Top 11-15 RBs

15. Cedric Benson - Chicago Bears
Experience: 3rd Season
Bye Week: 9

1 Year Totals (2006):
Yards Rushing: 647 (4.1 YPC)
Yards Receiving: 54 (3 YPG)
Touchdowns: 6

No longer in a time-share, will Benson be as good as he says he is?

Concern: Benson is a risk, there are red flags everywhere. He's disliked by teammates, he plays with an awful QB, hasn't proven himself yet, all-around distraction. Contributes nothing in the passing game. Will lose time on obvious passing downs.

Upside: Chemistry conflicts don't necessarily result in poor performance. Will be the top goal line option. Should be motivated to finally back up all of his talking.

14. Ronnie Brown - Miami Dolphins
Experience: 3rd Season
Bye Week: 9

2 Year Averages (2005-06):
Yards Rushing: 958 (4.3 YPC)
Yards Receiving: 254 (16 YPG)
Touchdowns: 5

Will a new Coach in town help Brown finally break out?

Concern: Hasn't shown that he can handle a 300 carry season, Brown has been a disappointment thus far in his career. Miami's offensive line is pretty bad, as is its offense in general. Will lose some touches to Lorenzo Booker.

Upside: Brown is versatile, he will help in the passing game as long as Trent Green can get him the ball. Cam Cameron has a proven track record of success with versatile backs, having worked with some Tomlinson guy. Brown is 10lbs lighter and should be the #1 red zone option.

13. Willis McGahee - Baltimore Ravens
Experience: 5th Season
Bye Week: 8

3 Year Averages (2004-06):
Yards Rushing: 1122 (3.9 YPC)
Yards Receiving: 168 (10.5 YPG)
Touchdowns: 8

McGahee claimed to lack motivation in Buffalo. Will he finally break out behind Baltimore's excellent, but aging, O-Line?

Concern: A 3.9 YPC is ugly. The Ravens have an extremely limited passing game that McGahee won't contribute a whole lot to.

Upside: He won't lose touches in the red zone and should improve upon his previous disappointing 6 and 5 TD campaigns. He claims to be motivated to prove that he belongs in the upper echelon of NFL RBs.

12. Travis Henry - Denver Broncos
Experience: 7th Season
Bye Week: 6

3 Year Averages (2004-06):
Yards Rushing: 624 (4.1 YPC)
Yards Receiving: 80 (5 YPG)
Touchdowns: 2

Is this a reach? His numbers are skewed very low since he was not a starter in 2004-05. If you average his '02, '03 (starter in Buffalo) and '06 (eventual Tennessee starter) numbers...1335 rushing, 182 receiving, 11 TDs...you get a very nice NFL back.

Concern: You can never really trust Mike Shanahan. Henry will likely lose goal line carries to Cecil Sapp or Mike Bell, whichever wins RB2 should be handcuffed by all Henry owners. Hasn't played in 16 games since 2002. Has worn down late in games in the past.

Upside: He is now playing in RB Shangri-La. Should be fresh due to lack of playing time the past 3 seasons. Should receive 20 touches per game.

11. Laurence Maroney - New England Patriots
Experience: 2nd Season
Bye Week: 10

1 Year Totals (2006):
Yards Rushing: 745 (4.3 YPC)
Yards Receiving: 194 (12.1 YPG)
Touchdowns: 7

Officially "the man" now that Corey Dillon is no longer in town. Technically didn't start any games in 2006. Can he hold up?

Concern: He's in the exact same boat as Addai in that he's never been outside of a RBBC situation, even in college. He's been held out of contact drills this preseason. Can he handle the beating? He will also lose some touches, and more importantly touchdowns, to Kevin Faulk and Sammy Morris. Needs to run more North-South instead of dancing in the backfield.

Upside: Showed excellent skills in his 2006 action. Should receive at least 100 extra carries this season. The Patriots brought in plenty of new talent at WR to keep teams from stacking the box. Runs in another of the NFL's most dynamic offenses.