Committee Conundrum
Guest Column by Dan the Man Mattox
Committees aren't always bad, right? Lots of committees in politics. How about the prom committee? Someone has to make the call on the prom theme. "Enchantment Under the Sea," anyone? However, the dreaded backfield committee in the NFL is anything but a cheek-to-cheek slow dance with your sweetie (do kids still do that?). Fear not, wallflowers, here at HailMaryFootball we strive to help you put your best foot forward, get your groove on, and make some sense of this mashup that IS the committee backfield.
Philadelphia Eagles
Tuesday it was announced that Jay Ajayi, while playing through a broken back, could not power his way through a torn ACL. His relegation to Injured Reserve throws an already murky backfield straight into the mud. Barring any trades, Philly now has to choose from just-a-guy Wendell Smallwood, promising second year pro Corey Clement, undrafted rookie (but former Heisman contender) Josh Adams, and the ancient yet ageless Darren Sproles. As of this writing, Sproles has been ruled out, so where does that leave us? Clement has been declared 100% and Smallwood is coming off a nice game versus the Vikings, so who do we trust? The thought here is Clement. Anyone remember the Super Bowl? Clement excelled in the pass game, and is about ten pounds heavier than Smallwood. Expect the Eagles to go very pass heavy for the foreseeable future and rely on Clement to be the main beneficiary in this timeshare.
Detroit Lions
Kerryon, my wayward son. There will be peace when you are done. That's Kerryon Johnson to be clear, and it appears thanks to Matt Patricia there won't be peace when they are done. Anyone that has watched a quarter of Lions football this year can easily deduce that Johnson is CLEARLY the most talented back on the roster. It's actually not even close. Johnson is head and shoulders the best back in Detroit, if not in the entire division. Sadly, his three down talent is being wasted in Patricia's 8-8 system. So who do we choose from this mess? Well, it depends. If you are in a PPR format, then Theo Riddick is your guy (and yes, it physically hurt to write that). If you are in a 1993 style basic format, then the bloated, wannabe pugilist LeGarrette Blount is your guy. And if you want to take the long view, I recommend Johnson. I can't help but think superior talent will at some point prevail. If not, then Detroit can enjoy another campaign mired in mediocrity.
Houston Texans
Ok, so this isn't REALLY a timeshare situation, right? Lamar Miller, the poster child for mediocrity, is entrenched as the starter. Alfred Blue is well, Alfred Blue. The wild card here is D'Onta Foreman. The former third round pick from Texas has the size and speed to be a bell cow back. Coming back from a torn Achilles’ tendon is never a sure thing - especially for running backs - but he's young , the injury was almost a year ago, and the Texans are desperate for ANYONE to take the job from Miller. If you want a lottery ticket that may hit big, grab Foreman and stash him until he comes off IR.
Denver Broncos
Long gone are the days of Terrell Davis lugging the rock 25 times a game. For that matter long gone are the days of Gaston Greene, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Tatum Bell, and Reuben Droughns. Now we are saddled with the triumvirate of Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, and undrafted Phillip Lindsay. Out of this stampede of mediocrity a true stallion shall arise. The only problem is, who? Booker had high expectations last year before getting his shot at the job and promptly playing like a Shetland pony rather than a Bronco. Enter Freeman and Lindsay. Freeman was all the buzz of camp until the lightly regarded Lindsay up and stole the show, becoming an almost overnight sensation. However when taking the long view, let's look at the facts. Lindsay is 5'8 and 165 pounds. Let's be honest, he is the size of your high school English teacher, who was a woman. For all of Lindsay's considerable heart, at some point physics will prevail and he will be broken into itty bitty pieces. Freeman, on the other hand is a strapping 6'0, 229 pounds. Saddle Freeman up and be patient. His ample girth and comparable talent will win the day - or at worst, the coveted goal line role.
So there you have it: our attempt to un-muddy the waters of the muddiest of backfield situations. Remember, however, to always watch the injury report and the waiver wire, filter through the coach-speak, and definitely try to stay out of the mud!