Running Backs

Who's on the Roster?
#42 Zack Abron (5-9 228, rookie, Missouri)
#35 Jeremy Allen (5-11 239, 1st, Iowa)
#39 Tim Burrough (6-1 245, rookie, Oklahoma State)
#45 T.J. Duckett (6-0 254, 3rd, Michigan State)
#28 Warrick Dunn (5-9 180, 8th, Florida State)
#30 James Fenderson (5-9 200, 3rd, Hawaii)
#33 Justin Griffith (5-11 232, 2nd, Mississippi State)
#38 George Layne (5-11 250, 3rd, Texas Christian)
#46 Stanley Pritchett (6-2 250, 9th, South Carolina)
#43 Quincy Wilson (5-9 225, rookie, West Virginia)

Starters: Duckett (running back), Griffith (fullback).
Top Backups: Dunn (running back), Layne (fullback).

Newcomers: Abron (undrafted rookie), Burrough (undrafted rookie), Fenderson (free agent/Saints), Wilson (7th round pick).

The Falcons running back position is one of strength despite not having all their important players completely healthy heading into camp.

T.J. Duckett will enter camp as the starter. Not particularly because Duckett has earned the job, but because incumbent starter Warrick Dunn is still not completely healthy from the sprained foot he suffered in late November last season.

Duckett is a big powerful runner but hasn't always been consistent. His burst and speed are not that great, and at times he can be a bit hesitant in the backfield. But he's been improving. His blocking and receiving abilities are not that great, but he's improving in both areas. If Duckett continues to play well in training camp, he should keep the starting job. His weight has been a minor concern, but many indications have said he's gotten it done a bit. Duckett played well down the stretch and looked like he could be the feature runner, and the team hopes that can continue into this year.

In likelihood, Duckett will be used on first and second down and Dunn will be used on third downs. Dunn definitely was the starter up until his injury and his receiving abilities really helped the Falcons last year. Dunn's biggest problems are his durability due to a lack of size. Each of the past two seasons in Atlanta, he has been unable to make it through an entire season unscathed. But the Falcons have realized that Dunn does play his best when he gets twenty or more carries, and that has been a cause to his injuries.

Dunn is still having problems with his foot and has been experiencing some pain when pushing off it during mini-camps, so the team will likely have him go slow during training camp and preseason, in order to make sure that he is 100% for the regular season. Unless he makes a very quick and unexpected recovery between now and August, he won't have the opportunity to win back his starting position. That could come later on in the regular season, but is doubtful for the summer.

Because of Dunn's injury, it opens up opportunities and more practice reps for reserves like rookie Quincy Wilson. Wilson was taken in the final round of this past April's draft, and is a physical runner in the same mold as Duckett. Wilson has shown a bit more quickness and burst, and runs a bit more consistently than Duckett, but he's not close to the overall talent of Duckett. Wilson shows good ability as a potential short-yardage back and inside guy, but it's unlikely he'll be able to completely take those duties from Duckett this year. But with Dunn out, he'll get the opportunity to impress. If he does during preseason, he'll be thrown into the mix during the regular season, especially if Dunn is still lingering from injuries early on. Wilson's best chance for success is if he can prove himself on special teams, since it's more likely that he'll see more opportunities there than on offense. If Wilson struggles on special teams, then he may find himself on the practice squad instead of the roster. But if Wilson looks good on offense, it's difficult to imagine him not making the roster, even if he's only average on special teams.

James Fenderson will also be looking to impress. Fenderson was a free agent pickup from the Saints, that did most of his work on special teams in New Orleans. He replaces the role that Travis Jervey and Gary Downs have held for the Falcons in past seasons. He played some fullback and running back in college at Hawaii, and got some work at the running back position in New Orleans, but he did little to impress. He has decent hands, and his experience at fullback should make a decent blocker, but his offensive abilities are average at best. His best chance of making the roster happen if Wilson doesn't adjust well to special teams, since the team is more likely to keep guys that can play there than anything.

Zack Abron is the last runner on the roster, and like Wilson and Duckett he's a power runner. He has good straight line speed and power, but has trouble changing directions. He has pretty solid hands as well. Abron is a longshot to make the roster, but has an opportunity to make the practice squad if he has a good preseason. He's a very similar player to Quincy Wilson coming out of college.

Fullbacks

The fullback position was a bit worrisome last season when Bob Christian retired. But the team made a great move and drafted Justin Griffith, who played beyond expectations.

Griffith unseated George Layne for the starting job last summer. Griffith is a good runner and receiver, and in the new West Coast Offense, the team hopes to use him similar to how the 49ers used Fred Beasley. Griffith's blocking is not all that is to be desired, but he should improvement in his pop, power, and making the right blocks as the season progressed. But still, his primary duties in the offense will be as a runner and receiver. If Dunn's injury still is bothering him into the regular season, it would not be surprising to see Griffith get the majority of the work as a runner behind Duckett. He has good power and good burst and is an excellent inside runner.

Griffith's lack of great blocking ability opened up opportunities for George Layne last year. Layne is clearly the superior blocker since he has greater power and pop, and was used in short-yardage and goalline situations late last year. But Layne's job is not completely locked up. It's been clear that the previous coaching staff liked him, but he's still on the bubble. Since joining the team in mid-2001, he's been unable to make the roster each of the last two summers. In 2002, it was due to an injury, but he was brought back in November of that year. Last year, it was because the coaching staff wanted to see what Griffith could do, but Layne was still brought back late in the season. He's a good blocker, but his running and receiving abilities are average. But where Layne impresses the most is on special teams, which definitely gives him the inside track to the roster position.

But Layne will be looking over his shoulder, particularly at newly acquired veteran in Stanley Pritchett. Pritchett was a starter for the Bears and the Dolphins in the past. He never excelled in a starting role, but he has always been more than adequate. Pritchett's best asset is his hands and receiving ability. He also is a capable runner. Which makes Pritchett the team's top reserve option if it is looking for a backup like Justin Griffith. He fits well into the team's new offense, but the team will be most likely looking for a backup blocker. Pritchett is a good blocker, but not to the level of Layne. His best shot of making the roster will be outperforming Layne on special teams, but Pritchett has not played a lot on special teams in recent years.

Undrafted rookie Tim Burrough also presents a challenge. Burrough was known for his physical blocking at Oklahoma State. He was never used extensively as a runner or receiver, but showed some ability in both areas. There's little doubt that the team signed him to be a lead blocker in a similar role to Layne. He'll push Layne and Pritchett, and if he can show some ability on special teams he could be able to unseat Layne. He could be a sleeper heading into camp.

The other fullback on the roster is Jeremy Allen. Allen is more of a runner than blocker however. He has some blocking abilities, but if he had more speed, he probably would have been moved to running back a while ago. Allen played in NFL Europe and because of this is a roster longshot. Allen struggled through some injuries in Europe, and even had to switch teams. He has good hands as well, and if he plays well on special teams, he has a shot. But in likelihood, Allen's battle for a roster position is too much to overcome.

Salary Cap Sense

The salary cap could come into play at this position. Although you can be sure that the two highest paid players (Duckett and Dunn) will have jobs, it's the bench guys that it will affect the most. The team could save roughly $225,000 in cap space by keeping Burrough or Allen over Layne at fullback, which will be tempting. Fenderson is the most expensive of the reserve running backs, which greatly helps Wilson and Abron in their bids for roster positions. The team will save at least $60,000 by going with one of the rookies over Fenderson.

Roster Projection

1. Duckett (starter)
2. Griffith (starter)
3. Dunn (backup)
4. Wilson (backup)
5. Layne (backup)
6. Fenderson (cut)
7. Abron (cut)
8. Burrough (cut)