Peterson May Help Fill 2 Needs

In today's NFL, one reliable tailback might be one too few. The New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts reached the conference championship games last season with two tailbacks sharing the workload, so it's a virtual certainty in this copycat league that many other clubs will spend this weekend's draft looking for a runner to complement the one they already have.

"The last four in the playoffs all had two running backs, really," Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs said recently. "It's a big load. You think about those running backs: Those guys get hit. It's punishment."

Scouts and general managers around the league say this draft offers some promising runners, but it's unlikely that more than two will go in the first round. Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson likely is a top-10 and possible top-five choice, and Cal's Marshawn Lynch could go in the upper half of the first round.

"You've got two first-rounders, and that's it," former Redskins and Houston Texans general manager Charley Casserly said, "and then you're talking about some middle-round guys."

With the draft's early picks still a matter of speculation, Peterson's destination remains a mystery. He doesn't seem to be in play for the No. 1 selection of the Oakland Raiders, but some executives around the league say he could go second to the Detroit Lions. That scenario would have the Lions passing on Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, assuming the Raiders take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

The Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals have the other top-five selections. Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden said Peterson is perhaps the best running back he has seen coming out of college. The Buccaneers already have a young tailback in Carnell "Cadillac" Williams. But they or the Cardinals, who have Edgerrin James, might consider Peterson if they believe they need two good running backs.

One team with an even more pressing running back need is the Buffalo Bills, who traded tailback Willis McGahee to the Baltimore Ravens last month. They have the 12th choice and could be in line to select Lynch. They also could trade up in the first round if Peterson begins to slip toward the bottom part of the top 10.

"I'm not much for going out and making a deal," Bills General Manager Marv Levy said during a news conference last week, "but if a deal comes and it sounds good, then we might make one."

Bills assistant GM Tom Modrak said during the same news conference he thinks the two deepest positions in the draft are wide receiver and offensive line. Practically everyone in the league is talking about the expected run on wide receivers in the first round. Fewer are saying they think it's a good draft for offensive linemen.

"Offensive tackle, you're talking about probably four guys in the first two rounds," Casserly said. "That's not exceptionally strong. There are some decent guards at the top of the second round."

Tackles Joe Thomas of Wisconsin and Levi Brown of Penn State are virtually certain to go in the upper half of the first round. Thomas could break into the top five, but he apparently won't be on hand in New York to see it happen first-hand. He reportedly has declined the league's invitation to attend the draft at Radio City Music Hall, choosing instead to go on his annual fishing trip with his father. That comes as no surprise to some NFL types. Raiders Coach Lane Kiffin, formerly the offensive coordinator at the University of Southern California, recently recalled trying to recruit Thomas to USC and being rebuffed because there weren't enough fishing spots near campus.

But Thomas certainly isn't foolish. He told Kiffin that he would happily head west this time if the Raiders use the top overall choice in the draft on him.

"I asked him that: 'You wouldn't come to L.A. because there weren't enough lakes. Oakland isn't any different,' " Kiffin said. "He had the right answer. He said: 'I've changed. I'm a city guy now.' "