NFL Top 10 Series: Running Backs Honorable Mentions

With the 2012 NFL season steadfast approaching, it’s time to continue an original Garden State Sports Guy production: The NFL Top 10 Series. As the Top 10 countdown approaches for each position, we’ll be looking at honorable mentions for each position as those steadfastly approach. Today we're looking at a position that has lost its luster in the last few seasons for some inane reason to me, because when you look at the top running backs in the league you recognize that they are game-changers that are still about as productive as they have been in years. Whether or not people would like for you to believe it or not, having a good rushing attack is still very important in this "quarterback-driven league" and having a balance on offense makes your team lethal. We've got six honorable mentions to get to and frankly, a lot of these guys could contest that they belong in the Top 10 and honestly I had flirted with putting just about each of them within it. However, I just couldn't come to grips with it, so we're going to just keep it at what we've got. 

Honorable Mentions for the Running Back Position

Rashard Mendenhall: Rashard Mendenhall is rarely in the discussion as one of the better running backs in the league, and I personally think that he should be. He may never be an elite running back (i.e. Top 5) but he’s extremely solid at what he does. For some reason his production was cut in the year 2011 as his carries amount went from 324 in 2010 (his best season so far in the league) to 228, but he still managed to put up solid enough numbers for him to get recognized. You know what you are getting with Mendenhall and that is a solid player. I personally am interested in seeing how he plays in 2012 within Todd Haley's offense, and also, of course, with coming off a Torn ACL. Rotoworld says he might start on the PUP list, so personally I hope Mendenhall comes off the injury looking as good as he has looked for the Steelers since he was drafted.

Willis McGahee: When Willis McGahee had his ACL torn in a gruesome sort of fashion in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, his playing career was never really the same. Nearly 10 years later, McGahee put up the kind of numbers that he was expected to put up coming out of Miami. McGahee finished 2011 with 1,199 yards on the ground, and found the end zone four times. He was incredible off of contact as he gained nearly 700 yards off of the first hit, and piled up 31 broken tackles. And staggeringly enough, just four running backs had a higher yards per carry average among running backs with over 200 carries. Those backs? Reggie Bush, Matt Forte, Ryan Mathews, and LeSean McCoy. Pretty good company if you ask me. McGahee was a workhorse in 2011 and deserves a mention in this post.

Darren McFadden: If we’re going off of pure talent, McFadden is no doubt a Top 5 running back in my opinion. But sadly for McFadden he has spent way too much time off the field than on the field for me to grade him accurately and fairly and put him in the Top 10. Since coming in the league, not once has he played a full season and that continued in 2011 when he was only active for seven games of the season. It is sad because McFadden’s talent is All-Pro level. His breakaway speed can allow him to run past just about anyone on the field and he does a good job of holding onto the ball with just 13 fumbles in his entire career. We got a bit of an idea of what McFadden can bring to the table in 2010 as he had his best season and, in which case, he played the longest amassing 1,664 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns. He is a special talent but unfortunately he is just not on the field as much as the runners in front of him.

Michael Turner: When this running back was a member of the San Diego Chargers, he did two things: the first was absolutely murder the Indianapolis Colts each time that he played them, and make people wonder how he would play as an every-down back. Well since 2008 people have gotten their wish and Turner has no doubt excelled as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps my favorite offensive player on the team, Turner has been a workhorse since joining the team including his incredible 2008 season where he amassed nearly 1,700 yards and hit paydirt an incredible 17 times which helped him to be tied for 2nd in MVP voting that season (along with Chad Pennington). This year Turner came 3rd in rushing and was a beast, and nobody broke more tackles than Michael Turner did in 2011. His speed has been zapped the last few seasons, but “The Burner” keeps on churning.

Marshawn Lynch: Marshawn Lynch had one hell of a 2011. It all started in the Wild Card Playoff Game as he led the charge to create the monumental upset of his 7-9 Seahawks over the 11-5 Saints, the defending Super Bowl Champions, with his beastly and positively unforgettable run to lead the late charge towards pulling off the win. He provided an encore performance for a Seattle team that is slowly but surely on the rise as well. Lynch amassed 1,204 yards and racked up 12 rushing touchdowns, including an incredible streak of 11 consecutive games with a touchdown (Week 10 against Washington he found the end zone via a receiving touchdown). “Beast Mode” is a player to watch in 2012 because I think if he produces well enough, he could vaunt himself higher in the rankings amongst his peers.

Fred Jackson: Now here’s a guy that really came into his own last season and deserved every single cent that he was given in his recent contract extension. The focal point of the Buffalo Bills offense -- scratch that -- THE Buffalo Bills offense from last season had a career year and for most of the season up until he got hurt was in the running for Offensive Player of the Year. Some of the things that popped out to me were his staggering 5.5 YPC (which was better than any back in the league with 150 or more rushes), an 11.2 YPR (which was 2nd best among rushers who had 20 or more receptions), and was extremely elusive as well as he forced 45 missed tackles and averaged 3.75 yards after contact. He was absolutely awesome in 2011 and who knows how great he could have been had he stayed healthy all year.