A lot of folks have predicted the Kansas City Chiefs selecting a running back in the 2010 NFL Draft to compliment Jamaal Charles. The life of a NFL running back is getting shorter and shorter as defenders get bigger and bigger and the hits come harder and harder (Wow, what a sentence).
Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, also the coach of the East team in the East-West Shrine game today, recently said he's excited about Miami running back Javarris James (6'1", 215 pounds).
Crennel said he's "shown flashes" throughout practice this week. James, the cousin to Edgerrin James, said his cousin told him "to go out there and do my thing and that’s all I can do to help myself."
Crennel, meanwhile, suggested James' vision will help him in the NFL.
"He’s shown good flashes," Crennel said. "He’s got good cutting ability, great vision. When a hole is closed, he can make the cut back and he can bounce it out. We’re excited about him."
ESPN draft guru Todd McShay said he's been perhaps the most "instinctive and versatile" running back on the East-West roster.
"In a somewhat thin crop of running backs this year," McShay wrote, "James has a chance to come off the board as early as the fourth round, where he will get a legitimate chance to earn a roster spot as a versatile contributing reserve."
So, keep an eye on Javarris James today. If Crennel is impressed with him, then the Chiefs will have plenty of notes on him come April.