Historically, Greg Knapp run offenses have excelled on the ground while struggling through the air.Knapp's dedication to the run will probably continue in Seattle because even great quarterbacks and receivers can’t help Knapp buck the trend. Remember, Knapp ran a San Francisco offense featuring Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens.
It can be reasonably expected that Julius Jones will rush for more than 1,000 yards this season, so come draft day, where should fantasy general managers pick up a Seattle running back?
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Jones is better than he showed last year
First, GM’s might have to get past the fact that Julius Jones was benched in favor of perennial backup Maurice Morris last year.
The fact is Morris was a Mike Holmgren guy and knew the system better than Jones. Holmgren admitted to not knowing exactly how he’d use the running back tandem, and it hurt Jones’ stats as the season wore on. He had a promising start, recording back-to-back 100-plus yard games but fizzled out as Holmgren experimented with the dual-back system, something he had no experience with.
And it showed; the tandem failed miserably.
Jones is a reliable running back, and he should have a stellar year taking the bulk of the carries. He has a chip on his shoulder, after being shunned in Dallas then benched in Seattle, so expect him to run hard.
Don’t expect T.J. Duckett to get half of Jones’ carries because in the new zone-blocking scheme, speed is vital in making cutbacks to hit closing holes. Jones fits perfectly into the scheme. He’s not a guy who’ll dance around in the backfield; he’ll find a hole and make one cut up the field.
Draft day
After touting Jones as having a great chance to be a fantasy stud, you’d expect to draft him somewhere in the middle rounds right?
While it’s likely Jones could have a career year in 2009, drafting him might not be the best option.
You’d be hard pressed to find another general manager who has Jones in his draft plans and who could blame them: he finished with two touchdowns and 698 yards on a 4-12 team.
With there being a chance Jones bombs another season, it’d be wise to pass on the running back and wait for week one. If it looks like he’s having a good game, then he’d be a perfect guy to pick up on the waiver wire.
Duckett
Duckett could also be an option because he’s a lethal goal-line runner. If it looks like he’s getting a lot of carries, he could be the better option because he has the chance to be a touchdown machine if the Seahawks are successful getting him into position. He recorded eight touchdowns last season on less than 200 yards.
But while he was with Knapp and the Falcons, he never made it past 600 yards. However, he still recorded eight touchdowns both years.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
