Some teams that come to mind for potential need at the RB position are; Rams, Dolphins, and the Lions. To me all three of these teams could use a steady, experienced RB.

Dec 29, 2012; Bronx, NY, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Stedman Bailey (3) runs with the ball during the third quarter against the Syracuse Orange at the 2012 New Era Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Syracuse defeated West Virginia 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

First the Rams, they added two WRs in the draft, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. Austin might be something the Rams want to hold on to, but Bailey might be a little more available. Bailey and some picks given to the Panthers seem reasonable to me. They have a young RB crew in St. Louis and could use the experience Deangelo Williams could provide. Also the fact that a strong running game could open the passing game for Bradford.

Second I think the Dolphins have a need for a strong RB. They too have a relatively young backfield with most experienced player having only 3 years under his belt. The problem with the Dolphins is who/what do we get in return that’s of equal value? Draft picks alone wont get a deal done and there aren’t to many players that would make sense. Maybe going defense and getting Grimes to help the secondary plus picks, but that to me would be a long shot.

Last, but not least are the Lions. They have a stellar offense because of the passing game, but their running game has had zero continuity to it. They have had a time with RB’s getting injured or just plain not performing like expected. They did bring in Reggie Bush this year, but he is not an every down back that can run it up the middle. The main thing that would stop this deal dead in its tracks is who on the Lions are they willing to deal? Outside of Megatron and Stafford no one really excites you. So this deal would seem to be the least likely out of the three.

With all that being said, I think the backfield for the Panthers is becoming a little too crowded. If Barner can perform at the RB position like expected then I think the Williams loss wouldn’t sting as much. Even if Williams leaves, we still have a couple back ups behind Stewart.

While at this stage of his career I’m not sure that he’s better, faster, or stronger, but former New England Patriots WR Wes Welker signed a 2-year $12 million contract today and is rising among fantasy football owners already anticipating the Manning-to-Welker combination.

Welkers’ deal is probably one of the most visible along with that of former New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, who also signed this afternoon…the second day of the free agency period for the 2013 NFL season.

The Lions got Reggie for a relative bargain at 4 years and $16 million. The Lions reportedly are tempting him with being the team’s “featured” back in a previously precarious position. That part isn’t such big news, however, as RB Jahvid Best had to retire due to symptoms from multiple concussions and hasn’t played a meaningful down in nearly two years. Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell will back him up while Bush’s explosiveness makes the Detroit offense that much more scary with Megatron on the outside.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall signed with the Arizona Cardinals today as well. Mendenhall is probably one of the best signings of any team I think. He’s coming off injury but has low mileage overall, runs with power between the tackles and does have a little bit of speed to go with it as a hard-nosed running back – something that Beanie Wells was drafted for several years ago but never did become.

Mendenhall signed a one-year $2.5 million contract as I see the value of the position declining in general in recent years. Gone are the days of the high-dollar running back now that the passing game is the de facto play on any given down and the rules have become more and more friendly to receivers. He’ll be playing under HC Bruce Arians, who was the Steelers’ OC earlier in Mendenhall’s career there, so the two know each other well.

The scary thing? The day isn’t over yet and more people are being signed as time passes…stay tuned!

July 29, 2012; Cortland, NY, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Stephen Hill (84) makes a catch during training camp at SUNY Cortland. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE

Jets @ Bengals, 7:30 pm – How will the Sanchez/Tebow drama unfold and is there a controversy? Their respective play tonight should begin to quell the “Tebow for starter” crowd unless Sanchez performs horribly and Tebow shows things he has yet to show. Ever. Also of interest is Jets’ rookie Stephen Hill. He’s a Megatron-like physical specimen, from the same college (Georgia Tech) as Calvin Johnson, but comes into the NFL very raw. Look for Jets OC Tony Sparano to try at least one deep ball to him, probably on a second-and-short or something in order to gain as favorable a matchup in the defensive play calling as possible. On the Bengals’ side, the “punk’d” WR Mohammed Sanu starts his attempt at becoming QB Andy Dalton’s #2 option at WR…after A.J. Green.

Browns @ Lions, 7:30 pm – Probably this is Brandon Weeden’s weakest opponent of the preseason…at least as far as their secondary goes. Louis Delmas is out indefinitely and the Lions have very little talent at corner. With the injury to Trent Richardson, look for the Browns to check out their “other new toy” more in the passing game while Richardson’s fellow RBs get a good look as coaches scramble in worry over Richardson’s return timeline. The Lions’ concerns lie more with their aforementioned pass coverage so look for ANYONE that might stand out there. They are in dire need now of playmakers.

Giants @ Jaguars, 7:30 pm – All eyes should be on 2nd-yr QB Blaine Gabbert of the Jags. He was dead last in just about every NFL passing category last season and looked completely lost most of the time. The result? The Jags signed Miami Dolphin cast-off QB Chad Henne. I think if Henne outplays Gabbert in the preseason, it’ll be very, very difficult for Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Mike Mularkey to start Gabbert. This is by far the biggest issue of any position battle on their squad and Gabbert really needs to start showing some street magic that he has yet to offer in his short career. We need to watch how the Giants’ run defense holds up the middle as they’ve done some retooling of their surprisingly soft, gushy middle from last season. Now, we start seeing if it holds. We know they can bring the heat on the QB as well as anyone.

August 3, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) catches the ball as defensive back Anthony Gaitor (26) attempts to defend during training camp at One Buc Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

Cardinals @ Chiefs, 8:00 pm – John Skelton is going to wind up being the starter in Arizona whether it’s due to better play than Kevin Kolb or because Kolb stubs his toe, falls down and breaks his collarbone walking through the tunnel before the game. Kolb needs to wear the red practice jersey every time he steps on the field, but I’m sure there are rules about that…(wink). The biggest thing will be how far along is rookie WR Michael Floyd, and will he deliver enough to help take some double-teams off of All-World WR Larry Fitzgerald? The Chiefs’ questions at this point are more sober…with a number of skill position players coming off IR from last season, this should help evaluate their recovery progress. If I had one player to watch with the Chiefs, it would be how Dontari Poe plays. He was the talk of the Combine earlier this year, but underachieved at a small college. He is probably going to wind up the poster child in the “tape vs. upside” discussion for his 2012 performance, fairly or unfairly.

May 24, 2012; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Dontari Poe (92) and offensive lineman Rodney Hudson (61) scrimmage during organized team activities at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Vikings @ 49ers, 9:00 pm – Boy, if there ever was a game of the “haves” vs. the “have-nots,” this matchup is the one. The Vikings are entering the second season of their rebuilding phase and currently do so without their big star, Adrian Peterson. Even if Peterson were unquestionably 100% recovered from his ACL tear from week 17 last season, he wouldn’t be playing much in any of the preseason games in the first place, so that’s not the issue some think it is. The Vikings need to evaluate the progress of second-year QB Christian Ponder and how well #4 overall pick and Carolina Panthers’ center Ryan Kalil’s brother Mike is picking up the nuances of playing the left tackle. They also have similar issues that the Lions do in the secondary, so someone needs to step up and this is the time to start. The Niners’ main concern is evaluating all the new bodies they picked up at WR after having a massive 3 yards passing to the WR corps in their NFC Championship Game loss to the Giants last season. However, keep in mind the quality of the Vikings’ secondary while you do. RB Frank Gore may have peaked his career by now and they’re looking to see who can take a share of carries and the load off the guy.