 1300
combined yards and 14TD's in 14 games. But he was beat up down the
stretch. Watch for Philly to reduce his touches this year with a
lot of rookie LeSean McCoy. McCoy has really impressed in OTA's.
Philly is primed for a big year and they want Westbrook to be healthy at
the end of the year. |
| Pittsburgh Steelers - (Willie Parker,
Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore) - Mewelde Moore was a nice surprise
for the Steelers last year and filled in nicely as the RB1 when Parker
was hurt. Moore will likely be a 3rd down back this year.
Mendenhall should see plenty of carries now that he's healthy. I
don't look for any Steeler to stand out this year as the carries will be
split up too much. But they will repeat as Super Bowl champs.
Yeah, I said that. |
| San Diego Chargers - (LaDainian
Tomlinson, Darren Sproles) LT2 is 30this year. His
production has declined a good bit the past 2 years. Last year he
played all 16 games and less than 300 carries for the first time in his
career. His YPC the past 3 years: 5.2, 4.7, 3.8.
Uh-oh. Darren Sproles looked GREAT as his playing time increased
down the stretch. LT was banged up and Sproles took advantage.
Look for LT2 to eek out his last 1000 yard season this year, and Sproles
to add another 600+. |
Seattle Seahawks - (Julius
Jones, TJ Duckett) - Seattle bores me. Their offense sucked last
year. Hasselbeck only played in 7 games and managed 5 TD passes.
They had NO receivers to throw to. Therefore, the running game
sucked. The leading RB was Julius Jones with under 700 total yards
and 2 TD's. Wow. I forgot to ask you if you were sitting
down first. TJ Duckett managed 8 rushing TD's on about 7 carries.
Same tandem is back this year, and Seattle has UPGRADED their WR corps.
Look for the running game to pick it up a bit.
UPDATE: Seattle
signed Edgerrin James, and released TJ Duckett. James is not the
back he used to be. Look for a near even split between Jones and
James. |
San Francisco 49'ers - (Frank
Gore, Glen Coffee, Michael Robinson) - Frank Gore had a decent season,
but fails to live up to expectations (set in 2006 when he had 1700 yards
rushing and 8 TD's). He finished with a hair over 1000 yards and
6TD's. The 49'ers added rookie Glen Coffee who is expected to be
an upgrade at the RB2 position, so Gore could be spelled more than in
the past. Michael Robinson is still there taking up a roster spot.
UPDATE: Michael
WHO? Glen Coffee has looked great in the preseason. He will
be the #2 back and my take a few of Gore's touches. |
| Saint Louis Rams - (Steven
Jackson, Antonio Pittman, Samkon Gado) Steven Jackson is still a
stud. If he can stay healthy enough to play 16 games, he will be
top 5 amongst FF RB's. You just never know how many games he will
play. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers - (Derrick
Ward, Earnest Graham, Carnell Williams) Earnest Graham dropped off
a bit from his 2007 season. The Bucs went and got Derrick Ward
from the Giants. Ward filled in nicely for Brandon Jacobs (NYG)
when he was hurt and the Bucs like what they saw enough to pay him
starter money. Look for Ward to have a nice season, but with
Graham there stealing carries, and the Bucs sucking this year and all, I
wouldn't get too excited. |
|
Tennessee Titans -
(Chris Johnson, LenDale White, Javon Ringer) Chris Johnson turned
some heads last year as a rookie w/ 1200 yards and 10 TDS. And
that's with White Vulturing another 15 TD's. The Titans have a
good run-blocking line and I look for Johnson to have a repeat
performance. Look for LenDale White's carries and overall numbers
to decrease. The rookie Javon Ringer has looked good in preseason,
but barring injury, he won't be relevant this year. |
| Washington Redskins - (Clinton
Portis, Ladell Betts) Portis had another solid year, although he
faded somewhat down the stretch. 1487 yards and 9 TD's - not too
shabby. Look for another good year from Portis, but they may
reduce his carries (342 last year) a little. Betts is a capable
handcuff is Portis gets injured. |
