NFL Rumors: 11 Backup Players from 2011 Who Could Start in 2012

No player in the NFL wants to be a backup. All of them want to start. It is a cutthroat business, though, and starting spots are tough to earn.

I'm hearing rumors about certain players who were backups in 2011 and are expected to start in 2012 as they work their way up the ladder to become elite players in the NFL.

Some of these men were major contributors as role players last year, and some never got the chance to show their chops. All of them will have an opportunity to forge a reputation as a mainstay for their respective teams this season.

Let's take a look at the list, shall we?

Rashad Butler and Antoine Caldwell, Offensive Line, Houston Texans

The Texans lost Eric Winston to the Kansas City Chiefs after letting him go due to salary-cap difficulties. It's going to be tough to replace him, as Winston is one of the league's best linemen. 

They also lost guard Mike Brisiel to the Oakland Raiders via free agency, leaving another vacant spot on the right side of their offensive line.

Enter Rashad Butler and Antoine Caldwell.

Per the Chicago Tribune, the two of them are set to try to fill the rather massive holes on that line.

"

It's a great opportunity, Caldwell said. You've got to be prepared every season to be the guy. I'm happy for Mike, and I congratulate him, but now it's my time. For Rashad and me, it's on us now to make sure there's no dropoff in the line. We've got to prove that we're up to the task, and I definitely think we are.

"

For the sake of Matt Schaub, I hope they are ready, too.

Shane Vereen or Stevan Ridley, RB, New England Patriots

No BenJarvus Green-Ellis? No problem.

According to ESPN, either Shane Vereen or Stevan Ridley will take over as the full-time starter in place of Mr. Reliable.

They also signed Joseph Addai as insurance, but he won't be starting over either of these two young up-and-comers.

The Patriots seem to always have an answer for losing veterans. Bill Belichick is a genius at keeping his roster stocked, and I'm betting on both Vereen and Ridley making big contributions to the Patriots offense in 2012 as long as they're healthy.

My preference is Vereen due to his speed and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, but I'm not the man in charge. It's going to be a tough battle in camp, that's for sure.

Reggie Smith, Safety, Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers needed help in their secondary, and they nabbed a pretty good player in Reggie Smith to get things going in the right direction.

Per Panthers.com:

"

Reggie has been on our radar since the beginning of free agency and is a player we think can come in and compete at safety, Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. We brought him in for a visit Tuesday, and it worked out. He is another player we've added to increase the competition.

"

Smith didn't see much starting time with the 49ers. He did start seven games in 2010 at strong safety, but the 49ers had too much depth for him to emerge. 

As a 49ers fan, I can tell you that Smith has all the tools you look for in a strong safety. He can tackle, he can cover ground in a hurry and he has a knack for being around the ball.

He is a bit undisciplined, but he'll get ample opportunity to earn the starting role with a strong camp and preseason.

Paul Kruger, OLB, Baltimore Ravens

Paul Kruger isn't a scrub. He is an effective all-around outside linebacker who just so happened to play behind Terrell Suggs. Now that Suggs is out with a snapped Achilles tendon, Kruger will get his opportunity to shine.

ESPN.com is projecting Kruger to start in place of Suggs until he's recovered.

While Suggs stoically asserts he'll be ready to play sometime in 2012, the average recovery time for NFL players with the same injury is approximately nine months (h/t brooklynfootdoc.com), likely putting Suggs out of the entire season.

Kruger will have a career year—provided he stays healthy—playing opposite of rookie Courtney Upshaw. The Ravens—like the Steelers and Patriots—are the best in the NFL at drafting wisely, and they will be just fine this year without Suggs as a result.

Junior Galette, DE, New Orleans Saints

Per CBSSports.com, Junior Galette will likely earn the chance to take over for Will Smith as he sits out the first four games this season due to his "bountygate" suspension.

They report that Turk McBride is also a possibility, but Galette should win that spot in my mind. He has a ton of upside, and the Saints need a true pass-rushing presence on the outside.

Galette won't just have an opportunity to start opposite Cam Jordan while Smith sits out, either. He will have the chance to take Jordan's job away from him and play opposite Smith once he's back from his suspension. 

Jordan was underwhelming as a pass-rusher during his rookie campaign. He is a decent run-stuffer and he holds the edge just fine, but the Saints need someone more dynamic at that position. 

I expect Galette to challenge his spot and become a full-time starter in 2012.

Chris Culliver, CB, San Francisco 49ers

Per MercuryNews.com, Chris Culliver was expected to be a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft by NFL.com guru Mike Mayock. It was a big surprise to most people when Trent Baalke took him in the third round with the No. 80 overall pick. 

Nobody's questioning that decision today. 

Per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, the 49ers are expecting Culliver to be ready to step into the starting cornerback slot opposite Carlos Rogers in 2012. 

I love this kid.

He is fast enough to hang with just about any receiver, and he has a knack for staying right in their hip pocket while he's doing it. He is thriving within Vic Fangio's player-friendly scheme, and I can't wait to see how he develops going forward.

Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams cleaned house this offseason, unloading veterans in order to get younger players who'll work for less money. One of the players they let go was defensive end James Hall. 

This seems to leave the door wide open for Robert Quinn to take over that spot opposite Chris Long—the most underrated defensive lineman in the NFL now that everyone knows about Justin Smith.

CBSSports.com shares my theory, but Quinn isn't taking anything for granted: “It's not going to change the way I work,” he said. “That spot is never guaranteed, so you have to continue to work hard.”

With an attitude like that combined with his raw abilities, Quinn should easily win that open spot. 

Don't look now. The Rams are quietly starting to look like a decent football team again.

Davon House, CB, Green Bay Packers

Since the Green Bay Packers decided to let Nick Collins go due to his neck problems, Charles Woodson has come out and publicly said he's willing to play safety as long as the cornerback situation is settled (h/t ESPN.com). 

The Packers drafted cornerback Casey Hayward out of Vandy in the second round this year, but according to Chippewa.com, Davon House is in the running to take over as one of the starters.

House has the physical skill-set to become a shutdown corner in the NFL. He is a big, physical guy at 6'1" and 200 pounds, but he is quick and agile—a deadly combination with his size.

His best asset is as a press-corner, which is perfect for what the Packers like to do with their defensive scheme. I expect to see House win one of the starting positions in 2012.

Jimmy Smith, CB, Baltimore Ravens

Rotoworld.com is reporting that Jimmy Smith will likely overtake Cary Williams on the Baltimore Ravens' depth chart. 

Smith has the game to become another excellent piece for a Ravens defensive unit that puts the fear of God into their opponents.

Like Davon House, Smith is a big corner, at 6'2" and 205 pounds. He also possesses blazing speed and loves to play a physical brand of football that drives receivers crazy.

Smith will need to continue staying out of trouble if he hopes to realize his full potential. Remember, he was a player with a ton of red flags going into the 2011 NFL draft due to his various legal issues and three failed drug tests at Colorado (h/t Carroll County Times).

Let's hope he continues to stay on the right path. 

Bruce Carter, MLB, Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones says he dreams of having a duo at the middle linebacker position comparable to the one they have in San Francisco, according to the Star-Telegram.com.

His vision is to see Sean Lee playing next to Bruce Carter.

Jason Garrett seems to be on board with the notion, too. He spoke to the Star-Telegram.com:

"

We just felt like he was too good a player to pass up at that point, and we understood, our eyes were very wide open as to what his year was going to look like: He was going to start on PUP, we felt we were going to get a chance to see him late in the year as a teams guy. That’s what he’s been. And now in Year 2, he’d be competing for a starting spot. So his chronology is exactly what we thought it would be a year ago today.

"

Carter is a gifted athlete that has the tools to become the player Jones envisions. We're going to get a chance to see if he can put the whole package together this summer.

If he does pan out the way Jones hopes he will, the Cowboys will have a ridiculously tough defense for opposing offenses to deal with, considering their big-time upgrades in the secondary. 

Aldon Smith, OLB, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers had a scary-good defense in 2011, and now they're adding two new starters who used to be their backups. They're going to have opposing offenses saying this all year long.

Aldon Smith nearly broke the NFL sack record when he ended the season with 14. The scariest part about that equation is that he played just under half the 49ers' defensive snaps in 2011 (h/t ESPN.com).

Per the Sacramento Bee, Trent Baalke responded to the question of whether Smith would be starting in 2012 with, "Yeah, I think that's safe to say, yes."

Smith is an athletic freak who will only get stronger and thicker as he gets older and his body matures. He has the potential to become one of the game's truly dominant players in the years to come.

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