Maurice Jones-Drew Wants to Silence Fantasy Gurus: Can he?

The past couple years, I’ve been very high on Jacksonville Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. This year, not quite the same story, but don’t fret, I’m not screaming bust.

It appears the hits the little man (or little tree trunk) has taken over the past couple seasons is catching up to him. During the offseason, he had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, an injury that doctors ruled as a bone on bone injury.

He claims he is pain free and running like he was in his first couple years in the league. He also states that he wants to “prove to fantasy gurus” that he is still an elite runner. Heck, he even went as far to say that he would draft himself with the number one overall pick if he got the chance. Yikes!

I, for one, scoff at the thought of nabbing with MJD with the top pick in the draft for a couple reasons.

1. There are many more safer options out there. Players recovering from injuries are always questionable. I believe him when he says he is fully healthy, but there is no way to be sure until the end of the season. I’m not worried about it affecting his play, but that he could get taken out and placed on IR at any point in time due to a huge hit. It’s evident he is very tough; he played through this injury all of last year before he shut himself down when the Jags had no shot at the playoffs.

2. His surrounding cast just got weaker. Mike Sims-Walker just flew the coop. David Garrard struggles to be an effective NFL QB the way it is. Don’t let the 90.8 QB rating fool you. He doesn’t throw for many yards and simply doesn’t move the chains enough. Now with really only Mike Thomas (a guy I love, but that’s beside the point) and Mercedes Lewis (who catches TDs, not yards: see Garrards 2010 TD total), there really really isn’t anyone else that will get open and get the ball.

I believe MJD will have yet another successful year, just that it’ll be in the position he is getting picked, around 8th.

Aside from the knee injury, many fantasy players panic due to the lack of points, so it seems, from MJD. The thing is, he is only suffering from not enough touchdowns disorder, a disorder sure to go away once the season starts.

Rashad Jennings will vulture away some scores still, but MJD will make a decent payday. The dude was on his way to the best rushing total of his career last year while playing with a bum knee before he shut it down. Don’t worry.

MJD won’t replicate the rushing total, mainly due to the defense stacking the box even more now and Jennings will get some more carries this year, but if you take him in the mid-late 1st round, don’t sweat it. You’ll be fine.

And one last thing. You have to love MJD’s sense of humor.

He told the Associated Press:

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I’m last on the depth chart right now. I was talking to all of the running backs, even those rookie free agents. I’m taking everybody’s job one day at a time.

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