Handcuffing, is it Really a Good Idea?

Grabbing one of your starting running back’s backup, or handcuffing as it is commonly called, has become a very popular drafting strategy over the past few seasons. Last year, owners of Priest Holmes got a first hand lesson on just how important handcuffing can be. If they had picked up Larry Johnson in the fifth or sixth round, they were rewarded handsomely when Priest went down in the second half of the season. Priest owners who didn’t pick Larry were left to ask themselves why in the world they didn’t. In certain situations handcuffing can be very beneficial, but in many cases this year, I don’t really think it’s a good idea. The main considerations in handcuffing, are value of the backup, and the situation that the running backs are in.

Obviously the later you can get your handcuff, the better off you are. This is where value comes into the equation. You don’t want to have to waste an early round pick on a player that could potentially sit on your bench all season, especially when you could pick up another impact running back or receiver. You would then really be using 2 draft picks to fill up one starting spot. You have to keep in mind that the purpose of a handcuff is to offer protection in case one of your starting running backs gets injured. You want to be able to get this protection as cheaply as you can. You can do essentially the same thing by picking up another running back from a different team. In some cases this is the better option. While Thomas Jones is a very enticing pick up for Cedric Benson owners, TJ is taken too early in drafts to be a worthwhile handcuff. I would really hate to have to burn a fifth or sixth rounder on him, when you could get someone like Fred Taylor or Joey Galloway, someone who could fill in for bye weeks, or contribute in your starting lineup.

When deciding if you need to handcuff one of your starting running backs, you have to ask yourself several questions about the situation that they are in. Does the starting running back make the running game work, or does the system make the running back? Teams like the Colts, Broncos, Bengals, Seahawks, Falcons, and Steelers all have good running games because their offensive line is dominant. Has the backup shown that he will be able to put up good numbers? Do you know for sure who is starting, and who is the backup or backups? If the situation is murky, it is usually best to stay away from handcuffing. Another situation that is tempting to handcuff is the Denver Broncos running game. Right now no one is really sure which running back is going to start. This is not a good handcuffing situation, even though the Broncos’ system will almost surely produce a 1000 yard back. For starters, both backs, Tatum Bell and Ron Dayne, go about in the same place in drafts, so you would usually have to spend two consecutive draft picks on them. Secondly, Shanahan and company are famous for pulling successful running backs out of the woodwork. If you draft Dayne and Bell in the mid rounds, you might get stuck with two bench warmers. The same could be said for the Indianapolis Colts’ running game. No one knows who is really going to start, and Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai are going in approximately the same position.

Here’s a list of starting running backs and their backups, including ADPs, which I believe meet the criteria as solid handcuffs. These running backs are either in a good system, or have proven that they can carry the load themselves. They also have to be had in the later rounds.

Starter	Handcuff	ADP
LaDanian Tomlinson	Michael Turner	14.04
Shaun Alexander	Maurice Morris	14.12
Larry Johnson	Michael Bennett	14.10
Rudi Johnson	Chris Perry	9.11
Jamal Lewis	Mike Anderson	10.09
Chester Taylor	Mewelde Moore	11.01
DeShaun Foster	DeAngelo Williams	7.07
Corey Dillon	Laurence Maroney	7.12

I really believe that handcuffing is not as important of a strategy as it is made out to be. Like most things, it can be beneficial in certain situations, but each situation needs to be looked at and evaluated separately.

 
You can catch up with Drew in the Cafe Forums where he posts under the screen name of GreatestShowOnEarth.
 

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