The Running Backs

[painekiller]

I think most of us agree that the team needs to add another RB or two to keep Steve Slaton from becoming DD. When that guy is taken and who is the question.

Here is a list of the RBs on the radar as rated by the huddlereport.com. I have added the loosely projected round in red for each guy

*Knowshon Moreno 5-11 208 4.4 Georgia 1
*Chris Wells 6-1 237 4.5 Ohio St 1
*LeSean McCoy 5-11 210 4.4 Pittsburgh 1
*Donald Brown 5-10 210 4.4 Connecticut 2
*Shonn Greene 5-11 235 4.5 Iowa 2
Javon Ringer 5-9 205 4.5 Michigan St 3
Rashad Jennings 6-1 232 4.5 Liberty 3
James Davis 5-11 210 4.4 Clemson 3
Devin Moore 5-9 190 4.3 Wyoming 4
Arian Foster 6-1 216 4.5 Tennessee 4
Jeremiah Johnson 5-9 208 4.5 Oregon 4
*Glen Coffee 6-1 204 4.5 Alabama5
Cedric Peerman 5-9 208 4.5 Virginia 5
Tyrell Sutton 5-8 205 4.5 Northwestern5
Andre Brown 6-0 228 4.6 North Carolina St 6
*PJ Hill 5-11 236 4.5 Wisconsin 6
Gartrell Johnson 5-10 225 4.6 Colorado St 7
Herb Donaldson 5-10 225 4.5 Western Illinois 7
Ian Johnson 5-11 198 4.5 Boise St 7
Keegan Herring 5-10 195 4.4 Arizona St
Kory Sheets 5-11 205 4.5 Purdue
Marlon Lucky 6-0 215 4.5 Nebraska
Brad Lester 5-11 192 4.5 Auburn

Jacoby Jones, 5-10, 230, Baylor (my add)
Chris Ogbonnaya, 6-0, 225, Texas (my add)
Mike Goodson ~ Texas A&M University (I added but do not want)
Tyler Roehl North Dakota State 5' 10" 232lbs 4.52 -40 (added by Roy)



The round drafted is pre all star games, so use them a guide, some guys have risen and some will fall.

What RBs are missing that I should be tracking? Any hybrids we should be watching? FB/RB type Jorvorskie Lane has eaten his way off my list at the moment, losing some weight by the combine could put him back on my UDFA watch. Hester, from last year, was a FB that would be a hybrid.


I want the team to take at least two rookie RB into camp. I know most can not block but we need the legs.

Discuss the guys you do not like, and the guys that you love.

[da Bull]

I'm not sure you'll see a back drafted before the fifth unless it's one of the big backs who are quick, not necessarily fast but quick. With Moats, who I think will be back, you have a similar back to Slaton, is "a known", and can carry a portion of the load without complaint.

Obviously, you need camp backs but those may not be drafted. Even one of those might turn out to be fairly good, as a relative unknown would be coming to a system that does not necessarily cater to all big named candidates. Also, the system has proven to be potent, especially for someone overlooked due to school size or physical measurables.

[Roy P]

Originally Posted by painekiller

Any hybrids we should be watching?

I want the team to take at least two rookie RB into camp. I know most can not block but we need the legs.

Discuss the guys you do not like, and the guys that you love.

FB Tyler Roehl North Dakota State 5' 10" 232lbs 4.52 -40
6.16 ypc (171 attempts/1,053 yards)
As a FB he's pretty good blocking and didn't start really running the ball until his Junior year (207 attempts/1,431 yards). He was also good for 20+ catches a season.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Roy P

FB Tyler Roehl North Dakota State 5' 10" 232lbs 4.52 -40
6.16 ypc (171 attempts/1,053 yards)
As a FB he's pretty good blocking and didn't start really running the ball until his Junior year (207 attempts/1,431 yards). He was also good for 20+ catches a season.

Nice I added him to the list.

[Bigtinylittle]

Originally Posted by da Bull

I'm not sure you'll see a back drafted before the fifth unless it's one of the big backs who are quick, not necessarily fast but quick. With Moats, who I think will be back, you have a similar back to Slaton, is "a known", and can carry a portion of the load without complaint.

Obviously, you need camp backs but those may not be drafted. Even one of those might turn out to be fairly good, as a relative unknown would be coming to a system that does not necessarily cater to all big named candidates. Also, the system has proven to be potent, especially for someone overlooked due to school size or physical measurables.

I really can't see us taking any other offensive position before we take a back. My reasoning is that there is no other offensive position where we could expect a rookie to come in and immediately get playing time. I guess it's possible we could replace our current RG or C with an early rounder, but I see RB as a much more likely possibility because I think it would be foolhardy to assume we can go with just one established running back. Moats is OK in a pinch, but he is definately a cut below an NFL starting back. Drafting a second RB to compliment Slaton is almost a given, barring a free agent pickup. I could see us picking one up anywhere from round one to round four.

One thing that complicates the situation a bit is Chris Brown. If he were to stay healthy he would be almost exactly what we need. I know a lot of fans have completely disregarded that happening, but I don't think Kubiak has. Otherwise he would have made an injury settlement with Brown.

[painekiller]

Originally Posted by Bigtinylittle

Otherwise he would have made an injury settlement with Brown.

My understanding was the Texans tried to settle with Brown and he refused it. Thus he got full pay but on the IR.

[Bigtinylittle]

I guess I shouldn't have assumed he would turn it down. Now that I look at it more closely, that makes sense from his perspective. I forgot that he is signed through 2009. If he refused a settlement, they had to pay him all his 2008 money plus he gets his 700 thousand bonus for 2009.

Now I'm wondering what is going to happen to him. Do they still want him? If not, when can they cut him? If he is still injured they don't have to pay him his full salary for 2009 unless he is on the roster after the final cuts. Right?

[TrickyTexan]

thats a nice list of backs.. marion lucky and coffee are some of the hardest runners i saw in college football last year. would like it if he brought in 2 from this list (one via draft, one UDFA) to compete for a spot.

[NBT]

We need a big comlementary back to Slaton. A big banger with some speed and elusiveness.

[TexanJedi]

Combine Invitees (according to PFT):
Kahlil Bell, UCLA
Andre Brown, N.C. State
Donald Brown, Connecticut
Glen Coffee, Alabama
James Davis, Clemson
Arian Foster, Tennessee
Mike Goodson, Texas A&M
Shonn Greene, Iowa
P.J. Hill, Wisconsin
Rashad Jennings, Liberty
Gartrell Johnson, Colorado State
Ian Johnson, Boise State
Jeremiah Johnson, Oregon
Anthony Kimble, Stanford
Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
Knowshown Moreno, Georgia
Chris Ogbonnaya, Texas
Branden Ore, West Liberty State
Cedric Peerman, Virginia
Javon Ringer, Michigan State
Bernard Scott, Abilene Christian
Kory Sheets, Purdue
Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern
Javarris Williams, Tennessee State
Chris Wells, Ohio State