NFL Preseason 2010: Top RB Battles

The NFL preseason is famous for creating two types of stories.

Injuries and position battles.

While a key injury in the preseason can devastate a team's chances of competing for a title, position battles often result in the drastic improvement of a team.

Two or more players duke it out for a starting spot, and the one who is most impressive gets the job.  A meritocracy at its finest.

The position of running back seems to attract such battles.  The combination of its high profile nature and the short shelf life of running backs results in the RB1 slot being in constant flux for NFL teams.

Almost all the elite running backs in the NFL had to battle for their starting spot.  Chris Johnson was once locked in a timeshare with LenDale White.  Maurice Jones-Drew had to earn his starting spot from veteran Fred Taylor before he became a star.

For younger players, position battles are the best way for them to show their true talent.  For veterans, it's often the only way to hang on.

So what are the best running back position battles in this preseason?  Let's take a look at the fiercest competitions in 2010.

Kansas City: Jamaal Charles vs. Thomas Jones

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RIVER FALLS, WI - AUGUST 10: Quarterback Casey Printers #7 of the Kansas City Chiefs waits for the snap during a 2006 Training Camp afternoon practice session on August 10, 2006 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in River Falls, Wisconsin. (Photo

Jamaal Charles was arguably the best running back in the NFL over the last season's final four weeks.

Charles averaged 164.5 yards per game, scored four TDs, and averaged a whopping seven yards per carry.

With numbers like that, Charles would seem to be a shoo-in for the RB1 spot on the depth chart.

Not in Kansas City.

Apparently uncertain of Charles' ability to flourish as the sole featured back in an offense, the Chiefs signed former Jets running back Thomas Jones in the offseason.

Jones was 3rd in the NFL in total yards rushing last season.  Despite the fact that he turns 32 on August 19th, he appears to have gas left in the tank.

Coach Todd Haley and the Chiefs certainly seem convinced.

Many observers felt there was no way the veteran Jones would be able to compete with Charles for the RB1 slot.  But on the first depth chart released by the team, there was Jones on top.

Haley famously placed Dwayne Bowe far down the depth chart in preseason last year, only to jump him back up to the first team once the season began.  So this could just be a motivational technique.

Or, it could mean a legitimate competition.  Jones is certainly no scrub.

Charles was by far the more impressive back in the Chiefs' first preseason game, as he had four carries for 37 yards, as opposed to Jones' two carries for two yards.

This battle could go back and forth throughout camp.

Houston: Arian Foster vs. Steve Slaton

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HOUSTON - JULY 31: Running back Arian Foster #37 of the Houston Texans rushes with the ball during practice on July 31, 2009 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Before Saturday, this was a three-way battle. 

However, rookie Ben Tate's ankle injury has turned this running back competition into a head-to-head conflict between Steve Slaton and Arian Foster.

Slaton has the experience advantage. In his rookie season, he rushed for an impressive 1282 yards and 9 touchdowns.

However, his 2009 was an unmitigated disaster.

Slaton averaged a pathetic 3.3 yards per carry, and fumbled five times, essentially forfeiting his starting job by the end of the season.

His main competition is Arian Foster, a second year pro out of Tennessee.

Foster spent most of 2009 on the Houston practice squad, but finished the year as the starting running back, rushing for 216 yards and three touchdowns in Houston's final two games.

So far, Foster has been the more impressive back, both in camp and in preseason.

In their preseason opener, Foster rushed four times for 31 yards. 

Slaton, on the other hand, rushed 10 times for only 22 times, and fumbled once in the red zone.

Foster appears to be the clear frontrunner for the RB1 spot.  But don't completely count out Slaton, as he has shown top-flight talent before and could easily improve.

Chicago: Matt Forte vs. Chester Taylor

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BOURBONNAIS, IL - JULY 30: Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears catches a pass during a summer training camp practice at Olivet Nazarene University on July 30, 2010 in Bourbonnais, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Like Slaton, Matt Forte entered 2009 as the unquestioned starting running back for his team.  And like Slaton, he proved to be a huge disappointment.

After a very solid rookie season, Forte averaged only 3.6 yards per carry, and only had two 100 yards game, both coming against Detroit.  He battled lingering injuries as well.

As a result, Chicago brought in competition for Forte in the offseason.

Chester Taylor, who has backed up both Jamal Lewis and Adrian Peterson in his career, has been given the opportunity to pass Forte on the depth chart.

With Mike Martz now running the offense in Chicago, there is a need for a dual-threat running back who can catch as well as he can run.

Both Forte and Taylor will look to fill the Marshall Faulk role in Martz's high-powered offense.

So far, reports from Bears training camp have been very positive with regards to Forte.  Supposedly Forte has regained the burst of his rookie year now that he is healthy.

As for Taylor, he has looked decent, but is being outplayed by Forte on the practice field.

However, neither were particularly impressive in the preseason opener versus San Diego.  Taylor had six carries for 10 yards, while Forte rushed four times for seven yards.

This battle is still close, although Forte would appear to have the slight edge.

Oakland: Michael Bush vs. Darren McFadden

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OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 13: Michael Bush #29 of the Oakland Raiders stands on the field during their game against the Washington Redskins at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 13, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This battle is a classic example of hype versus performance.

Darren McFadden is the big name.  Once the best running back in college football while at Arkansas, success has not followed him to the NFL.

McFadden has averaged a mediocre 3.9 yards per carry through his career, and has dealt with assorted injuries.

On the other hand, the less hyped Michael Bush has been a superior running back for the past two seasons. 

Bush has not been a starting running back since suffering a broken leg in his senior season at Louisville.  Before the injury, Bush was considered one of the best RBs in college football.  But it has been an uphill climb ever since.

Now, for the first time, Bush has a legitimate chance of seizing the starting job in Oakland.

Currently, McFadden is dealing with a hamstring injury that has held him out of practice and preseason games.

While McFadden recuperates, Bush is taking advantage.  He rushed seven times for 31 yards in Oakland's preseason opener, and has supposedly been very impressive in camp.

For now, Bush has the job.  But when McFadden returns from injury, the Raiders will likely give him every chance to win the starting job.

It remains to be seen whether Oakland will be unduly influenced by his massive contract and give him the job over the more deserving Bush.

Washington: Clinton Portis vs. Larry Johnson vs. Willie Parker

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ASHBURN, VA - JULY 29: Running back Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball during drills on the first day of training camp July 29, 2010 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Call it "The Battle of the Former 1st Round Fantasy Football Picks."

Clinton Portis has been the starting running back in Washington for the last six seasons.  However, he dealt with concussion problems in 2009 and Washington has felt the need to bring in competition for the spot.

The average age of Portis, Johnson, and Parker is 29, so all are likely past their respective primes.

But one of these old-timers will have to win the job in Washington, a team with high hopes after the trade for Donovan McNabb.

Coach Mike Shanahan has employed an interesting strategy to fairly evaluate these running backs.

In their first preseason game against Buffalo, he used Portis with the first-team offense, and played neither Johnson nor Parker. 

This week, Shanahan will start Johnson.  Then, he will likely start Parker.  This will ensure that neither puts up poor numbers with a makeshift offensive line, or stellar numbers against defenses filled with backups.

So far, none of the three have really stood out in camp, but most league observers seem to believe that Portis will enter the regular season as the starter.  This is more pure guesswork on the part of the media, however, and the RB1 spot is still completely up-for-grabs.

There also is a strong probability that the running back that finishes last in this competition could be cut, as Mike Shanahan is reportedly a big fan of #4 RB Ryan Torain, who he drafted while at Denver.

This adds yet another element to an already intriguing battle.