Addai?

[onnestabe]

who would be the better pick for a re-draft league and get better action this season, Addai or maroney?

I think it will be Maroney. Maroney will get a lot of touches if either Dillon gets hurt or if they decide to push Dillon into a goalline role.

I don't see how the Colts won't use a RBBC approach, leaving both Rhodes and Addai with little fantasy value.

[mutantseabass]

Alot of good points in this thread here. Calling him bigger, faster and stronger then Rhodes is a bit of a stretch. He is only 5'11" 214 to Rhodes 5' 9" 203. That really isnt that big of a difference. I would have to give the blocking to Rhodes right now, as rookies have a tendency to be a bit slow picking up the quickness of the NFL and the more complicated blitzes and D schemes. Addai has never carried a full load in college either. Rhodes injury history scares me a bit and I believe that Addai tore an ACL a couple of years ago. I personally dont want any part of the Colts backfield this year but would say you have to handcuff the two definately. Which more then likely means burning 2 mid round picks.

[GreatestShowOnEarth]

Addai fits the Colts' starting running back role much better than Rhodes. As stomperrob said, Addai is a polished pass blocker and a decent reciever out of the backfield, which are 2 inportant qualities the Colts look for. Plus the season that Rhodes ran for 1100 yards was also the year the Colts were 6-10. I don't think their coaching staff has much faith in Rhodes, and picking Addai in the 1st round tells me that they really like this guy.

Exactly, but I don't see Adai starting many games this season. They want him for the long haul, so I think they'll slowly ease him in. Much like one Carson Palmer

there's quite a difference between starting at tailback and starting at quarterback in the NFL.

I still think theres a learning curve for RBs. I dont think Addai will be able to immediately start for the Colts.

[Bowie]

We'll see how quickly Addai picks up pass blocking schemes and adjusts to Manning's audibles. I highly doubt the Colts coaching staff will play him much until they are EXTREMELY confident he won't get Manning killed.

[stomperrob]

The Colt's defence who have been playing against him in practice have been impressed by him too - check out this story by Adam Schefter at NFL.com:

"And in Indianapolis, Colts defenders were surprised to see the burst and acceleration of first-round pick Joseph Addai, who is expected to replace running back Edgerrin James. Colts defenders were surprised to see that Addai was bigger than expected, and even more surprised to see he was faster than expected.

Teams do not draft running backs in the first round with the intention of sitting on the bench. More than any other position, running backs drafted in Round 1 have as good a chance to contribute right away as any other position."

[mutantseabass]

Teams do not draft running backs in the first round with the intention of sitting on the bench. More than any other position, running backs drafted in Round 1 have as good a chance to contribute right away as any other position."

Tell that to Cedric Benson.

[stomperrob]

Teams do not draft running backs in the first round with the intention of sitting on the bench. More than any other position, running backs drafted in Round 1 have as good a chance to contribute right away as any other position."

Tell that to Cedric Benson.

But that was his own fault for holding out so he started late and didn't catch up - plus I think they held that against him to an extent.

[Dan Lambskin]

Teams do not draft running backs in the first round with the intention of sitting on the bench. More than any other position, running backs drafted in Round 1 have as good a chance to contribute right away as any other position."

Tell that to Cedric Benson.

or William Green or TJ Duckett or Ron Dayne or...

anyway, this is another sketchy situation. i do agree with the sentiment that Rhodes will see the majority of carries the first 3-4 games with Addai slowly becoming the feature back, but with that said, where do i want to take either of them?

i wouldnt want either of them as anything more than a #4 RB this year, so probably the earliest i'd grab either of them is the 6th and probably 8-10 is where i'd target them

i'd probably lean towards drafting Addai based on the upside, but like i said, i dont want to end my draft counting on either of these guys as a starter

[Dr. Duran Duran]

Let's all keep in mind that Rhodes' last season in the spotlight was nearly half a decade ago. Rhodes also averaged just three yards a carry last season in limited time. Were it not for one big run against the Houston Texans last year, his average would have been even worse, and you're going to put your trust in him as a starting running back? Where Rhodes is going in most drafts is where you usually take a 3rd RB, so I can respect that there's a certain risk/reward involved.

Frankly, I just don't get very impressed by him anymore and I watch literally every Colts game. If nothing more, he'll steal goalline carries because he was decent in that role, but I think Mungro is just as capable. Addai is the only running back on that team I'd take and it's because he's clearly the future back for the Colts, and he has all the upside. If you want to take a chance on Rhodes, I really think you're doing yourself an injustice. Where I've seen Rhodes go is the same place in a draft where you can get an excellent wide receiver, a top tight end or a top quarterback. Why risk the pick on an iffy player like Rhodes, who hasn't done squat in years when you can have a near sure thing? It's Addai or nothing for me when it comes to drafting a Colts RB, especially in a keeper league.

[Favre.com]

Rhodes is not a young RB, and his last good season did not happen recently. The Colts needed a RB that fits Edge's profile, and Addai has good screen play skills as well as the posture and built to protect Manning when needed. I do not believe that Addai will get to start right away, but I see him getting 18 carries by week 5. The catch here is he has the skills to be the starter right away in terms of running, but he will need to be groomed through the schemes of protecting Manning that he does not know yet, and that is why I believe he will need 4-5 weeks before he can handle then load.