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Chris Brown narrows choices


Goopster24
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Here is the story. I work here at ESPN Radio in Chicago and they have been reporting it all day too. This basically means that the Bears want Peterson to focus on special teams as much as he can. It also means they are still thinking about whether Wolfe is their 2nd string running back.

 

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With six weeks to go until training camps open, the list of available NFL free agents is slim, and it's about to get even slimmer, as running back Chris Brown says he is close to making a decision after narrowing his choices down to the Bears and the Titans.

 

Brown's agent says the two teams have given him similar offers, and that he should make a decision in four or five days. Brown has spent his entire career with the Titans, who chose him in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft. Although he showed great promise in his second season (running 220 times for 1,067 yards), his playing time declined in 2005, and last year he was demoted on the depth chart and played in only five games.

 

Things have changed in Tennessee, though. Travis Henry is in Denver now, LenDale White is fatter than ever, and the Titans aren't sure if they can count on second-round rookie Chris Henry. If Brown were to sign with the Titans, he'd have a good chance of earning a starting job.

 

In Chicago he'd be a backup to Cedric Benson, and with concerns about Benson's durability, being the backup running back in Chicago is a good job opportunity. Whether he signs with Chicago or Tennessee, Brown has a good chance of getting significant playing time. He's in a much better position now than he was last season.

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I can't believe IND is showing any interest. They're in serious trouble if they misjudged Addai's ability to carry such a hugh probable load and/or he gets tweaked. Brown would be a good pickup there and would give Addai the breather he'll probably need.

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I can't believe IND is showing any interest. They're in serious trouble if they misjudged Addai's ability to carry such a hugh probable load and/or he gets tweaked. Brown would be a good pickup there and would give Addai the breather he'll probably need.

 

Agreed that Addai may not be durable enough for 350-carry seasons. But he may be OK if they limit him to 270-290 carries with DeDe Dorsey getting maybe 5-8 carries per game. And with the use of a first-round pick on Gonzalez, methinks that the Colts are going to the multiple-WR sets A LOT this season, which will cut into the running game.

 

The Bears had better sign Brown, as Benson is almost a lock to get injured at some point. Garret Wolfe will get mauled if he's out on the field for an extended period of time.

Edited by Bill Swerski
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Colts reportedly also had Mungro in for a look this week as well.

 

I hear they are very high on Dorsey.

 

Oh, and by the way, Chris Brown sucks. I wouldn't want that Veronica on the Colts anyways.

Edited by CaptainHook
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I can't believe IND is showing any interest. They're in serious trouble if they misjudged Addai's ability to carry such a hugh probable load and/or he gets tweaked. Brown would be a good pickup there and would give Addai the breather he'll probably need.

 

A wiser man than I (regarding the Colts) posted this elsewhere:

 

I've been keeping up on Dede Dorsey all offseason and it's true, they really dig the guy. Everyone in camp is asking questions about him, saying how fast he is on his feet. Of course, he has no regular season experience, but that's something that's never bothered the Colts brass before. After all, the Colts haven't brought in a veteran running back since Eric Dickerson joined the team in 1987. That's not a typo. Literally, the Colts farm their RB's from the inside, so Dede's presence as the only backup to Addai shouldn't be shocking. I wouldn't expect Dorsey to take on the type of role Rhodes had last season, but I would expect him to put up the same type of touches James Mungro had in 2002 (100 touches).
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not completely true.

 

they did bring in Karim Abdul-Jabbar (the football one) and traded for Fred Lane. Abdul-Jabbar ended up retiring with an arthritic knee, and Lane was shot and killed by his wife. Both were supposedly going to play major roles in the Colts offense with Edgerrin, but it never panned out.

 

edit: oh yeah, they also signed Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, who ended up getting a brain tumor. You see, the Colts haven't had very good luck with FA running backs . . .

Edited by CaptainHook
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Agreed that Addai may not be durable enough for 350-carry seasons. But he may be OK if they limit him to 270-290 carries with DeDe Dorsey getting maybe 5-8 carries per game. And with the use of a first-round pick on Gonzalez, methinks that the Colts are going to the multiple-WR sets A LOT this season, which will cut into the running game.

 

The Bears had better sign Brown, as Benson is almost a lock to get injured at some point. Garret Wolfe will get mauled if he's out on the field for an extended period of time.

 

 

I find it interesting that every small running back that comes out of college is labeled to be soon "mauled" or similarly. In Wolfe's situation, he comes from a small MAC school so that hurts him even more. But this is a kid who always performed well against the big schools and the bigger defenses too. I am not saying he will come in and be jaw dropping, but I feel as though he can be a solid spell and different back than Benson. The word out was that the coaching staff loved him but I guess they are covering all bases.

 

And the Benson injury concerns: This is a guy who never really got hurt at Texas and always carried the load. He had a MCL sprain but he has rebounded great from it. His shoulder injury is also passed him. Some people like to call him injury prone already, but I don't see how he warrants that.

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Titans boost backfield by re-signing veteran Chris Brown

 

By TERESA M. WALKER - AP Sports Writer

2007-06-18 15:18

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Chris Brown, the running back who lost his starting job to Travis Henry last season, has agreed to a one-year deal bringing him back to the Tennessee Titans.

 

Brown, who found himself on the bench watching Henry rush for 1,211 yards in 2006, spent the offseason visiting with other teams and had narrowed his choices down to his hometown Chicago Bears and Tennessee. Agent Ryan Morgan said the Titans offer an opportunity.

 

``I wouldn't have necessarily predicted this when the free agency period started,'' Morgan said Monday. ``But we're constantly evaluating things. It really comes down to opportunity, and we're hoping Chris can go in there and compete and contribute.''

 

The deal includes performance incentives for the four-year veteran who has 2,295 yards rushing in his career, 10th all-time in team history. He was a third-round draft pick out of Colorado in 2003.

 

Brown, who was in Nashville on Monday helping hand out free shoes at a homeless shelter, could be signed and take part in the Titans' final minicamp starting Tuesday.

 

The Titans found themselves needing an experienced running back when LenDale White, the 45th-pick overall in 2005, came into the offseason program overweight. The former Southern California running back has struggled with a hamstring problem and spent several days in minicamps working on rehab on the sidelines.

 

Tennessee also used another second-round draft pick on the position in April, selecting Chris Henry of Arizona at No. 50 overall.

 

Brown started three of the first four games in 2006 and wound up playing only in five. He rushed 41 times for 156 yards with his best game coming at Houston on Dec. 10 when he averaged 11 yards on four carries.

 

The Titans finished 8-8 with the NFL's fifth-best rushing offense in 2006, and Morgan said they believe Henry took advantage of some of the success the offense started having once Vince Young, who was the NFL's 2006 Offensive Rookie of the Year, took over as quarterback.

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Move over Lendale as the Titans have their RB for the year now, well until he gets hurt in week 1 and the RBBC starts. :D

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I find it interesting that every small running back that comes out of college is labeled to be soon "mauled" or similarly. In Wolfe's situation, he comes from a small MAC school so that hurts him even more. But this is a kid who always performed well against the big schools and the bigger defenses too. I am not saying he will come in and be jaw dropping, but I feel as though he can be a solid spell and different back than Benson. The word out was that the coaching staff loved him but I guess they are covering all bases.

 

Dude, Wolfe is 5'7", 186 lbs. He makes Marshall Faulk look like Jerome Bettis. Seriously, outside of Warrick Dunn, how many backs that size have had even moderate success in the NFL? I agree that he could spell Benson successfully, but if Benson goes down (which is likely) I don't think that he'd last as the primary ball-carrier. He'd have to split carries with Peterson.

 

And the Benson injury concerns: This is a guy who never really got hurt at Texas and always carried the load. He had a MCL sprain but he has rebounded great from it. His shoulder injury is also passed him. Some people like to call him injury prone already, but I don't see how he warrants that.

 

Benson has been injured THREE times (serious MCL injury in '05, shoulder injury in '06, and another knee injury in the SB) in just two seasons as an RBBC guy. I can't imagine how dinged up this guy would get if he toted the rock 20-30 times a game.

Edited by Bill Swerski
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Benson has been injured THREE times (serious MCL injury in '05, shoulder injury in '06, and another knee injury in the SB) in just two seasons as an RBBC guy. I can't imagine how dinged up this guy would get if he toted the rock 20-30 times a game.

 

 

Where is the gray line between injury prone and unlucky? I really don't know...it's kinda crazy if you ask me. Grossman was labeled injury prone and he played a full season. It's amazing how a player can shut fans up sometimes. I hope Benson does the same. We all have this expectation of players to NEVER get hurt. And when we talk about running backs, the position that has the shortest life in the NFL, we expect them to be Superman. Unreal...

 

And about Wolfe, of course the odds are stacked against him, but all I am trying to say is that just because he is small doesn't mean someone can automatically write him off. The guy had success against bigger players throughout his career and I personally expect him to adjust the NFL game, time taken of course. I totally agree with you in the fact that if Benson goes down, he can't be the number one guy, not just because he is small, but also a rookie. Peterson also can't do that for a couple of reasons, one also being the team wants him to be a special teams monster.

 

Should be interesting to see what happens with the running back situation now that Brown is a Titan still.

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What does it say about a player who would rather fight for playing time on the Titans than play for a team, in the Bears, that hopes to return to the Super Bowl? So much for having the desire to compete for the big prize. :D

 

 

I think it says that he's someone that wants to play regularly, rather than sit on the bench and hopefully collect a ring that he hasn't earned. I think that's the way most players feel, until the end of their career when they want to go out with a title.

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Where is the gray line between injury prone and unlucky? I really don't know...it's kinda crazy if you ask me. Grossman was labeled injury prone and he played a full season... I hope Benson does the same. We all have this expectation of players to NEVER get hurt. And when we talk about running backs, the position that has the shortest life in the NFL, we expect them to be Superman. Unreal...

 

LOL, Grossman has been knocked out for significant time with THREE MAJOR INJURIES in just FOUR seasons. But it's unfair to call him "injury-prone"?! And it's unreasonable to expect him to be healthy more often?! Unreal... :D

 

It's amazing how a player can shut fans up sometimes.

 

Who has Grossman "shut up"? :D

 

Benson suffered a relatively serious MCL injury in his rookie year, causing him to miss seven games. He messed up his shoulder in training camp last season and then injured his knee again in the Super Bowl. And he was only a change-of-pace back when this happened. But you expect him to carry the full load now? Good luck with that.

 

And about Wolfe, of course the odds are stacked against him, but all I am trying to say is that just because he is small doesn't mean someone can automatically write him off. The guy had success against bigger players throughout his career and I personally expect him to adjust the NFL game, time taken of course. I totally agree with you in the fact that if Benson goes down, he can't be the number one guy, not just because he is small, but also a rookie.

 

Halfbacks have a history of success in their rookie seasons. The most significant problem I can foresee with Wolfe is that his size may limit his ability to pass-block effectively, especially against LBs and DEs. And he may prove me wrong in that regard.

 

I'm not automatically writing off Wolfe, either. My point was that he's not going to be able to carry the rock 20-30 times a game if/when Benson goes down (again). But I do believe that Wolfe could be an effective scat back.

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I think it says that he's someone that wants to play regularly, rather than sit on the bench and hopefully collect a ring that he hasn't earned. I think that's the way most players feel, until the end of their career when they want to go out with a title.

 

IMO, Chris Brown is much closer to the end of his career than he thinks.

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