(Photo by: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Running backs in the NFL not only have a short shelf life but some say they are a dime a dozen. These statements may be true some of the time and for some backs but a true franchise type back can carry an entire offense. Think of them as the engine of the offense, the QB may drive but the running back makes the offense go.
The running game is greatly aided by a good offensive line, but certain backs can get by without the help (see Barry Sanders). Nonetheless an offense will never reach its peak potential without a high caliber running back, just ask former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan if he ever regretted trading away Clinton Portis.
The St. Louis Rams have the type of back in Steven Jackson that every team in the league would love to have, he’s big, physical, and explosive even showing the ability to be a game changer in the passing game. Unfortunately they haven’t had much success since the '06 season; let’s see how the numbers break down.
The team rushing stats will be in order from 06’-08’ with their NFL rank in parenthesis.
Total Rushing Yards: 1805 (17), -278 = 1527 (25), +122 = 1649 (25)
Rushing Average Per Attempt: 4.3 (8/18), -0.5 = 3.8 (9/13), +0.2 = 4.0 (7/15)
Total Yards Per Game: 112.8 (17), -17.4 = 95.4 (25), +7.7 = 103.1 (25)
Touchdowns: 13 (10/17), -8 = 5 (15/15), +3 = 8 (17/18)
Lost Fumbles: 8 (5/13), 8 (5/14), +4 = 12 (10/13)
With that being said, let’s break down the candidates for the St. Louis Rams running back depth chart.
Projected Starter (Steven Jackson) – Another position and another Hall of Famer, Marshall Faulk replaced. 2006 was Jackson’s first full season without Faulk being on the field and he definitely staked his claim to the starting job.
That season he made the Cowboys second guess their draft strategy, and eased fans worries about losing Faulk. But similar to Bulger, Jackson has since missed nine starts over the last two seasons and various parts of other games.
Jackson has all the tools to be an elite back in the NFL, but with this trend of missing games he has been dubbed “injury prone.” I will give him a little break though in the fact that the team around him has aged, poor management decisions, and too many wasted draft picks have contributed to the team’s downfall.
He is the team's only offensive weapon but the line has been horrible and injury prone the last two seasons which is a recipe for disaster. He has no real threat from any of the backups to take his job.
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