Rudi Johnson, underappreciated Iron Man

Rudi Johnson, underappreciated when he played in college and still underappreciated in the NFL is an iron man. There's a nice article on Bengals.com that details just how much he runs the ball. In the last four years, his peers are LT, Edge and Tiki. In fact, he's number one in attempts over that span. I don't think he's missed a game either and I know he has played through pain and injuries a couple of those years.

That said, of that list, he's fourth in yards gained. So he runs a lot, but doesn't have as much to show from it. Part of the reason is he apparently just doesn't have the speed to break big runs often enough. This is why the last couple years people have been hearing "Chris Perry will cut into Rudi's carries" rumors. Well, Perry ain't cuttin' the mustard.

Kenny Irons will. Irons was a pre-season Heisman watch back at Auburn last year but like the rest of the Tigers, got banged up early and hard and played with problems all year. He went from a first round pick to a second rounder and the Bengals didn't take him in the second to ride the pine. They really do want to spell Rudi and they really do want more of a home run threat.

The Mustard: While he is finally getting the level of respect he has earned, Rudi Johnson's carries will take a significant hit this year. He will probably still break 1000 yards and get the red zone carries for 10 or 12 TDs. Ironically, if Irons does get more carries between twenties and moves the chains well, Rudi could see more goal line attempts. Still, be leary of Rudi and let someone else take him as their number one back unless you get him at a good value. Trade him if you're in a keeper league.