What To Do At RB?

Now that the 2007 campaign has concluded, we naturally turn our attention to next year.  As MDC eloquently and thoroughly opined, any draft speculation has to be grounded in an assessment of each position going into 2008.  It might be overly ambitious, but I'm going to try to address each position by March so we can go into full draft geek mode for a solid seven to eight weeks.  First up--running back.

THE OPTIONS CURRENTLY ON THE ROSTER

1.  Ahman Green
   
2.  Ron Dayne
   
3.  Darius Walker
   
4.  Chris Taylor
   
5.  Arliss Beach

Really, how the Texans assess their needs here depends almost entirely on whether they decide to bring Ahman Green back.  Ahman is projected to count $5,050,000.00 against next season's cap, which is not exactly chicken feed.  Frankly, his brief stint as a Texan hasn't shown that he's worth any guaranteed money, much less that kind of guaranteed money.  That said, do you really see Ahman renegotiating his contract to account for a poor 2007?  I don't know the man, so I certainly can't do anything but speculate that it's pretty damn rare for a professional athlete who has no real history with a franchise to leave dough on the table.

So does Smithiak bid their big-splash free agent signing of March 2007 adieu?  I would, and I think they will when it's all said and done.  If that happens, then you have to think that RB rockets up the draft priority board.  But where?  And who?

With the list of running backs available in the 2008 NFL Draft growing each day, there will definitely be no shortage of options.  So do the Texans go RB at No. 18?  Given Kubes' history of finding diamonds in the rough, I don't think so.  I'm guessing they go RB in Round Three or later.  I'm also guessing that Ron Dayne is re-signed, and that the final active RB spot goes to Darius Walker or Chris Taylor.

Denizens of BRB, what do you think?  Is Ahman coming back?  Will the Texans take a RB in Round One?  Should they?  Will they go RB at all?  Who do you have your eye on?