Quote of the Day | July 31, 2008: The Dream We No Longer Admit

Joan Didion's 1968 Slouching Towards Bethlehem again on Howard Hughes and America:

A long time ago, Lionel Trilling pointed out what he called "the fatal separation" between "the ideas of our educated liberal class and the deep places of the imagination."

"I mean only," he wrote, "that our educated class has a ready if mild suspiciousness of the profit motive, a belief in progress, science, social legislation, planning and international cooperation. . . . Those beliefs do great credit to those who old them. Yet it is a comment, if not on our beliefs then on our way of holding them, that not a single first-rate writer has emerged to deal with these ideas, and the emotions that are consonant with them, in a great literary way."

Officially we admire men who exemplify those ideas. We admire the Adlai Stevenson character, the rational man, the enlightened man, the man not dependant upon the potentially psychopathic mode of action. Among rich men, we officially admire Paul Mellon, a socially responsible inheritor in the European mold. There has always been the divergence between our official and our unofficial heroes. It is impossible to think of Howard Hughes without seeing the apparently bottomless gulf between what we say we want and what we do want, between what we officially admire and secretly desire, between, in the largest sense, the people we marry and the people we love. In a nation which increasingly appears to prize social virtues, Howard Hughes remains not merely antisocial but grandly, brilliantly, surpassingly, asocial. He is the last private man, the dream we no longer admit.

Tags: Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem

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Quote of the Day | July 30, 2008: In Case You Want a Sandwich

From Joan Didion's 1968 Slouching Towards Bethlehem:

By July of 1967 Howard Hughes is the largest single landholder in Clark County, Nevada. "Howard likes Las Vagas," an acquaintance of Hughes' once explained, "because he likes to be able to find a restaurant open in case he wants a sandwich."

Why do we like those stories so? Why do we tell them over and over? Why have we made a folk hero of a man who is the antithesis of all our official heroes, a haunted millionaire out of the West, trailing a legend of desperation and power and white sneakers? But then we have always done that. Our favorite people and our favorite stories become so not by any inherent virtue, but because they illustrate something deep in the grain, something unadmitted.

Shoeless Joe Jackson, Warren Gamaliel Harding, the Titanic: how the mighty are fallen. Charles Lindbergh, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe: the beautiful and damned. And Howard Hughes. That we have made a hero of Howard Hughes tells us something interesting about ourselves, something only dimly remembered, tells us that the secret point of money and power in America is neither the things that money can buy nor power for power's sake (Americans are uneasy with their possessions, guilty about power, all of which is difficult for Europeans to perceive because they are themselves so truly materialistic, so versed in the uses of power), but absolute personal freedom, mobility, privacy. It is the instinct which drove America to the Pacific, all through the nineteenth century, the desire to be able to find a restaurant open in case you want a sandwich, to be a free agent, live by one's own rules.

Tags: Joan Didion, Slouching Toward Bethlehem

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You Think It's Time to Sell High on T.O.? PacMan Disagrees.

I've been writing for some time that T.O. is a "hold" for dynasty league contenders (and a very deliberate "sell" for non-contenders). He's such a uniquely conditioned athlete that the Age-35 barrier isn't as much of a concern. In the meantime, he's a weekly advantage over almost every other team in your fantasy league.

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Brandon Marshall's "Rap Sheet"

Cartoon by Drew Litton of the Rocky Mountain News

Partially in response to a comment that was left in the Wide Receiver rankings last night, I decided to try to get a more firm grasp of Brandon Marshall's history. I've dropped him fairly significantly in the rankings over the past couple of weeks not only because of his looming suspension but also because new shit has come to light (nod to Lebowski), and it's obvious that we're dealing with an individual of high knucklehead potential a/k/a an idiot.

Much of this info is coming from Wikipedia (with backup sources) and Rotoworld.com . . . chronologically:

10/31/04: "While a student at UCF, Marshall was arrested in Orlando on charges of assault on a law enforcement officer, refusal to obey, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer."

1/1/07: "Marshall was present at "The Shelter," a downtown Denver nightclub, along with teammates Javon Walker and Darrent Williams. As the players were leaving the club, Williams was fatally shot in the neck by an unknown assailant. Walker has stated in interviews that the shooter was likely a nightclub patron whose motive was retaliation after being involved in an altercation with Marshall's cousin earlier that night."

3/26/07: "Marshall was arrested in the Highlands Ranch suburb of Denver on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend reported that following a domestic dispute, Marshall prevented a taxi she was in from leaving his house. Charges from the incident were later dismissed on May 25, 2007, after Marshall completed anger management counseling."

5/25/07: "A false imprisonment charge against Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall stemming from a domestic dispute was dismissed Friday."

10/22/07: "Marshall was arrested in the Denver Metro area at the intersection of 14th and Blake St. for driving under the influence of alcohol. Marshall may even be suspended at least one or two games if he is convicted. His DUI trial is set for September 16. The Broncos open their 2008 season on September 8 and play Week 2 on September 14."

3/6/08: "Brandon Marshall was reportedly arrested on March 6 on a misdemeanor battery charge in Atlanta. No charges have been filed. The team and league were reportedly aware of the incident, but it's uncertain for how long. Since this is Marshall's third arrest and second involving domestic violence, he is at great risk of being suspended. Marshall's lawyer calls the situation a 'shakedown' although Marshall reportedly left his former girlfriend with 'visible marks above the eye and a laceration on her top and bottom lip.' Marshall was expected to be ready for training camp after March surgery to repair nerve damage in his arm."

6/12/08: "Marshall was ticketed by Denver police for more traffic violations. He was pulled over for an illegal lane change, then found to be without his license and proof of insurance."

6/25/08: Denver Post and ESPN.com report that "the Broncos' receiver was arrested in March after an alleged domestic dispute. It was Marshall's third arrest in less than 12 months. The first arrest, also a domestic charge, was dismissed."

7/28/08: "According to an article published in the Rocky Mountain News, Douglas Country deputies have fielded 'about 11' calls to Marshall's home since January, 2006. However, the article states that one one call resulted in Marshall being arrested, and some did not involve Marshall at all."

7/28/08: Rotoworld runs a blurb from Complete Colorado.com stating the following:

CompleteColorado.com reports that three individuals were granted restraining orders against Brandon Marshall for stalking.

Busy offseason. CompleteColorado.com also details six instances in which the police were dispatched to Marshall's home, dating back to February of last year. A police report was only filed once. Marshall met with Roger Goodell a couple of weeks ago, and is awaiting word on the length of a possible suspension.

After checking out CompleteColorado.com, I realize it's basically a tabloid site and the info is misleading at best. The three individuals involved in the restraining order came from the same report. The six instances of police dispatch did not all relate directly to Marshall himself, but it does seem like a couple of them do even though "the Broncos player" involved isn't specifically named. My sense is the original report is overblown, but there's definitely a pattern of behavior here . . . and where there's smoke, there's fire.

Non-legal issues:

8/10/07: Broncos coach Mike Shanahan "ordered wide receiver Brandon Marshall on Friday to practice for the first time since pulling his left quadriceps at a minicamp a month ago."

10/7/07: Marshall rips fans for booing, leaving early.

12/20/07: The first time Cutler chides Marshall after "a brief shouting match between Marshall and receivers coach Jeremy Bates during a Monday meeting." However, "Marshall denied a report that in the argument he asked to be waived."

3/22/08: Marshall puts his arm through a TV, needs arm surgery and four months of rehab . . . claims he was hurt slipping on a McDonalds wrapper. Later, Marshall reverses course and claims he was wrestling with his brother (truth?).

3/27/08: Brandon Marshall, who has been plagued by off-the-field issues since entering the NFL, has declared that it's time for him to 'grow up.' 'From here on out, it's Brandon Marshall, clean-cut guy. Just trying to get my life together as far as accidents and DUIs,' Marshall said."

4/1/08: Broncos QB Jay Cutler scolds Marshall for a second time in five months.

6/26/08: Marshall's former girlfriend tells him she is going to "ruin him."

6/26/08: "According to the Atlanta PD incident report, Brandon Marshall's hand "had been cut on glass during the fight" before his March 6 arrest for battery. A team spokesman says Marshall told the Broncos about this incident and it is unrelated to the severe arm injury he suffered on March 22. Marshall claims his girlfriend's two sisters attacked him on March 4. "The incident he is recovering from happened several weeks later in Florida," the Broncos' spokesman said."

7/24/08: NFL Network's Adam Schefter (with almost impeccable Denver connections) believes that Brandon Marshall is in danger of a four- to eight-game suspension.

7/24/08: Brandon Marshall met with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell at Goodell's office in New York for 2 1/2 hours last Friday.

7/25/08: Brandon Marshall appeared out of shape at Broncos practice Friday, having to take a knee after nearly every other route he ran.

Now, does that curriculum vitae read like someone you want to rely on as a long-term investment in dynasty leagues? I know I won't be pursuing him any time soon. In my mind, his off the field behavior absolutely deflates his value. I mean, say what you want about him being "Baby T.O.," but at least the original item kept his name out of the police blotter. I wouldn't want to get stuck holding the bag when Marshall does something drastic enough to cause even more value to fly out the window. As such, I've dropped him in the rankings yet again after doing all of this research.

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Quote of the Day | July 29, 2008: Chicago, 1968

From Hunter S. Thompson's 2003 Kingdom of Fear:

And it was not until several days or even weeks later that I understood that those cops had actually planned to have me beaten. Not me, personally, but Me as a member of "The Enemy," that crowd of "outside agitators" made up of people who had come Chicago on some mission that the cops couldn't grasp except in fear and hatred.

This is what caused me to tremble when I finally sat down behind the locked & chained door of my hotel room. It was not a fear of being beaten or jailed, but the slow-rising shock of suddenly understanding that it was no longer a matter of Explaining my Position. These bastards knew my position, and they wanted to beat me anyway. They didn't give a fuck if the Democratic National Committee had issued me special press credentials; it made no difference to them that I'd come to Chicago as a paying guest -- at viciously inflated rates -- with no intention of causing the slightest kind of trouble for anybody.

That was the point. My very innocence made me guilty -- or at least a potential troublemaker in the eyes of the rotten sold-out scumbags who were running that Convention: Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago, Lyndon Baines Johnson, then President of the United States. These pigs didn't care what was Right. All they knew was what they wanted, and they were powerful enough to break anybody who even thought about getting in their way.

Right here, before I forget, I want to make what I think is a critical point about the whole protest action of the 1960s. It seems to me that the underlying assumption of any public protest -- any public disagreement with the government, "the system," or "the establishment," by any name -- is that the men in charge of whatever you're protesting against are actually listening, whether they later admit it or not, and that if you run your protest Right, it will likely make a difference. Norman Mailer made this point a long time ago when he said that the election of JFK gave him a sense, for the first time in his life, that he could actually communicate with the White House. Even with people like Johnson and Mac Bundy -- or even Pat Brown or Bull Connor -- the unspoken rationale behind all those heavy public protests was that our noise was getting through and that somebody in power was listening and hearing and at least weighing our protest against their own political realities . . . even if these people refused to talk to us. So in the end the very act of public protest, even violent protest, was essentially optimistic and actually a demonstration of faith (mainly subconscious, I think) in the father figures who had the power to cange things -- once they could be made to see the light of reason, or even political reality.

This is what the bastards never understood -- that the "Movement" was essentially an expression of deep faith in the American Dream: that the people they were "fighting" were not the cruel and cynical beasts they seemed to be, and that in fact they were just a bunch of men like everybody's crusty middle-class fathers who only needed to be shaken a bit, jolted out of their bad habits and away from their lazy, short-term, profit-oriented life stances . . . and that once they understood, they would surely do the right thing.

A Willingness to Argue, however violently, implies a faith of some basic kind in the antagonist, an assumption that he is still open to argument and reason and, if all else fails, then finely orcestrated persuasion in the form of political embarrassment. The 1960s were full of examples of good, powerful men changing their minds on heavy issues: John Kennedy on Cuba and the Bay of Pigs, Martin Luther King Jr. on Vietnam, Gene McCarthy on "working behind the scenes and within the Senate Club," Robert F. Kennedy on grass and long hair and what eventually came to be Freak Power, Ted Kennedy on Francis X. Morrissey, and Senator Sam Ervin on wiretaps and preventative detention.

Anyway, the general political drift of the 1960s was one of the Good Guys winning, slowly but surely (and even clumsily sometimes), over the Bad Guys . . . and the highest example of this was Johnson's incredible abdication on April Fool's Day of 1968. So nobody was ready for what began to happen that summer: first in Chicago, when Johnson ran his Convention like a replay of the Reichstag fire . . . and then with Agnew and Nixon and Mitchell coming into power so full of congenital hostility and so completely deaf to everything we'd been talking about for ten years that it took a while to realize that there was simply no point in yelling at the fuckers. They were born deaf and stupid.

This was the lesson of Chicago -- or at least that's what I learned from Chicago.

Tags: Hunter S. Thompson, Kingdom of Fear, Sixties, 60s

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Quote of the Day | July 28, 2008: One of the Great Paradoxes of History

Jacques Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence, 2000:

They compiled chronicles, a day-by-day recital of events, into which might be interwoven hearsay about previous or remote incidents. These works are valuable for their firsthand factual reports, but in these and other types of medieval literature the unhistorical mind is betrayed by the authors' failure to perceive differences of time and place: under Providence life has been the same as we see it to be; the past is uniform with the present. What interests the medieval writer is the details of visions and miracles, of sin and repentance, which explain events and individual lives. Medieval biography follows like a moralistic and theological interpretation of earthly doings, the lives of the saints being rich in lessons and miracles. . . .

And yet it is a fact, a stupendous fact, that a whole literature has come down to us from the ancient world thanks to the tireless activity of the medieval scribes. They copied and recopied the texts, apparently without noticing Difference in what that literature portrayed. This is one of the great paradoxes of history. For if we suppose that this blindness came from contempt for pagan society, why spend time preserving its records? Enough minds must have been in some way captivated if certain parts of Cicero or Tacitus were among those that the delegated Brother read aloud at meals. And then, for lack of cultural context (so to speak), that interest had no sequel. In any event, the modern world must remain grateful to the medieval copyist for copying, not only the local chronicler's exciting pages but also the scattered remnants of the previous civilization.

Tags: Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence, History

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Quote of the Day | July 27, 2008: The Arts

From Jacques Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present.

As for the arts curriculum, its meaning also differed from what we know under the name. Art meant know-how, techne, as in our "mechanical arts." The "liberal" ones were for free men and prerequisite to teaching, to serving the government, or simply to leading the life of the mind. There was a growing body of "intellectuals" who were not in the church or the professions. The arts they studied were seven -- four and three: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music; grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Bachelor, master, and doctor expressed the degree of qualification attained. In the separate grouping of subjects the primacy of science is already evident. From the mix came the modern notion, now in decline, that the liberal arts provide any future leader in civilian life or government with what his duties will require. After changing some of the contents to keep up-to-date. England as nation and empire thrived for a century and a half on that understanding.

Tags: Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence

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Will Ohman's Harry Caray Impression

Will Ohman vs. Will Ferrell

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

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Pats Add LaMont Jordan to Running Back Mix

I had the Rotoworld news shift earlier today, and here was my take on the LaMont Jordan signing:

NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports the Patriots have signed RB LaMont Jordan, a day after he was released by the Raiders.

Jordan also considered New Orleans, but the Pats swooped in on another cheap, serviceable vet. This may say as much about the club's confidence in Sammy Morris' health as it does about Laurence Maroney. However, it's been clear for some time that Maroney's usage patterns were simply not reliable enough for fantasy leaguers, and Jordan's signing adds further concern. Maroney will remain the starter, but Jordan could play a significant enough role to hamper Maroney's consistency and overall production.

. . .

The Patriots are hosting free agent RB LaMont Jordan on a visit at Gillette Stadium Saturday.

Well that didn't take long. Laurence Maroney owners are a tough lot, but the constant running back flirtations have to be getting wearisome. It may say more about the Pats depth than it does about Maroney, but Jordan would still likely dent the starter's value if signed. With Deuce McAllister's knee flaring up, Jordan may visit New Orleans as well.

Boston Globe beat writer Mike Reiss offered some analysis with the assistance of former NFL front office man Mike Lombardi:

The Patriots signed free-agent RB LaMont Jordan today, bolstering what was already a strong area on the roster.

How might Jordan fit into the mix?

I just exchanged emails with Mike Lombardi, who while working for the Raiders signed Jordan as a free agent in 2005. This is what Lombardi -- whose blog often contains similar insights -- had to say about Jordan: "He is very talented and has speed and power. He has great hands and can run over or around tackles. He just needs to be focused and in shape which won't be hard for Bill [Belichick] to handle."

At 5-foot-10, 230 pounds, Jordan does appear to have the type of versatility the Patriots often seek. The question is where he fits on a stocked depth chart headlined by Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Heath Evans.

The Patriots kept four running backs out of training camp last year. Perhaps they'll keep five this season.

Morris is coming back from a chest injury that limited him to six games last season, so perhaps Jordan is insurance in that regard. He also potentially could fill in for Faulk in a third-down role.

I wouldn't want to be a Laurence Maroney owner right now. His value is simply too precarious. I've heard insider-type rumors over the past year that the team's brass doesn't think he's tough enough to hold up physically to a full load in addition to their frustration about him dancing behind the line instead of hitting the hole directly.

Regardless of Jordan's ultimate role on the team, I've been saying for quite some time that I simply don't trust Maroney to be used consistently in the Pats offense. We're talking about a prospective fantasy starter who racked up a whopping four receptions last season! Jordan's signing just adds more confusion to a usage pattern that was already tough to get a handle on.

If you're a true Maroney believer, I'm certainly not going to sway you. But for those non-Maroney owners out there, I'd advise letting someone else deal with that headache.

. . .

Sunday, July 27 update from Footballguys.com's resident Patriots expert David Yudkin:

From what I can tell, here is what I have seen and pieced together.

Even though he appears healthy, the Pats have some level of concern over Morris in recovering from his injury from last year. I certainly am no doctor, but his injury was pretty rare, and they are not sure what will happen once he gets to butting heads in live action. Yes, he feels better and says he's fine (which player ever says he's not if he expects to play and have a job). Yes, he's running and doing what is asked of him. But the Pats aren't taking any chances that one good hit could lay up Morris again.

I think BB likes having options. different schemes, and depth across the board, and this gives him anoher big body to work with. I also think BB in some ways liked the Dillon/Maroney tag team approach to running the football, as it kept both players a little fresher and the two backs combined for some impressive totals.

The Pats can win in the regular season without running Maroney into the ground, and this is likely another sign that the team is not going to give Maroney 300-350 carries. The last few years in the post season, they ran into problems when their running game stalled:

45 rushing yards and a 2.9 ypc against NYG in the SB
51 rushing yards and a 2.4 ypc against SD in 06
93 rushing yards and a 3.9 ypc against IND in 06
78 rushing yards and a 3.8 ypc against DEN in 05

I have been resolute in suggesting that NE has figured out that they don't need to kill themselves or their players to make the post season, so what they do is more a chess game to have their team as best prepared for the post season. I think we will again see NE pass early and often in the first half to gain the lead and run more to kill the clock late in the game if they have a decent lead. What's interesting is that I think Maroney will be the one that gets the ball through 3/4s of the game, but the other guys will get the carries in mop up duty.

I still see Maroney getting 15-18 carries when he plays on average, little in the receiving department, and a smattering of TD when he gets them but not a huge total. If he misses a game or two and they try to keep him fresh, I only see him maxing out at about 250 carries with very few receptions. IIRC, Faulk played more downs than Maroney did last year.

I don't personally think Jordan's signing would lower my expectations for Maroney all that much . . . but my expectations were lower than many people's to begin with.

I doubt anyone I know would have much insight yet as to what this all means, but I'll check in and see what's what after we see what happens in a bit of training camp.

If I had to guess without putting a ton of thought into it . . .

Maroney 210-220
Morris 100
Jordan 80
Faulk 40
Brady 30
Eckel 30

I think the interesting thing will be what happens if everyone is healthy for 16 games.

The Pats will probably pass less in the second half than they did last year (especially early on), but I still think the offense has migrated to a pass first philosophy with running the plan for late in the game.

The Pats overall have not shown a predilection to give Maroney the ball a ton, and I don't see that changing. He's had 20 carries 4 times in 31 career games (regular and post-season). I suspect he benefited from Morris' injury and no other great option available late in the year last year. Jordan gives them another option and more depth, but I doubt they would have explored more RBs if they really were intent on making Maroney a bell cow for carries.

From what I have heard, the Pats still plan on having a variety of sets and packages . . . some that have Maroney and many that don't . . . that they will roll out based on game sitations and opponent. I am not hearing that Maroney is getting added in to those packages.

Maybe BB will give Maroney the ball a lot more and likes what he sees, potentially giving Maroney a much bigger workload. But I still would wonder why he would do that. The team needs a ground game in the post season to win, generally not in the regular season.

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Quarterback Rankings: July 26, 2008

*Note: I'm testing to see whether this format looks better with the numbering sequence changed back to normal and the name, age, and value score all on the first line. It looks like it takes up significantly more space, but I think it has a better and easier to read appearance. Feedback is encouraged. If you think it looks much better or much worse, please comment or vote in the poll. Thanks.

QUARTERBACKS

TIER ONE

1. #Peyton Manning, IND | Age: 32.5 | Value Score: 100
With Clark re-signed and Gonzalez ready to step up if Marvin doesn't snap back, Manning's consistency trumps Brady's career year.

2. Tom Brady, NE | Age: 31.1 | Value Score: 99
Remains the NFL's best QB; Moss' return guarantees another great season, but Brady is not going to hit 50 TDs again.

3. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT | Age: 26.5 | Value Score: 95
Easily the 3rd best QB in the NFL and may bypass one of the Big Two in the next couple of years. And, yes, I said easily.

4. Tony Romo, DAL | Age: 28.4 | Value Score: 94
T.O.'s contract extension steadies value and maintains 30 TD expectations.

5. Drew Brees, NO | Age: 29.6 | Value Score: 93
Should be good for a consistent 4,000 yards and 25-30 TDs every year for the next few years; Shockey addition adds a nice red zone weapon and improves the overall explosiveness of the offense.

6. Carson Palmer, CIN | Age: 28.7 | Value Score: 90
Can he bounce all the way back from an extremely disappointing season? Chad is back after bickering with his QB, but Henry is gone and Housh could be on his way out in '09.

TIER TWO
7. Donovan McNabb, PHI | Age: 31.7 | Value Score: 82
I've seen guys like Eli Manning & Phil Rivers ranked ahead of him, in which case McNabb is the ideal buy low candidate for dynasty leaguers.

8. Jay Cutler, DEN | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 79
Impressive YPA & completion numbers bode very well for future; additions of Clady plus D-Jax and 2nd rounder Eddie Royal help to steady value. Marshall's offseason shenanigans and obvious high knucklehead potential are slightly worrisome.

TIER THREE

9. Vince Young, TEN | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 65
Deserved a better fate last season after seeing a freakish number of TDs called back due to penalty, drops by a lousy receiving crew, or poor route running/miscommunication. Still has plenty of upside and the possibility of a true break-out season if the light flips on with improved weaponry.

10. David Garrard, JAX | Age: 30.5 | Value Score: 64
A much better QB than commonly believed, but he's not likely to surpass last year's passing quality. If the running game slips from true dominance, does Garrard's production see an uptick from the increased attempts or do the passing lanes start to close with the defense no longer selling out against the run?

11. Matt Schaub, HOU | Age: 27.2 | Value Score: 63
He's going to have to stay healthy for all 16 games to shake the injury concerns, but there's a lot to like here. The YPA & completion percentage were very promising, so he just needs to find Johnson & Daniels in the end zone more often to take the next step to reliable #1 as opposed to an aspiring Bulger.

12. Eli Manning, NYG | Age: 27.6 | Value Score: 62
The 64,000 Question: Did the epiphany occur in the last 6 weeks, or was it simply the flip-side of an inconsistent QB hitting a hot streak? I believe the latter, and I can't see how even a true believer can feel comfortable relying on a streaky, inconsistent Eli as a QB1 going forward.

13. Derek Anderson, CLE | Age: 25.2 | Value Score: 61
A window to make his mark as the Browns' franchise QB with the addition of Stallworth as a #3 weapon behind Edwards & Winslow; slightly worrisome is that Anderson's 2009 bonus could essentially make his new contract a one-year deal if he doesn't play up to expectations. I was getting a Jake Delhomme vibe from last season, but I'm starting to also pick up on a Jeff Blake similarity. I worry about his stability.

14. Marc Bulger, STL | Age: 31.4 | Value Score: 60
Al Saunders and an improved O-Line could bring production back in line with career norms, but don't expect many TDs; deteriorating receiving crew is worrisome.

15. #Philip Rivers, SD | Age: 26.8 | Value Score: 56
Good news and bad news: The good news is that Rivers finally delivered consistently under pressure once the playoffs started. The bad news is that he showed flashes of David Carr happy feet and lack of arm strength during the season. Even worse, the ACL injury he suffered happened later in the season than Daunte Culpepper's, Carson Palmer's, and Donovan McNabb's . . . all of whom were much better QBs and struggled considerably in their first season back from injury. Why would we expect Rivers to do anything but disappoint in '08?

16. Matt Hasselbeck, SEA | Age: 33.0 | Value Score: 52
Who is he going to be throwing to this year? With the Seahawks making an effort to upgrade the running game, he can't count on abnormally high passing attempt numbers again; I'm staying far away from Hass this season.

17. Aaron Rodgers, GB | Age: 24.8 | Value Score: 50
Legit concern that he's been injury-prone in limited duty, but the pieces are already in place for him to succeed; just as importantly, he has both his coach and his GM glowing about his vast improvement over the past year. Brohm's addition means pressure on Rodgers to stay healthy and productive in his first season as starter.

18. Matt Leinart, ARI | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 50
High risk, high reward; after Warner's performance, there's going to be pressure to perform well right from the start. But if he does, he could easily see a 25 TD, 3700 yard season.

TIER FOUR

19. Jason Campbell, WAS | Age: 26.7 | Value Score: 40
It would be foolish not to count on an adjustment period to the West Coast Offense and a new coaching staff; I think we've all seen him look very poised at times and extremely underwhelming at other times, so it will be interesting to watch his growth throughout '08. Remember the Losman/Grossman Effect: young QBs don't always get better.

20. JaMarcus Russell, OAK | Age: 23.1 | Value Score: 36
Top of the line arm, perfect size, prodigious talent, but the footwork was an absolute mess and questions persist about his decision making; his career could go either way, and unfortunately, Oakland isn't exactly the ideal proving ground for a developing QB right now.

21. Brady Quinn, CLE | Age: 23.9 | Value Score: 32
Derek Anderson's $5M bonus before next season basically makes the 2-QB system a one year experiment. Quinn could definitely exploit an opening if Anderson doesn't show himself to be the Browns franchise QB in '08. The future is uncertain, but one of the two Browns QBs is likely to be starting elsewhere next season.

22. Matt Ryan, ATL | Age: 23.3 | Value Score: 32
Early signing could be an indication the team wants him to start early in the season, but he'll be doing it behind a woeful offensive line.

23. Trent Edwards, BUF | Age: 24.9 | Value Score: 30
Positive marks for poise, smarts, and an ability to lead an offense, but he needs to take a major step forward in playmaking and consistency; addition of rookie Hardy should help put the ball in the end zone more often.

24. Jake Delhomme, CAR | Age: 33.6 | Value Score: 30
Would make for the ideal throw-in on a larger deal if you believe he'll fully recover from Tommy John surgery; job security issues damage his long-term dynasty value, but he could recoup quite a bit of value in '08 with a more explosive offense featuring the always special Steve Smith plus the move to DeAngelo Williams at RB, and the additions of D.J. Hackett & Muhsin Muhammad.

25. Tarvaris Jackson, MIN | Age: 25.4 | Value Score: 26
If---big IF---Tarvaris can put it together, Berrian and a more experienced Sidney Rice offer
some intriguing potential. I just can't get over the fact that he's the exact opposite of what the current Vikings franchise needs in a QB.

TIER FIVE

26. Brett Favre, GB | Age: 38.9 | Value Score: 20
Looks like the probable Week 1 starter to me. If he plays in Green Bay, will it be for one more year or two?

27. Joe Flacco, BAL | Age: 23.7 | Value Score: 19

28. Jon Kitna, DET | Age: 36.0 | Value Score: 17
Still has a window on '08 value with playmakers Calvin Johnson & Roy Williams, but his margin for
error is razor-thin with Stanton waiting in the wings . . . and Kitna is never a strong bet to defeat his margin of error.

29. Kevin Kolb, PHI | Age: 24.0 | Value Score: 16
The new Matt Schaub? The new Aaron Rodgers? Either way, his value likely depends substantially on your league's roster size. He's a very nice stash as long as you realize he's a roster ornament for at least another year. Hope for one of the following: in-season injury to McNabb, a post-2008 McNabb trade, or Kolb becomes the new Schaub-like savior for a QB desperate franchise.

30. Chad Henne, MIA | Age: 23.2 | Value Score: 15

31. Alex Smith, SF | Age: 24.3 | Value Score: 14
Two of his three NFL seasons have produced historically bad performances. I don't think he beats Shaun Hill in a fair competition, but the 49ers have a lot invested here.

32. Kellen Clemens, NYJ | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 13
With a revamped O-Line and a more friendly running game, Clemens will be better able to get the ball to Coles, Cotchery, & Keller, but he's going to have to beat out Pennington first. Favre to Jets?

33. Drew Stanton, DET | Age: 24.4 | Value Score: 13
Jon Kitna will be on a much shorter leash, so expect Stanton to get a chance at some point in '08; if Calvin Johnson & Roy Williams remain in DET, Stanton makes for a very intriguing high upside pet project.

34. Brian Brohm, GB | Age: 22.9 | Value Score: 12

TIER SIX

35. Kurt Warner, ARI | Age: 37.3 | Value Score: 9
Time to start the handcuffing strategy with Arizona QBs? Simply put, he needs Leinart to fall on his face in the pre-season. Warner threw up valuable fantasy numbers the last 12 games of '07 and can do it again if given the opportunity.

36. Shaun Hill, SF | Age: 28.7 | Value Score: 9
More of a game-manager type than Martz' previous QBs, but he does offer athleticism, a quick release, and the ability to lead an offense. There's some upside here, and if he beats out Alex Smith for the starting job, the whole 49er offense should receive a boost in value.

37. J.P. Losman, BUF | Age: 27.5 | Value Score: 6
Free agent after 2008 season.

38. Troy Smith, BAL | Age: 24.2 | Value Score: 5
Not ready yet to help an offense put up consistent points, but he has shown impressive field general abilities. Still raw, but may get a shot to sink or swim with McNair retiring.

39. Matt Moore, CAR | Age: 24.1 | Value Score: 5
Looked decent in late season action . . . certainly better than any CAR backups of the past two seasons.

40. Josh Johnson, TB | Age: 22.4 | Value Score: 7

41. John David Booty, MIN | Age: 24.2 | Value Score: 4
Was seen as one of the most NFL-ready QBs in the draft and may get a chance earlier than expected if Tarvaris Jackson can't put it together.

42. Sage Rosenfels, HOU | Age: 30.5 | Value Score: 4
The Practically Perfect Backup QB hits the free agent market in 2010.

43. Colt Brennan, WAS | Age: 25.0 | Value Score: 4

44. Jeff Garcia, TB | Age: 38.5 | Value Score: 4
He's a better NFL than fantasy QB at this stage of his career and a poor bet at age 38 to stay as healthy and productive as last season.

TIER SEVEN

45. Chad Pennington, NYJ | Age: 32.2 | Value Score: 3
Winning the early battle with Clemens so far.

46. Brodie Croyle, KC | Age: 25.5 | Value Score: 3
If Grossman is odious, then Croyle is, of course, appallingly bad. The Chiefs are seriously deluded if he starts week one.

47. Tyler Thigpen, KC | Age: 24.4 | Value Score: 3
Second on the depth chart means he just needs Croyle to play like Croyle in order to get a shot.

48. Luke McCown, TB | Age: 27.2 | Value Score: 3
The better of the Passing McCown Brothers has flashed some interesting ability in small doses. Would have to beat out Griese to get on the field this season, but this McCown could conceivably have a future as a starter down the road.

49. J.T. O'Sullivan, SF | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 3
A legit chance to line up behind center in Week 1? The competition has been less than impressive.

50. Daunte Culpepper, UFA | Age: 31.6 | Value Score: 3
Can't find a job.

51. Rex Grossman, CHI | Age: 28.0 | Value Score: 3
Come on. He's simply odious. Before last season, I called him a "turnover prone, inconsistent, inaccurate headcase." I was feeling nice that day.

52. Kyle Orton, CHI | Age: 25.8 | Value Score: 3
Plucky. That's it. That's the list. OK, neckbeard. That's on the list too. Woe are the Bears.

53. John Beck, MIA | Age: 27.1 | Value Score: 3
Currently sandwiched between journeyman Josh McCown and Parcells/Sparano future starter Chad Henne.

TIER EIGHT

54. *Michael Vick, ATL | Age: 28.2 | Value Score: 2
How large is your roster?

55. Kevin O'Connell, NE | Age: 23.5 | Value Score: 2

56. Andre Woodson, NYG | Age: 24.4 | Value Score: 2

57. Dennis Dixon, PIT | Age: 23.7 | Value Score: 2

58. Seneca Wallace, SEA | Age: 28.1 | Value Score: 2
Could put up interesting fantasy numbers if ever given a shot at regular playing time

59. Chris Simms, TB | Age: 28.0 | Value Score: 2

60. Billy Volek, SD | Age: 32.4 | Value Score: 2
Fantasy leaguers keep insisting that he must be passing up better opportunities elsewhere; but what are the chances NFL GMs are as fond of his game as fantasy owners are?

61. Brian Griese, TB | Age: 33.5 | Value Score: 2
Will battle Luke McCown to see who starts once Garcia gets injured.

62. Byron Leftwich, UFA | Age: 28.6 | Value Score: 2

63. Josh McCown, MIA | Age: 29.2 | Value Score: 2

TIER NINE

64. Chris Redman, ATL | Age: 31.2 | Value Score: 1
Upside is band-aid for a year, but Ryan's quick signing could signal the team's willingness to throw him into the fire right from the get-go.

65. Damon Huard, KC | Age: 35.2 | Value Score: 1
He's no great shakes, but he's a hell of a lot better than Brodie Croyle; with the Chiefs far from contending mode, Huard is stuck in No Man's Land.

66. Kyle Boller, BAL | Age: 27.3 | Value Score: 1
Has failed and failed again to generate offense. Poor man's Rex Grossman lacks the headcase nature but also the playmaking ability.

67. Trent Green, STL | Age: 38.2 | Value Score: 1
Decent shot at Kurt Warner-like startable value if Bulger goes down, but keep in mind any value would be of the fleeting variety.

68. Cleo Lemon, JAX | Age: 29.1 | Value Score: 1

69. Charlie Whitehurst, SD | Age: 26.1 | Value Score: 1

70. Erik Ainge, NYJ | Age: 22.3 | Value Score: 1

71. Gus Frerotte, MIN | Age: 37.2 | Value Score: 1

72. Quinn Gray, IND | Age: 29.3 | Value Score: 1

73. Patrick Ramsey, DEN | Age: 29.5 | Value Score: 1

74. Todd Collins, WAS | Age: 36.8 | Value Score: 1

75. Charlie Frye, SEA | Age: 27.0 | Value Score: 1

76. Matt Flynn, GB | Age: 23.3 | Value Score: 1

77. Andrew Walter, OAK | Age: 26.3 | Value Score: 1

78. Kerry Collins, TEN | Age: 35.7 | Value Score: 1

79. D.J. Shockley, ATL | Age: 25.5 | Value Score: 1

80. Matt Cassel, NE | Age: 26.3 | Value Score: 1

81. Jim Sorgi, IND | Age: 27.8 | Value Score: 1

82. Dan Orlovsky, DET | Age: 25.1 | Value Score: 1

83. Ryan Fitzpatrick, CIN | Age: 25.8 | Value Score: 1

84. Joey Harrington, ATL | Age: 29.9 | Value Score: 1

85. Bruce Gradkowski, STL | Age: 25.7 | Value Score: 1

Read more!

Running Back Rankings: July 26, 2008

*Note: I'm testing to see whether this format looks better with the numbering sequence changed back to normal and the name, age, and value score all on the first line. It looks like it takes up significantly more space, but I think it has a better and easier to read appearance. Feedback is encouraged. If you think it looks much better or much worse, please comment. Thanks.

RUNNING BACKS

TIER ONE

1. Adrian Peterson, MIN | Age: 23.5 | Value Score: 100
Simply the most talented player on the field [click here]

2. Steven Jackson, STL | Age: 25.1 | Value Score: 98
Rams & new offensive coordinator Al Saunders to build offense around multi-dimensional S-Jax.

3. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD | Age: 29.2 | Value Score: 97
Have we seen the last of the truly dominant LT2? He may bounce back with a vengeance after all the flack he took for the Pats game, but it's tough to rank him higher at the crucial RB age of 29.

4. Frank Gore, SF | Age: 25.2 | Value Score: 93
Talented, well-rounded, great job security, and in line to haul in a ton of receptions in Martz' offense which saw Marshall Faulk take his game to the next level.

5. Brian Westbrook, PHI | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 93
Money in PPR leagues and still underrated, but injuries are a constant concern; is this offseason the time to flip him for a younger talent before it's too late?

TIER TWO

6. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX | Age: 23.4 | Value Score: 87
One of the best players in the NFL and averages a TD per game even in limited touches; his time for Westbrook-like domination is coming like a freight train.

7. Joseph Addai, IND | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 87
Safe call in the Colts offense, but is 300 touches per year his limit?

8. Marshawn Lynch, BUF | Age: 22.4 | Value Score: 85
Hit-and-run incident shouldn't affect his '08 value.

9. Clinton Portis, WAS | Age: 27.0 | Value Score: 81
Something is askew here: his owners are constantly trying to deal him, but they also consider him an elite back. The problem is he's not quite the ideal RB1 that dynasty leaguers want to rely on, but it's increasingly difficult to trade him for an upgrade.

TIER THREE

10. Darren McFadden, OAK | Age: 21.0 | Value Score: 75
On one hand, you've got a RB with laughably skinny chicken legs to go with a worrisome BMI, a checkered off the field college history, and what Pro Football Prospectus calls questionable pass-catching ability. On the other hand, you have a tremendous athlete with a truly versatile skill-set, a prodigious college career, and a playmaker's explosiveness and blazing speed. He's not Adrian Peterson, but he certainly makes for an intriguing roll of the dice.

11. Marion Barber III, DAL | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 74
New contract gives him much-needed security, but he's still going to be sharing the load with Felix Jones. Expect the high TD, lower yardage totals to continue.

12. Reggie Bush, NO | Age: 23.5 | Value Score: 71
We have to accept the fact that he's not the dynamic homerun hitter he was hyped to be, but he's still gold in PPR leagues and was used at the goal-line while Deuce was injured.

13. Larry Johnson, KC | Age: 28.8 | Value Score: 70
With the dwindling YPC, the 400+ carry season of '06, the foot injury, the perdition of what was once possibly the best O-Line in NFL history, and now a punchless Croyle-led offense, L.J. simply has too much going against him to return to '05-'06 form. Those days are gone.

14. Ryan Grant, GB | Age: 25.7 | Value Score: 69
The Packers love his game, so there's no worry about job security any time soon; how will Favre's exit affect the production of the running game?

15. Willis McGahee, BAL | Age: 26.9 | Value Score: 69
Drafting of Ray Rice could be more troublesome than McGahee owners want to admit.

16. Jonathan Stewart, CAR | Age: 21.5 | Value Score: 68
Hey, Adrian Peterson starting out returning kickoffs too. Stewart's draft spot and running style leave him as the obvious feature back, but it remains to be seen how annoying D-Willy's presence will be. Pro Football Prospectus believes Williams will be the starter, but the Panthers didn't draft Stewart twelfth overall and change to a smash-mouth attack just to leave him on the bench.

17. #Ronnie Brown, MIA | Age: 26.7 | Value Score: 65
Here's the crux of the problem: even with the advances of modern medical technology, no RB in history has returned as the same back immediately after ACL surgery. If Brown won't be truly himself again until '09, what's his dynasty value? Can he be counted on as a fantasy starter at all in '08? The answer to that last question is going to count for a lot in determining his value.

TIER FOUR

18. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT | Age: 21.2 | Value Score: 59
Goes to a rock-solid organization with an increasingly explosive offense, but how long until he takes a full load? How long until he's a confident weekly play in your fantasy lineup?

19. Laurence Maroney, NE | Age: 23.5 | Value Score: 57
It will be interesting to see if the Pats trust Maroney in short yardage after his success there late in the season; Maroney is a talented back in a great offense, but there are still legit concerns about his usage patterns in that offense.

20. Chris Johnson, TEN | Age: 22.9 | Value Score: 55
I think he's much closer to taking a part-time gig and making it worthwhile than backs like Jerious Norwood and Leon Washington have been. Johnson may be closer to Reggie Bush in usage and talent, and it won't take much at all to snatch touches from LenDale White. Extremely high marks for speed, pass catching ability, opportunity, and upside here. Less of a sure bet for immediate value than Forte or Smith but more explosive difference-making potential. How does that fit your roster, needs, and style?

21. Jamal Lewis, CLE | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 52
Too many dynasty owners are writing off a talented back who is playing very well with fresh legs6 there aren't too many RBs around the league with this much job security and a guaranteed prominent role in a highly productive offense. Frankly, I probably have him too low as opposed to too high.

22. Michael Turner, ATL | Age: 26.5 | Value Score: 48
Will be the Thunder to Norwood's Lightning in ATL, meaning Turner will get the early down and short-yardage work but will likely lose some value in the passing game. Will he find the end zone enough to make up for Norwood's production drain?

23. Matt Forte, CHI | Age: 22.7 | Value Score: 47
Are you really worried about Cedric Benson? Well then, stop that. Forte has a plum opportunity with only Cedric to beat out. Update 7/17/08: I still believe Kevin Jones is likely to open the season on the PUP list.

24. Kevin Smith, DET | Age: 21.7 | Value Score: 47
arly favorite to nail down the starting job despite what you may hear about Brian Calhoun or Tatum Bell.

25. Brandon Jacobs, NYG | Age: 26.2 | Value Score: 45
He will always face questions about staying healthy and being a bit of a novelty act, and now he has to contend with an Ahmad Bradshaw problem. Would a contract extension really clear anything up about his value?

26. Selvin Young, DEN | Age: 24.9 | Value Score: 40
Talented, explosive, and well-liked by his head coach, but how consistent will the carries be? Looks like the obvious starter in Denver now that Henry has been released.

TIER FIVE

27. Ray Rice, BAL | Age: 21.7 | Value Score: 31
Willis McGahee better stay healthy if he knows what's good for him. In the meantime, Rice will try to carve out a poor man's MJD role for himself in the Ravens offense.

28. Pierre Thomas, NO | Age: 23.7 | Value Score: 30
Like Willie Parker a couple of years ago, Thomas could capitalize on a huge Week 17 game to carve out a prominent role in his team's offense especially if Deuce's microfracture right knee and ACL left knee hold him back.

29. Felix Jones, DAL | Age: 21.3 | Value Score: 26
Barber's contract extension and Jones' skill-set combine to leave him as a part-time back for the foreseeable future. He's going to have to catch a lot of passes and break quite a few big plays to have startable value any time soon.

30. Earnest Graham, TB | Age: 28.7 | Value Score: 30
Most of his value is going to be tied up in the 2008 season with the Bucs showing a definite interest in finding another reliable RB by hook or by crook; he can help you win now, but there's just not enough long-range value here . . . as evidenced by his meager contract extension.

31. Willie Parker, PIT | Age: 27.8 | Value Score: 29
When you lose goal-line carries & 3rd down work, you lose a hefty portion of your fantasy value; I like FWP, but I've always sensed that the Steelers don't trust him to be a true workhorse. Mendenhall's addition may leaves him virtually unstartable and certainly unreliable.

32. Julius Jones, SEA | Age: 27.0 | Value Score: 29
Seahawks announce intention to use a committee attack in the backfield; but Jones will have a chance to run with the job if he impresses early in the season.

33. DeAngelo Williams, CAR | Age: 25.4 | Value Score: 28
Not likely to get regular goal-line work regardless, but if CAR stays with Toefield as his timeshare partner, Williams gets another spike in value. If they draft a talented back, the questions will linger.

34. Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG | Age: 22.5 | Value Score: 27
I was eyeballing his game for weaknesses throughout the playoffs, but I didn't find any glaring ones; he may not be able to carry a full load, but the question is moot with Jacobs in front of him.

35. LenDale White, TEN | Age: 23.7 | Value Score: 27
In addition to the dedication, weight, & maturity issues, BakeSale has picked up a couple more: (1) He's useless if the Titans are playing from behind and (2) The Titans are going to be continually on the lookout for a quality RB to pair with him and siphon production.

36. Thomas Jones, NYJ | Age: 30.0 | Value Score: 25
With the Jets' re-vamped O-Line, he could move up a bit as long as the Jets don't draft a RB in the first couple of rounds; unfortunately, many suspect the Jets are the likely McFadden landing spot.

37. Rudi Johnson, CIN | Age: 28.9 | Value Score: 25
Looking more and more like he'll have his job back full-time to open the season, but this could be more of a committee approach than previous seasons.

38. Ryan Torain, DEN | Age: 22.1 | Value Score: 23
Going awfully high in rookie drafts due to his opportunity, but how likely is it that he'll ever be a full-time back for the Broncos? Worth a roll of the dice if the price is right, but his value may always be tenuous for the exact same reason you're falling for him: you can never role out a Denver running back.

39. #Kevin Jones, CHI | Age: 26.0 | Value Score: 22
Won't be back by Week 1, will be less than 100% when he does play, will be injured quickly as soon as he does come back, and will likely be splitting carries wherever he winds up. What's the fantasy football equivalent of a "face for radio" or a "face only a mother could love"? A running back only an intractably twitterpated owner could love.

40. Edgerrin James, ARI | Age: 30.1 | Value Score: 21
The cliff is approaching fast; his goal-line & passing game production have already been taken away while his age and workload history are working hard against him.

TIER SIX

41. Tim Hightower, ARI | Age: 22.3 | Value Score: 14
It remains to be seen how talented he is, but he's landed in a great spot for instant opportunity. Hightower must impress this season, or the Cards will address the position with a higher pick or free agent next offseason.

42. Michael Bush, OAK | Age: 24.3 | Value Score: 12
Now that he's healthy, can he stay healthy? If so, carving out a role as the thunder to McFadden's lightning is a possibility.

43. Chester Taylor, MIN | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 12
As valuable of a pure backup as any RB in the league, Taylor is still most valuable to Adrian Peterson owners; won't be a free agent until after the '09 season when he'll be almost 31-years-old.

44. Ricky Williams, MIA | Age: 31.3 | Value Score: 11
Could be a good story here if Brown is slow to return to full health; after a couple of seasons away from football, Ricky should have fresh legs and is one of the few backups who can carry a full load if needed.

45. Mike Hart, IND | Age: 22.4 | Value Score: 11
Major sleeper if he can get past Dominic Rhodes. Well-rounded runner could be one injury away from the Colts starting job .

46. Jerious Norwood, ATL | Age: 25.1 | Value Score: 10
As expected, Norwood won't be given an opportunity to shoulder the load in ATL; how valuable can be with limited touches?

47. Steve Slaton, HOU | Age: 22.7 | Value Score: 9
Looks like a third down back to me. He may be interesting as a Leon Washington type, but I don't see him ever taking the job in Houston and making it valuable.

48. Jamaal Charles, KC | Age: 21.7 | Value Score: 8
A kick returner and role player for as long as LJ stays healthy and productive.

49. Brandon Jackson, GB | Age: 22.9 | Value Score: 9
Jackson owners who drafted him with a high rookie pick want to believe he could eventually win the job from Grant, but it's just not going to happen. Jackson is buried behind Grant, and he'll be lucky to get regular 3rd down duty.

50. Justin Fargas, OAK | Age: 28.6 | Value Score: 8
What are the chances he stays healthy and holds off all of the competition for his job throughout the whole season? Sell (relatively) high if it's not too late; McFadden to the Raiders at #4 flattens his value.

51. Leon Washington, NYJ | Age: 26.0 | Value Score: 7
A homerun hitter, but just not physical enough to ever be more than a part-timer; his only hope for value is to catch enough passes to be useful in PPR leagues.

TIER SEVEN

52. Ahman Green, HOU | Age: 31.5 | Value Score: 6
Mistakenly regarded as washed up when he should more accurately be portrayed as a RB who can still play and play well but can't stay healthy under a full workload at this stage of his career.

53. Fred Taylor, JAX | Age: 32.6 | Value Score: 6
Has as much value as a 32-year-old, part-timer without goal-line and passing game opportunities can possibly have.

54. Jalen Parmele, MIA | Age: 22.7 | Value Score: 6
Talented rookie has only an injury-prone starter and flaky backup in front him.

55. LaMont Jordan, NE | Age: 29.8 | Value Score: 6
Signs with Pats, but role unknown. Could eat into Maroney's production or take over passing down work.

56. Chris Brown, HOU | Age: 27.4 | Value Score: 6
Picked a good situation with Texans' zone blocking scheme and no dominant RB in front of him, but Brown just can't be relied on as more than a committee back.

57. Derrick Ward, NYG | Age: 28.1 | Value Score: 5
Looks like injury history scared off potential suitors, so he re-signs with Giants which dampens his value.

58. Ladell Betts, WAS | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 5
Now more insurance for Portis as opposed to a backfield complement; startable in the event of a Portis injury but valueless in the meantime.

59. Tatum Bell, DET | Age: 27.5 | Value Score: 5
Currently the starting RB in Detroit, but that may change before long; didn't stop Tatum from predicting 1,300 yards & 15 TDs for himself this season.

60. Lorenzo Booker, PHI | Age: 24.3 | Value Score: 5
Only hope for value is as a flex player in PPR leagues. Can he catch enough passes to make himself relevant?

TIER EIGHT

61. [#]Cadillac Williams, TB | Age: 26.4 | Value Score: 4
We've heard everything from "career's over" to "suiting up by week one." The most like scenario is that he'll start the season on the PUP list and will be a shadow of his former self once he does return . . . and truth be told his former self wasn't all that hot to begin with.

62. Maurice Morris, SEA | Age: 28.8 | Value Score: 4

63. Chris Perry, CIN | Age: 26.7 | Value Score: 4
As brittle as brittle can be, and likely lost more than a step by now, but there's a window of opportunity in Cincy's backfield.

64. Kenny Watson, CIN | Age: 30.6 | Value Score: 4
Too pedestrian to grab hold of the starting RB job and run with it, but a repeat of his effective '07 season is possible if no other RB steps up for the Bengals.

65. Andre Hall, DEN | Age: 26.1 | Value Score: 4
Any RB in DEN could get a shot, but he's definitely 3rd on the depth chart even before April's draft; didn't ingratiate himself to his coach by getting arrested last month.

66. Fred Jackson, BUF | Age: 27.6 | Value Score: 3
Coaching staff is high on him, but he's more of a change of pace/pure backup as opposed to a guy with an opportunity.

67. Sammy Morris, NE | Age: 31.5 | Value Score: 3
Was a good fit in New England's offense, but Maroney stepped up when Morris was out with his sternum/clavicle injury; will he keep the short-yardage/goal-line work?

68. Dominic Rhodes, IND | Age: 29.6 | Value Score: 3
Back in Indy, but will he get the benefit of the doubt over rookie Hart?

69. Tashard Choice, DAL | Age: 23.8 | Value Score: 3
Barber's new long-term deal renders Choice to roster fodder for a couple of years.

70. #Deuce McAllister, NO | Age: 29.7 | Value Score: 3
Wait, ACL surgery on his left knee and microfracture surgery on his formerly reconstructed right knee? Now that's a horse of a different color for a 30-year-old RB. Why weren't we informed of this microfracture surgery? I can't envision a scenario where Deuce is not washed up at this point.

TIER NINE

71. Chris Taylor, HOU | Age: 24.8 | Value Score: 2
Longshot, but the coaching staff seems high on him.

72. Jerome Harrison, CLE | Age: 25.5 | Value Score: 2

73. Antonio Pittman, STL | Age: 22.7 | Value Score: 2
More of a pure backup than Brian Leonard at this point.

74. Darren Sproles, SD | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 2
Explosive. Could find fantasy value as a receiving weapon out of the backfield if the Chargers made it a point to get the ball to him, but his slight build will likely keep him from handling the ball enough to make a sizable fantasy impact.

75. DeShaun Foster, SF | Age: 28.7 | Value Score: 2
Signed a meager contract to head West as Frank Gore's backup; don't look for a heavy role in the offense unless Gore gets injured.

76. Jacob Hester, SD | Age: 23.3 | Value Score: 2

77. Gary Russell, PIT | Age: 22.0 | Value Score: 2

78. Xavier Omon, BUF | Age: 23.6 | Value Score: 2

79. Cedric Benson, UFA | Age: 25.7 | Value Score: 3
Benson will be expensive to cut, but his latest drunk driving charge gives GM Angelo a convenient out that allows him to save face on Benson's missing talent.

80. Najeh Davenport, UFA | Age: 29.6 | Value Score: 2

81. Adrian Peterson, CHI | Age: 29.2 | Value Score: 2
ight now he's the most effective RB in Chicago, but will likely go back to his former role when new talent is added in the draft.

82. Kolby Smith, KC | Age: 23.8 | Value Score: 2
Was decent in a 5-game trial at the end of the season, but he's limited to backup duty going forward.

83. DeShawn Wynn, GB | Age: 24.9 | Value Score: 2
Green Bay sees him as more of a pure backup than Jackson, but Wynn's injuries have put him solidly on the bench behind Ryan Grant.

84. J.J. Arrington, ARI | Age: 25.6 | Value Score: 2
Appears the Cardinals don't see him as anything more than a 3rd down back

85. Chauncy Washington, JAX | Age: 23.4 | Value Score: 2

86. Dwayne Wright, BUF | Age: 25.3 | Value Score: 2

87. Tony Hunt, PHI | Age: 22.8 | Value Score: 2
Could become the short-yardage back in Philly, but not likely to ever be more than one half of a time share backfield.

88. Musa Smith, NYJ | Age: 26.3 | Value Score: 2
Not without talent, but too unreliable due to injury history; would have to land in the ideal situation to merit a look beyond stash option.

89. Jesse Chatman, NYJ | Age: 29.0 | Value Score: 2

TIER TEN

90. Mewelde Moore, PIT | Age: 26.1 | Value Score: 1
A weapon in the passing game and likely to take over punt-return duties; has a track record of impressive performance in small doses but gets nicked up easily.

91. #Michael Robinson, SF | Age: 25.5 | Value Score: 1

92. Vernand Morency, GB | Age: 28.6 | Value Score: 1
Ceiling is 3rd down back.

93. Thomas Brown, ATL | Age: 22.3 | Value Score: 1

94. Marcus Thomas, SD | Age: 24.3 | Value Score: 1

95. Warrick Dunn, TB | Age: 33.7 | Value Score: 1
Ill-suited to 3rd down work at this point in his career, but that's where he's going to play.

96. Michael Bennett, TB | Age: 30.0 | Value Score: 1

97. #Kenny Irons, CIN | Age: 25.0 | Value Score: 1
There's definitely a window of opportunity in Cincinnati's backfield right now, but it's going to tough for Irons to exploit it at less than 100% in the year following ACL surgery.

98. Travis Henry, UFA | Age: 29.8 | Value Score: 1
Released by Broncos and unlikely to nail down a starting job the rest of his career.

99. Aaron Stecker, NO | Age: 32.8 | Value Score: 1

100. Michael Pittman, DEN | Age: 33.1 | Value Score: 1

101. Kenton Keith, IND | Age: 28.2 | Value Score: 1

102. Brian Calhoun, DET | Age: 24.4 | Value Score: 1

103. Justin Forsett, SEA | Age: 22.8 | Value Score: 1

104. Correll Buckhalter, PHI | Age: 29.9 | Value Score: 1

105. Ryan Moats, PHI | Age: 25.7 | Value Score: 1

106. Danny Ware, NYG | Age: 23.6 | Value Score: 1

107. Shaun Alexander, UFA | Age: 31.0 | Value Score: 1
His days as a workhorse are long gone, and he's going to struggle to ever maintain fantasy relevance again.

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