by Scott Sokol 

If you’re a college football fan, the first thing you noticed is that all three players listed above were star Auburn running backs and drafted in the first two rounds between 2005 and 2007.

If you’re a fantasy football addict, you know that all three guys were injured in 2007, and none played in a game past the middle of October.

 

Let’s go one step further. If you’re a fantasy baseball addict – and know about the three Rice pitching prospects who led the Owls to the College Baseball World Series, and all subsequently got injured in the minors league, then you probably expect me to blame Auburn for the injuries to Brown, Cadillac, and Irons. (By the way the pitchers are Phil Humber, Jeff Niemann, and Wade Townsend for those interested)

 

To be clear, it is highly doubtful that two ACL injuries and a torn patella tendon can all be attributed to some strength and conditioning coach at Auburn, though the coincidence is still worth mentioning.

 

What’s most important about all three backs is that they all have a chance to be useful fantasy football running backs next year, and to be fantasy studs down the road.

 

 

Going Into 2007: With Cam Cameron coming in from San Diego, and Brown posting a 1,000-yard season in 2006, most people expected a breakout season from Brown. While nobody expected Brown to be one of the best backs in the league, all assumed he would be rock solid at the worst.

 

In 2007: Brown surpassed all projections in the first seven weeks of the season, running for 602 yards at 5.1 yards per carry, catching 39 balls for 389 yards (both career highs), and tying a career high with 5 total touchdowns. Again, he did all of this in just seven games. In an October game against the undefeated Patriots, Brown tore his ACL in the third quarter effectively ending his season.

 

Forecasting 2008: The hype continues in Miami for 2008. The Dolphins once again have a new coach, Tony Sparano; they have Bill Parcells in the front office, and have all the looks of a team ready to rebound. With a former offensive line coach at the helm, things are looking good for Ronnie Brown. The rehab for a torn ACL has gotten quicker and quicker in recent years, and you can expect Ronnie Brown to be fully recovered at the beginning of the 2008 season. Ricky Williams and Lorenzo Booker will not take many carries from Brown who you should mark down as a Top 10 Running Back for ’08.

 

After 2008: Being the best player on a rebuilding team can be tough, but it also can be rewarding. With management that has a history of emphasizing the run, Ronnie Brown should be a key cog for the Dolphins for years to come.

 

 

Going Into 2007: Following a fantastic rookie campaign in which Cadillac gained close to 1,200 yards, 2006 could be called a sophomore slump as he ran for .6 less yards per carry, and 400 less yards on the season. Most fantasy owners approached Williams apprehensively in 2007, but almost all would agree he still had the potential to be a top fantasy running back.

 

In 2007: Cadillac managed just 204 yards on 54 carries for the entire season, disappointed every fantasy owner who picked him – except maybe those who had Earnest Graham as insurance. Graham ran for almost 900 yards and had an astounding 10 touchdowns in just 11 starts. 

Forecasting 2008: Williams has become something of an afterthought to many fantasy owners with Graham’s emergence. CBSSports.com reports that former Bucs’ running backs coach Art Valero says of Cadillac, “He’ll be back. I guarantee it.” Even if he is back, it isn’t expected to be in time for training camp, and at best Cadillac will be able to play for half or three-quarters of the season. As good as he was in college, and in 2005, Cadillac Williams hasn’t looked the same in more than two years. To make matters worse, the Bucs signed Warrick Dunn to help in the run game. Even if Cadillac is back, there will only be so many carries to go around. Draft him as a mid to late round flier.

 

After 2008: Tampa Bay fans should be holding their breath that Cadillac can rebound in late 2008 and that they see glimpses of his ’05 form. As good as Earnest Graham was, don’t expect him to sustain those stats, whereas a healthy Cadillac could. The other option is - he doesn’t stay healthy long enough to be good, and becomes another Ki-Jana Carter.

 

Going Into 2007: Irons was drafted by the Bengals in the second round and was expected to compete with Chris Perry and Kenny Watson to be the primary backup to Rudi Johnson.

In 2007: Irons did not play. He tore his ACL in the preseason and looked on as the Bengals disappointed fans all year long. Rudi Johnson, another Auburn back, looked pretty bad all year. Rudi only had 497 yards and averaged a horrid 2.9 yards per carry. His three touchdowns matched his three fumbles, and even though he’s just 28, Rudi might not have much of a future in Cincinnati. Rudi’s poor play opened the door for Kenny Watson who ran for 763 yards and seven touchdowns with only eight more carries than Rudi. 

 

Forecasting 2008: Rudi Johnson is owed $3.2 million and rumors are flying that the Bengals might get rid of him. Whether that happens or not, the lack of success he had will make for a stiff competition for playing time between Rudi, Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Chris Perry, and Kenny Irons. Irons had some excellent games in college in the tough SEC – running for over 100 yards 11 times in his two years as a starter. In 2005 alone, Irons ran for 1,293 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. His numbers dipped to 941 yards and 4 touchdowns in ’06 when Irons didn’t play two games, and played injured in others during a season long nagging turf toe injury. 

 

The bottom line here is that Irons just might be the Bengals best option at running back. The Bengals will most likely use some sort of the running back by committee system which seems to be gaining popularity by the day, but expect Irons to be a key contributor in that system, and one certainly worth a middle round pick.

 

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