Chris Brown

Brown will open training camp as Houston's No. 2 running back behind Ahman Green, who is coming off knee problems that limited him greatly in 2007. Green's health could give Brown more carries, but there are a host of quicker backs in the Houston pipeline that will challenge Brown.

Brown goes into training camp as the Titans' No. 1 back. However, it remains to be seen whether he can hold off both LenDale White and rookie Chris Henry. Brown has the experience necessary to win the starting job, but last season fell out of favor with the Titans and was demoted to third-string behind the departed Travis Henry and White. He played in five games in 2006, starting three, and totaled 156 yards rushing on 41 carries. In 2005, his last full season with the Titans, he rushed for 851 yards on 224 carries with five touchdowns. His best season with the Titans was in 2004 in his first season as a starter. He rushed for 1,067 yards on 220 carries with six touchdowns. Aside from the competition in Tennessee, one of the main concerns about Brown is his durability. In 2004, he missed five games with turf toe on his left big toe. In 2005, he missed a game with an ankle injury. Brown also has never been a great receiver, as he has caught just 55 passes for 539 yards and two touchdowns in four seasons with the Titans. Another concern for fantasy owners who draft Brown, or any of the Titan running backs, is the likelihood of quarterback Vince Young being Tennessee's goal-line back. If this happens, it really decreases the value of Brown, White and Henry. If Brown is able to win the starting job, he most likely will produce 700-800 yards with four or five touchdowns, as White and Henry should see action throughout the season.

Even though he played in 15 games Brown was rarely 100 percent healthy last year, and his numbers tumbled from his breakout 2004 as a result. When healthy, Brown possesses an impressive blend of size (6-3, 220) and speed, but his upright running style and the large target he provides tacklers exposes him to too much punishment. In fact Brown could be considered Exhibit A in explaining why backs under 6-0 such as LaDainian Tomlinson and Shaun Alexander have become the norm and not the exception. Brown will be the starter heading into 2006, but Travis Henry is still on hand to spell him, and second round pick LenDale White could steal red zone carries, an area in which Brown hasn’t excelled (13.2 percent conversion rate in ’05). The most likely scenario has Brown seeing a majority of the action between the 20s, but without getting a full feature back workload. Consider him as a potential No. 3 or No. 4 RB on your roster.

A big, strong runner with good cutback ability and the speed to get outside, Brown was a force when healthy last season, racking up 1,067 yards and six touchdowns in just 11 games, while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Prorated over a full season, that projects to 1,552 yards and nine scores. And that doesn’t take into account that Brown missed significant parts of three other games. Of course, projecting Brown over a full season might be a wasted exercise, given his durability issues. Brown missed five games during his rookie season in 2003 with a hamstring injury, and last year battled ankle problems, a shoulder stinger and a chronic turf toe injury that finally ended his season after Week 14. Brown, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both ankles this past winter, fractured his hand in May, but should be healthy at least at the start of training camp. One reason for Brown’s durability problems is his upright running style that makes him a bigger and more-exposed target for punishment. To further complicate the matter is new acquisition Travis Henry, who the Titans added in late July, and is expected to split carries with Brown throughout 2005.

Brown (who averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry last year) will be overrated by savvy fantasy owners just because they’re so down on Eddie George. Brown is a tall (6-3), upright runner with marginal speed, and these types rarely have success in the pros. With Eddie George gone, Brown should begin the season as the starter, though Antowain Smith could cut into his carries.

Brown, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year last season, is an explosive runner who could eventually produce big numbers in the NFL. Brown will battle for the number two running back slot in training camp, and could be good insurance for Eddie George owners if he ends up the number two back.