Faceoff - RB LenDale White, Tennessee Titans

Posted 6/19, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Marc Faletti

To say that it's fashionable to bag on LenDale White would be an understatement. As a guy coming off an 1,100-yard season, White deserves a lot more love than he's getting.

If he were losing his job, then maybe White would be worth ignoring, but he's not. White is the expected starter heading into Titans camp. Chris Henry has struggled in all phases of the game (especially blocking) and looks like a poor fit thus far. Meanwhile, one of White's best talents is blocking for Vince Young downfield, meaning the Titans have every reason to keep White on the field.

If the Titans had drafted a replacement for him, then maybe White would be worth ignoring, but they didn't. Yes, they selected Chris Johnson, but they're already talking about using him all over the field, including in the slot. He's going to get 10-12 carries, sure, but he's not the guy who pounds the rock into a softening defense. Nobody but White fits that bill for the Titans.

If the Titans are going to run less this year, then maybe White would be worth ignoring, but they aren't. If anything, they'll run more - Jeff Fisher has repeatedly shown that he'll run as much as humanly possible. This means that even with Chris Johnson getting the aforementioned touches, and even with Vince Young scampering from time to time, White should still be expected to see the ball at least 20 times in every close game. And we know that the Titans have a stingy D and like to keep games close even when they're winning. That equals lots of between-the-tackles work for LenDale White.

LenDale could easily get another 300+ touches this season. Even with 250 touches he'd remain a top 25 RB. If he improves *at all* on his meager 3.6 yards per carry, and/or the Titans improve on one of the worst red-zone offenses in recent history, White could potentially explode for 1500 yards and double digit TDs. The bottom line: White doesn't have to improve one bit to be worth a top 25 RB spot. But he also has the potential to crash the top 10. Savvy owners will pick him at a bargain price in 2008.

Downside - by Andy Hicks

LenDale White may have a future as a full time starting running back in the NFL, but it won't be in 2008 and it won't be with the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans have selected a running back within the first 50 picks of the NFL draft for the last three years; White at 45 in 2006, Chris Henry at 50 in 2007, and Chris Johnson at 24 in 2008. With one of the better run blocking offensive lines in the NFL, you'd think Tennessee would want more than the 3.7 yards a carry provided by White last year, and that's where Chris Johnson and Chris Henry come into play.

Johnson and Henry offer speed and the big play ability that White lacks. They are both better receivers and natural complements to White's grinding style. Due to the lack of development in Vince Young's passing game, the Titans were the No. 1 team in the NFL in rushing attempts in 2007. With the majority of Tennessee's group of third-, fourth-, and fifth-round wide receivers (seven at last count) due to peak, the signing of Alge Crumpler and the probability of the Titans passing game improving, the expected rushing attempts cannot rise and probably will drop, maybe even significantly.

Will White see 300+ touches in 2008? He would need to see that amount to even be worth considering at the end of the fourth, early fifth round where his current ADP sits. He doesn't get meaningful yardage from receptions and would be fortunate to get near the 20 he recorded in 2007. His touchdown totals are well below those expected for backs that carry the ball as much as he does and they're especially low for a back of his size. And while I'm giving White a statistical kicking his yards per carry are among the worst ever recorded for those registering 300+ carries.

Much has and will be made of White playing on a torn meniscus, but he had a better yards per carry in the second half of the season after the knee become bothersome. Will he go back to recording the 3.6 yards a carry he had over the first half of 2007 when the knee wasn't as much trouble?

Another concern is his appearance before a Denver court during training camp on 29 July. While he isn't likely to face more than a fine, Roger Goodell has hardly been compassionate in his dealings with player misdemeanors to date.

If you foresee White getting a bigger chunk of the Tennessee rushing pie, then grab him. If however you see no upside, fewer carries, and more of a running-back-by-committee approach, then let someone else take him while you spend that pick on a player more likely to be productive.