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Line of Scrimmage: NFL GameChangers '10: Running Backs

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07/16/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - In addition to being three people who have never been in my kitchen, former NFL running backs Troy Hambrick, Greg Hill, and Neal Anderson all share another important commonality - they all followed legends.

And, in a circumstance as predictable as a Jaguars game being blacked out, each failed to rival the success of their more famous predecessor.

Hambrick (972 yards, 5 TD in 2003) earned the starting job in Dallas after Emmitt Smith defected to Arizona, and though he was good enough to help the Cowboys to the playoffs, was released the following May.

Hill (542 yards, 4 TD in 1999) was brought to Detroit as a stop-gap after Barry Sanders abruptly retired on the eve of training camp, but his uninspiring lone season with the Lions also represented his final bow in the NFL.

Anderson actually enjoyed some success after taking over for Walter Payton full-time in 1988, ending up with over 6,000 rushing yards and 50-plus touchdowns in eight seasons, but a promising career was derailed by injuries and Anderson is viewed by many Bears fans as an unfortunate case of "what if".

We offer this history lesson to those who wonder what will become of San Diego Chargers first-round pick Ryan Mathews. Mathews, the No. 12 overall selection in the April draft, will be the next in line to follow an all-time, top 10 NFL rusher when he carries San Diego into the post-LaDainian Tomlinson era this fall. Tomlinson was released by the Chargers in February and later signed by the New York Jets.

Asked if he felt the burden of succeeding Tomlinson, who left San Diego as the No. 8 rusher in NFL history, Mathews told the San Diego Union-Tribune, "I don't feel pressure replacing L.T. Big shoes. It's hard to fill those shoes. I'm going to play my game."

Mathews' game was just fine at Fresno State last season, when he led the NCAA in rushing during a junior campaign that saw the Bakersfield, CA native amass 1,808 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games. Spurred on by that showing, Mathews opted to enter the draft, where the combination of a weak running back crop, a 4.45 40-yard dash and a round of strong in-person interviews saw his stock rocket into the first round. Though some thought Mathews would last late into the first round, the Chargers took no chances, moving up to the No. 12 position to secure his services.

Immediately, head coach Norv Turner pegged the 6-0, 218-pounder for 250 carries and 40 catches as a rookie, a testament to the direction a formerly pass-happy offense is heading.

"Ryan was the most complete back in the draft," Turner told reporters in May. "He's got great speed and vision. What puts him over the top is he's capable of being a very physical runner."

Handling the physical demands will be critical for Mathews, who will likely be the team's primary offensive weapon early in the season. No. 1 wide receiver Vincent Jackson will serve a three-game suspension to open the year, and could be out longer if he fails to settle a contract dispute with the Chargers. That situation should open the door for plenty of extra touches for Mathews.

Perhaps more important for Mathews will be handling the expectations. Though Tomlinson's production had dropped off in recent years, Chargers fans know what a high-caliber running back looks like, and will be expecting to see some of the same flashes from Mathews that Tomlinson showed when he burst on the scene as a rookie in 2001.

After a long holdout, Tomlinson opened eyes with a 1200-yard, 10-touchdown performance in '01, one that served as a springboard to a certain Hall of Fame career. You can bet Bolts supporters will be breaking out the yardsticks come September to see whether Mathews is following the same trajectory.

You won't find Mathews comparing himself to Tomlinson, though he's already L.T.'s equal in terms of self-assuredness.

"I knew I should be playing with those guys after I got here," Mathews recently said of his initial steps in the NFL. "I didn't struggle. It was good. A running back has to be confident; you can't second-guess."

Below, as the seventh installment of our eight-part "GameChangers" series, we look at five incoming running backs who will enter their first year in a new uniform as central figures in their team's 2010 development:

5. LaDainian Tomlinson, Jets (free agent, from Chargers) - Though Tomlinson is old news in San Diego, big things are expected out of him in Gotham, where the Jets controversially signed him to a two-year deal worth $5.2 million after dumping the cheaper (and more recently effective) Thomas Jones. There have been indications that Shonn Greene will nominally be the Jets starter following a strong finish to 2009, but you have to believe, given his price tag and legacy, Tomlinson will get considerable touches as well. The NFL's active rushing leader did not post a single 100-yard game last season, but told ESPN in regard to those who feel he has diminished skills, "I'm tired of being doubted by so many people about what I can do." The motivation appears to be there for Tomlinson. But at 31, are the legs?

4. Thomas Jones, Chiefs (free agent, from Jets) - It's too bad Jones didn't hit his stride until he was 27 years old, otherwise we might be talking about him as a future Hall of Famer like Tomlinson. As it is, the 31-year-old Jones has now posted 1,100 or more yards in each of the past five seasons, split among two teams that ultimately decided he wasn't good enough to continue playing for them. Jones hopes to make the Jets pay for that decision just as he did the Bears three years ago, but there's no doubt that the odds are stacked against him repeating that scenario in Kansas City. The emerging Jamaal Charles (1,120 yards and eight TDs last season) and second-round draft pick Dexter McCluster (Ole Miss) are going to siphon carries away from Jones, and the Chiefs offensive line isn't nearly as strong as the one Jones ran behind as a Jet. Though he still appears to have something left in the tank, the former No. 7 overall draft pick is going to have to fight for an opportunity to shine.

3. Jahvid Best, Lions (rookie, California) - The Lions have had a rough history with promising running backs that they can't seem to keep healthy (see: Kevin Smith, Kevin Jones), so it was a little bit curious that they moved up into the bottom of the first round to select Best. Best had both elbow and foot surgeries while at Cal and missed the final four games of his junior season due to multiple concussions, but the 5-10, 199-pounder's sub-4.4 speed and 7.3 average per carry as a member of the Golden Bears were too enticing for Jim Schwartz's team to pass up. To start out, Best could play in a rotation with incumbent Kevin Smith (if he recovers sufficiently from knee and shoulder surgeries), with Best counted on most off the edge and as a pass- catcher. That's probably a prudent approach for a guy who might not be physically ready to take the punishment he would face behind a still- developing Detroit offensive line.

2. C.J. Spiller, Bills (rookie, Clemson) - There have been a number of ominous pronouncements about how bad the Bills could be in their first year under Chan Gailey, as the team has an uncertain quarterback situation and did very little to upgrade the already-marginal talent throughout the rest of its roster in the offseason. If there is an antidote to that line of doomsday thinking, it is Spiller, the first running back selected in the April draft. Though he'll have his work cut out for him on a team with a shaky offensive line and limited passing attack to take the pressure off, his 4.37 speed, pass-catching ability and good head for the game give the Bills a chance to be competitive. What Buffalo must avoid is another situation like the one it faced with last- year's first-round pick, Aaron Maybin, who held out late into the 2009 preseason and was rarely a factor in his first year in an NFL uniform.

1. Ryan Mathews, Chargers (rookie, Fresno State) - Though as mentioned above, following a legend is difficult, there are some positive examples to whom Chargers fans can point as they assess the possibilities for Mathews. The Browns' Leroy Kelly became a Hall of Famer after following Jim Brown, while Herschel Walker (succeeded Tony Dorsett) and Willie Parker (succeeded Jerome Bettis) each had at least modest success after filling big shoes. One thing that Mathews hopes not to emulate about Tomlinson is the protracted holdout that delayed his development slightly back in 2001. "My main thing is to get into camp as soon as possible," Mathews told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I've talked to my agent; I need to be there. Too many guys hold out for all the wrong reasons and I'm not going to be one of them."

Next up at the Line of Scrimmage: 2010 GameChangers Part VIII - Specialists