That’s right!  Four of the fastest men in the NFL may be spending their lockout season sprinting past the competition, much like they are accustomed to doing while playing football.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles tweeted this message to the Eagles’ DeSean Jackson, the Titans’ Chris Johnson and the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson.  We’re still waiting on their response, but if this dream does become a reality, I can’t wait to see them take on the team of Michael Vick, Devin Hester, Jacoby Ford and Percy Harvin.

It’s On!

The Titans desperately needed the win yesterday to stay in the AFC Wild Card picture and make their season continue to be relevant.  Johnson wasn’t the only one who played well for the Titans, Kenny Britt caught 7 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown.  Vince Young was the real hero, even though Johnson’s statline is far more eye-popping.  Young threw for just under 400 yards with a touchdown and no picks.  What was most impressive was his come-from-behind drive with about 2:30 remaining in the 4th quarter to win the game.

On a team that had a few standouts yesterday, Chris Johnson’s 8.5 yards per carry helped keep Tennessee’s passing game open and maintain the Titan lead for most of the game.  Also, late in the 3rd with the Titans clinging to a 6-3 lead, Johnson broke a highlight reel 85-yard touchdown run to give them a 10 point lead.  After winning this game, the Titans are still mathematically alive in the AFC playoff race.  If Chris Johnson continues to put up lines like this, and the Titans keep winning (they have won 5 straight now), they have as good a chance as any team to make the postseason.

Two weeks later and the words of the second-year back out of East Carolina are beginning to sound a lot less far fetched.

The Tennessee Titans are still far from earning a 10-6 record, but big performances from Johnson have helped them wheel off three consecutive wins following that bye week, the latest being a 41-17 trouncing of the Buffalo Bills.  His week week eight effort was outstanding, but C.J.’s showing in week ten may have actually topped that as he ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns and added another 100 yards receiving.  That was easily enough to earn him “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Sunday, November 15, 2009.

As for Johnson’s earlier prediction, the Titans still have games against the Texans, Cardinals, Colts, Rams, Dolphins, Chargers, and Seahawks remaining on their schedule.  There are plenty of winnable games in there, but the likelihood of getting victories in all seven is not quite feasible.  Although, if C.J. can continue to top the 200-yard mark on a regular basis, anything becomes possible.  Just don’t hold your breath.

Week eight was no different as Gus was calling the running back battle between Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew, but unfortunately his trademark exuberance may have got him into a bit of trouble on Sunday.

With the Jags up by a score of 14-13, the Titans running back took a pitch from Vince Young and went 52 yards to the house.  That, as you would expect, was enough to send Gus into a frenzy, but it was what he said that may have him in some hot water.

As Chris Johnson made his way towards the end zone, Gus stated “Watch out! He’s got gettin’ away from the cop speed.”  While that may be true, there is something about those comments that just don’t go over well when they are used to describe a black man running.

While I personally don’t find Johnson’s comments to be all that bad (after all, Johnson did show that kind of speed), you can be sure the people at CBS will be reviewing the incident as racism is one issue that should not be ignored.  Hopefully there will be no action taken against Gus.  After all, it isn’t the worst thing we have seen during a CBS NFL broadcast.

Hat Tip – [Jersey Chaser]

After Tennessee took a 13-0 lead, it began to look as though this game would turn into the Maurice Jones-Drew show as the Jags’ running back would break off runs of 80 and 79 yards for touchdowns, but Chirs Johnson was not about to be outdone as he would have some big runs of his own to provide.

Following Jones-Drew’s second big-gainer in the third quarter, which put the Jacksonville up by a score of 14-13, Johnson responded with a 52 yard touchdown run to put his team back up, and he wasn’t done there.  He saved his biggest rush for the fourth quarter, as a huge 89-yard touchdown scamper would leave him out of breath, and his team up by a score of 30-13.  That would end up being the final as C.J. would out-duel an equally impressive Jones-Drew, accumulating 228 yards on the ground and 11 through the air, but most importantly would get his team the victory.  It was enough to earn him honors as “The Stat Line Of the Night” for Sunday, November 1, 2009.

With this amazing outing, Johnson now finds himself in first among all NFL players in rushing yards with 824 through seven games.  About half of that total has come in two games as he also had a 197 yard outing earlier in the season against the Houston Texans.  In a season which has provided little to be encouraged about, Johnson has at least allowed Titans fans to be optimistic with the team’s future.  If he and Vince Young can continue to provide Tennessee with some victories, their final 10 games may become a whole lot easier to watch than the first six were.

Johnson was the key catalyst of the Titans offense Sunday as the Texans has no answer for his speed.  Using his blocks well, the sophomore running back ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and added another 87 yards and a touchdown through the air.  His day was highlighted by two big runs of 91 and 57 yards (both going for touchdowns), as well as a 69 yards touchdown reception.  Although his effort wasn’t enough for the Titans, as they fell 34-31 to the Texans, it was more than enough to earn Johnson “The Stat Line Of The Night” for Sunday, September 20th, 2009.

After what many of us had seen from the Texans offense last week against the New York Jets, it would be assumed that a three touchdown performance from one player would be more than enough to secure the victory, but week two of the NFL season has once again proven to us that final judgments can not be made after week one.  Although their ground game was weak, the Texans and quarterback Matt Schaub put on a show through the air and the Titans defense had no answers.  Now Chris Johnson will have to come out next week hoping for similar success on his behalf, but a different outcome for his team.

Here is a look at some of last year’s rookies who performed well and whether you should worry about going after them in your draft as they enter their second seasons.

Quarterbacks:

Matt Ryan, ATL : Matt Ryan had an impressive debut season throwing for 3440 yards and 16 TDs.  We expect him to continue to improve as the go-to quarterback in Atlanta.  No sophomore jinx expected here.

Joe Flacco, BAL : If there is one QB we expect to get hit by the jinx, it would be Flacco.  His leash is shorter than Ryan’s with Troy Smith also waiting in the wings.  Remember, the starting job was Smith’s until he got hurt.  He never played himself out of it.

Running Backs:

Darren McFadden, OAK : Although Oakland still looks to be in quite a mess, I expect McFadden to have a breakout year this season, especially if Russell or Garcia can provide some help through the air.

Jonathan Stewart, CAR : Here is one back I expect to be hit by the jinx.  If he is healthy he should fair well behind the Panthers great offensive line, but already dealing with injury problems in preseason, this may be a setback season for Stewart.

Felix Jones, DAL :  He was playing great before going down with an injury, but if Jones stays healthy, he could be the Cowboys started sooner rather than later.  That, however, is a big “if”.

Chris Johnson, TEN : Johnson showed what he can do with the ball in his hands and only got stronger as the year progressed.  He should be even better this year and may receive more carries between the 20s.  Hopefully he will have Kevin Mawae back in time as well.

Matt Forte, CHI : It is hard to believe that Forte can improve on his great 2008 campaign, but with Cutler now the QB for the Bears, that is a very real possibility.  He will also be given some added rest with the addition of Kevin Jones to the backfield.

Ray Rice, BAL : He was not given as much responsibility as a rookie, but Rice should be set to start for the Ravens.  That is great news as he will likely receive the majority of the carries on a team that tends to rush the ball more than any other in the NFL.

Kevin Smith, DET : Detroit did not get the opportunity to rush the ball very often last year and this season may be somewhat similar, but when Kevin Jones is given the chance, he has proven he can produce.  Expect the Lions to improve this year and Smith’s numbers should do the same.

Steve Slaton, HOU : After impressing in his rookie year, Slaton has been given full control of the Texans backfield.  With strength at the receiver position and a quarterback who can spread the ball out, this may be the season that the Texans’ offense breaks out.  Slaton, of course, will benefit from this.

Wide Receivers:

Donnie Avery, STL : Avery is the starter which is good, but for the Rams, which is bad.  Because of the latter handicap, I would expect a quiet season for him, but a bright future is in sight.

DeSean Jackson, PHI : The Eagles offense is once again loaded.  With depth at all skill positions, the points should be coming in bunches in Philadelphia.  Expect Jackson to lead the charge as the number one receiver.

Eddie Royal, DEN : He was great last season but will no longer have Cutler throwing to him.  Now with Orton under center, Royal may be hard pressed to produce 91 catches and 980 yards, but he does give Orton a good check-down option and has the ability to break a short pass for a long gain.

Tight Ends :

Dustin Keller, NYJ : He was one of Favre’s favorite targets last season and it could be the same story with Mark Sanchez at QB.  You can bet the rookie QB will be looking for his TE more often than not.

John Carlson, SEA : He was Seattle’s leading receiver last year, but that was the result of injuries at WR.  With most of the wideouts back, expect Carlson to be used less, but things could change quickly when the injuries begin to come again.

Today, most NFL teams use the running game to establish or maintain field position, control time of possession, convert on those tough short-yardage situations, and set up bigger plays in the passing game—anything else is gravy. While balance is essential to consistent successful offense, it is the passing game that delivers the points in most systems. Points are what it’s all about, so quarterbacks, the key people who protect them, and their primary targets are all compensated well.

Running backs have been relegated to supporting roles in most offenses and, most of the time; even that role is split by two or more players. What’s more, running backs are often abused and discarded after they’ve outlived their usefulness, and rarely get that dream contract to finish out their careers. Now more than ever, the best football players in most college programs are running backs. Therefore, there will always be new, younger, and more talented backs to be drafted in each year’s college crop. Unlike other positions, a running back’s “prime” begins in his rookie year, and ends by the time he reaches his 28^th birthday, if he even celebrates that day as an NFL player. Those poor souls—theirs is the true gladiator position in a league of prima donnas. Long story short, they are always needed but rarely highly-valued.

What we are seeing in the draft, as a result, is far fewer running backs being selected in the top ten, and more taken in rounds two and three. Unlike in fantasy leagues all over the world, running backs NEVER go number one overall anymore. In fact, in the last twenty years, a running back has been selected number one overall only once, when the Cincinnati Bengals used their first pick in 1995 to take Ki-Jana Carter out of Penn State. Unfortunately, we all know how that decision turned out.

In the last few years, we have begun to see a clear shift in the way teams place the value tag on running backs. It is obvious that the only way backs are drafted in round one is if they have abundant speed, can be threats in the passing game, and can produce touchdowns—IMMEDIATELY. The 2008 NFL draft was highlighted by, in my estimation, the deepest and most talented running back class of all time. Five players from that outstanding class were selected in the first round, beginning with Oakland’s Darren McFadden at number four overall. The SLOWEST forty-yard-dash posted by any of them was a 4.48 by Jonathan Stewart, and he was drafted to be a power back in the two-headed system that Carolina uses. The fastest time in the entire combine, at any position, belonged to Titans speedster Chris Johnson, who blew coaches and scouts away with a blistering 4.24. Drafted with the 24^th pick, Johnson too was used in a backfield duo with power back, and former second rounder, LenDale White.

This year’s class is not nearly as deep as last year’s, but the first round will feature two players that will do what a first round back in today’s game is supposed to do—score points. My top running back in the 2009 NFL Draft is Knowshon Moreno, from the University of Georgia. It was evident the very first time I saw him carry the football, during his freshman year, that Moreno would be a first round pick. He has excellent speed, expecting to run in the low 4.4’s at the combine, decent size (about 210 lbs), and is a polished receiver, amassing 33 receptions for nearly 400 yards in his sophomore season at Georgia.

He is a big play threat whenever he touches the ball, accumulating a 5.6 yard per carry average behind a pedestrian offensive line in the very tough SEC, while scoring a total of 18 touchdowns in 2008. Moreno’s physical skill set includes a rare burst through the hole, and a fluidity that reminds me of Chris Johnson. He often changes direction without breaking stride, displaying tremendous quickness, leaving defenders with broken ankles and injured pride all over the field. He also displays surprising power for a man of his size, and finishes his runs with authority. This is not a guy who is going to run out of bounds very often, and prefers to deliver a blow rather than receive one. While his physical skills are impressive, it is his patience, vision, and ability to navigate through traffic and pick up extra yards that makes him the best back in this class. He uses his blockers very well, consistently setting opposing players up to be out of position when he makes his cut.

Moreno seems to have a sixth sense, at times, displaying an uncanny ability to feel the flow of the defense converging and adjusting his course to find the opening. No one compares to Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, and I doubt anyone ever will, but Moreno seems to have eyes in the back of his head the way Barry did, and has the same ability to stop on a dime, go from zero to sixty with just a few steps, and turn a short gain into six.

The best word I can use to describe Knowshon Moreno is “special”. I have him graded as a top ten pick, but doubt that my view is shared by any of the teams in the top ten, primarily due to needs and the number of highly rated players available. He will carry tremendous value starting at eleventh overall, and I fully expect Denver to take him at twelve. Historically, Denver has been a team which has consistently chosen to pass on first round running backs, and they do have defensive issues to address. Moreno is such a unique talent, however, that the Broncos will give serious consideration to making an exception in his case. Arizona would love for Moreno to slide to them at the twenty-first spot, but that is unlikely to happen. He should draw enough interest that teams will likely try trading up to take him if Denver passes. When all is said and done, I believe that he’ll go in the top 15 and will be a rookie of the year contender in 2009, barring injury.

It just sounds wrong to suggest that Ohio State’s Chris “Beanie” Wells could be second to any other running back prospect, doesn’t it? How could a player with 4.48 speed, weighing 235 lbs be second to anyone?

Well, that happens to be the case in this draft. That’s how good Moreno is! Wells is also very unique in that his size/speed combination is rare to find at any level. His scouting report will read much shorter than Moreno’s, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be less effective in the NFL. If Moreno were Michael Jordan, that would make Wells Shaquille O’Neal. So, what if he doesn’t have a jump shot? He can carry two defenders toward the backboard on his way to bringing it down! He don’t need no stinkin’ jump shot!

Wells’ skills are definitely best suited for a cold weather climate, where traction is often an issue, and field position is extremely valuable. He reminds me of a young Larry Johnson, but with a better burst. Wells is primarily a one-cut grinder who hits the hole quickly, runs behind his pads extremely well, and goes north and south with THUNDER. He’s got a tremendous stiff arm, amazing acceleration, excellent balance, and shows consistent patience to read and follow his blocks. He’s not going to make many people miss in the NFL, but most of them will be trying to get out of his way anyway. He has good field vision, has the burst to get to the edge, and enough straight line speed to hit the home run occasionally. He will face eight man boxes in the NFL, just like he did at OSU, so he will have his opportunities for big runs after he breaks through the line and sees the quivering lips of petrified DB’s. He is the definition of a workhorse back, and should get some looks early in the draft by Cleveland at number five, Cincinatti at number six, and possibly Green Bay at number nine.

Wells is a player that could slide substantially, because he is not a great receiver out of the backfield, and has only been used in the passing game on an occasional screen play. The only teams in the top twenty-five that would value a running back with his skill set currently sit in the top ten. As deep as the top end talent is in this draft, I doubt that any of them will pass on the other available players which present a better value at those slots. I have him graded as a top fifteen pick, in terms of talent, with excellent value beginning at sixteen overall. If he slides into the twenties, look for Cleveland or Cincinnati to trade back into the first round to take him.

While Moreno and Wells are the only two first round locks in this draft, LeSean McCoy from the University of Pittsburgh, and Shonn Greene from Iowa could possibly sneak into round one. McCoy is the quintessential “scat-back”, while Green is the exact opposite. Out of the Reggie Bush mold, McCoy is an extremely fast and elusive homerun hitter, but will have trouble in the NFL between the tackles. He, like Bush, has a tendency to bounce everything outside. He is best suited to be a change of pace back on third downs, or a speed guy in a two-headed attack. I have him graded as a second round pick, but many analysts have him going in round one. He is a guy that definitely needs the right system, and should be drafted with caution.

Shonn Greene is an excellent runner between the tackles, but lacks the speed to get around the edge consistently in the NFL. He is not a proven receiver and, again, needs the right system to be successful. A quicker version of LenDale White, he will be best out of the I-Formation playing on first and second downs. I also have him graded as a second round prospect, but am more optimistic about his ability to be successful in the NFL than McCoy’s. Greene is a tough football player who runs hard, is consistent, though not flashy, and will be the steal of the second round, much as Matt Forte was last year. Everything will depend on his role. If he lands a starting job out of training camp, he could be competing for Rookie of the Year honors in ‘09.

You determine the next topic in the “Let’s Talk Talent” series. Tell me which players, positions, or teams that you want analyzed, and I’ll put them under the microscope. Leave your questions or comments below. I’ll be checking back frequently.

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons,

Coming into the league which such high expectations, Matt has more than lived up to his college hype.  He has played like a seasoned pro and has his team in position to make the playoffs.  In league that loves Quarterbacks its apparent that Matt Ryan will walk away from this season with the Rookie of the year award.  Just call him ROY.

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens,

Another young QB who has played well for his team this season.  In fact, if Matt Ryan was not in the league this year the award could easily be Flacco’s.  The only difference between him and Ryan is that the team he inherited was far better on paper than the Falcons were.  However, that does not deter from the fact that Flacco looks have all the tools to be a great QB in the NFL.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears,

This rookie has carried the Bears team throughout the season.  His production has slipped in recent weeks, but still remains one of the best RBs to come out of this years draft.  I rank Forte higher than the other two backs on this list because of his involvement in the passing.  However, this year the award will go to a QB, because as we all know Quarterback is the glamor position in the NFL.

Chris Johnson, RB, Tennessee Titans,

If you are looking for reasons as to why the Titans have had such a great season, look now further than Chris Johnson.  Johnson has played well above the preseason expectations, when many people believed he was nothing more than a work out warrior because of his eye-popping numbers from the combine.  Now that he is playing with LenDale White Johnson has given the Titans a great dual threat attack.

Steve Slaton, RB, Houston Texans,

Slaton was drafted in the third round from the University of West Virginia.  The fact that he was picked so late allowed him to play with a chip on his shoulder for most of the season.  Slaton has emerged as a talented play-maker who has helped give the Texans a solid rushing attack.  He has put up some great numbers, but he won’t be the rookie of the year.

Who do you think will be the NFL Rookie of the year ?

1.  DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers.

Williams was the forgotten man in this backfield prior to the start of this season.  The Panthers drafted highly touted Stewart in the first round of the draft and many people believed that he was going to get a limited amount of carries during the season.  That was not the case and the move has payed off in a big way as both players have had great seasons thus far.  They lead the NFL in combined yardage with 1840, and are second in touchdowns with 21.

2.  Chris Johnson and LenDale White, Tennessee Titans.

This duo is the real Thunder and Lighting in the NFL.  The Titans, like the Panthers, drafted a running back in the first round this year.  The running of these two studs has re-energized the franchise and made them one of the best teams in league.  White is playing the type of football that he was known for in at USC, and Chris Johnson is playing the way Reggie Bush was supposed to play when he entered the league.  I have them ranked number 2, but by seasons end they can easily be number 1.  They have compiled 1768 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.

3.  Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward, New York Giants,

You can also add in Ahmad Bradshaw, which gives the Giants an embarrassment of riches at the position.  The most amazing part of these players making this list is that neither one was a high pick in the draft.  Earth, Wind and Fire, have been playing well all year for the Gmen and should play a big role in the playoffs.  They have 1701 rushing yards and 14 total touchdowns between them (not including Bradshaw).

Honorable mention: Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, Minnesota Vikings,  Micheal Turner and Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington, New York Jets.