Running Backs
1.) Marion Barber, Cowboys, 6’0”, 220 lbs, 24 years old
§ Unlike Jones, Barber is a RFA, which means any team that wants him would have to give <st1:city><st1:place>Dallas</st1:place></st1:city> a 1<sup>st</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> Round Draft picks. That might be a high price pay, especially with this years draft class of RB. But Barber is a hard runner that never gives up. He rarely leaves yards on the field, he actually gets more than are there. He doesn’t have elite speed, but he is a good receiver out of the backfield.
2.) Michael Turner, Chargers, 5’10”, 237 lbs, 25
§ Another hard runner, but shares the backfield with Tomlinson. When given the chance, he does extraordinarily well. He is not a very fast RB, but he is fast enough to run away from defenders and good power to break tackles. He is not the type of RB to make defenders miss, but he is improving. There are concerns that he will not handle the full load.
3.) Julius Jones, Cowboys, 5’10”, 211 lbs, 26
§ Jones split the carries with Barber in 06 & 07. As 07 came to an end, Jones saw much more bench than grass. He also rarely saw the endzone, due to Barber getting the ball inside the 20. But Jones is a great team player and running back. He has great speed and agility. He is also a solid receiver out of the backfield. He does have minor injury concerns, as well as the occasional fumble.
4.) Tatum Bell, Lions, 5’11”, 213 lbs, 26
§ A very quick runner that can make defenders miss. He is not a solid between the tackles runner and will fumble at times. There are also durability concerns, as he has been injured frequently. He has loads of upside because of his ability to create big plays, in both running and receiving.
5.) Chris Brown, Titans, 6’3”, 220 lbs, 26
§ Brown is a big, strong back with durability issues. He has been injured a lot, but when healthy, he can display his great talent. He runs high, so he takes a lot of big hits, as well as difficult to drive the pile. He is very fast and can make defenders miss, but he needs to share carries with another back.
6.) Justin Fargas, Raiders, 6’1”, 220 lbs, 28
§ Fargas had a breakout season in ’07. He has great speed, but will not make many defenders miss, nor break a lot of tackles. But when given the room, he will take full advantage and make some big plays.
