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T.J. Yeldon: Five Reasons He Will Succeed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015

By Luke Sims

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Dec 7, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson (16) evades Houston Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing (56) at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Richard Dole-USA TODAY Sports

5) Plenty of Help at Running Back

While T.J. Yeldon is going to be the feature back for the Jaguars, he’ll also be joined by three former starting running backs among the stable with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart, and Bernard Pierce have all started at times in their NFL careers and all are capable backs who can step in and make sure Yeldon’s legs don’t completely wear down during a game or through the season.

Fresh legs is something we often overlook at the running back position. Work horse running backs wear down over their careers (one of the reasons they have such short careers) and we understand the wear and tear of 300+ or 400+ carries can do to a player. But it isn’t just about the overall season total, but also about the touches per game or per series. It’s important to keep those runners fresh. We nearly immortalize guys like Emmett Smith who can take carry after carry and still break a big one every ten attempts. Those types of guys are few and far between however and maybe, just maybe we should stop expecting such Herculean efforts from our running backs.

While Yeldon will get every opportunity to succeed, he won’t have to do it alone. The 2015 Jaguars aren’t carrying a fullback and are instead carrying five running backs for the season. Three of them are past starters and Yeldon is going to be the focus. There’s no pressure in this group, it’s all about finding the right mix that leads to the most success. There’s no question in my mind that Yeldon is the most talented guy on the depth chart and while he is expected to prove it, even if he lets the other guys take a few touches they likely won’t surpass him during the season. Instead, it will be all about making sure Yeldon doesn’t get too run down during the game or during the season.

Next: Denard Robinson and Toby Gerhart Focus on Getting Ready not on New Roles

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