There’s no question that the league is changing. Gone are the days of seeing the majority of the league trying to win games playing smash-mouth, running game focused football. Still, without a solid running game nearly any offense becomes exponentially easier to defend.
There are teams across the league that need help at running back whether it be in the form of a primary running back, someone to join in a rotation, or a back to play on third downs as a pass blocker/catcher.
NEED: FEATURE BACK
Cleveland Browns
RBs currently on roster: Monterio Hardesty (3rd year), Brandon Jackson (6th year), Chris Ogbonnaya (3rd year), Owen Marecic (2nd year), Armond Smith (2nd year)
Two years after he took the league by storm, Peyton Hillis left Cleveland following an underwhelming 2011 season. The departure leaves the Browns without a feature back that can consistently carry the load. Hardesty has shown himself more than able of making some big runs, but he’s also shown that he just can’t consistently stay healthy. Ogbonnaya is a nice rotational back, but he’s probably nothing more than that.
Trent Richardson will certainly be a tempting prospect for the Browns in the first round. Adding an elite talent such as Richardson would finally give Cleveland a running game that opposing defenses will have to worry about, freeing up Colt McCoy (or a new Browns’ quarterback) some freedom to throw the ball.
Denver Broncos
RBs currently on roster: Willis McGahee (10th year), Knowshon Moreno (4th), Jeremiah Johnson (3rd year), Lance Ball (4th year), Austin Sylvester (2nd year), Xavier Omon (4th year), Mario Fannin (2nd year)
The NFL’s leading rushing offense in 2011 has a stable full of running backs, but none of them are special. McGahee is aging and a lost a step or two. Moreno was a highly touted prospect when he entered the league, but he’s battled injuries and been a disappointment when on the field. The threat Tim Tebow added as a running quarterback opened up lanes in ways not even Peyton Manning will be able to replicate, and it’s a good bet to say the Broncos’ rushing attack will take a major step back without adding a true lead running back.
Green Bay Packers
RBs currently on roster: James Starks (3rd year), John Kuhn (7th year), Brandon Saine (2nd year), Alex Green (2nd year)
It seems counter intuitive to say that a team that flirted with perfection like Green Bay did would have a glaring need at running back. Ten, or even five years ago, it would have been nearly impossible to have the type of season the Packers did without a solid running game. A quick glance at Green Bay’s roster shows hardly anything inspiring at running back, but they were still able to be successful.
In spite of that success, it’s crucial that the Packers’ find someone who can be a featured player out of the backfield. The Green Bay offense is dangerously close to becoming one dimensional, and no matter how good Aaron Rodgers is he’ll struggle to win another Super Bowl without the threat of a running game. If the Packers can add a true threat there however, they’ll be the odds on favorites to win it all in 2012.
New York Giants
RBs currently on roster: Ahmad Bradshaw (6th year), DJ Ware (6th year), Henry Hynoski (2nd year), Da’Rel Scott (2nd year), Andre Brown (3rd year)
The Giants’ running game has been a two headed monster for years, as Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs were one of the better running back pairings in the league. With Jacobs now in San Francisco, those days are now over.
New York could likely get by with adding a running back to simply share carries with Bradshaw, but they really need more help than that. Bradshaw has struggle to stay healthy throughout his career, and in reality will truly only excel as a complimentary back. The Giants would be pushing their luck if they relied on him as a feature back, and really should add someone to handle the majority of the carries in 2012.
NEED: CHANGE OF PACE/ROTATIONAL BACK
Oakland Raiders
RBs currently on roster: Darren McFadden (5th year), Taiwan Jones (2nd year), Manase Tonga (2nd year), Lonyae Miller (2nd year), Mike Goodson (4th year)
If he could stay healthy, Darren McFadden has the potential to be one of league’s premier players. The Raiders helped to keep him healthy in the past by letting Michael Bush take many of the bruising, short yardage runs that so often take years off of a running back’s career.
Bush is no longer a Raider, and Oakland will have to find another power back to take Bush’s place. With McFadden as the feature back and Taiwan Jones providing an extra spark out of the backfield, adding a power back would give the Raiders one of the league’s top backfields.
Pittsburgh Steelers
RBs currently on roster: Rashard Mendenhall (5th year) (Injured), John Clay (2nd year), Jonathon Dwyer (3rd year), Chad Spann (2nd year), Will Johnson (2nd year), Baron Batch (2nd year), Jamie McCoy (2nd year)
Rashard Mendenhall’s torn ACL in week 17 has added a ton of uncertainty to an offense that is undergoing plenty of changes already. The other running backs on the roster are young, but have plenty of potential. Clay is a brusing runner who should show improvement in his second year, and Dwyer averaged nearly 8 yards a carry in limited action in 2011.
In spite of that, as a team that should be competing for an AFC title Pittsburg may not want to bet on Mendenhall’s health and their young running backs’ competency in filling in. It’s likely they’ll look to add a veteran running back before they kick off the 2012 season.
Seattle Seahawks
RBs currently on roster: Marshawn Lynch (6th year), Michael Robinson (7th year), Leon Washington (7th year), Tyrell Sutton (4th year)
Ever since that memorable run in the playoffs against New Orleans two years ago, Marshawn Lynch has been one of the most fun players in the league to watch play. He’s coming off of the best season of his career, rushing for over 1200 yards. The Seahawks rewarded Lynch with a new contract, and some would think running back would be set for Seattle.
However, it’s still an area of concern. Lynch has only rushed for over 1,000 yards once in the last four years, and in that same time he’s missed 20 games in those four seasons. Additionally, giving a running back a contract extension has time and time again proven to be a proposition rife with risk. At the very least, Seattle should look to invest a mid-round pick that can help shoulder the load with Lynch, and fill in for him in the case that he goes down to injury.
St. Louis Rams
RBs currently on roster: Steven Jackson (8th year), Quinn Porter (3rd year), Chase Reynolds (2nd year)
It’s a shame that Steven Jackson, one of the league’s best running backs over the past decade, has spent the majority of his career carrying one of the league’s worst teams. As the Rams’ only real play maker for years, he’s taken a beating. After amassing over 2,100 career carries, it’s safe to wonder how much he has left in the tank.
He’s still playing at a high level and while he’s nearing 30 years old the Rams should be able to get several more years out of him. In a Jeff Fisher coached offense, having a solid running game is crucial. To be successful, St. Louis will have to extend Jackson’s career as long as possible. Fisher has a tendency to run a running back into the ground, but in more recent years he’s been more open to using a running back by committee approach. If he’ll find a running back to share carries with Jackson, he should be able to add several years to his career.
NEED: THIRD DOWN BACK
Minnesota Vikings
RBs currently on roster: Adrian Peterson (6th year) (injured), Toby Gerhart (3rd year), Caleb King (2nd year), Jordan Todman (2nd year), Lex Hilliard (4th year)
Any hopes of the Vikings having a successful 2012 season were dealt a crushing blow before the 2011 season was in the books. The franchise’s work horse, Adrian Peterson, suffered a near catastrophic knee injury in December, which will leave him unavailable at least for the first couple of months of the 2012 season.
Toby Gerhart will likely be the featured back in Peterson’s absence. While the Vikings have plenty of numbers at the position, there’s not much to get excited about. Caleb King was signed as a free agent after he went undrafted in the supplemental draft. He’s got a little potential, but he’s not likely to make a game changing impact. Hillard has a career 3.3 yards per carry average and doesn’t really impact the game through the air (26 career receptions). Neither Gerhart nor Hillard are really going to give defenses much to worry about on third down. Minnesota has a lot invested at the running back position, so they may not look to fill the void with an early draft pick, but at some point in the offseason they’ll need to find someone to provide a spark out of the backfield.
New York Jets
RBs currently on roster: Shonn Greene (4th year), Joe McKnight (3rd year), John Conner (3rd year), John Griffin (2nd year)
Shonn Greene slowly progressed towards becoming the primary running back in New York, but he couldn’t unseat LaDainian Tomlinson from his role as the third down running back. Tomilinson was very productive in that role, catching 42 passes in his best year receiving since 2007.
Tomlinson is now considering retirement, however. Even if he doesn’t he very well has burned all bridges with the Jets after some comments he made, and so either way the Jets are going to need a new third down running back. Can Greene handle those duties, will they take a chance on McKnight, or will they look elsewhere?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
RBs currently on roster: LeGarrette Blount (3rd year), Mossis Madu (2nd year)
Many evaluators feel that Tampa Bay is in need of a new feature back, but that’s not really the case. Blount is shown in back to back seasons that he’s a good running back. He’s averaged nearly five yards a carry in his time as a Buccaneer, and has had a knack of eating up big chunks of yardage when his team needs them.
However, Blount is not a great running back, and his game leaves plenty to be desired. Due to bad hands and worse pass blocking skills, Blount is a complete non factor on third downs and in other passing situations. Instead of investing a high draft pick in a running back, Tampa Bay should instead look to add a back who can spell Blount for a couple of possessions here and there, and, more importantly, catch the ball out of the backfield on third downs.
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