Jammer
Well-known member
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/05/22/backfields/index.html?eref=T1
General managers, coaches and fantasy footballers rank 1-2-3 (though not necessarily in that order) as talent evaluators for quarterbacks and running backs. And they need to be good at it because jobs and bragging rights are at stake when it comes to those positions.
In an effort to help all three groups with their evaluations, we've ranked the NFL's quarterback-running back pairings. Notably, two of the top nine QB-RB packages play in the NFC North (And here's a hint: Neither employs Brett Favre or plays indoors.)
Some notes on the measurements used:
• If a team's backup is an active ingredient in the mix or is arguably good enough to start for a number of other teams, that backup factored into the rating. This was not the case for every team.
• Since few teams use a true fullback in their schemes, we didn't fold that position into the backfield lineups.
• Rookies are difficult to rank, for obvious reasons, and quarterbacks particularly so. But we viewed some (Matt Stafford in Detroit, Mark Sanchez in New York) as positives because they likely can't be worse than what they're replacing.
• Additions and subtractions via free agency and the draft affected some backfields more than others, even if those additions or subtractions weren't quarterbacks or running backs. Changes at various positions, even on defense, have clear trickle-down potential for quarterbacks and running backs.
• Rankings are based on more than skills and numbers alone. Joe Montana, for example, may not have been the NFL's top passer in his prime, but he was arguably its best quarterback.
With that in mind, here's how the 32 NFL backfields rank:
(Agree or disagree with these rankings? Share your thoughts here.)
1. San Diego Chargers
Who: QB Philip Rivers; RBs LaDanian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles
Add/subtract: When you have the NFL's top-rated passer and two backs combining for 1,440 rush yards, 81 receptions and 18 TDs, you don't need to add much. The Chargers went big on power, drafting two offensive linemen and two defensive linemen with their first four picks. Of course, getting Shawne Merriman back may be the biggest "add" of all.
Questionable: How much longer can L.T. continue being L.T.? And will Rivers' maturity finally match his talent? Maybe more to the point, if Merriman and that defense start setting up this backfield on short fields, how good can this team be?
The thought: Rivers and the Bolts got a delicious taste of what it feels like when it all comes together. And L.T., one of the great tailbacks in NFL history, has at least one year left, and his understudy would start for more than a few clubs.
2. New York Giants
Who: QB Eli Manning; RBs Brandon Jacobs,Ahmad Bradshaw
Add/subtract: The Giants will miss 1,000-yard back Derrick Ward and WRPlaxico Burress(who they sorely missed last season). But the Giants drafted two WR's (Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden), one TE (Travis Bec***) and an OT (Will Beatty) in the first three rounds to add playmates for an already elite backfield.
Questionable: The Burress aftershocks should be over, but are they?
The thought: This top-10 offense was on a mission to improve its skill positions. It will be difficult to keep it from topping the 427 points it notched last season.
3. Dallas Cowboys
Who: QB Tony Romo; RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, TashardChoice
Add/subtract:Terrell Owens. You decide if that's an addition or not.
Questionable: Can Roy Williams become the deep threat Romo needs to force defenses out of eight-man fronts?
The thought: Romo's passer rating (91.4) was significantly higher than his U.S. Open qualifying score (80), and that's a good thing. Instead of handing clubs to caddies, he'll be handing pigskins to the three-headed monster at tailback. Having all those options will allow Romo to play relaxed and balanced -- and talk to Jason Witten without T.O. getting suspicious.
4. New England Patriots
Who: QB Tom Brady; RBs Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor
Add/subtract: Taylor is a class vet who fits the Patriots' mold. Brady returns to added OL depth and help at WR in the form of Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, respectfully.
Questionable: Brady's knee is clearly the big question, but it's not the only one. How much fuel do Taylor, Galloway and others have left?
The thought: This bunch didn't miss many beats when Matt Cassell took over for Brady. And do we think Brady will come back even more motivated than usual, leading a team that uncharacteristically missed the playoffs?
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Who: QB Donovan McNabb; RB Brian Westbrook
Add/subtract: LT Jason Peters is a franchise addition in front of McNabb and Westbrook, and Stacy Andrews is another starter-grade OL addition. Drafting Jeremy Maclin in the first round this season and DeSean Jackson in the second last year does nothing but make McNabb and Westbrook more dangerous.
Questionable:The heavy load on Westbrook has worn him down and McNabb is high mileage at 32.
The Thought: With the draft of Pitt RB LeSean McCoy in Round 2, McNabb and Westbrook now may feel like they're in Kiddieland.
Posted: Tuesday May 26, 2009 1:00PM; Updated: Tuesday May 26, 2009 1:00PM
Ranking best backfields (cont.)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Who: QB Ben Roethlisberger; RBs Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall
Add/subtract: Mendenhall missed all of last season, so he comes in as de facto rookie No. 1. Guard Kendall Simmons is gone but the Steelers picked up Kraig Urbik from Wisconsin in the third round.
Questionable: Parker missed five games last season with injuries and failed to average 3.0 yards per carry in five of Pittsburgh's last nine games. Then again, the Steelers also won four of those five.
The Thought: Few quarterbacks play as well within themselves as Roethlisberger, who has Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes developing and possibly Mendenhall long term.
7. Atlanta Falcons
Who: QB Matt Ryan; RB Michael Turner
Add/subtract: Trading for TE Tony Gonzalez gives Ryan a new, experienced toy.
Questionable: The Falcons went 11-5 and to the playoffs with a rookie QB and LT. How much better can they be if Ryan and Sam Baker avoid any sophomore jinx?
The Thought: This team thought it was so solid on offense that it spent its first five draft picks -- and seven of eight -- on defense.
8. Green Bay Packers
Who: QB Aaron Rodgers; RB Ryan Grant
Add/subtract: The Packers spent their top two picks on defense, which makes sense considering the pending changes on defense. Plus, the Packers were already the No. 5 scoring offense in Rodgers' first true year.
Questionable: How much will the new 3-4 defense help the offense in the field position and turnover battles? And is the OL as good as the talent it is protecting?
The thought: It wasn't quite "Brett who?" by season's end, but Rodgers had become the best quarterback in the NFC North and No. 6 in the league in passer rating. Grant is a top-10 tailback. Add to that two 1,000-yard WR's and this is a backfield you do not want to play.
9. Chicago Bears
Who: QB Jay Cutler; RBs Matt Forte, Kevin Jones
Add/subtract: The Cutler trade was THE deal of the offseason, but the Bears also added three veteran offensive linemen (including Orlando Pace), two of whom likely will start and enhance the backfield.
Questionable: WRs like Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, plus rookie Juaquin Iglesias, are still huge unknowns. Cutler will make them better, but are they NFL-caliber? RT Chris Williams is a virtual rookie after missing much of '08 with a back injury.
The Thought: Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and eight TD's with no real defensive support. Forte rushed for 1,238 rookie yards and was No. 3 in total yards, with no consistent pass threat. They both have what they need now.
10. Indianapolis Colts
Who: QB Peyton Manning; RBs Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart
Add/subtract: Keeping C Jeff Saturday was a big add, and personnel guru Bill Polian's knack with late-round picks makes Brown (27th overall) worth a serious look.
Questionable: An offense 32nd in rushing average is just that: average. Even with Manning.
The Thought: Tony Dungy leaving the organization doesn't directly affect the offense, but Dungy did, in fact, directly affect just about everything. Manning is still one of the league's greats but he needs more from his backs. Still, Peyton Manning operating out of an empty backfield would rank in any top 10.
General managers, coaches and fantasy footballers rank 1-2-3 (though not necessarily in that order) as talent evaluators for quarterbacks and running backs. And they need to be good at it because jobs and bragging rights are at stake when it comes to those positions.
In an effort to help all three groups with their evaluations, we've ranked the NFL's quarterback-running back pairings. Notably, two of the top nine QB-RB packages play in the NFC North (And here's a hint: Neither employs Brett Favre or plays indoors.)
Some notes on the measurements used:
• If a team's backup is an active ingredient in the mix or is arguably good enough to start for a number of other teams, that backup factored into the rating. This was not the case for every team.
• Since few teams use a true fullback in their schemes, we didn't fold that position into the backfield lineups.
• Rookies are difficult to rank, for obvious reasons, and quarterbacks particularly so. But we viewed some (Matt Stafford in Detroit, Mark Sanchez in New York) as positives because they likely can't be worse than what they're replacing.
• Additions and subtractions via free agency and the draft affected some backfields more than others, even if those additions or subtractions weren't quarterbacks or running backs. Changes at various positions, even on defense, have clear trickle-down potential for quarterbacks and running backs.
• Rankings are based on more than skills and numbers alone. Joe Montana, for example, may not have been the NFL's top passer in his prime, but he was arguably its best quarterback.
With that in mind, here's how the 32 NFL backfields rank:
(Agree or disagree with these rankings? Share your thoughts here.)
1. San Diego Chargers
Who: QB Philip Rivers; RBs LaDanian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles
Add/subtract: When you have the NFL's top-rated passer and two backs combining for 1,440 rush yards, 81 receptions and 18 TDs, you don't need to add much. The Chargers went big on power, drafting two offensive linemen and two defensive linemen with their first four picks. Of course, getting Shawne Merriman back may be the biggest "add" of all.
Questionable: How much longer can L.T. continue being L.T.? And will Rivers' maturity finally match his talent? Maybe more to the point, if Merriman and that defense start setting up this backfield on short fields, how good can this team be?
The thought: Rivers and the Bolts got a delicious taste of what it feels like when it all comes together. And L.T., one of the great tailbacks in NFL history, has at least one year left, and his understudy would start for more than a few clubs.
2. New York Giants
Who: QB Eli Manning; RBs Brandon Jacobs,Ahmad Bradshaw
Add/subtract: The Giants will miss 1,000-yard back Derrick Ward and WRPlaxico Burress(who they sorely missed last season). But the Giants drafted two WR's (Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden), one TE (Travis Bec***) and an OT (Will Beatty) in the first three rounds to add playmates for an already elite backfield.
Questionable: The Burress aftershocks should be over, but are they?
The thought: This top-10 offense was on a mission to improve its skill positions. It will be difficult to keep it from topping the 427 points it notched last season.
3. Dallas Cowboys
Who: QB Tony Romo; RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, TashardChoice
Add/subtract:Terrell Owens. You decide if that's an addition or not.
Questionable: Can Roy Williams become the deep threat Romo needs to force defenses out of eight-man fronts?
The thought: Romo's passer rating (91.4) was significantly higher than his U.S. Open qualifying score (80), and that's a good thing. Instead of handing clubs to caddies, he'll be handing pigskins to the three-headed monster at tailback. Having all those options will allow Romo to play relaxed and balanced -- and talk to Jason Witten without T.O. getting suspicious.
4. New England Patriots
Who: QB Tom Brady; RBs Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor
Add/subtract: Taylor is a class vet who fits the Patriots' mold. Brady returns to added OL depth and help at WR in the form of Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, respectfully.
Questionable: Brady's knee is clearly the big question, but it's not the only one. How much fuel do Taylor, Galloway and others have left?
The thought: This bunch didn't miss many beats when Matt Cassell took over for Brady. And do we think Brady will come back even more motivated than usual, leading a team that uncharacteristically missed the playoffs?
5. Philadelphia Eagles
Who: QB Donovan McNabb; RB Brian Westbrook
Add/subtract: LT Jason Peters is a franchise addition in front of McNabb and Westbrook, and Stacy Andrews is another starter-grade OL addition. Drafting Jeremy Maclin in the first round this season and DeSean Jackson in the second last year does nothing but make McNabb and Westbrook more dangerous.
Questionable:The heavy load on Westbrook has worn him down and McNabb is high mileage at 32.
The Thought: With the draft of Pitt RB LeSean McCoy in Round 2, McNabb and Westbrook now may feel like they're in Kiddieland.
Posted: Tuesday May 26, 2009 1:00PM; Updated: Tuesday May 26, 2009 1:00PM
Ranking best backfields (cont.)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Who: QB Ben Roethlisberger; RBs Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall
Add/subtract: Mendenhall missed all of last season, so he comes in as de facto rookie No. 1. Guard Kendall Simmons is gone but the Steelers picked up Kraig Urbik from Wisconsin in the third round.
Questionable: Parker missed five games last season with injuries and failed to average 3.0 yards per carry in five of Pittsburgh's last nine games. Then again, the Steelers also won four of those five.
The Thought: Few quarterbacks play as well within themselves as Roethlisberger, who has Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes developing and possibly Mendenhall long term.
7. Atlanta Falcons
Who: QB Matt Ryan; RB Michael Turner
Add/subtract: Trading for TE Tony Gonzalez gives Ryan a new, experienced toy.
Questionable: The Falcons went 11-5 and to the playoffs with a rookie QB and LT. How much better can they be if Ryan and Sam Baker avoid any sophomore jinx?
The Thought: This team thought it was so solid on offense that it spent its first five draft picks -- and seven of eight -- on defense.
8. Green Bay Packers
Who: QB Aaron Rodgers; RB Ryan Grant
Add/subtract: The Packers spent their top two picks on defense, which makes sense considering the pending changes on defense. Plus, the Packers were already the No. 5 scoring offense in Rodgers' first true year.
Questionable: How much will the new 3-4 defense help the offense in the field position and turnover battles? And is the OL as good as the talent it is protecting?
The thought: It wasn't quite "Brett who?" by season's end, but Rodgers had become the best quarterback in the NFC North and No. 6 in the league in passer rating. Grant is a top-10 tailback. Add to that two 1,000-yard WR's and this is a backfield you do not want to play.
9. Chicago Bears
Who: QB Jay Cutler; RBs Matt Forte, Kevin Jones
Add/subtract: The Cutler trade was THE deal of the offseason, but the Bears also added three veteran offensive linemen (including Orlando Pace), two of whom likely will start and enhance the backfield.
Questionable: WRs like Devin Hester and Earl Bennett, plus rookie Juaquin Iglesias, are still huge unknowns. Cutler will make them better, but are they NFL-caliber? RT Chris Williams is a virtual rookie after missing much of '08 with a back injury.
The Thought: Cutler threw for 4,526 yards and eight TD's with no real defensive support. Forte rushed for 1,238 rookie yards and was No. 3 in total yards, with no consistent pass threat. They both have what they need now.
10. Indianapolis Colts
Who: QB Peyton Manning; RBs Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart
Add/subtract: Keeping C Jeff Saturday was a big add, and personnel guru Bill Polian's knack with late-round picks makes Brown (27th overall) worth a serious look.
Questionable: An offense 32nd in rushing average is just that: average. Even with Manning.
The Thought: Tony Dungy leaving the organization doesn't directly affect the offense, but Dungy did, in fact, directly affect just about everything. Manning is still one of the league's greats but he needs more from his backs. Still, Peyton Manning operating out of an empty backfield would rank in any top 10.
Please God I hope this is the last year of the LdT hype..he had his time in the sun. That was three years ago and before.
