Scouting the League

This week I will discuss a pair of power running backs that have emerged as go-to guys on their respective teams.

LENDALE WHITE, Tennessee Titans

White has become the featured back in Tennessee after sharing time with Chris Brown earlier in the season. White has posted three straight 100-yard games with his best performance of the season coming two weeks ago in a win over Oakland when he rushed for a career-high 133 yards on 25 carries.

White (6-1, 235) played his college ball at USC and put up some impressive numbers in just three seasons, rushing for 3,159 yards and scoring a school-record 57 touchdowns. He combined with Reggie Bush to form a dynamic running back tandem, breaking the NCAA record for the most combined touchdowns in a career with 99.

White was selected by Tennessee in the 2nd round of last year’s draft, but was expected to be a 1st round pick. Teams shied away from White because of a hamstring injury that did not allow him to run the 40-yard dash and concerns over his weight and conditioning.

White’s rookie year was uneventful as he ran for just 244 yards, watching Travis Henry revitalize his career with 1,211 yards rushing. Henry was released in March, however, and signed with the Broncos. Many took this as a sign that the team was ready to hand over the starting role to White, but the Titans drafted speedster Chris Henry in the 2nd round of NFL Draft in April. Tennessee also brought back veteran Chris Brown after more concerns about White’s weight and fitness.

Things have now changed in White’s favor though. Brown suffered a sprained ankle in Week 6 and has been slow to recover while Henry, a physical freak, has been used as a change of pace back with just 18 carries over the last three games. White has flourished in the last four weeks and has become quite a workhorse with 108 carries and three touchdowns over that span.

White’s game is purely power, but he also has relatively quick feet for a big man. In terms of speed, however, White is one of the slowest running backs in the league. White has had runs of 27 and 28 yards this season, but he had a three-game span (54 carries) with a long run of just eight yards. White is not much of a receiver either, but he moves the chains and chews up yards so the Titans can live without that aspect of his game.

Tennessee has a physical offensive line that often moves opposing defenses around. The team also has a strong and intimidating defense which helps set up their offense with good field position, allowing better opportunities for White. Look for White to continue his success this season despite Vince Young’s struggles at quarterback. The Titans have at least four favorable matchups in their last eight games with Denver, Cincinnati, Houston and the Jets on the schedule. White should finish the season around his current pace of 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns. White’s yards per carry is nothing special, currently at 3.6, and he probably won’t improve that much, but fantasy owners should not be too concerned.

In terms of next season, White has a lot of value. Brown probably won’t return, he signed just a one-year deal in June, while Henry is still raw and inexperienced, never starting in high school or college. The major concern with White is that he could break down due to his physical running style and poor conditioning habits. Unless White devotes more time to getting in better shape, he probably won’t be in the league more than five years.

EARNEST GRAHAM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Graham has established himself as a solid running back after starter Cadillac Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury at Carolina on September 30. In last week’s win over Arizona, Graham ran for a career-high 124 yards on 34 carries and scored a touchdown. Three weeks ago, Graham was an offensive monster with 191 yards from scrimmage and a career-best 13 receptions.

Graham (5-9, 225) went to the University of Florida where he rushed for a career-high 1,085 yards as a senior in 2002. He led Florida in rushing three times and finished with 33 rushing touchdowns, third best in school history. Despite some success at a national powerhouse, Graham was not drafted in 2003.

Graham was signed and released a couple of times from Tampa Bay’s practice squad in 2003 until he finally stuck with the team in 2004. Graham made just minor contributions on offense from 2004-06, but had a major impact on special teams, covering and returning kickoffs.

Entering this season, Graham was again buried on the depth chart until Williams’ injury opened the door for Graham to have bigger piece of the rushing pie. Graham actually played well the week before Williams got hurt, running for 75 yards on just eight carries and scoring a pair of touchdowns in a win over St. Louis on September 23. Michael Pittman, who was expected to be heavily involved in the running game, endured a serious ankle injury on October 7, the week after Williams got injured, and has not played since.

Graham is a stocky back with a low center of gravity and good power. He doesn’t have much speed, but is fast enough to rip off an occasional long run. Considering Graham was a factor in the passing game at the University of Florida, it’s not much of a surprise that he had 13 receptions in a game for the Buccaneers this season. The bottom line is Graham is a gritty, hard-nosed player, but without overwhelming physical skills.

There are a couple of things working against Graham for the remainder of the season, but it should not hinder him too much. Tampa Bay traded for Michael Bennett in mid-October, but he has not been a factor in four games with the team and is really just a straight-line speed back. Pittman should return from his ankle injury within the next few weeks, but he will probably be used more as a receiver and has never been a good short-yardage back. Expect Graham to see most of the carries, especially at the goal line, for the rest of the year and finish with close to 1,000 yards rushing and 8-10 touchdowns (currently at 454 and four). The schedule favors Graham down the stretch with Atlanta (twice), Houston and San Francisco as three of the team’s seven remaining opponents.

Things are up in the air in regards to Graham’s long term prospects. Williams’ injury was of a serious nature, but he is a top-notch running back when healthy. There are reports that Williams will never be the same player again, but one would imagine the Buccaneers giving him every opportunity to return. In general, Tampa Bay lacks team speed on offense so there is a strong possibility they will draft a running back in the first couple of rounds of next year’s draft. Obviously that would be a big negative for Graham and severely hurt his chances to be the team’s starter in 2008.