Fargas first RB domino to drop
Yesterday I wrote up a rough draft of my free agency preview of the running back position. Now it's already out of date after Justin Fargas re-uppedwith the Raiders. It was a great move for the Raiders, considering the small investment they made. Zone blocking teams like Houston and Denver may have given Fargas a lot more. Fargas played like a man possessed last year and will go into the next season as the favorite to start over Michael Bush and Dominic Rhodes, assuming Rhodes isn't cut.
I watched some tape on Fargas this week to prepare for the preview and was impressed. You never get cheated out of a Justin Fargas run. Their offense was so basic; he was the team's only threat and handled it well. His pants-on-fire style is perfect for their zone scheme.
Fargas knew it too. His agent was quoted Wednesday, "Justin really wanted to remain with the Raiders, and the Raiders made it clear that they wanted him back. He feels the offense very much suits his talents."
I drafted Fargas in the seventh round of my recent Mock Draft (still going), which is a nice value since he's back in Oakland. His upright style makes him prone to injuries, but he's a solid RB3 as long as he stays healthy.
With Fargas off the market, the best free agent backs are Michael Turner, Jamal Lewis, Julius Jones, and Derrick Ward. More big names like Shaun Alexander, LaMont Jordan, DeShaun Foster, Travis Henry, Edgerrin James, and Warrick Dunn could be released into the market. Then there are another 10-12 decent backup types like Ron Dayne, Chris Brown, Musa Smith, Michael Pittman, Jesse Chatman, and T.J. Duckett.
The depth of the RB market is one of many reasons it's crazy to spend huge bucks on a running back in the draft or free agency.
Comments
A Fargas/Bush/Rhodes backfield is actually not a bad combo. The Raiders will have their best RB of last season, their possible future RB, and a veteran RB to rely on. Maybe the Raiders, for once, did something right.
Posted by: royaltee | February 14, 2008 03:30 PM