Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have lost RB Earnest Graham for the year

November 17, 2008 @ 00:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Tim Heaney

The St. Petersburg Times reports Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham (ankle) could be done for the season after suffering an unspecified ankle injury in Week 11. "Earnest Graham's ankle looks to be a serious injury," said head coach Jon Gruden. "His status for the rest of the season is very much in question right now."

Graham landed awkwardly in a pile during the Bucs' 19-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday. Although nothing official has been released regarding the situation, Gruden's comments at his press conference Monday, Nov. 17, hint the former fullback's season is likely over.

The University of Florida product had endured a decent season up to this point. Through the first 10 games, he has totaled 563 rushing yards on 132 carries (4.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He also has 23 receptions for 174 yards. All of this has come even though Graham has battled knee and ankle injuries. He has also logged some time at fullback because of injuries to the position.

Running back Warrick Dunn (back) has also logged a significant amount of carries for the Bucs. During his second go-round in Tampa Bay, Dunn has carried the ball 109 times for 476 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and one score. He also has caught 26 passes for 207 yards.

From a fantasy perspective, owners should retain Graham only until the team releases the news from his final test results, which are scheduled to be announced Monday. If he will miss the season, go ahead and release the bulky back. If he will only miss a couple of weeks, it is worth holding on to him in most leagues.

However, owners should be proactive and nab Dunn. The veteran rusher has been bothered by a pinched nerve in his back that kept him out of the team's Week 9 game. However, he returned in Week 11 after Tampa Bay's bye and carried a full load with 20 rushes for 53 yards and four receptions for 65 yards. He is the immediate replacement for Graham, though there are some questions about his durability. Keep in mind: He is a 33-year-old undersized back that has been dealing with back issues this year.

Other backs to consider include running backs Cadillac Williams (knee) or Clifton Smith. The former was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2005, but he is coming off a devastating knee injury that has the team bringing him back slowly. He was only activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list last week, and the Bucs planned to work him on the scout team for the next couple of weeks.

Graham's injury could force Tampa Bay to adjust that plan, especially if Dunn re-injures his back, but Williams hasn't taken a meaningful snap since Week 4 of last year. He is only a speculative add in deep leagues.

In a press conference earlier this year, Gruden said he liked what he saw from Smith; the rookie back has logged only seven carries for 38 yards, but that has come in the last two games. He also has three catches for 15 yards. However, Smith fumbled for the third time in the last three games last week, so he could be headed for the doghouse. Again, because of Dunn's injury this year and his age, Smith could only be a speculative pickup in extremely deep leagues.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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