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Top backs not fitting into NFL mold
 Lack of pro-style offenses makes evaluation harder
 Dan Pompei
 On the NFL

 April 6, 2008

 The top four running backs in the upcoming NFL draft have something
in common—none of them plays in a traditional pro-style running game.

 At Arkansas, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were used in a system
that utilized both halfbacks together frequently. McFadden would
sometimes take a direct snap and either hand off or run himself.

 Rashard Mendenhall was used in the option at Illinois, and he rarely
ran behind a fullback.

 Oregon ran a similar offense with Jonathan Stewart, spreading the
field and attacking the edges of the defense with the running game.

 So for NFL teams, evaluating these prospects is slightly more
difficult than evaluating running backs like Adrian Peterson, for
example. Peterson played in a more traditional offense at Oklahoma,
running between the tackles more frequently.

 The margin for error in evaluations always increases when projections
are involved, and there is some projection involved with McFadden,
Jones, Mendenhall and Stewart.

 "It does cause some problems," one AFC general manager said. "They're
running sideways a lot, not playing downhill as much as they will in
the NFL."

 Colts President Bill Polian points out running backs in such systems
eventually do everything NFL teams are looking for them to do—they
just don't do them as frequently as some other backs.

 So for scouts, it might mean more work.

 "You have to watch a little more tape with these guys," the general
manager said. "You might see them run from an I formation with a
fullback five times a game instead of 25 times, so you have fewer
opportunities to see how well he does what you're looking for."


Lance leftovers Now that the Lance Briggs tampering affair has been
put to bed, a couple of previously unreported facts have surfaced.

 •The controversy is believed to have started when Briggs' agent Drew
Rosenhaus asked the 49ers if they were interested in Briggs in the
course of a normal agent-team discussion. Many discussions followed.

 A league source said when the NFL asked Rosenhaus to testify on the
matter, he refused.

 • The Bears were upset because they were trying to use the Oct. 16
trade deadline as an incentive for Briggs to sign with them. But it
became more difficult to sign Briggs when he had the 49ers blowing him
kisses.

 •The 49ers were docked a fifth-round draft pick and forced to trade
third-round picks with the Bears (the Bears will now have the seventh
pick in the round and the 49ers will have the 12th) mostly because the
tampering occurred in the middle of the season.

 NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is said to have been frosted because
the covert discussions occurred at a time when games could have been
affected.

 •An NFL source said the 49ers' punishment probably would have been
more severe and the Bears would have received more if Briggs had not
re-signed with the Bears in the off-season.

 •The 49ers still were interested in Briggs as a free agent in
February. Coach Mike Nolan said defensive end was a bigger priority,
so the team signed Justin Smith instead of going after Briggs.
However, Nolan also said if the Bears had not signed Briggs on March
3, it is likely the 49ers would have pursued him the following week.


No name-calling It did not get much notice, but one of the new points
of emphasis that was adopted at the NFL meetings last week has to do
with on-field insults.

 NFL officials are being instructed to have zero tolerance for racial
slurs, comments about sexual preference and other derogatory comments.
This includes player-to-player comments as well as player-to-official
comments.

 "We were always concerned about it, but it seems to have gotten a
little more egregious throughout the years," NFL director of
officiating Mike Pereira said. "We don't want to continue to escalate
to the point where it becomes really commonplace. We'd rather address
it now."

 Pereira said if a comment is said in jest, it could be overlooked.
But if it is said in anger, it will be addressed.


Seed story It was major news when all four No. 1 seeds made it to the
Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament because it never had
happened before.

 But it isn't such a big deal when it happens in the NFL. Since the
NFL playoffs expanded to 12 playoff teams in 1990, all four top seeds
have made it to the conference championship games six times.

 It also happened in 2004, when the Patriots, Steelers, Eagles and
Falcons advanced.

 Other years when it happened: 2002 (Raiders, Titans, Eagles, Bucs),
1998 (Broncos, Jets, Vikings, Falcons), 1994 (Steelers, Chargers,
49ers, Cowboys), 1991 (Bills, Broncos, Redskins, Lions) and 1990
(Bills, Raiders, 49ers, Giants).

 dpompei at tribune.com

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