Andy Richardson
It's a little early to draw any conclusions on position battles around the league, with the draft yet to come and trades and free agent moves not yet over. It's not too early, however, to think about them. Here's a quick look at the position battles for next season I'm already thinking about.
Denver RBs: The popular belief is that the Broncos will go with a committee at the position, a belief strengthened by the team adding mediocre players like Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington to some mediocre or unproven incumbents. Still, if a guy like Ryan Torain steps it up in the preseason, are Buckhalter or Arrington really going to keep him out of the lineup? Just because the Broncos have been maddening in recent years at the position doesn't mean they will be with McDaniels running the show. After the way he's mucked up their QB situation, you'd think he might want to find one runner, give him the ball, and not have to worry about it.
Dallas RBs: Can the Cowboys really afford to leave Tashard Choice on the bench after the way he played down the stretch? Can Marion Barber stay healthy? Will Felix Jones make a Reggie Bush-like impact out of the backfield in a point-per-reception format? Somebody's got to catch passes with Terrell Owens gone and me not buying the happy talk about Roy Williams and Sam Hurd. Definitely a situation to keep an eye on in the preseason.
Jets QBs: The local scuttlebutt is that the Jets are more likely to draft a quarterback early than make a play for someone like Derek Anderson. (Now that I've said that, they'll probably acquire Anderson tomorrow.) If they do use the 17th overall pick on a quarterback, that player would probably at have a 1 in 3 chance to lead a team with a run-based offense and quality defense. That's not exactly fantasy gold, but in dynasty leagues where starting quarterbacks are tough to come by, there's some value to be had from landing the next Joe Flacco (if not Matt Ryan). For some reason the Jets haven't yet been connected to Jay Cutler; you'd think they might be after the way he torched them at the Meadowland last year.
Jacksonville WRs: It's laughable. Jacksonville's wideouts right now (after releasing Matt Jones) are as follows: Troy Williamson, who can't catch; Dennis Northcutt, who's Dennis Northcutt; a couple of practice squad guys; and Mike Walker. I'm very interested in the talented Walker, and also whoever the Jaguars draft, because they're certainly going to take somebody.
Giants WRs: Will this be the breakout year for the other Steve Smith? Plaxico Burress can best be described as an unknown, Amani Toomer is gone, Domenik Hixon is erratic. The opportunity is there for Smith to make a major impact.
Baltimore RBs: Hear me out. Are the Ravens really certain that former fullback LeRon McClain is the guy to hitch their running game to? Maybe I just want to believe in Ray Rice because I drafted him in my dynasty league last year, but the Ravens took him in the second round and he did play well as both a runner and receiver when given the opportunity. And what about Willis McGahee? If McClain is overvalued, which is my current guess, then somebody is going to be undervalued in this backfield next season.
There are plenty of even more unknown situations out there. Tennessee wideouts apart from Justin Gage? If the Titans' defense slips, the wide receivers might have to do more. And who steps into the receiving void in St. Louis? Somebody has to. I know it's early, but what can I say. I like to think about this stuff too soon rather than too late.
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