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Running backs making their move

Ricky Williams should flourish in Miami's revamped offense. Craig Jones/Getty Images

By Bob Harris, Special to CNNSI.com

This year's free agent signing period continues to roll along at a brisk pace. But the fact it began on March 1 means some of the most important moves of the year have already taken place.

So, I’m using this month’s columns to focus on some of those moves. This week, we'll review the latest developments among the league's running backs.

Warrick Dunn -- Signed w/Falcons on 3/15; 6-yrs; $24M ($6M SB)
The Falcons raised more than a few eyebrows last week by making Dunn one of the NFL's highest paid running backs and -- according to Dunn's representatives -- promising the diminutive speedster 20 touches per game.

Of course, the general consensus among league insiders says the 5-8, 180-pound Dunn isn't capable of carrying an entire offense at this level, which is understandable. The fact is Dunn only averaged 14.1 rushes and 17.8 touches during his five-year stint with Tampa Bay. And if the Falcons actually make good on that 20-touch per game promise, it will be the heaviest workload the former first-round draft pick has handled as a pro.

There are also those who believe one of Dunn's primary strengths -- his ability to work as a receiver out of the backfield -- will be wasted in Atlanta. That contention is based on the following: Since he first became a head coach in 1981, the top-receiving back working under Dan Reeves has averaged only 40.5 catches per season. Dunn had a career-best 68 catches in 2001. The most receptions ever for a running back under Reeves was 64 by Gerald Willhite of Denver in 1986.

And what about Jamal Anderson, who appears to be on schedule to recover fully from a second major knee surgery in three years? Anybody who believes the big fella is ready to take a back seat to a newcomer has another thing coming.

"The first thing Monday, I'm going to be there, right on the doorstep," Anderson said when contacted by ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli shortly after Dunn's signing became official. "I've got a lot of tough questions. And I'm going to be interested in their answers. Someone will have to answer to 'Jam,' believe me.

"I want to see what their plans are. They're the ones who have to come up with a way to make it work. To have two big-salary runners on the same team. ... Well, history shows, at least for as long as I've been in the league, that it doesn't work. My attitude is that I'm going to keep 'rehabbing' and show up and be ready to get the ball. Look, I don't want to get 410 carries [the record-setting number of handoffs he took in 1998], but I don't want just 10 carries a game, either. I keep reading where they've promised Warrick 20 'touches' a game. That's very interesting if they're really guaranteeing him carries. But you do the math."

And what about Dunn?

Why would a guy who basically fled Tampa Bay because he was tired of sharing the workload with Mike Alstott, agree to sign on with Atlanta, where Reeves is already talking about lining up Anderson and Dunn in two-back sets? Especially after new Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden told reporters upon arrival at team headquarters Dunn would play an integral role in the Buccaneers offense this season.

"I try to find a way to get an edge and Warrick Dunn is an edge," Gruden explained. "He's a guy that can make plays, be creative; a guy who plays in a lot of different spots.

"As a receiver, you can motion him out of the backfield. As a return man, he can handle it inside in congested areas. He's got breakaway speed. He's got all the criteria that any offensive coach is looking for, and I just look forward to meeting him and working something out."

Gruden believes he could have lined up Dunn at any of three or four spots on the field and get good production from him. Although Dunn wasn't necessarily sure of his role on the team.

In fact, Gruden did a similar move in Oakland last season, replacing 240-pound halfback Tyrone Wheatley, the Raiders leading rusher in 2000, with Charlie Garner -- a 190-pounder, who boasts many of the same skills Dunn brings to the table. If that wasn't enough to erase any doubts Dunn might have had concerning his role under Gruden, you'd think the fact that Alstott went on the trading block shortly after the coach was hired might do the trick.

Maybe Dunn was so busy counting all of the zeroes at the end of his paycheck that he didn't hear Reeves tell reporters he envisions lining up Anderson and Dunn in two-back sets on a fairly regular basis this year?

Or maybe Reeves came through loud and clear, but all those zeroes convinced Dunn that sharing carries wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Whatever the case might be, the question now becomes this: Is Dunn capable of playing productively and consistently enough for Fantasy owners to rank him among the rest of the league's high-end feature backs?

With all due respect to the above-mentioned "consensus of observers" saying that's not the case, I think Dunn is definitely a player worth watching -- as long as he gets his promised 20 touches.

Dunn is not only more durable than he's generally given credit for, given his unique -- and for the most part untapped -- talents, he might also be one of the league's most electrifying ball carriers. I think he demonstrated both of those qualities during the 2000 season by appearing in all 16 regular season games -- 14 of them as a starter -- and racking up 1,133 rushing yards on 248 carries. He finished the season with 1,555 total yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns. Eight of his TDs -- including a 70-yarder -- came on runs.

None of which comes as a surprise to anybody who followed Dunn's college career.

As a three-time first-team All-ACC performer, Dunn became the first back in Florida State history to record three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He left school as the Seminoles' career leader in rushing yards (3,959); and his 6.9 yard per carry career average not only set a Seminole record, it was the top mark by a NCAA Division 1-A player with a minimum of 300 carries in 50 years.

Whatever side of the fence you sit on, I think we can all agree on one thing: With a starting lineup that includes Dunn at halfback and Michael Vick under center, the Falcons are a wide receiver away from fielding one of the most exciting offenses in the NFL. Garrison Hearst -- Re-signed w/49ers on 3/13; 6-yrs; $20M ($3M SB)
Team officials in San Francisco told fans to rest easy last Wednesday when they announced that Hearst had agreed to a six-year, $20 million contract that should keep him in a Niner uniform for the rest of his career. Hearst, is coming off a remarkable season in which he won the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year and his second career Pro Bowl nomination. The deal, which reportedly includes a $3 million signing bonus, will pay $6 million over the first two years and $9 million over the first three.

"I consider myself a 49er and this means I'll probably finish my career there, which is a great thing," Hearst said Wednesday. "The team supported me through some tough times. They've been very good to me and I'm thrilled to be able to stay."

The former Georgia star became an unrestricted free agent on March 1 after rushing for 1,206 yards and four touchdowns on 252 carries last season. He also caught 41 passes for 347 yards and one touchdown.

Hearst set a team record in 1998 by rushing for 1,570 yards and seven touchdowns before suffering what many thought was a career-ending ankle injury in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Atlanta in January 1999.

The 49ers could have simply released Hearst during his two-year recovery from that injury, but they chose to stick by -- and continue to pay -- him instead. The former first-round draft pick returned the favor last summer by restructuring his contract to help the team save money against the salary cap.

Not surprisingly, Hearst quickly emerged as a one of the more popular free-agent prospects on the market with a handful of teams -- including Cleveland, Atlanta and Oakland -- expressing interest in securing his services over the last two weeks. In fact, his representative, Pat Dye, opened preliminary contract negotiations with the Falcons last week. However, Dye admitted San Francisco was his client's first choice all along.

"I think Garrison is comfortable with the San Francisco organization, the coaching staff and the scheme," Dye said shortly after the deal was announced. "There was a certainty about it all. He knows what he has there.

"There is no doubt that loyalty was an element here, and it was tempered by the fact that he knew this is the last contract he's going to sign. Everything about San Francisco has been a good association. There were just a lot of positives there."

Niners' general manager Terry Donahue clearly agreed with that sentiment, saying, “We are ecstatic to have this done. [Vice president/director of football operations] John McVay and [salary cap coordinator] Dominic Corsell just did a fantastic job in working with Garrison and [Dye].

“We all know what [Hearst] has been through over the past few years and for him to come back the way he did is a testament to his character. He brings a wealth of talent and leadership to this organization and we are pleased to have him back with us.”

Fantasy owners should remember, however, that Hearst, who earned approximately $2.5 million after triggering a handful of incentives in 2001, will continue to platoon with second-year tailback Kevan Barlow in 2002.

One other note on the Niners, Hearst's signing came less than a week after the team reached an agreement with another of their unrestricted free agents -- fullback Fred Beasley.

Beasley, the team's starting fullback the past three seasons, agreed to a four-year contract worth $6.1 million. The deal included a signing bonus of $1.4 million.

A sixth-round choice in the 1998 draft, Beasley has become of the league's premier lead blockers and fits the mold of the prototype fullback in today's game. He has carried just 131 times for 496 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons and has 80 catches for 625 yards and three scores. But he has cleared the way for Hearst and, before that, for Charlie Garner.

Beasley has appeared in 59 games and started 38 of them.

Antowain Smith -- Re-signed w/Patriots on 3/1; 5-yrs; $21M ($5M SB)
Smith was rewarded for reviving the Patriots' rushing attack in 2001 on March 1, when he agreed to a new five-year deal with the Patriots worth a reported $21 million, including a $5 million bonus.

In his first season as a Patriot Smith ran for 1,157 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was the first 1,000-yard runner for the Patriots since Robert Edwards in 1998.

While the 30-year old Smith is getting a bit long in the tooth by NFL standards, he didn't enter the league until he was 25 and has only played nine years of organized football. In fact, Smith only played one year of high school football and then spent three years working in Prattville, Ala. before enrolling at Eastern Mississippi Junior College at age 22. He followed that up with two years at the University of Houston before entering the NFL as a first-round draft pick in 1997.

After running for a combined total of nearly 2,000 yards in his first two seasons in Buffalo, Smith was phased out of the mix in 1999 when the team shifted to a spread offense that wasn't well-suited for him. He ran for just 968 yards on 266 combined carries while working primarily as a backup the next two seasons.

It all boils down to this: Smith hasn't taken anywhere near the pounding of other running backs his age.

I'd say he more than proved both his worth and his durability last season by providing New England with the kind of consistent rushing attack it hasn't enjoyed since Curtis Martin left for the Jets prior to the '98 season. And of course, his running was a key element in the team's drive to its first Super Bowl title.

Along the way, Smith demonstrated a surprising knack for breaking off long runs -- especially for a man of his size (6-2, 230 pounds). He wound up either altering or sealing the outcome of several games last season with long gainers, often busting loose after it looked like he'd been stopped. He did it in Foxboro against the Colts; he did it in New York against the Jets; he also did it in both games against his former team, the Bills. And Smith got the Pats off on the right foot against New Orleans by taking a screen pass the distance on the second play from scrimmage in a rout at Foxboro.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of Smith's performance -- and certainly the most interesting from a Fantasy perspective -- was the fact he continued to produce solid totals on a consistent basis over the final month of the season despite playing through a series of minor leg injuries that left him at something slightly less than full speed.

James Allen -- Signed w/Texans on 3/15; 1-yr; $800K ($200K SB)
Already boasting a tough, experienced offensive line anchored by potential Hall of Fame candidate Tony Boselli at left tackle, the Texans added an equally experienced tailback to run behind them last Friday by adding unrestricted free agent James Allen to a one-year contract worth $800,000 -- including a $200,000 signing bonus.

Allen immediately becomes the odds-on favorite to open the year as Houston's first starting halfback.

According to Houston GM Charley Casserly, “Running back was one of the areas we wanted to address in free agency, and James Allen was our top choice at the position."

A four-year veteran, Allen racked up 1,120 rushing yards while starting 15 games for the Bears in 2000. In fact, many observers were convinced that performance that year was enough to lock him in as Chicago's "Tailback of the Future."

Unfortunately, Allen wasn't able to hold that distinction beyond draft day last April when the Bears used their second-round pick to select tailback Anthony Thomas of Michigan.

Although he saw at least some action in all 16 regular season games last year, Allen only started seven of those contests -- rushing for a total of 469 yards -- before giving way to the younger, bigger and more powerful Thomas.

Nonetheless, we're talking about a versatile, hard-running tailback who will play for a team without many options at the position. And to his credit, Allen -- who is tough enough to run between the tackles and quick enough to turn the corner -- has proven to be more than willing to do whatever his coaches have asked of him in the past.

William Henderson -- Re-signed w/Packers on 3/1; 4-yrs; terms not disclosed
While his name isn't likely to come up during most Fantasy drafts, the Packers did owners with Ahman Green a huge favor by re-signing Henderson. A superior blocker and -- at 6-1 and 253 pounds -- a physically imposing player, Henderson has led the way for more 1,000-yard rushing seasons -- two by Green and two by Dorsey Levens -- than any starting fullback in the NFC since 1997.

Beyond that, the former third-round draft pick has a grand total of 15 carries, 86 catches and one touchdown over the last three seasons.

Harold Morrow -- Re-signed w/Vikings on 2/28; terms not disclosed
Although he's likely to open 2002 season as Minnesota's starting fullback -- as long as new head coach Mike Tice makes good on plans to move Jim Keinsasser from fullback to tight end, Morrow's primary role will be that of blocker -- a job he does well.

Rabih Abdullah -- Signed w/Bears on 3/6; 4-yrs; terms not disclosed
The chances of Abdullah -- a special teams whiz who only carried the ball 11 times for 40 yards last season -- emerging as a legitimate Fantasy prospect lie somewhere very near the none side of slim and none.

Joe Montgomery -- Signed w/Panthers on 3/1; terms not disclosed
The Panthers decided to assume the final year of Montgomery's contract -- worth the league minimum of $375,000 -- after he was released by the Giants in a cap-related move early this month.

Although he showed flashes of talent during a rookie season in which he picked up 348 yards on 115 carries, the 5-foot-10, 230-pound Montgomery has spent the majority of his pro career living up to the reputation he earned during his days at Ohio State, where teammates dubbed him "Sideline Joe."

It's worth noting, however, that some team officials in New York still believe a healthy Montgomery is capable of making an impact at this level. In fact, the Pro Sports Xchange recently quoted a Giants' front-office employee as saying, "He just can't seem to stay healthy, but when he is right, he might be the best running back on the team. He's faster than Ron Dayne, stronger than Tiki Barber."

I'm not saying it's worth getting incredibly excited about, but given the sad state of Carolina's rushing attack last season -- along with the recent release of Tim Biakabutuka -- Montgomery could very easily wind up with a featured role with the Panthers.

Other notes of interest. ...

Ricky Williams Traded To Miami.
What's not to like about this deal?

Well, that probably depends on whether you're a Dolphins or Saints fan.

I come down on the side that says Miami and Williams will ultimately come out on top of this one.

Following a 2001 season in which the Dolphins ranked 23rd in the league in rushing offense, head coach Dave Wannstedt laid the groundwork necessary to rectify that weakness early last month when he hired longtime buddy Norv Turner to fill the opening left when former offensive coordinator Chan Gailey signed on as Georgia Tech's head coach early this year.

Turner's arrival in Miami will result in a number of changes.

For starters, it means the Dolphins will line up in fewer four-receiver sets and make better use of their tight ends and fullbacks. It also means the tailback will be asked to play a more prominent role as a receiver out of the backfield. A disciple of John Robinson, Ernie Zampese and Jimmy Johnson, Turner believes his best offenses have featured several players catching at least 30 passes and the outside receivers averaging at least 16 yards per catch.

But Turner's scheme relies first and foremost on an effective and relentless rushing attack best powered by true feature-type back and unfortunately, none of the team's top backs in 2001 -- incumbent starter Lamar Smith, speedster Travis Minor, or the oft-injured J.J. Johnson -- fit the bill.

Smith, who gained 1,139 yards in 2000, looked like a player on the decline thanks to the diminishing totals he posted in 2001 (including 968 rushing yards). Worse yet, the former Saint and Seahawk averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. Minor proved to be an exciting change-of-pace man as a rookie, but at 5-10 and 200 pounds, his chances of surviving an entire season as the feature back under Turner aren't good.

What does it take to line up as Norv's tailback? Let's take a look at the role played by the last four running backs to play under Turner, Emmitt Smith, Terry Allen, Stephen Davis and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Let's look at the numbers on more time:

Smith ran for 4,762 yards, caught 165 passes and scored 42 touchdowns in three seasons under Turner.

Allen posted 2,662 yards and scored 31 touchdowns during two healthy seasons working under Turner in Washington.

Davis racked up 2,723 yards and scored 28 TDs in two seasons under Turner.

And with Turner calling the shots in San Diego last year, Tomlinson ran for 1,236 yards and hauled in 59 passes -- both tops among all NFL rookies -- while ranking third in the NFL with 339 carries. The first-round pick also ran the ball a league-high 22 times with the Chargers facing third-and-one situations.

Given that track record, I'm hard-pressed to come up with another current NFL back better suited to meet the demands of Turner's scheme than the 24-year old Williams -- a guy who ran for 1,245 yards with the Saints last season and is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. A guy who is not only capable of carrying the ball 25 to 30 times per game, but who also has the receiving skills necessary to excel under Turner's scheme -- skills he's demonstrated by hauling in more than 100 passes, 60 of them in 2001 alone, over the last two years.

But perhaps most importantly, the 236-pound Williams is the kind of punishing ballcarrier who gets stronger as the game progresses. He's the kind of guy a coach can count on to move the chains -- almost without fail -- in third-and-one situations, which of course, makes him an effective weapon when it's time to protect a lead by running down the clock.

Bottom line? Williams is far from perfect -- he's a strange kid who doesn't always do a good job of holding onto the football. On the other hand, he's a proven talent capable of not only meeting, but perhaps even exceeding the rigorous demands of Turner's offense.

And given the terms of his current contract, the former Heisman Trophy winner might be the most cap-friendly player in the NFL right now.

If Williams is the "Grand Prize," where does that leave the Saints?

I'm not sure. General manager Rick Mueller and head coach Jim Haslett seem to believe that second-year running back Deuce McAllister is capable of providing them with the one thing Williams couldn't: The big play.

And if that's the sole criteria we're judging by, they have indeed come out on top.

Despite the combined 2,245 rushing yards Williams posted over the last two years -- which represent the best two-season total in Saints history -- nobody is going to accuse him of being a breakaway threat. And McAllister -- whose 54-yards scoring sprint against Atlanta last year was the Saints longest run of the season -- is precisely that.

"We need to be able to hit home runs," Mueller said, "and Deuce has the ability to give us that."

However, McAllister's ability to make it through a full 16-game season in an upright position remains to be seen, but based on his days at Ole Miss, durability isn't one of his strengths. The Saints are said to be looking for a big-name veteran -- perhaps former Packer Dorsey Levens -- capable of taking over as a starter in a pinch.

One last note. ... The Dolphins traded Johnson to the Browns shortly after acquiring Williams.

There you have it. ... For now. There will be plenty of moves as the regular season draws nearer and this is the place to stay on top of those moves. Check back next week for a look at the latest developments among the league's wide receivers.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.

 

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