The Rams look like they have decent depth at running back for the 2007 season and that will be important as they need to give Steven Jackson a little more of a break this season to keep him fresh.  Jackson is a bulldozer of a running back that is outstanding as both a runner and a receiver.  He started all 16 games last season for the Rams and he carried the ball 346 times for 1,528 yards (4.4 ypc) with 13 TD runs.  He also caught 90 passes for 806 yards (9.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.  Jackson is on the fast track to stardom as he’s the player that the Rams explosive offense is built around.  In 45 games in his career (34 starts) Jackson has carried the ball 734 times for 3,247 yards (4.4 ypc) with 25 TD runs.  He also has caught 152 passes for 1,315 yards (8.7 avg) with 5 TD grabs.  Look for Jackson to add to his impressive career numbers with an outstanding 2007 season.

Rookie Brian Leonard from Rutgers will take over as Jackson’s backup at halfback.  Leonard has fresh legs unlike last season’s backup Stephen Davis.  Leonard is a good runner and a solid receiver.  He will be a good NFL player and he will improve the Rams’ second unit on offense.

Travis Minor will likely be the 3rd string running back for the Rams.  He’s a little too small to handle running the ball between the tackles but he’s fast and he’s a good receiver which should help the Rams.  Minor played in all 16 games last season for the Dolphins and he carried the ball 19 times for 74 yards (3.9 ypc) with 0 TD runs.  He also caught 3 passes for 2 yards (0.7 avg).  Minor has always been a decent third down back and he likely will be a decent one for the Rams if given the opportunity.  He has played in 91 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he’s carried the ball 277 times for 1,133 yards (4.1 ypc) with 8 TD runs.  He also has caught 50 passes for 353 yards (7.1 avg) with 1 TD grab.

Kay-Jay Harris will battle Minor for the #3 spot at running back.  Harris is a hard runner that has nice size but he hasn’t gotten much of a chance to prove himself in the pros.  He played in 7 games last season for the Rams and he carried the ball 3 times for 9 yards (3.0 ypc) with 0 TDs and he has caught 1 pass for 10 yards.