Jaguars RB Toby Gerhart is ready for his chance to start.
“I had the skill set to be a [NFL] starter from the onset, but I was playing behind one of the best in the game,” Gerhart said of [Adrian Peterson]. “I’ve gotten comfortable with the speed of the game, but don’t have the wear and tear on my body of someone carrying it 250 times a year.
“I think I’m in a unique situation. Even though it’s my fifth year in the league, I can come in and be a dominant guy. I’m ready for my shot now.”
Gerhart had a season-high 109 carries for 531 yards in 2011, when he started four games for the injured Peterson. That’s his biggest NFL workload. The Jaguars are banking on his production not trailing off if Gerhart gets into the 240- to 300-carry range.
240 carries represents 15 totes a game, which is in line with the 15-20 touches per game that HC Gus Bradley mentioned when discussing Gerhart after the Jaguars signed him. To put that workload in perspective, just 13 running backs carried the ball at least 240 times in 2013, and the lowest rank in standard formats of any of that group was Zac Stacy at #18. Gerhart is a good receiver as well, so if he gets 240-plus carries, he'll be a very solid RB2 who will likely go in the 4th or 5th round of fantasy drafts. For an in-depth look at Gerhart, click here.