Tough to Rank: Earnest Graham

I'm a big Earnest Graham fan. The playing style, the resemblance to Cee Lo, the fortitude to battle for years as a fourth-string running back on the roster bubble before becoming a star. I just don't know how Jon Gruden feels about him. Graham, perhaps more than any other runner in the NFL, is a master of the hard-earned four-yard gain. He doesn't have much flash, and I think that pains Gruden. I think Gruden wants more.
That makes Graham exceedingly difficult to rank for this season. Is he the consistent top-10 back from 2007 or is he destined to be part of a committee that includes Warrick Dunn, Michael Bennett, and Cadillac Williams if he ever gets healthy? Give me your position rank in the comments.





Comments
this one is way hard to rank.. i have him all the way from a top 10, 20 carry/ 4rec a game back, all the way to a committee or 1st and 2nd down back. either way its hard to ignore his goaline, and rec production. so i would say somewhere around the reggie bush, ronnie brown, and marion barber area. 10 - 15
Posted by: scott c | May 2, 2008 03:25 PM
Somewhere between 15 and 20... workman like production with little injury risk, but Graham has hit his ceiling and the addition of Dunn looks to confirm that he's a 1st and 2nd down back with goal-line duties in a RBBC. Sort of a poor man's Rudi Johnson...
For me, he'd be a low-end RB2. I'd rather have Reggie Bush, Marion Barber, and/or Brandon Jacobs, but would probably take Graham over Turner in a redraft (not keeper, though). On top of that, Gruden always seems to be a grass-is-greener type, so if Caddy can't make a comeback, mark the Bucs down for another 1st round back in the next two years.
Posted by: Chad Ferguson | May 2, 2008 03:41 PM
Graham is a huge ranking question mark. The presence of Michael Bennett and Cadillac Williams don't scare me as much as Warrick Dunn does. I think Graham does lose 3rd downs which is a shame because he does have better than average receiving ability. However, he will be the goal line back and barring a holdout, I'd rank him as a lower tier RB2 the upside to be a borderline RB1.
Posted by: endzoneview | May 2, 2008 03:55 PM
Graham is tough to rank because of the questions regarding his role. He is definitely a boom or bust pick. I guess it comes down to which RBs I would take ahead of Graham.
Tomlinson, Peterson, Jackson, Westbrook, Addai, Gore, Lynch, Portis, Barber, McGahee, Grant, Johnson, Lewis, Jones-Drew, Bush, Jacobs.
That leaves Graham at #17, with a decent chance of being lower as the rookies start to sign and roles are assigned.
Posted by: Zane | May 2, 2008 08:28 PM
i don't think graham is gonna get his due this year, and it's a g-d shame. after all he's been through as a back up, to have that kind of the year and not get the shot he deserves this year.
gruden's a punk.
and somehow dunn managed to convince atlanta to give him the majority of the carries last year even with norwood averaging 48 yards a carry to dunn's 1.2. somehow... he'll probably do it again.
warrick dunn... the fastest talker in the league. he's gotta be! his feet sure aren't moving, it must be his mouth.
Posted by: echo | May 3, 2008 04:19 PM
the fact that they brought in warrick dunn should tell you that they are not completely sold on any of there running backs and we all know that gruden is a believer in experience especially at the RB position ( see Charlie Garner with th raiders). take a late round flier on graham, who may be the best bet to pull a zack crockett and vulture some goal line carries. my prediction 400 yards tops and 6 TDs which woul rank him outside the top twenty.
Posted by: davey | May 4, 2008 09:36 PM
i currently have graham ranked as a 2nd rd pick 15-20
i think the warrick dunn signing was more about the health of cadillac (vet backup)then him grabbing touchs
graham should be safe 80-90 yds and 5-6 catchs for another 40 yds ,imo
Posted by: brent | May 5, 2008 03:08 PM