The Crowded Situations – some of these guys could fall under other categories, but their situation sets them up to be sleepers. So they land here because they are all fighting for playing time in one backfield that has yet to establish an unquestioned leader. In this case I'm looking at Mike Shanahan's Redskins running backs.
- Keiland Williams, RB, Washington Redskins (6-1, 221 ; age 24)
It should be a wide-open competition for the primary back-up spot to Ryan Torain in Washington, but one would think that Williams, the most effective/productive of last years' returning reserves will have the lead from day one. In a limited role, he put up nearly 600 total yards and five TD's and if given a greater chance could translate that to some serious stats. While there's nothing particularly special about his game, Williams is a physical, downhill runner who can break tackles and follows his blocks well, which allows him to pick up yardage in chunks. At this point he is 1a out of the options behind Torain.
- Roy Helu, RB, Washington Redskins (6-0, 220 ; age 22)
The biggest knock on Helu leading up to the draft was that his big numbers at Nebraska were not a result of his running abilities but of a spread option offensive attack that opened up holes a truck could run through. Despite that notion the Skins grabbed him in the 4th round (making him an exception to my rookie rule) and there really couldn't be a better place for Helu. He has both excellent size and speed and is a natural fit in the zone rushing attack employed by Washington. If given the chance he could prove the doubters wrong using his one-cut and burst style to rack up some serious yards.
- James Davis, RB, Washington Redskins (5-11, 218 ; age 25)
Davis was a late-rounder in '09 and looked like a prime candidate to emerge in Cleveland's backfield as the successor to Jamal Lewis. He has good speed and great size and prior to last season I compared him to Rashard Mendenhall from a physical standpoint. And like Mendenhall, Davis was put on IR after week two of his rookie year with a shoulder injury. Though unlike the Steelers' prototypical feature back, Davis has yet to establish himself and display his ability. But Mike Shanahan has made gems of many a forgotten or unknown back, so he's worth watching if the oft-injured Ryan Torain goes down.
- Andre Brown, RB, Washington Redskins (6-0, 224 ; age 24)
Like Davis, Brown was a trendy sleeper pick entering the 2009 season. He's a big back with nimble feet and good vision. A torn Achilles took his entire rookie year and he bounced around between three other teams last year before landing with the Redskins. There's no guarantee that he'll stick in Washington but he's worth following to see if he can move up the depth chart or gets into a better opportunity. With his size and overall athleticism he could develop into a quality back. For now though he's strictly a wait-and-see option.
- Evan Royster, RB, Washington Redskins (6-1, 228 ; age 23)
Despite having mediocre speed and limited elusiveness, Royster finished as the all-time leading rusher in Penn State history. That's saying something. It's hard to ignore production. Though his speed is a glaring weakness, he has terrific size and is a tough and patient between-the-tackles runner with good feet and vision. In a simple one cut and go attack he could be successful. Think of all the Broncos' rushers that Mike Shanahan turned into 1,000-yard one-hit wonders. If injuries pile up, Royster could be next.