Team RB rankings: Chicago stacked
Michael Harmon / FOXSports.com
Posted: 1 day ago
Team rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE
I continue the FOXSports.com off-season NFL coverage with my review of running back situations for each team.
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Mike Harmon offers draft expert advice to help you stay ahead of the competition. Check back during training camp and the season for weekly columns.
NFL draft analysis
# Winners, losers: Who benefits, loses
# Rookies: Offense | Defense
# Live at draft: 1st round | Rds 2-3
Player rankings
# Overall: Top 400 | IDP
# Offense: QB | RB | WR | TE | K
# Defense: Team | DL | LB | DB
# Sleepers: Offense | IDP
# NFL Draft: Top 15 prospects
Roger Rotter brings insight to help owners win their leagues. Check out his draft columns and spins on breaking news during the off-season.
Draft analysis
# QB: Arizona's Leinart rates first
# RB: Indy's Addai tops rookies
Off-season movement
# QB: Culpepper to rebound?
# RB: James to burn in Arizona?
# WR: Owens to star again
# K: Vinatieri's No. 1
# OL: Vikings nab Hutchinson
Sleepers
# Breakthrough stars, QB, RB and WR
Fantasy spins
# Brett Favre: Elevates RB, WR
# Ricky Williams: Helps Brown
# Drew Brees: Stats to drop
# Daunte Culpepper: Stock rises
# Terrell Owens: Jumps as a Cowboy
# Mike Martz: Improves Lions' offense
In creating this ranking list, I'm not only considering the strength of the top option, but also reviewing systems, philosophies and available backups.
After all, it's rare for players to take on such a heavy workload and make through an entire NFL season unscathed. The turning of an ankle or missed blocking assignment can change fantasy fortunes on a dime. Therefore, I begin the rankings with a team currently three-deep with running backs who possess starting talent.
1. Chicago Bears
Thomas Jones took advantage of Cedric Benson's late arrival to camp last season and went on to have a career year. He racked up 1,335 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns to lead the Bears into the playoffs. Jones will be challenged by Benson in camp this season. Lovie Smith and the Bears staff love Benson's combination of explosiveness and power and will look to get him involved this year. At this juncture, there appears to be a split workload in the offing.
The Bears also have a tremendous fallback option in Adrian Peterson. Peterson averaged 5.1 yards per carry in limited work last season, including a 120-yard effort against San Francisco.
2. San Diego Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson remains one of the top running backs in the game, although Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson will get more press this year. He scored 20 total touchdowns last season, his fourth consecutive season with 15 or more touchdowns. The departure of Drew Brees thrusts Philip Rivers into the starting quarterback position, which means that Tomlinson will likely become a bigger factor in the passing game once again. Remember, he did catch 100 balls in 2003.
A late-season injury to Tomlinson put reserve running back Michael Turner on the radar. Turner showed tremendous speed and toughness in limited work, and electrified fans and fantasy owners with an 83-yard gallop down the sidelines in Week 15 against the Colts.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Jamal Lewis re-signed with Baltimore after a disappointing contract year performance during which he rushed for 100 fewer yards and half the touchdowns than the season before in three more games. Lewis didn't record his first 100-yard game until Week 12 and at times seemed more concerned with getting to free agent status than performing in 2005.
To that end, the Ravens added former Broncos tailback Mike Anderson to the mix. Anderson is a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who excels between the tackles much like Lewis does when on his game. Anderson's history as a fullback is intriguing. If used in this capacity, Lewis could be poised for another huge year. If they split time, both will put up solid numbers, but will be No. 2 or 3 fantasy backs.
Third-year back Musa Smith will see little time off the bench barring an injury to the starters.
4. Denver Broncos
Tatum Bell ascends to the top of the RB depth chart in Denver with Mike Anderson's departure. (Elsa / Getty Images)
A Denver running back has topped 1,000 rushing yards in all but one of Mike Shanahan's seasons on the bench. Tatum Bell will get a crack at keeping that tremendous run alive with the departure of Mike Anderson. Bell narrowly missed the mark as the second option last year with 921 yards.
The second running back in the mix this year is Ron Dayne. Dayne rushed for 270 yards and a score as the third back in Denver last season. According to reports, Dayne split carries in first-team drills in this past week's mini-camp.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals passing game garners the headlines with Chad Johnson's antics, but Rudi Johnson keeps the game moving on the ground. Rudi has topped 1,400 rushing yards in two straight seasons with 12 touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
His backup is one of the most intriguing young players at the position in Chris Perry. While he won't receive many opportunities on the ground if Johnson stays healthy, Perry has become a big factor in the Cincinnati passing game. He caught 51 passes last year for 328 yards. Perry has the goods to be a big-time back if called upon.
6. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas added Terrell Owens to push the passing game to a new level. Drew Bledsoe obviously wins with Owens, Terry Glenn and Jason Witten in the receiving corps, but Julius Jones may prove to be the biggest winner in this move. The attention afforded Dallas receivers will serve to spread the field and offer Jones room to move. The biggest issue facing Jones is his durability. He's missed a total of 11 games in two seasons with various ailments. Even though slowed by injury, Jones narrowly missed the 1,000-yard mark last year (993).
Backup Marion Barber demonstrated an ability to take the load should injury befall Jones once again. Barber topped 80 rushing yards on three occasions and scored five touchdowns (equal to Jones).
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
Fred Taylor is reportedly in shape and looking great this off-season. Unfortunately, he also appears to be upset with management and sat out a passing camp earlier this week in favor of working out as his home. If those issues are resolved, he'll fend off a crew of younger backs for one more year.
The Jaguars are well positioned if Taylor should later be cut for cap reasons or dealt. Greg Jones showed great speed and power in place of Taylor last season, and they selected speedy Maurice Drew in April's draft. Jones will likely assume the role of goal-line vulture regardless of how the Taylor situation plays out, so he's a player worthy of consideration later on draft day.
8. Kansas City Chiefs
How do you follow up a dream season? That's the question facing 20-touchdown breakout performer Larry Johnson. The offensive line returns intact, as Willie Roaf put off retirement for one more year to make a push to the playoffs and a 2,000-yard season for Johnson.
The picture behind Johnson on the depth chart remains murky. Priest Holmes, despite a severe neck injury that ended his 2005 season, continues to contemplate a comeback. His status likely won't be known until players report for camp at the end of July. The Chiefs added former Broncos back Quentin Griffin as insurance. He started the 2004 season brilliantly before a knee injury took him out of the mix.
The Chiefs are one of the teams rumored to be in the market for Michael Bennett. The uncertainty surrounding Holmes may force them to make a preemptive strike.
9. Seattle Seahawks
Shaun Alexander has yet to miss a game in his NFL career. He's also scored 16 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons.
That means that his backups are looking for reps in blowout situations, or in the unlikely event that Alexander is forced to miss time. Maurice Morris has shown ability in his limited opportunities, and he spurned free-agent offers elsewhere to remain in Seattle. He ripped off a run of at least 12 yards in six different games and put forth a 100-yard effort in Week 6 against Houston. Fullback Mack Strong remains a factor in short yardage situations, but Alexander typically gets to finish drives himself.
10. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta rushed for a league-leading 159 yards per game last year. Warrick Dunn dominated between the 20s, racking up 1,416 rushing yards and a robust 5.1 yards per carry average. For the time being, T.J. Duckett remains on the roster to steal goal-line carries. Duckett scored eight touchdowns last year as opposed to Dunn's three. However, Duckett's dramatic drop-off of nearly two yards per carry from 2004 has his role in question for 2005. The Falcons moved to draft a potential replacement for Duckett in Jerious Norwood. Norwood recorded a 4.33 second 40-yard dash and runs well inside the tackles. Duckett will need to bring his top game to training camp to fend off Norwood's challenge.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will continue to work their power ground game, even through longtime fantasy hero Jerome Bettis has left for the broadcast booth. Willie Parker will shoulder the load this season, offering a great combination of speed and toughness in between the tackles. Parker averaged 4.7 yards per carry and rushed for 1,202 yards last season that culminated with a 75-yard sprint to the end zone in Super Bowl XL.
Duce Staley and Verron Haynes enter training camp in a competition for the backup and vulture roles. Staley underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last season, and though he feels much improved, he has been limited in two straight seasons. He has a slight edge over Haynes based on his past successes (830 rushing yards in 2004). The whispers continue that Pittsburgh is in the market to acquire Duckett, who has fallen out of favor somewhat in Atlanta.
12. New Orleans Saints
The Saints enter the summer with a bevy of talent at running back. Deuce McAllister returns from injury with an eye on reclaiming his spot among the game's top backs. With McAllister's recovery a question, the Saints signed former Vikings running back Michael Bennett in free agency. However, once the Texans selected Mario Williams, the Saints were able to bring Reggie Bush onboard. As such, they have a glut of running backs and will no doubt make a move to trade Bennett this summer.
Sean Payton has the luxury of being able to call the number of two top-tier backs in 2006. The problem is figuring out how to make them work in tandem. It's a problem any coach would love to have.
13. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts will work in a new feature back this fall, as longtime star Edgerrin James bolted for the desert. Former 1,000-yard rusher and James backup Dominic Rhodes will look to reclaim the role he filled in 2001. He'll be challenged by rookie Joseph Addai, who impressed team officials with his performance in this past week's mini-camp. Early fantasy drafts in which I've participated and those I've reviewed suggest that owners believe that Addai will win out, as he's being drafted 2-3 rounds before Rhodes. I agree with that trend, as Addai offers a tremendous combination of power and speed akin to that of the departed James.
The player who wins the starting role has a great opportunity to excel alongside the potent passing offense.
14. Washington Redskins
Clinton Portis was greatly aided by the blocking of Jon Jansen. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
The power running game is the staple of Joe Gibbs' offense in Washington. The return of Jon Jansen solidified the line in 2005 and pushed Clinton Portis back into the game's elite. Portis topped 1,500 rushing yards for the third time in four NFL seasons and scored 11 touchdowns.
Ladell Betts and Rock Cartwright return as backups to Portis. Neither has distinguished themselves as a full-time runner in the NFL, though Betts has been effective in limited opportunities.
15. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals were positively miserable in the rushing game last season, so they made a splash in free agency by signing Edgerrin James. The passing game offers some of the same sizzle as the Indianapolis attack, but the offensive line still has some pundits questioning how much of a dip in performance will be seen from James.
Second-year back J.J. Arrington is working to learn everything he can from James in early workouts and is expected to be the primary backup with veteran Marcel Shipp likely to be released.
16. New York Giants
Tom Coughlin and the Giants continue to lean heavily on the legs of Tiki Barber. He topped 300 carries for the third time in four seasons and remains very active in the passing game. Third-year back Derrick Ward played sparingly behind Barber last year and will likely see little action again this year barring an injury to Barber.
Much to the chagrin of Barber owners, Brandon Jacobs assumed the vulture role last season as a rookie. He was significantly more effective than Ron Dayne had been in 2004 with seven touchdowns. Jacobs effectively uses his 6-foot-4 frame in short yardage situations and will be a big factor in the red zone once again.
17. St. Louis Rams
Scott Linehan will look to install the power running game that proved so successful for the Dolphins last season. Linehan's hire means that
Steven Jackson will see his role expand this year and possibly propel him into the top tier of NFL running backs. Jackson reached the 1,000-yard mark (1,046) despite the presence of Marshall Faulk and the fact that he carried the ball 20 or more times in only three games last season.
Faulk returns for one final season, and will see his role limited to injury replacement and passing down specialist. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 65 attempts and caught 44 passes out of the backfield. He will remain a factor in the offense and can still perform when given an opportunity, as evidenced by his 87 rushing yards in Week 15 against Philadelphia.
The Rams added Tony Fisher from Green Bay, who has long served as a good receiver out of the backfield. He caught a career-high 48 passes for the injury-riddled Packers in 2005.
18. Green Bay Packers
In a difficult season, the Packers lost player after player to injury in 2005. Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport and breakout player Samkon Gado all lost significant time to injury. All three return to the mix in 2006, with Green looking to reclaim past fantasy glory (20 combined touchdowns in 2003). Najeh Davenport reportedly will be unavailable to work out until training camp in late July, which will allow Gado to see increased reps in mini-camp in the interim.
All three players have proven to be effective running backs, but the offensive line remains a question mark entering 2006.
19. Houston Texans
Domanick Davis breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Texans drafted Mario Williams instead of Reggie Bush. The Texans passed on Bush despite the fact that Davis missed five games last year and has been banged up each of the last three seasons. Even though he participated in only 11 games, Davis still piled up 1,313 total yards of offense last season. Assuming his knee is sound, he'll be ready to put up big totals in Gary Kubiak's system.
The Texans have a deep pool of backup options for Davis. Both Vernand Morency and Jonathan Wells showed an ability to pick up tough yards when pressed into action last year. Houston added two more back this off-season with the signing of veteran Antowain Smith and selection of Wali Lundy in this year's draft.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jon Gruden made no secret that his offense was going only as far as Carnell Williams would take them. That same approach figures to rule the play-calling in 2006, but Gruden does have a myriad of options available to him to spell his franchise back. Mike Alstott returns for another season as the goal-line option. Alstott scored six rushing touchdowns in 34 carries last year and added 25 receptions. Michael Pittman has proven to be a capable backup (926 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004), so he'll be the first called to spell Williams.
Earnest Graham is available as insurance and fullback Jerald Sowell was added from the Jets to block for Williams and offer a sure-handed receiver out of the backfield for Chris Simms.
21. Tennessee Titans
The Titans are currently sitting on a three-headed backfield with Chris Brown, Travis Henry and rookie LenDale White on the roster. Brown returns to Tennessee for the final year of his contract and enters the year as the top option. However, he will face a battle from an extremely motivated White and veteran Henry this summer. At the very least, White enters the picture as the goal-line back with Brown and Henry splitting duties between the 20s. There is always the possibility that either Brown or Henry is moved this summer to a team in need of a back.
22. New England Patriots
Corey Dillon scored 12 touchdowns for the second straight season, but it has become clear that the years of heavy workloads have finally caught up to him. Dillon's rushing average fell by more than a yard from his 2004 mark (4.7 to 3.5).
To prepare for the future, the Patriots drafted Laurence Maroney in the first round of this year's draft. He was impressive in the first mini-camp this past week, showing good hands out of the backfield and a good burst in running drills. He'll compete with receiving specialists Kevin Faulk and Patrick Pass for touches behind Dillon early, but look for a split with Dillon as he becomes fully acclimated to the system.
23. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins effectively utilized a 1-2 power punch out of the backfield with Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown last season. With Williams now suspended, Brown will run solo this year unless Miami is able to make a move. Despite the presence of Williams and a reduced workload in the second half of the year, Brown still gained 907 yards as a rookie on a strong 4.4 yards per carry average. He also proved a capable receiver with 32 catches.
At present, Miami has Travis Minor, Sammy Morris and Kay-Jay Harris in competition for a share of the workload and to serve as Brown's backup. Neither Minor nor Morris has distinguished themselves during their careers, as they possess rushing averages of 4.1 and 3.8, respectively. The Dolphins are rumored to be one of the teams interested in dealing for Bennett from New Orleans.
24. Buffalo Bills
Willis McGahee appears set for another season of logging a high rate of carries. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
With continuing struggles in the passing game, the Bills relied heavily on the legs of Willis McGahee in the first half of 2005. McGahee averaged 22 touches per game for the season, but watched his workload and productivity decrease following the Week 9 Bye. His rushing average dropped by a full yard after the bye week.
New coach Dick Jauron relies heavily on the run and his defense, so McGahee is likely to see a heavy workload again. The Bills added two-time 1,000-yard rusher (both under Jauron) Anthony Thomas as an insurance policy this off-season. Jauron likes his style, and may just work Thomas into the mix given McGahee's struggles in short-yardage situations last year.
25. Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia generally employs multiple backs within its system. This year figures to be no different with three players in the mix for touches. Brian Westbrook will assume the most prominent role in his return from a foot injury. He doesn't carry the ball 20 times per game as most feature backs do, but his combination of carries and catches typically approaches 20. Ryan Moats showed great explosiveness in his work as the feature back, ripping off long touchdown runs in Weeks 14 and 15. The third back in the mix for the season is Correll Buckhalter. Buckhalter missed the last two seasons because of injury, but he'll receive an opportunity to resume his career in camp. If he's ready to play, he could factor into the Eagles' red zone game plan.
26. Minnesota Vikings
Fantasy owners welcome a new coach in Minnesota, hoping that the constant shuffling that occurred under Mike Tice will go by the wayside. The choice of head coach to succeed Tice would suggest otherwise. The Vikings added Chester Taylor to their roster from Baltimore to lead the charge, but it appears that two other backs will factor into the equation this season in Brad Childress' system. Remember, Childress came from a Philadelphia offense that regularly utilized multiple backs.
Ciatrick Fason, a second-year player out of Florida, was used primarily in short-yardage situations last year and figures to assume a bigger role this year. He scored four touchdowns and will factor in as a goal line back at the very minimum. Mewelde Moore expects to play a role in the return game, but he'll still be available to pick up carries.
27. Detroit Lions
Kevin Jones ranked among the biggest disappointments in the fantasy realm last season. He battled injury and ineffectiveness to finish with 664 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Jones's rushing average was over one yard per carry lower than his brilliant 2004 debut. The shift to Mike Martz's spread offense will open up the field for Jones this season and he should be able to race back to his 2004 numbers with a season of health.
The Lions added Brian Calhoun in the draft to compete with Artose Pinner and Shawn Bryson for carries behind Jones. Calhoun doesn't figure to be an every-down back to start his career, but could force a workload split if Jones struggles.
28. New York Jets
The Jets backfield was decimated by injuries last year with both Curtis Martin and Derrick Blaylock being placed on injured reserve. Martin's injury-shortened season marked his first NFL campaign with under 1,000 rushing yards. He'll return as the starter this year for first-year coach Eric Mangini, with second-year player Cedric Houston sliding into the backup role. Houston averaged 3.7 yards per carry with three strong efforts in the Jets' final four games. He's a capable backup if Martin is hobbled again. Blaylock will be used on third-downs as a receiver out of the backfield.
29. Carolina Panthers
DeShaun Foster enters the season as the starter, but his injury history is well-chronicled. He finished the 2005 season with 1,249 combined rushing and receiving yards and three touchdowns. Short-yardage specialist and power back Stephen Davis is no longer with the team, leaving a competition among two backs for the backup role to Foster. Eric Shelton missed his entire rookie season with a foot injury. He figures to be the goal-line option for the Panthers this year. The other player in the mix this season is rookie DeAngelo Williams, who brings game-changing speed to Carolina.
Nick Goings, who rushed for 821 yards and six touchdowns when the Panthers sustained a litany of injuries in 2004, remains with the team as a fourth option.
30. San Francisco *****
The ***** enter mini-camps with a trio of talented running backs on the roster. Frank Gore shone in his late-season audition for the starting role by rushing for 68 or more yards in three straight games to end the year. Gore showed breakaway speed and averaged 4.8 yards per carry on 127 carries.
Competing with Gore for reps will be longtime ***** back Kevan Barlow and Maurice Hicks. Barlow's rushing average has dropped nearly two full yards per carry since his breakout 2003 season. There is a possibility that Barlow could be released, which would leave Hicks as the sole backup. Hicks ran extremely well in his limited role, averaging 5.2 yards per carry with three touchdowns.
31. Oakland Raiders
Oakland worked LaMont Jordan hard in his first season as a featured back, averaging 24.4 touches per game before missing the final two games of the year. Jordan finished the year with 1,589 combined yards, but he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry. Former lineman Art Shell will likely rely heavily on his running back to shoulder the load once again.
The drop-off from Jordan is significant. Zack Crockett works most effectively in short-yardage situations (one touchdown per 13 carries through his career) and Justin Fargas has yet to impress.
32. Cleveland Browns
Reuben Droughns proved that running backs can survive out of Denver with his 1,200 yards for the Browns last year. Droughns averaged four yards per carry, but unfortunately couldn't find the end zone (two touchdowns).
The backup situation here is up for grabs, as the Browns are reportedly interested in dealing oft-injured running back Lee Suggs. The Browns are one of several teams reportedly interested in acquiring former Vikings and current Saints running back Michael Bennett. William Green remains on the roster in the No. 3 role entering camp.
I'll continue the tour through each position next time with the wide receivers. Until then, good luck with your early rankings efforts.