By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Long gone are the perfect systems. Systems in which teams had one main feature back that garnered carry after carry. Those were the reliable studs. Behind them typically use to be the occasional fullback that could get some sleeper fantasy points. The Zach Crocketts, Larry Centers, and backs that went from halfback to fullback such as Tyrone Wheatley. With dual and triple backfields in use now owners have to get creative in how they’re going to get reliable fantasy points. An area that has sort of bridged the gap from the use of fullbacks and halfbacks is the short yardage-dirty work plunging back.

This guy may not get upwards of even ten carries a game. Top tailbacks will have monster days and over 100 yards rushing. Only to be nullified of what should have been a great fantasy day with multiple touchdowns. Reason their stats did not meet you’re expectations surely falls on that pile forward moving back that gobbled a touchdown or two away from you. It is hard to predict when a back is going to produce a string of touchdowns especially when his carries and yardage totals are small. Yet, some of these backs are getting between eight and ten touchdowns a year. Who will they be this season?

LT- Were putting LT atop our plunger backs. His role is yet to be defined as a Jet. For all we know he could outdo Shonne Greene and win outright the starting position. Were going to say that does not happen and LT is their short yardage change of pace back. LT has a knack for getting into the end zone even with his other skills teetering away. Athletes that have had his type of success just do not fade completely away at age 31. He has surely lost some years with the burden of too many carries nine years in San Diego. Whatever he has left in the tank will be brought on the football field each and every Sunday. He’ll get double digit touchdowns once again.

Tim Hightower- What is going to keep Beanie Wells from being a sure lock second back in most drafts is Hightower. Not that Hightower is going to be in a perfect share load like last season. Where the question is at is if Hightower will still be the hog of success in the red zone. If it were not for Hightower’s ability to get in the end zone he’d likely have been cut by now. As the season goes past the halfway mark we’d expect the Cardinals to lean more heavily in Wells direction. Hightower should still get near six to eight touchdowns.

Willis McGahee- McGahee took no the relegated role of reduced carries and job loss better than almost any back over the last ten years. His production while on the field turned the Ravens second half of the season around. With Flacco struggling the Ravens saw they could pound away with McGahee and Rice. Even with defenses gearing to shut down the run. It’s a role the Ravens will milk until something goes awry. If McGahee can handle the lick he took last season than he can keep making fantasy owners happy with his red zone touchdowns. Ray Rice owners just want three to four of those McGahee plunges.

Marion Barber- Felix Jones may be the 2010 starter but if the time share is slightly in Jones favor we still like Barber’s value higher. Jones may be the home run hitter and high yards per carry guy, but Barber will be the man when it comes to touchdowns. He battled hard through injuries last season and was not the same athlete of years past. He’ll be healthy this season and may take his job back outright. Barber is one of our top sleepers going into 2010 fantasy drafts.

Thomas Jones- Based on what we’ve seen from prior thirty plus year old backs Jones should simmer down quite a bit this season. It’s as if the Jets saw what they could squeeze out of Jones and did just that. Heading to Kansas City, Jones will quietly take on a backup role. Jamaal Charles showed all of us enough (Lets hope you picked him up when we told you way before he put on as how last season) that replacing him would only happen because of an injury. We will soon find out if it was the Jets offensive line that made Jones or he truly matured as a professional mentally and physically with the Jets. He went much of his career as a labeled bust only to have back to back seasons of double digit touchdowns (13 in 08’ and 14 in 09’).

Montario Hardesty- Jerome Harrison was buried on the Browns roster for many of reasons, but one in particular. He is a tiny back all around. In height comparable to Maurice Jones-Drew, and in size compared to old Raider back Napolean Kaufman. What he did in the last quarter of the fantasy season gave owners the extra push to win their fantasy titles. Surely, Harrison probably went into the off-season and hit a tough regimen to add extra pounds to his body. Playing at an optimal size for Harrison’s skill level is where he was at last year. We just see him breaking down at some point in the season and losing his starting role to Hardesty. With the way the Browns like to shuffle around backs it may happen before week one. Harrison is a nifty back that deserves to be on the field. In a lot of ways though he is like Darren Sproles a few years ago. Teased a lot of fantasy owners into believing he can do it all, but the NFL is a different beast. You’ve got to be a big powerful back to have a lasting impact for you’re body to hold up an entire season or perform at a high level.

Mike Bell- Bell has close to thirty extra pounds on him then McCoy. McCoy was recruited by Andy Reid to play exactly to the style of Brian Westbrook. When Correll Buckhalter was healthy as an Eagle he someone that had a sporadic fantasy impact. Reason being he was hardly ever healthy. McCoy is not the same type of player as Westbrook as evidenced last season when he struggled. Therefore we think the time share will be better for Bell. Add the short yardage and goal line impact on Bell’s side and he is worth taking a flier as a deep late round pick. Don’t wait for the waiver wire period after week one or two.

By Zack Cimini

　notjustagame23@gmail.com

Running backs rule fantasy football leagues and are snatched up like deals on black Friday. Some owners have strategize other avenues to throw drafts for a loop and find themselves buried. Everyone knows the drill but securing the correct backs is the hard part. Last year saw some backs disappoint in great lengths. Who will those backs be this year?

1. Chris Johnson- A new deal will be in his hands soon. Will he regress from last season or continue to super charge Vince Young and the Titans offense? In the open field Johnson is not going to be touched. Fantasy owners that get additional bonus points on touchdowns of long distance are going to be able to bank on an additional 20-30 points alone in that category.

2. Adrian Peterson- His fumbling woes can not be overlooked but he is a young back that is still growing. Sometimes he is too aggressive or careless with the ball and that’s what has caused his collapse. The Vikings and Peterson know they have a great chance of being right back to the NFC championship game and finishing off what they did last year. Adding to that fuel is the fact that Peterson needs to show the world he can sidestep last seasons miscues and reprove himself.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew- The bowling ball keeps hurling himself like old school sonic the hedgehog spinning forward. He possesses it all, an ability to burst through holes, bounce off defenders and use his core strength to be one of the best little guy goal line backs that has been in the league in years. Jacksonville’s nucleus’s offensively does worry us a tad but Jones-Drew is one of the few backs in the league that is not in a share system in the backfield. He can be counted on to get the same amount of touches every game, which translates to happy fantasy owners.

4. Ray Rice- He was the spark that catapulted the Ravens to dangerous heights last year. He is sort of just like Jones-Drew but with a faster notch of speed to his game. Unlike Jones-Drew though Rice has too share carries with Willis McGahee and McClain. Baltimore was smart enough to get Rice more involved as the year goes on. With a full sixteen games to show his value Rice could be the gem of this years draft and number one next year.

5. Frank Gore- Gore is just that consistent back like Curtis Martin use to be. Nothing flashy but he seems to stick around the elite backs year after year. Last year he showed a toughness side of himself by fighting through an injury and only missing limited action. He did go through a rut on the field because of it but finished out the year strong when he was healthy. He reached double digit touchdowns for the first time in his career which gets him into the top five instead of bottom ten.

6. Steven Jackson- It’s hard for us to watch Jackson’s talent fade away on a team that is going nowhere. Jackson will have the weight on his shoulders to carry a rookie quarterback and a team with zero identity. He’ll garner the most eight man boxes in the league until Bradford shows strong enough capabilities to warrant not. Jackson may see a continued decline in touchdowns but his yards will always be there. Combining out of the backfield from short yardage dumps he should easily get between 1500-1750 yards total rushing/receiving.

7. Michael Turner- In most leagues Turner is going to be the first round pick someone does not want. It’s the pick where you have to draft for value than what you anticipate. Turner had a rough go in his second year with Atlanta as we predicted. At 28 he is still relatively young as far as mileage goes for a running back. That means his injury plagued 2009 season should not be so alarming. He should bounce back and is on an offense that is heavily loaded.

8. Ryan Matthews- Big shoes to fill for Matthews and expectations are set sky high. Early on San Diego may use Sproles a little more than they will as the season carries on, just so Matthews can ease in. Once that first breakout game happens which could be week one, Sproles will be relegated to a third down back. Playing with Philip Rivers sounds good in all, but if he misses a blocked assignment how will he handle Rivers barking in his face?

9. Rashard Mendenhall- Mendenhall stole the show from Willie Parker and made it easy for the Steelers to let Parker exit. Mendenhall gets to be the main option for the Steelers offense for the first six weeks with Ben Roethlisberger suspended. That means an extra five to ten carries a game to keep the hands out of Dennis Dixon’s hands. Those goal line touchdowns that ticked fantasy owners off last year from Ben Roethlisberger will be touchdowns for Mendenhall.

10. Ryan Grant- There is no discounting what Grant did last season. You just can not keep him out of the top ten based on how he complements Aaron Rodgers. Fantasy owners still may be hesitant on him as he started the year so slow and piled up numbers late. He scored more than half of his touchdowns (6) in the last four weeks of the season. Green Bay has one of the best if not best receiver sets in the league which makes huge holes for Grant. The emergence of tight end/split end Jermichael Finley makes Grant’s end of season push likely to carry over into 2010.

11. Shonn Greene- There will be carries a plenty for the Jets as they try to protect Mark Sanchez. It’ll be interesting to see how the percentages of carries are split up between Greene and LT, especially in the red zone. Greene took over Thomas Jones job in the playoffs even though Jones had been a heck of a back for the Jets. We anticipate Greene to be a fantasy friendly bright spot as Jets backs have been since the Curtis Martin days.

12. Jamaal Charles- Behind Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles is probably the second best as a home run back in the NFL. We told you to scoop Charles up off the waiver wire weeks before the saga began and ended with Larry Johnson. Charles has another veteran to deal with in Thomas Jones, but do not let that worry you.

13. DeAngelo Williams- Williams hopes he can stay healthy a full season and re-enter the top ten for fantasy backs. It is definitely in reach. There is no questioning that the Panthers still have the best one-two punch of a backfield in the NFL. If Stewart were not such a high threat to split carries Williams would be a top five back. It’s remarkable that he tastes the end zone as frequently as he does.

14. Beanie Wells- What Ken Whisenhunt did last year with the Cardinals running back situation was similar to an old veteran getting playing time just because of his stature. Tim Hightower is not a number one running back, but Whisenhunt refused to give the job to Wells. He flirted with it later on in the year and that’s when the Cardinals started coming to life again. Wells will get his carries this season and should gain near 1200 yards rushing. The only glaring issue with Wells was him being prone to fumbling the football.

15. Cedric Benson- Talk about a transformation no one saw coming. After seeing his career dwindling to the point of no return to the NFL, Benson recommitted himself. Suddenly he was one of the top five backs in the league and was doing it consistently not just against poor defenses. He racked up two one hundred yard games against the Ravens which made the league and fans respect him once again. Last year was not a fluke and will see how his body handles coming off a year of 300 carries.

The best of the rest

16. Brandon Jacobs

17. Pierre Thomas

18. Joseph Addai

19. Knowshon Moreno

20. Ronnie Brown

21. LeSean McCoy

22. Matt Forte

23. Jahvid Best

24. Felix Jones

25. Ricky Williams

26. Jonathan Stewart

27. Reggie Bush

28. Michael Bush

29. Ahmad Bradshaw

30. Marion Barber

31. C. J. Spiller

32. LaDainian Tomlinson

33. Clinton Portis

34. Ben Tate

35. Fred Jackson

36. Jerome Harrison

37. Thomas Jones

38. Leon Washington

39. Carnell Williams

40. Tim Hightower

41. Donald Brown

42. Laurence Maroney

42. Justin Forsett

43. Darren Sproles

44. Steve Slaton

45. Montario Hardesty

46. Marshawn Lynch

47. Chester Taylor

48. Larry Johnson

49. Mike Bell

50. Glen Coffee

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Originally the mold of Brandon Jacobs looked like a linebacker just bulldozing over men his equal size. At around the same time Jerome Bettis was retiring, Jacobs looked like the guy too carry the big men can be brute crushing backs torch. Jacobs showed in his breakout 2008 year that he had the nimbleness and speed to go along with his punishing size. Going into the 2009 season the departure of Derrick Ward only brightened fantasy owners expectations for a strong season from Brandon Jacobs. Before even stepping onto the field owners at least thought strong numbers in the touchdown category were a lock.

He was coming off an astonishing breakout year in 2008 where he totaled 15 touchdowns and annihilated defenses in the second half of games. Stacking yards and easily moving the chains for the Giants. From week one though Jacobs looked as if he had lost two to three gears to his 08 self. Word would later come out that he played the entire year with knee “issues”. As backs get older in their carries playing through injury issues is just a common theme. Staying productive isn’t. Is Jacobs the type of back that can produce playing through the various types of typical injuries that seemingly don’t go away for a back?

In 2009 he just did not have the same shiftiness and quick feet able to get out of the backfield. He seemed to be in a standstill each handoff, and in a span of a year may have caught “Eddie George” syndrome. Even his usual knack to get short yards for the Giants was cutback. As the year went on it was apparent that he was not going to snap out of his funk. Was it the fact that he did not have Derrick Ward as a neutralizer to opposing defenses? The perfect back to offset his skillset for when he entered the backfield. We find that unlikely as towards the second half of last season you could see the Giants tinkering with getting Ahmad Bradshaw more involved. In fact, Bradshaw practically surpassed Jacobs yardage numbers with much less carries, and did in the touchdown department.

Whatever the case may be for Jacobs last season to go a whole entire year being ineffective stands out. Blame the year on an imbalance and growing learning patterns between a young core of receivers and Eli Manning; we just won’t. Jacobs lacked the explosiveness and hardly ever made it out of the back field. His typical way of barreling over defenders and tacking on extra yards just did not happen. Instead he was supplanted and cut down with ease. We will factor his knee issue into the equation but fantasy owners must realize his 08 form may never return.

It is odd though that the Giants decided to go forth without any signings or draft picks to get Jacobs worried. They still plan on trying the Jacobs/Bradshaw show again. The organization is banking on the fact that Jacobs was nicked up with knee injuries that he tried to play through. Jacobs underwent off-season knee surgery to repair a partially torn meniscus. An injury he admitted to trying to play through the entire season. Shouldn’t that be more of a red flag to the Giants?

Word around Jacobs conditions and recovery have been rather quiet. Even if he is able to come in fresh we do not see a back of his size able to sustain a beating for seventeen games. There is just too much wear and tear at that size and a huge target for defenders to drill into. It’s hard enough for most backs to stay healthy an entire season. Jacobs value is up and the air but we’d be safe with him as your second fantasy back, and a back with high upside as your third. Hopefully he can bring about numbers somewhere in the range of his 2008 and 2009 season. That would satisfy fantasy owners and bring a value that is hard to come by consistently for fantasy owners, which is touchdowns.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Stardom as an NFL athlete has shifted from the typical patterns of past greats. A superior athlete in previous generations could ride out that wave of talent for the majority of their career. The tail end truly was that and everyone knew it. Nowadays though teams increased training and aggressive regimens on top of youthful talent flowing in prime shape, careers are having interesting endings. Shaun Alexander literally went from MVP form too not able to run through an alley the size of Jamarcus Russell.

The NFL is a business and teams are going to ride a talented player as much as they can to try and secure that extra win. LT was that workhorse for the San Diego Chargers for a multitude of years and somehow never showed signs of wearing down. Signs weren’t there on the field but the projections based upon his numerous high piled seasons of carries and percentage of involvement in the teams plays was overwhelming.

In 2008, LT staved off injuries that were perceived to the media as slowing him down. Everyone didn’t look at LT’s play as true signs of him losing a piece of his top tier skills. Instead his mere 1100 yards with double digit touchdowns were seen as a warrior like type of year. A year most backs would have missed a string of games and burned disappointed fantasy owners.

The wake up call for the Chargers and everyone was when the keeping or letting LT go talks began. The organization has bit themselves before by letting elite athletes walk away after development had been done with them. Drew Brees and in the case of a running back, Michael Turner, ring a bell. If the Chargers had forked the deal they should of too Turner maybe the Chargers would have had the right mix of ingredients to get closer to a title.

Ownership wised up last year and thought they would not let a Turner type situation develop with a walk out the door and gone view for Darren Sproles. He added an extra spice to their 2008 team that shocked the world and stormed back for an 8-8 season and upset of the Colts. They franchised Sproles but underneath that franchise tag was the teams untrue thoughts on LT. They knew he was not the same back anymore but rather than say that they tried to hide through Sproles. Obviously the team shifted drastically from a pro-run offense in 2009 to a team that relied heavily on Philip Rivers arm.

This day and age that doesn’t work, and getting barely over 1,000 combined rushing yards between LT and Sproles was far below the teams expecations. The mere numbers were strong enough signs to the organization they had to move forward and reconfigure pieces to the puzzle. A shakeup had to happen and that meant letting LT depart. With the strong contenders in the NFL having backfields with seemingly two capable starters, seeing LT (3.3 ypc), and Sproles (3.7 ypc) wasn’t cutting it.

The move was the right move and LT now gets a chance to build a brighter ending to his legacy than foiling extra years in San Diego. He is going to be 32 once the 2010 season begins, but he is on a Jets team that has been one of the best in the league in the ground game. Even though LT will be behind Shonn Greene, it’s a suitable spot based upon the Mark Sanchez’s youth.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Jets try to rush the football upwards of 40-45 times a game. A number the team reached or passed on a weekly basis once they controlled Mark Sanchez’s pass attempts. Including fifty seven team rush attempts week seventeen.

Head coach Rex Ryan shifted the Jets season by turning the football into the hands of Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, and Shonn Greene last season. Two-thirds of that second half season resurgence are gone. One area LT hasn’t backed down a bit on is scoring touchdowns. He is still a double digit threat but there are variables to look at for LT as a Jet compared to being a Charger.

San Diego was a quick score high octane offense that never let up. Touchdown drives were plentiful and the team ranked near the top of the league in scoring. The Jets are more of a ball control style team. We think those are significant factors to look at for LT’s 2010 season with the Jets, but it should even out based on the fact that Rivers outdid Sanchez in touchdown passes by more than double. So when the Jets do score it’s typically going to be a rushing touchdown.

For 2010 LT should be a sharp fantasy producer. His value is still strong as he will probably get 10-15 carries a game and has a prime shot at getting double digit touchdowns once again. Being in New York they love to have the spotlight on stars. Don’t be surprised to see the Jets give him extra chances near the goal line to get the extra exposure of getting in the end zone.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

Seattle like most teams was in desperation mode to make moves to improve their team. Rather than making silent quiet signings and build through draft picks, they decided to bust out an array of bold moves. First they went after arguably the highest profiled college coach out there, and one that has had semi success before in the NFL ranks. Pete Carroll brings the dynamic of transforming the way he was able to mold young players at USC to maybe doing the same with young NFL contract athletes trying to fulfill their first contract obligations.

A city that is still reeling from the loss of an NBA franchise, Seattle, hopes that a revival to the years of Shaun Alexander’s breakout years is back. The division that the Seahawks dominated in laughable fashion for years after the realignment suddenly shifted to Arizona and San Francisco. It all started with the debacle of letting Steve Hutchinson sign with the Minnesota Vikings, and than countering that deal by unloading the same type of money on bust receiver Nate Burelson. From their Shaun Alexander tanked quicker than the media and NBA fans have on LeBron James. Their veteran quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck just could not avoid injuries the past few years, and had little support on the offensive side of the football.

Pete Carroll is not one to sit back and he has instantly made some trades that he thinks can boost this team now. Divisional foes come in with just as many question marks as Seattle so these type of moves could send strong signals to the teams veterans and ignite them in the right direction. After all Arizona will be running with either Derek Anderson or Matt Leinart, and San Francisco is finally setting forth their confidence with Alex Smith.

The head scratching trade for Charlie Whitehurst was a hot topic for multiple days, but one that did not get as much hype was the trades for Leon Washington and Lendale White. Even though Julius Jones is still on the team we do not expect that to remain through training camp. Towards the end of last season Justin Forsett was the main back for Seattle. Jones has struggled to reign in solid years with little to no competition the past several years, especially when he was paired with Edgerrin James.

Carroll thinks he can end White’s up and down battle in his NFL career with weight, alcohol, and commitment to football shape(conditioning). White’s already responded well by showing up to mini camp and what some would say the best shape he has for NFL mini camps. Linking with Carroll has seemed to put a flashback energize in him. White has already been a carousel fantasy back throughout his career. What could we expect from him as a feature back, as he is expected to be in Seattle? With fantasy owners not sure of how Seattle will share carries and their offensive woes the past few seasons, White will be a strong fantasy sleeper.

Last year he was just put aside completely by the emergence of Chris Johnson. The two seasons before last year though he was putting up monster touchdown numbers as an overweight and questionable work ethic athlete. He is still only 25, and double digit touchdowns entering the fold for White is a realistic outlook.

Than you have the flash and dash factor of Leon Washington. A back that has been dangerous in every phase of the game once he has his hands on the football. Call it crazy, but doesn’t it look like Carroll’s trying to build a backfield similar to his days at USC…..Bush/White. Washington’s role has yet to be determined and could stay just about the same as it was with New York. The thing about Washington though is he is a capable enough back to supplant White if White lets up and loses focus as he tends to do throughout a season. If so, we could see Carroll easily losing his patience and shifting the majority of carries to Washington. Even though Washington has never been a prime feature back, his yards per carry have been among the best in the league since he came into the league.

Heading into your early fantasy June drafts, White is the lone obvious strong back to draft from Seattle. He should get double digit touchdowns and if he is a feature back getting 15-20 carries than a 1,000 yard season should not be far sighted. Washington’s role and fantasy impact will depend more on training camp and preseason work. Injuries or depth chart movements could turn Washington from a late round June fantasy pick, to a serious sleeper in August/September.

By Zack Cimini

notjustagame23@gmail.com

There are numerous free agent names that would have been considered marquee free agents just a few seasons ago. The game has shifted quickly for these athletes and landing a job isn’t a guarantee for them. For Brian Westbrook the question of returning to the game as his best interest is priority number one. It seems as if he is willing to take that risk after sustaining multiple concussions last year that put serious doubts in a likelihood of a return.

Before the concussions Westbrook was already showing signs of slowing down. He was not as much of a strong hold in the Eagles offense as in 2004-2007. Getting out in the open field as a running back or pass catching back was his main staple, and the Eagles used it to flourish for years. McNabb never truly had a go to option at wide receiver but Westbrook was able to fill that void. As McNabb declined in quarterback scrambles and settled as a pocket passer the dumps to Westbrook were sort of safety plays for McNabb to avoid scrambling.

The rise of Westbrook’s career and rapid decline happened due to nagging knee, ankle, and leg injuries. It seemed he would have some sort of injury each and every year but upon his return it was as if nothing happened. At one time he was not practicing on a weekly basis but mustering enough out of his body to play on Sundays. That was an attest to Westbrook’s endurance and threshold for pain. Questioning his work ethic has never been a matter.

When the Eagles cut ties with Westbrook suitors have been few if any. St. Louis has been one team that has but everyone knows that team is a nightmare franchise currently. He’d definitely be just a third down back and would have to totally rebuild with a losing franchise. From an athlete that has been near a Super Bowl victory and countless NFC championship appearances waiting out for another option seemed best.

Suddenly the linking with his old quarterback Donovan McNabb could be a possibility. The Redskins plan on engaging in conversations with the possibility of signing Westbrook. Looking at the Redskins backfield the names seem great but “OLD”. You’d have Willie Parker, Larry Johnson, Brian Westbrook, and the Redskins prime back all these years in Clinton Portis. No youth at all and plenty of miles on each back. Sounds like another Dan Snyder just sign him because of his name type of move.

All of these backs together would likely not happen. Larry Johnson is being given a chance to show he has something left. Based on the way he has played the past few seasons, Washington might give him his walking papers even before training camp starts. Parker and Westbrook together is very interesting, and the pairing would be strange. If Westbrook comes in and shows he has overcome injury woes and concussion worries we’d expect him to be behind Portis on the depth chart. That and for the simple fact that he already has great chemistry with quarterback Donovan McNabb.

The backfield in Washington looks so crammed that value for a straight up fantasy value running back is ugly. Reasoning beyond a touchdown value back is not going to be found here. Maybe spend a late round pick in case of injuries mounting up, but that’s it. Drafting any of these backs looks like a crowded college backfield that a coach just doesn’t know what do with it. An area that looks hopeful that plagued McNabb and was one of Westbrook’s flaws is short yardage situations. Johnson and Portis can get that third and one, or other short plunges to keep the chains moving.

With the NFL seemingly getting younger at the running back position, Washington is on the other side of the trend. Johnson and Westbrook are 31, Parker 29, and Portis somehow only 27 but going on 36 in NFL running back years. Don’t forget the guy that’s behind the helm in Mike Shanahan. The names may be there now, but Shanahan has went wild before with a no name low round pick or free agent pickup to garner carries.