Graham a bust?

[hermitkendle]

Ok, Graham has alot of questionmarks . There is bennett as the second rb and Dunn as third down back. Also you have Caddy coming back. Does anybody see graham loosing his spot to bennett or Dunn? Or do you see Caddy coming back and taking his spot back from Graham.

[Retet]

Man, I hope not. He's my keeper this year. I haven't seen any of Tampa's preseason games, but the box scores suggest that Graham hasn't done much.

[Cowboys 4 life]

I think Graham is a steal this year with where he is being drafted. Every pick carries some risk. I think Graham gets the bulk with the other 3 guys getting a few. Gruden prefers 1 guy to carry the bulk and usually 1-2 with spot duty. If Caddy comes back and runs well they probably drop Bennett.

Graham's stats last year projected over a whole year are looking real nice. Even 80% of that is a nice year for a 5th rounder.

[hermitkendle]

i was just wonderign because gruden said when caddy comes back it is his job. so i have worry's about graham

[Cowboys 4 life]

i was just wonderign because gruden said when caddy comes back it is his job. so i have worry's about graham

If Caddy is coming back and he performs better than Graham then it might be his job. But he is coming off of a serious injury. Guys just don't bounce back the first year. I don's see it happening.

[JasonSeahorn]

Graham should be a fine RB2. Won't carry your team but you could do worse with your second RB.

I think Gruden/Bucs FO was hyping Caddy so that Graham's new contract would be for less money, make it seem like the Bucs had other options at RB ready if Graham wasn't willing to sign.

[Teck]

I wouldn't touch Graham with a 10 foot pole as my rb1 or rb2. I think the dude will be a great rb3 FF wise but I just can't take the risk of having a guy who has one good year and 2 other capable backs (dunn, caddy) who are behind him. If he does good, great. I just can't take him in any league with the risk.

[woodson_28]

but I just can't take the risk of having a guy who has one good year and 2 other capable backs (dunn, caddy) who are behind him.

I wouldn't call Caddy a capable back. Last year he only had about 50 yards a game. And the year before he had under 800 yrds and ONLY 1 TD (he had more fumbles - 3). Even if you look back to the year he "broke-out", his rookies season (w/ 1100+ yards), He did have a few games of 100+ yards, but he also had 5 games w/ 29 or less yards. Some guys have bad games, but come on - that's almost a third of the season.

As for Dunn, while he has been productive in recent years (although not so much last year - blame it on the QB situation), he has never had double digit TD's. His production has also declined the last few years, and he's pushing, what? 33 years old? Everybody knows his better days are behind him. And he's no redzone RB.

I don't see either Caddy or Dunn to be a threat for Graham in the redzone - or in stealing many carries. Graham will be the #1 back for TB this year, and with the ability to draft him in the 5th rd or later (I got him in the 7th rd as my 4th RB), he's going to give the owner solid numbers.

Also, putting up only 1 year of solid numbers doesn't seem to be hurting other guys draft positions. For example:
A.Peterson - 1 productive season and he's the #2 pick. Questionable QB situation too.
M. Lynch - the Buffalo offense is still struggling to find itself
R. Grant - No Favre = no production there (maybe a 15-20 RB at the end of the season)
B. Jacobs - he has more talent behind him than Graham IMO

I would say these guys are more likely to be a "bust" than Graham, basically because these guys are 1st rd - 2nd rd (w/ Jacobs going early 3rd) compared to Graham, who has been going late 5th - early 7th.

Just my opinion

[AllDay]

Not high on him at all. I'm also not so sold on Ryan Grant.

Both guys were back-ups last year that came from nowhere to impress for part of the season. I'd need a little more value than they currently represent.

[LS2throwed]

Anyone expecting Caddy to return, and have some sort of impact is fooling yourself, don't buy the hype, and don't even get your hopes up, he was injury prone and struggling before his last knee injury, which was a major injury...IF, that thats a huge if at this point, he does return he will be nowhere near the RB they drafted, his explosion won't be the same, the way he could cut on a down, the way he could run through defenders with ease, I think at best he's a guy to spell someone for 7-10 carries max per game...That in itself is probably a 2009 outlook, I'm not expecting to see him on the field this year, Dunn is washed up, he will get a few carries but Norwood looked 10x better last year, its not like were getting the old Warrick Dunn here, he's gotten older too people.


Bennett is nothing special, at all, he will get a nice workload if Graham gets hurt but thats about it...Graham will be the goal line back and get at least 20 carries a game, with the way Garcia is struggling, Galloway is banged up, the WR's are all even with nobody but Bryant stepping up, I expect them to be pretty run heavy at least early on...Run the ball and play defense, have Garcia manage the game, Graham should again see plenty of receptions, and I cannot ignore how the majority of his stats had him in the top 5 or 10 at his respective position, even the receiving numbers...I'm not ready to call a guy a bust over pre-season, he didn't even play every game, Gruden came out and stated he rested guys.