Readers talk MVP, the No. 1 pick, a surprise HOF pick

	Tiki Barber leads the NFL with 1,998 yards from scrimmage -- 1,577 yards rushing and 421 yards receiving. Nick Laham/Getty Images
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	MAILBAG Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

ABOARD THE AMTRAK ACELA BETWEEN BALTIMORE AND WILMINGTON -- I like to plug the Acela whenever possible.

Yes, I took in the Ravens-Packers last night from the stands. No, I did not stay until the end. Quite frankly, Stephen A., I did not stay 'til the fourth quarter.

I have one of those digital thermometers on my parka. It read 21.9 degrees at 8:15 p.m. I'm just guessing it didn't get any warmer after that.

Interesting question in the wake of Kyle Boller playing the best game of his career: Do the Ravens now re-think Boller as their QB of the future with two more good games down the stretch. Tough call.

Now to the mail. This, I think, is the greatest mailbag week in memory. Diverse topics, lots of opinions, smart e-mails. Thanks for making my job a gigantic piece of cake.

TIKI FOR MVP. From Mike Young of Fredericksburg, Va.: "You ask who should be MVP and I have an answer: Tiki Barber. I am a Steelers fan and don't care for the Giants, but if MVP is an alloy of individual accomplishment and team success, Tiki is it. He has been huge all year, especially when he has had to be.''

Great point. He's on my list of five finalists, Mike. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Shaun Alexander, Barber and ...

ANOTHER COUNTRY HEARD FROM. From Matt Masterson of Cincinnati: "Carson Palmer for MVP! He has resurrected a city's passion for football!''

Can't argue with you, Matt. If Palmer wins, I'd applaud.

RUNNING BACKS ARE MYSTERIOUS. From Chris of Denver: "You made some great points about running backs Monday when you said, 'I think I get this question on talk shows almost weekly: So why can't Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James get paid? The answer is easy: Adrian Peterson and Samkon Gado. You can find good -- and inexpensive -- backs down the line in drafts. And there's no position that's easier to plug a new guy into. The shelf life of a running back is short. Why spend a first-round pick, plus $7 million a year, on a guy whose expiration date might be two or three years down the road?' If all that's true, then why is Reggie Bush considered the lock No. 1 pick?''

That is a tremendous question. Fabulous. The answer is two-fold: One, because I'm not a GM. General managers look at players like Bush and think how rare he is, and rightfully so. He's going to be a great player in the NFL -- probably by next year. And the reason, too, is that if you're San Francisco, and you just drafted a guy last year whom you see as your franchise quarterback, who are you going to take this time around? Matt Leinart? No. A potentially very good offensive tackle, like D'Brickashaw Ferguson? Maybe. (That's probably who I'd take, for longevity's sake, if I believed he would be a very good left tackle for a long time.) Or Bush. He gets the fans excited, gets the team excited and gives you a weapon few other teams have right away. But he's not an every-down back -- at least he's never been one, which worries me. I think he's carried it 20 times or more three times in his career. Anyway, it makes for an interesting debate. I'd trade down if I could get three or four fairly high picks in the first few rounds. We've got four months to gab about the first pick and I suspect we'll be doing a lot of it.