5 REASONS: RB, Brandon Jacobs - New York Giants

3 reasons to be a believer:

1. Touchdowns. Jacobs scored 9 TDs in 2006 and that's with Tiki Barber stealing 5 TDs. This year, Barber is gone and Droughns is no Barber. Jacobs is ideally suited for goal-line work and should be a mortal lock to score 10+ TDs in 2007. The TDs alone may make Jacobs one of the safest 'high upside' RB's in any fantasy draft this year.

2. Opportunity. I think you can safely make the case that the signing of Reuben Droughns was a pretty nice vote of confidence for Brandon Jacobs. Droughns is a banger, much like Jacobs only far less physically gifted and is by no means a dynamic alternative to Jacobs. Droughns was brought in to take some of the burden off Jacobs, but not to start over him. Droughns is there to help Jacobs get through the season in one piece. Jacobs is expected to be the starter for the Giants, and will be given every opportunity to play himself into that role.

3. Unique. At 6 foot 4 inches tall, and weighing a muscle-popping 260 pounds, Jacobs is a lightning-quick defensive-end playing running back. Who despite his hulking size actually ran the 40 in 4.59. His combination of size, attitude (he's no Ron Dayne, Jacobs relishes the physicality of the game) and speed make Jacobs a rare breed of running back. On paper, Jacobs can do it all and could be one of the NFL's most complete backs if he matures to become a reliable receiver. In limited opportunities last season, Jacobs actually looked very comfortable catching passes which is an encouraging sign.

2 reasons to be skeptical:

4. Injury-prone. Believers will tell you that this is merely a 'stereotype' than anything directly related to Jacobs' and his career history. However, his upright running style may legitimately be a cause for concern as the wear and tear on his body over the course of a full season will be greater due to his physical style of running and his inability to get his pad-level low enough. At OTAs this summer, the Giants have been working with Jacobs extensively on getting his pad-level lower, but nobody knows if he can endure 280+ carries taking as much contact as he inevitably will.

5. Offensive shakeup. While Tiki Barber sipping pina coladas on a TV set is a positive development for Brandon Jacobs, it remains to be seen if the team is better without Tiki. More importantly, the Giants lost two key blockers in FB Jim Finn and TE Visanthe Shiancoe in the off-season. Both of those players played every game last season and essentially gave the Giants 7 quality blockers for most of their run plays. The losses of Finn and Shiancoe won't get much press, but their absence could negatively impact the Giants ability to open holes for Brandon Jacobs.

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5 REASONS: RB, Brandon Jacobs - New York Giants

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