As the Denver Broncos approach their 15th game of the 2011 season against the New England Patriots, it's time for college players to start declaring themselves eligible for the up-coming NFL Draft. One such player is Oregon running back LaMichael James, who reportedly will enter his name to the available crop of players, and now that it's unofficially official, I think I share a lot of the same sentiment with some of the other readers here at MHR that James would be a great fit with the Denver Broncos.
One thing you know about Oregon is that they love to have an up-tempo offense featuring speed, speed, and more speed. At the running back position right now, the Broncos don't have a lot of speed and I think the Broncos need to continue to surround Tim Tebow with guys who can make plays out of the backfield in a variety of ways.
I really like Willis McGahee going forward, and I think Knowshon Moreno can still be effective when he's healthy, but nobody possesses the speed that James has.
He is averaging over seven yards per carry in 2011 and despite missing two games with an arm injury, he ran for 1,646 yards and 17 touchdowns. I feel like at this point, it might be wishful thinking to think the Broncos could get him late in the second round, but I guess you never know.
All I know is, I feel like this team should make it some kind of a goal to get this guy. He runs hard and he is physical despite his size, and when he gets into the open field, he is impossible to track down. He has 52 rushing touchdowns in his career and was a Heisman finalist last season when he rushed for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns.
One thing I also really like about James is his ability to contribute in the passing game, and like I said, when he is in the open field he is almost always going to win that battle. He is very elusive and shifty, and his quickness is almost unmatched.
He is the kind of guy who would come in, maybe get stuffed for a couple of plays, and then all of a sudden bust a 25 yard run out of nowhere. I think he also has upside as a return specialist, and not that I have anything against Quan Cosby, I just feel like adding the speed of James could be a serious weapon for this team.
Fortunately for us, the Raiders don't have a second round pick, nor do they have anything to trade up in the draft with, so we should be able to get James at a good value in the second round.
Should his stock rise, I think it might even be worth trading down or out of the first round to get him. This is not a very great draft in terms of elite prospects, and I think James has the potential to be a dynamic playmaker at the next level. The Broncos have needs across the board, so hitting on their picks is going to be critical.
I think getting a guy like James could really propel us in the right direction and significantly improve this offense.