1. Adrian Peterson- And you thought I was going to put DeMarco Murray here. Seriously though, there is no back out there better than Peterson. He's everything you want in a pure rusher with his versatility in that he can blow by you, juke you out, and run you down 'till you fall flat on your face (the song is Madden 2003's "Suck It Up").

2. Jamaal Charles- The ACL tear sucks, and Charles is a monster who averaged only about six yards per carry last year.

3. Darren McFadden- Yeah, I'm boarding this train until it hits 'Frisco, cause he is tearing it up. He's nicked up too, but that doesn't deter from his overall value.

4. Arian Foster- He doesn't give a damn about your fantasy team either.

5. Chris Johnson- He's still top 5, but I've always thought he was a tad overrated.

6. Maurice Jones-Drew- A versatile back to say the least.

7. Ray Rice- Does a ton of damage with his hands and can make cuts inside; top back.

8. DeAngelo Williams- Too elusive for their not to be a bounce-back.

9. Fred Jackson- Good hands, and great overall ability. Finally getting some press thanks to a line that suddenly figured out how to block.

10. LeGarrette Blount- This is all purely based on skill, and Blount is extremely talented. He is so agile and strong that he's a new beast to defend against; it's amazing to think what he could do with an average line in front of him.

11. Matt Forte- While catching is his forte, he can run and is the team's focal point offensively; pay him.

12. Michael Turner- I wish I had him higher, but 12 is still really good.

13. Ryan Mathews- I am fully on the bandwagon.

14. Ahmad Bradshaw- Catches, blocks, and runs well.

15. Frank Gore- Is more effective when he doesn't get too many carries, as he is extremely explosive should get 15 carries to have optimal impact. He can't take the wear and tear very well, but he does add value in the receiving game.

16. Peyton Hillis- Has been invisible this year (not in a good way) and fumbles too much because of an unbalanced rushing style, but he does possess great blocking and has surprisingly good hands out of the backfield.

17. LeSean McCoy- Brings so much to the table as a pass-catcher and runs effectively.

18. Jonathan Stewart- Could afford to be a little higher, but he is an elusive back who is among the best ten pure rushers in the league.

19. Brandon Jacobs- Was insane last year and is one of the most punishing backs out there.

20. Steven Jackson- Workhorse.

21. Rashard Mendenhall- A little overrated but still an effective back who plays behind a horrible line.

22. Ryan Grant- The statistics don't always favor him, because people don't always look at the right stats. He is a solid player who gets the yardage his team needs.

23. Tim Hightower- Showing that my running back stat isn't full of crap.

24. Cedric Benson- He is an overrated back who is still solid but not as good as people think.

25. Joseph Addai- Underrated back who struggles with injuries but plays pretty well on the field. He is their only hope in the running game.

26. Chris Wells- I'm not ready to bring him into the top 20 yet, as he needs to show me some consistency first.

27. Michael Bush- Solid, bruising back.

28. James Starks- He really likes making me eat crow.

29. Chris Ivory- I think this guy can play and needs to get some time.

30. DeMarco Murray- I'm in but not all in.

31. BenJarvus Green-Ellis- Sold, albeit unspectacular moving-chains back.

32. Ben Tate- Explosive but not there yet.

33. Ryan Torain- Mike Shanahan and I know that he is better than people thought last year.

34. Mike Goodson- Man, the Panthers have a lot of wealth at the position.

35. Felix Jones- This is on the basis of his receiving skills and ability to break off the big play.

36. Mark Ingram- Better than the stats indicated.

37. Isaac Redman- Finally breaking out of the underrated shell.

38. Jackie Battle- Believe Chiefs, believe. No more Thomas Jones.

39. Marshawn Lynch- When he goes beast mode; it's over. Unfortunately, he doesn't go beast mode enough.

40. Pierre Thomas- New Orleans hasn't been treating him well recently.

253

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10/2011 Player Profile: Felix Jones

October 4th 2011 15:00

Although he is a very explosive player who is a terrific pass-catcher, I am really not a big fan of Felix Jones as a player. I think he is an average running back at best, and the Cowboys need to get a new feature back to help out Romo. His RB Efficiency score last year was a below-average 46.6, but he is still a more than capable number two back in this league.

It may seem like I'm hating on Jones right now, but it's just that I don't think he is a consistent enough rusher. There is no doubt that Felix Jones is one of the most explosive backs in this league, but that really doesn't mean much if you can't consistently help your team get yards on the ground. He's good enough that opposing defenses definitely have to account for him on every play, but he's not the guy who strikes fear into opposing defenses. They know that they can leave six men in the box and can still survive the encounter.

That's not to say that Felix Jones is a bad player by any means, but people who believe that he is a capable feature back in the NFL think too highly of him. While he is a good option out of the backfield- his receiving skills are huge- pure runners are the only running backs with legit value in the league today with all the passing going on. Jones has value, but he obviously doesn't command the respect that a guy like Jonathan Stewart does.

For as elusive as he is, Felix Jones won't be a star back in my eyes until he can consistently churn out results. For now, he is a good back who is an excellent number two running back for a team who needs that extra dimension. The Cowboys need to find more of workhouse back so that Jones can be a more effective player.

Explosive, but not a star back

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL Player Profiles, Felix Jones, Tony Romo, Jonathan Stewart

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8/2011 Team Scope: Carolina Panthers

August 13th 2011 18:34

Going into free agency, the Panthers had a ton of key players that they had to re-signed. To say their free agency period was a success would be an understatement. They were able to re-sign two very good linebackers in James Anderson and Thomas Davis, they re-signed Charles Johnson who was the second best end in the league last year, and they kept DeAngelo Williams- even though they paid too much for him.

You can tell that Jerry Richardson was gearing up for this though. He never signed anybody the past couple of years, and he was the most vocal about a new CBA that would "help out" the owners. Most coaches' contracts and player contracts were set to expire this year. This was all in Richardson's grand plan.

The Panthers have a very good roster in terms of overall talent, but their season rides on the shoulders of their number one pick. They were terrible last year with the worst starting QB in the league under center. Derek Anderson's one great year was under current offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski while with the Browns. I have no idea why the second worst starting quarterback last year was brought in. He's not a mentor, and he sucks.

Cam Newton is actually by far the best signal-caller on this roster, and that really has more to do with the ineptitude of the other guys. I think Newton is going to be subpar in his rookie year, but he'll do enough to keep the Panthers around .500 (think 7-9).

But Newton has the best running game in the league to back him up. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are two of the best backs around, and Mike Goodson is a very good all-around option. Tyrell Sutton is an underrated player buried on the back of the depth chart. The offensive line is also very good, as the Panthers have perennial All-Pros in Ryan Kalil and Jordan Gross. Travelle Wharton is seriously underrated and is one of the best guards in the league in pass protection.

However, the receivers are mediocre at best. With David Gettis sidelined for the rest of the year with an injury that Thomas Davis is all too familiar with, the Panthers really only have two playable receivers. Steve Smith is still among the best in the league, and Brandon LaFell has a ton of potential. But LaFell isn't a number two receiver at all, but he is a big guy in the red zone.

What helps Newton out the most is the two tight ends that Carolina recently acquired. Jeremy Shockey isn't what he used to be, obviously, but he is still a solid number two TE and can play some in the red zone. Greg Olsen is one of the best pure pass-catchers at his position, and he was not properly used by Mike Martz in Chicago. He's going to breakout this year, and Newton is definitely going to be looking for him a lot. But make no mistake, Smith is going to be heavily targeted this year, which means he will finally have the stats to show his skills. All he needs is somebody who isn't "beyond stink".

Defensively, Carolina has a stacked core of linebackers. Jon Beason is one of the best LBs in the game, and will have him blitzing more than he ever has in his life. Davis should be healthy and ready to contribute, and James Anderson emerged as an important playmaker on defense. Dan Connor is extremely underrated, and he is one of the best linebackers in the league against the run. It was a shame that his season was cut in half last year, and he should be back to full strength this year. Connor will be ready to make a name for himself.

The corners are very thin after the departure of Richard Marshall. Chris Gamble is still okay, but he has vastly declined recently. Captain Munnerlyn is crazy fast, and he's a solid number two corner. Brandon Hogan was an interesting pick, and I think he'll end up being a solid contributor on defense. Charles Godfrey was in the same great draft haul that yielded Stewart, Jeff Otah, and Connor, and he's a ball-hawk who can make plays. The other safety, Sherrod Martin, is a solid player; there's really nothing special about him.

The entire philosophy has changed in Carolina. They have gone from the ball-control offense employed by John Fox and , to an offensive attack that is more about taking risks. The same can be said for the defense with Sean McDermott at coordinator; expect a whole lot of blitzing. The Panthers are going to be solid defensively, but the offense is directly affected by Cam Newton. All he has to do is play average football out there, and the Panthers will hit .500.

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New Running Back Stat 2010 Full Rankings

August 11th 2011 13:38

To qualify a running back must have at least 100 carries. Thanks guys for your feedback, and feel free to comment and criticize. Do you think I should give an extra bonus to the guys with more carries? It seems as if the players in the 100-199 range have the advantage, but this is- after all- and efficiency stat. (The groupings should not be interpreted as tiers, as they are only used to make it look less messy)

1. Jamaal Charles 70
2. Brandon Jacobs 65.8
3. Darren McFadden 59.6
4. LeSean McCoy 59.3
5. Chris Ivory 58.8
6. Arian Foster 58.3
7. LeGarrette Blount 58.2
8. Adrian Peterson 57.2
9. Tim Hightower 55.4
10. BenJarvus Green-Ellis 54.5

11. Chris Johnson 53.7
12. Peyton Hillis 53
13. Ahmad Bradshaw 52.8
14. Matt Forte 52.6
15. Ryan Torain 52.1
16. Justin Forsett 51.1
17. Michael Bush 51.0
18. Maurice Jones-Drew 50.6
19t. Michael Turner 50.4
19t. Rashard Mendenhall 50.4
20. Ryan Mathews 50.3

21. Joseph Addai 50
22. Knowshon Moreno 49.9
23. Fred Jackson 49.6
24. Mike Goodson 49.5
25. Mike Tolbert 49.2
26. Steven Jackson 48.7
27. Ray Rice 48.2
28. Jonathan Stewart 47.6
29. LaDainian Tomlinson 47.5
30. Ricky Williams 46.8

31. Felix Jones 46.6
32. Frank Gore 46.5
33. Donald Brown 45.1
34. Shonn Greene 44.5
35. Marshawn Lynch 44.4
36. Ronnie Brown 43.6
37. Thomas Jones 43.3
38. Willis McGahee 43.1
39. Brandon Jackson 42.6
40. Carnell Williams 41.3
41. Cedric Benson 41.2
42. Beanie Wells 39.8
43t. Jahvid Best 39.3
43t. Marion Barber 39.3
44. Chester Taylor 31