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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8/2011 Team Scope: Washington Redskins

August 14th 2011 16:22

Let me say this right off the bat: John Beck is completely unfit to start in this league. Rex Grossman, on the other hand, is actually a startable player. Ideally, you don't want him to have to be "the guy", but Grossman is one of the league's better backups. I think he's going to be the starter when week 1 rolls around, and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has a strange affinity for Grossman.

I don't have high hopes for the 'Skins offensively at all. Santana Moss is a very good wideout, but the players around him don't necessary ease off that much pressure. Anthony Armstrong, Leonard Hankerson, Donte Stallworth, and Jabar Gaffney are all mediocre to subpar receivers. Chris Cooley is overrated right now, and he's taking too many targets away from the guy who is actually the best tight end on the roster; Fred Davis.

The Redskins will and should run a lot of 2 TE sets. I only see two decent players on their offensive line, and both of those guys were signed as free agents. Sean Locklear will be Trent Williams's backup, but he could spell him if Williams keeps on playing this poorly in pass protection. I doubt that happens, but Locklear could still beat out Jammal Brown at right tackle. Although Locklear is a very good pass blocker, his run blocking is so bad that it makes him only "pretty good". Chris Chester is a slightly above average guard, and you know what you're going to get out of him.

As far as the running game goes, the 'Skins have six backs who can get carries. Tim Hightower can be a feature back if he cuts down on his huge fumble problems, Ryan Torain is as solid as you can get at the position, Keiland Williams can make plays a pass-catcher, James Davis looks like the odd man out despite not having as much of a chance as the others, Roy Helu is a solid all-around back who can make an impact as a rookie and fits the system well, and Evan Royster is one of my favorite rookies. I'm a big Penn State fan, and he was certainly great in college. I think he can make the transition to the NFL and be a solid back. Royster is efficient, can catch, and will be a good change-of-pace back. Nearly every scout calls him an efficient runner.

The defensive line was revamped, and the unnamed disgruntle star has been traded away. The 'Skins have replaced him with Barry Cofield; a solid defensive tackle who has a high motor and plays the run very well. He's definitely not an explosive player and is Bizzaro Albert. Stephen Bowen was huge for the Cowboys last year, and the 'Skins did well to sign him away from their rivals. I can't wait to see who wins the battle between Bowen and Doug Free. Adam Carriker is another underrated end, and he is a very hard-worker who can dominate against the run. He's a poor pass rusher, but that's why they have Kerrigan and Orakpo.

Speaking of which, Brian Orakpo is now considered a "veteran leader" in only his third season. That says a lot about the roster turnover in Washington from year to year. He and rookie Ryan Kerrigan are two impact pass rushers who will wreak havoc on opposing backfields. London Fletcher is London Fletcher, there's really no way to describe how influential he is, and Rocky McIntosh is a solid linebacker who makes tackles. Backup outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander is underrated and can make plays in run D. The 'Skins have a good group of linebackers, and they are the strength of this team.

Josh Wilson has to be the Redskins' best signing of the offseason. He's a shutdown corner who definitely deserves some more props. He's better than the overrated DeAngelo Hall who is a gambler. But besides those two, there are no other corners that you can at least call "average". Phillip Buchanon? Really?

LaRon Landry and O.J. Atogwe are impact safeties, and they are going to be a dynamic tandem. Landry will make plays in the box, and Atogwe will use his tremendous ball skills to play up top. Reed Doughty is a good backup who is smart and a sound tackler, but he really isn't skilled and can get beat easily in coverage. He's a useful player who can start when called upon, but Doughty does have his weaknesses.

The Redskins were uncharacteristically good this offseason. They didn't throw money around on overpriced commodities, and they spent that money on players who can come in and produce. I really like them defensively, but they are a 6-10 team because their offense is going to be terrible. Let's face it, without a competent offense you can't go very far in today's game.

Uh, really guys? You want to start him? You're better off starting Beck Hansen.

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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