With training camps just a month away, what teams do you see entering the 2006 season with the best overall running game?

Looking at running back depth here and the offensive line; The complete running game.

1. Seattle
2. San Diego
3. Atlanta
4. Giants
5. Kansas City

Would be my five. KC would move up to 3 if Priest comes back.

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I agree, only I would go KC at 2 and SD at 5. I think rivers will be forced to win, and defenses will stoke up to stop LT.

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If Preist doesnt come back though, KC doesnt have much viable depth. That was my only concern.

Why is Atlanta up there? Do they even have a thousand yard rusher?

Yeah they have a 1400 yd rusher from last year in Dunn. They also have led the league in rushing the last 2 years, I think they deseve to be up there as 2 time defending rushing champs.

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My top 5:
1. Seattle
2. Kansas City
3. Atlanta
4. Denver
5. New York Giants

My top SIX, because 5 isn't enough:

1. Kansas City
2. Seattle
3. San Diego
4. NY Giants
5. Atlanta
6. Denver

1. Giants
2. New Orleans
3. Atlanta
4. Miami
5. Denver

If thomas Jones had his act together it would be tough not to put Chicago on here, considering their defense will allow for ball control. The change up between Jones and Benson could be something to see.

youre going to call me a homer, but im going to call it right now. assuming birk is actually healthy like they say he is, along with kleinsasser, minnesota WILL finish top 5 in the league. we did it several years in a row, even top 2 a couple years in a row, whenever those two were healthy. add in hutchinson and richardson, and it only gets better. doesnt matter who runs the ball, not like chester or mewelde are any worse than michael bennett.

if birk and klein are banged up, it might not be top 5. if theyre there, we'll be top 5 at worst.

I will call you a homer, BUT that could be a monstrous line if, like you say, they can remain healthy. Hutch was definitely a serious grab.

anyone know where we can find stats from previous years? look it up. minnesota was the #1 or #2 running team a few years running i think, unless im just completely wrong.

In 2002 they were #1, in 2003, they were #4.

Yahoo stats does a nice job of making it easy to use.

NFL - Statistics - Yahoo! Sports

minnesota's RBs those years were michael bennett, onterrio smith, and moe williams. and our line is better this year than it was then.

im telling you that when birk and kleinsasser are in there, it makes a huge difference. i remember being stunned that minnesota had been top 5 in the league in rushing with that crapfield of RBs. i just think y'all will be surprised. if birk and klein are back, then you're back at 02-03 level... but with hutchinson and richardson added in, plus an improvement at the talent level at RB as well.

personally im not buying that birk is, or ever will be, totally healthy again. ditto kleinsasser. but if both are, as the team is saying, and as their moves this offseason have backed up, then people are going to be surprised.

i personally dont think shaun alexander is one of the 5 most talented RBs in the league. top 10... maybe? probably. but he runs behind a sick line and a great FB, and he gets a lot of touches. sometimes that is a lot more important than the guy juking in the backfield. chester taylor isnt a top 10 RB talent-wise. but if he gets consistent touches and just runs forward in to the holes that will be there, this team is going to put up rushing stats. the days are over when minnesota tries to pass for 400 yards to win. now its tough defense and running the ball. brad johnson isnt going to win any games, and everyone knows it.

i would be almost ready to guarantee a top 10 rushing finish, even with my doubts about birk and kleinsasser. if both are healthy, i would say top 5 or higher.

we'll see...

btw, the top 5 last year are:

1) atlanta
2) denver
3) seattle
4) kc
5) pittsburgh

the top two teams up there are there because of very good zone blocking schemes and middle-of-the-line RB talent. #5 also has very mediocre RB talent comparitively. seattle and KC have 2 of the top 5 actual talented lines in football (plus obviously talented RBs).

just saying for top rushing teams, it has a lot more to do with the line and the system than with the RBs.

two negatives against minnesota, that i just thought of. one, atlanta is obviously #1 in part because their QB had 600 yards. obviously culpepper helped our yards and isnt there now, so that will be a drop. two, theres no real way to know childress's system right now -- how committed to the run they'll be. every sign points toward a commitment, but it remains to be seen.