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In
March,
running
back
Lamont
Jordon
finally
got his
wish to
be a
starter
in the
NFL when
he
signed a
five year
deal
worth
$27.5
million
with the
Oakland
Raiders.
What
does
this
mean to
the fantasy
football
world
you ask? It means
that
there is
finally
a
legitimate
fantasy
running
back in
Oakland,
the
first
since the long
departed
Napoleon
Kauffman.
(Remember
that
guy?)
It’s
been
horrible
watching
the
Raiders'
ground
game the
past few
years
but this
year it
will be
better. I
believe
Lamont
Jordon
will be
a solid
pickup
for your
fantasy
team, and
here’s
why...
1.
Lack of
Competition
Backing
up
Curtis
Martin
as a New
York Jet
last
season, Lamont
Jordon
carried
the ball
a career
high 93
times
for 479
yards. He
scored 2
touchdowns
and
averaged
5.2
yards
per
carry.
Jordan
gained
more
yards as
a backup
last
season
than
the
Oakland
Raiders'
leading
rusher
Amos Zereoue.
Zereoue
had 112
attempts
for 425
yards
with a
3.8
yards
per
carry
average. Tyrone
Wheatley,
the
second
leading
rusher
for the
Raiders
in 2004
was
released
so
Jordan
will be
the main
man in
Oakland.
2.
Norv
Turner
Norv
Turner
knows
how to
get the
best out
of
running
backs
and he
has
historically never
been a
running
back by
committee-type
coach
until
last
season
when he
was
forced
to split
carries
between
Amos Zereoue,
Tyrone
Wheatley
and Zack
Crockett. That
approach
failed
miserably.
The
Raiders
were
last in
the NFL
in
rushing
in 2004.
In
previous
years it
was a
different
story
for
Turner.
So let’s
talk
about how
running
backs
produce
when
they are
the
number
one back
in Norv
Turner’s
offense.
•
When
Turner
was the
offensive
coordinator
with the
Dallas
Cowboys
from
1991-1993,
Emmitt
Smith
led the
NFL in
rushing
all
three
years!
•
In his 7
years in
Washington
as the
head
coach, a
workman-like
back
named
Terry
Allen
had his
best
numbers
after a
so-so
career
in
Minnesota. In 1995
Allen
rushed
for
1,308
yards
and
found
the end
zone 11
times. In 1996
he
rushed
for
1,353
yards
and
scored
21
touchdowns!
•
Stephen
Davis
rushed
for a
career
high
1,405
yards
and
scored
17
touchdowns
when
Turner
last
coached
Washington
in 1999.
•
Ricky
Williams
was an
average
back in
New
Orleans,
scoring a
total of
16
rushing
touchdowns
his
first
three
years in
the
league,
and
with an
average
of
a little
less
than 4.0
yards
per
carry.
In his
first
year in Miami
under
Turner,
Ricky
exploded
for
1,853
rushing
yards,
scored
16
touchdowns
and
averaged
4.8
yards
per
carry.
•
In 2001,
LaDainain
Tomlinson’s
rookie
season, Norv
Turner
was the
offensive
coordinator
in San
Diego.
Tomlinson
led all
rookies
with
1,236
yards
rushing
and 10
touchdowns.
He also
caught a
rookie-best 59
passes.
3.
Randy
Moss
Randy
Moss was
added to
Oakland's
roster
in the
off-season
and he
can’t be
covered
by one
defensive back
due to
his
speed,
height,
and
athleticism.
This
means
that he
will see
constant
double
teams or
zone coverages.
Randy
Moss was
injured
last
season
and
missed 3
games
and
played
hurt in
a few
other
but he
was
still
able to
score 13
touchdowns,
which
brought
his
career
total to 90
touchdowns
in his
seven
year
career.
In 2004,
the
Oakland
Raiders
leading
receiver
Jerry
Porter
caught 9
touchdowns.
In 2005
Randy
Moss and
Jerry
Porter
should
compete
with
Marvin
Harrison
and
Reggie
Wayne as
the best
receiving
tandem
in the
league.
Moss and
Porter
will
garner
so much
attention
that
Lamont
Jordon
will
never
have to
run
against
an eight
man
front..
In
conclusion
I
believe
that Lamont
Jordan
will
have a
great
season
and be a
steal in
fantasy
drafts
this
summer. A lot of
running
backs
will be
drafted
ahead of
him, but
he will
post
better
numbers
than
some of
the most
recognizable
names in
fantasy
football. Lamont
Jordon
would be
an
unbelievable
number
two
fantasy
back for
your
fantasy
team
with the
upside
of
producing
like a
top 10
fantasy
back.
If you
have any
comments
on this
article
feel
free to
contact
me.
Stingray |
