Last season, running back Jacquizz Rodgers was the perfect complement to Michael Turner for the Atlanta Falcons. Turner was more of a short yardage burner while Rodgers appeared to be an asset to the team's passing game. In his first two seasons with Atlanta, he had 151 carries and 75 catches. After intriguing Falcons' fans, Rodgers' role with the team after veteran Turner was released for cap space purposes becomes slightly muddy.
Atlanta replaced Turner with another veteran running back, Steven Jackson. He will likely dominate the carries in the same kind of fashion that Turner did, but the only difference is that Jackson is also a proven pass catcher. Last season with the St. Louis Rams, Jackson had 321 receiving yards off 38 catches. His ability to do both run and catch makes Rodgers uncertain what role he will play in the offense.
"When I get in the game, I'm going to try to make my plays and try to get my number called more often. I'll try to make every carry and every catch count," Rodgers told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Last season, Turner handled 66.4 percent of the carries while Rodgers handled 28.4 percent of the carries. While in St. Louis, Jackson handled 70.4 percent of the carries as the premier back. It was thought that Rodgers might see an increased role when Turner was released; instead Jackson is looking to pick up right where he left off. The Falcons did not sign Jackson to a three-year, $12 million contract to give him a limited role in the run game.
Atlanta now has two three-down running backs on the roster that they must figure out how to work with in the offensive package. For now, Rodgers appears content with learning from a running back like Jackson who has had a successful career.
"It's always good to have an older guy around. You can watch how they carry themselves. He's a guy who's had success in the league for a long time. So, you just watch the little things he does in practice, the way he works and tries to get better and better each day. That helps the younger guys, like me, out," Rodgers said.
Rodgers understands that he will sit at No. 2 on the depth chart when training camp begins. The realistic view of the duel running back system is that Jackson will turn 30 next month. He fits into the Falcons' short-term plan of trying to win a Super Bowl now, but long-term appears to be more suited for Rodgers.
