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something-tofightfor · 6 years

Text

Neon Lights - Epilogue (part 1)

Pairing: Ryan Brenner x Reader

Word Count: 6275

Rating: M (language)

Summary: The months following your chance encounter in Vegas change both of your lives.... but how?

Parts 1-11 can be found on my 500 follower event masterlist (at the bottom of my main Masterlist page). Thank you for reading. Please enjoy.

I’m not even going to apologize for the length of this, because I’m not sorry. There was still story to tell for these two.

Tagging: @ooo-barff-ooo @agent-bossypants @likethetailofacomet

POV - Ryan

He smiled at his phone, slipping it into the pocket of his jacket and pulling his scarf up over his mouth and nose. You’d texted him a picture of your most recent assignment: photographing some ruins in Peru along with a caption ‘I’m wearing sunscreen this time’ and he’d felt his spirits lift immediately, even as he sent back a reply ‘good. Gotta protect that face and those shoulders.’. Though the two of you had kept in touch after Vegas, it was often difficult to find a good time to talk, so your communication had been mostly through text messages with an occasional phone call thrown in for good measure when you needed to hear each other’s voices. Ryan wouldn’t ever tell you this, but there were days when hearing your voice or seeing your words popping up on his screen had given him the will to sit down and play, provided the motivation for him to write new music - had simply encouraged him to survive.

He’d gone to Colorado as he’d told you he would, spending two and a half weeks hanging out with James, a friend he’d made a few years prior during a stint in the south, and then had moved further north, back into Utah. He’d stayed in Salt Lake City for only a few days before deciding that he didn’t want to be there, since he was constantly looking over his shoulder, afraid of seeing a familiar blonde head in the crowd, one that he had no interest in seeing again. Though he’d reached out to Virginia, she hadn’t wanted to see him, preferring to raise her son completely away from the lifestyle she’d used to live, which Ryan understood all too well even though it hurt.

From Utah, he’d headed to Seattle, which had taken just over three days on the train, meaning that by the time he’d arrived, Ryan was ready to settle in for a bit. Georgie was there, staying with more friends, and Ryan had been able to relax for three weeks, making good money and saving a good portion of it, too, earned from busking and working a few hours a week in the kitchen of a diner.

Ryan hadn’t thought about recording in a studio again, but on the trip between Utah and Seattle, he’d decided that he needed to buy a cheap recorder. Not only would that give him the opportunity to try out different things lyrically, but it would give him a frame of reference for the notes he played and the ideas that came to him. Rather than wasting his time trying to find something small and portable used, he’d gone into a Best Buy, told one of the employees what he was looking for and had handed over the cash - the $50 you’d slipped into his case the first night he’d met you comprising the bulk of it - for a digital voice recorder and a spare memory card, even though the employee had told him that the internal memory would be more than enough space for whatever he needed. Maybe for someone with constant access to a computer. Not for me.

Ryan had sent you a text to let you know about his purchase the day he’d made it and that had resulted in a phone call from you - you were somewhere in California, having flown straight there from New Orleans, and that meant that you were in the same time zone. “That’s incredible, Ryan.” Your voice had caused his cheeks to turn pink, teeth digging into his lower lip. “You can keep track of everything now. Make sure when you play for people, you’re recording. That way, you’ll hear what you sounded like to them.” You’d paused. “I mi… I hope you’re doing well.” I miss you too, he’d thought, but had said he was great, that he was excited to learn the device, and that when he figured out how to use it, he’d be sure to record something special so that you could hear it.

The phone calls and texts had continued for months as summer turned into fall and fall turned to winter. He was making his way toward the Midwest, knowing that even though it would be much colder there than on the west coast, he had more people to stay with, more opportunities to busk, and he was moving ever closer to the east coast, his ultimate destination, and where he figured he’d spend most of his spring. He’d called you on Christmas, from the living room of one of Georgie’s friends in Chicago, and you’d cried as he’d wished you a merry one, whispering the same back to him in a hushed and choked voice. “I’m with my aunt in Virginia” you’d explained. “But she doesn’t celebrate. She doesn’t think… thank you, Ryan.” His heart had broken for you, throat tightening as you’d told him you were in his home state for the holiday, but you’d quickly recovered, changing the subject and cheering loudly for him when he’d played you one of his new songs, and he’d known that you recorded it somehow on your end. “This is the best present ever, Ryan.” He had been astounded at how sincere your voice was, but recovered quickly, his heart pounding. Tell her. As you’d prepared to hang up, still not saying goodbye - the two of you never did - he’d taken a deep breath.

“I miss you.” He cleared his throat and you were silent for long moments.

“Yeah,” you’d choked out. “Yeah, Ryan. I miss you, too.”

He was in Indianapolis, two weeks after Christmas, and he was waiting for a train that would take him to St. Louis. There, he planned on staying with his friends Maria and Kenny, who had said that they had a job for him - a weekly gig that paid well. He figured he’d stay there for as long as they’d have him, play the gigs, write some music, busk on the side and put more money into his savings account.

Though he didn’t like being unable to access his available cash, Ryan had opened a bank account while in Seattle, depositing a large portion of his money into it, and had actually felt safer once it had been out of the hidden compartment in his guitar’s hard case. It wasn’t much, but it was a safety net - and it felt good for him to have it, to know that if he needed or wanted it, it was there. He’d maintained his excited tone of voice when he talked to you about where he’d been and what he’d seen, kept the texts light, even though they weren’t always the whole truth. He’d started asking himself tough questions in Seattle, and had repeated them in every subsequent city - Could I stay here? Could I be happy? And each time, the answer was a resounding no, but not because of the location… because something, someone was missing. There was something different about the cities and the people he saw, something off about the way that the felt each time he got onto or off of one of the trains. I gotta figure out what… and why.

Ryan waited patiently in the train yard for his ride to St. Louis, shivering as wet snowflakes landed on his face. He’d let Maria and Kenny know that he was on his way, to be looking for him the following morning, and Ryan took a deep breath, patting his pocket again to make sure that his phone was there before he made his way toward the tracks, crouching down. The trains were moving now, slowly picking up speed as he searched for an empty car, and when he found the right one, Ryan quickly slid his bag into it along with his guitar, moving at a slow jog as he prepared to heft himself up into the car with his things. Just as he flexed to jump, his boot hit a patch of ice and Ryan slipped, crashing to the ground. He put his hands out to catch himself, hearing a sickening crack as his right hand hit the gravel and he cried out in pain. “Fuck!” He yelled the word, allowing himself only a moment to collect his thoughts as he pushed himself up with his left hand and ran after the train, focused only on getting into the car with his bag and guitar.

It was difficult with one hand but he managed, pulling himself off of the ground and into the train with a grunt, rolling across the floor and onto his back, his left hand cradling his right forearm. Maybe I just jammed it. After catching his breath, Ryan sat up, scooting back so that he could lean against the interior wall of the train car and gingerly prodded his wrist with the fingers of his left hand while attempting to bend the right ones. “Motherfucker.” He hissed out the word, wincing again. That’s my strumming hand, if it’s broken, I can’t… Ryan’s eyes flew open, looking down at his lap and then he reached into his pocket, intending to pull his phone out and call you, to ask you what he should do, but his hand met only empty space. He scrambled to his knees, eyes searching the shadows for any sign of his phone, but it wasn’t there. “No. No. No.” He was frantic and he was in pain, and Ryan was, for the first time in his travels, completely cut off from everyone, traveling alone through the darkness.

Slumping back into the seated position against the wall, Ryan drew his knees up to his chest, carefully resting his injured arm between his thighs and waist and put his other elbow against one knee, forehead on his palm and fingers gripping his hair. Eight hours or so til St. Louis. You can do this, Ryan. He took a deep breath, opening his eyes and finding that they were filled with fresh tears - but not from the pain in his throbbing (and already swelling) arm. His wrist, even if broken, would heal, but by losing his phone, he’d also lost you.

---

POV - You

The new year was meant to bring new and exciting things, but it was only the middle of January, and you’d been faced with so much disappointment already that you couldn’t stand it. Ryan had kept you sane throughout your trips following Vegas, and you looked forward to your interactions with him, no matter how brief. A text here, a call every now and then, the reminder that he’d been writing and playing and thriving - these were all things that you anxiously looked forward to.

It didn’t matter what he said or where you were, you always made time for Ryan. You wanted to hear about his time in Colorado, his brief trip back to Utah, again without going to see her, the time he spent in Seattle, his weeks in Montana and Chicago. Ryan had been busy, but he’d also seemed to be taking longer in each city, doing more to explore and discover what each had to offer. He seemed happy, seemed almost settled at times, in the sense that it wasn’t just about jumping ship whenever he got the urge - that there was value in staying, too. He was looking beneath the surface of each place he visited, searching for something. You, on the other hand, were experiencing a great deal of unrest, no matter where you went.

Your trips had included New Orleans and San Diego, a quick trip to Texas to cover a company expansion as a favor to a friend, a short trip home to Philadelphia for Amy’s wedding in October, which was awkward as hell. You’d spent much of the night texting Ryan, who was in Texas at that point, playing two nights a week in a college town for decent money. You’d sent him a picture of yourself in your bridesmaid’s dress, nose wrinkled and tongue sticking out slightly and his reply had been the only time you smiled genuinely all night - ‘wish I could tell you to save me a dance. You look beautiful’.

After the wedding, where Amy’s mother had suggested that you go home again, do something about the house you’d grown up in, you’d informed Ryan that you’d be out of touch for a few days and not to worry. You’d gone against your better judgement, hopping on a plane and taking off for Europe. The ‘few day’ trip had turned into a six week period during which you’d spoken to no one that you actually knew except Ryan, the texts flying back and forth between you as trains carried you across the borders of different countries despite the fact that you’d never told him why you left the States in the first place. You kept this secret because you knew that he’d tell you she was right, that you needed to deal with it instead of running, needed to take time and process things… and he’d be right, too.

When you decided that it was time to get back to your real life, you’d flown home a few days before Christmas, heading to your aunt’s for the holiday. And it was during that holiday, after hearing Ryan’s newest song and him telling you that he missed you that you’d realized that you loved him, that a few days in Vegas six months earlier had irrevocably changed your life, and it didn’t matter because you’d likely never see him in person again. You hadn’t told him, of course, had instead jumped back on a plane to Peru a few days later and focused your attention on taking pictures of the jungle and the ruins, all the while looking for - and knowing that you weren’t going to see - Ryan’s dark hair and eyes looking for you, too. You had no way of knowing it, but he’d been looking for you in every city he went to, too - searching for your face every time someone passed by.

You hadn’t heard from him in two weeks, since you’d sent him a picture on your second day in South America and he’d responded with a joke, and even though it sometimes took a few days to respond, weeks was another story. The fact that he still wasn’t responding to the texts you were sending had started to worry you - not because you thought he was ignoring you, but because you thought that something wasn’t right. Finally deciding to call Ryan, you pressed his contact button, listening with a dull ache in the pit of your stomach. After four rings, a female picked up. “Hello?”

“Who is this?” She didn’t have an accent, and you didn’t recognize the voice. Maybe he left it at a friend’s house while he’s out.

“I’m… I’m looking for Ryan.” The woman on the other end of the line had snorted, letting you know that there was no one named Ryan there. “Ryan Brenner? Young guy? Dark hair? This is his phone number. He’s - ” Your heart was pounding as you waited for a response.

“This is my phone number. This is my phone. I got it two weeks ago.” The woman coughed. “You’re not the first person that’s called for this Ryan guy, but this ain’t his phone anymore. I don’t know who he is. I found it, and its mine now.” You felt sick to your stomach. Found it? His phone? Why doesn’t he have his phone? “Don’t call me again.” The woman hung up before you could ask her anything else, leaving you clutching your phone in your hand in the middle of your hotel room, the sun shining brightly outside, the ocean lapping at the beach only a few feet away. Is he OK? He has to be OK.

You began pacing the room, realizing that the woman had no reason to lie to you, that Ryan simply didn’t have his phone anymore. You had no way of contacting him, had no way of knowing that he was OK, had no way of finding him. “No. No, no.” You dropped down onto the bed, burying your face in your hands and felt the tears dripping down your cheeks. He wouldn’t have lost the phone. He wouldn’t be ignoring me. Something happened. Something bad. Without thinking, you stood, beginning to throw clothing and your other items back into your bag, stopping only to change into your favorite t-shirt, which just happened to be the deep green one that had once been Ryan’s.

Unbeknownst to you, when you’d gone back into the bathroom to brush your teeth on the morning you left Vegas, he had put it into your bag, folding it and slipping it beneath the dress you’d been wearing the first night you’d met him so that you’d notice it only when you unpacked. It was the only article of clothing that you took with you everywhere you went, and you found yourself putting it on when you were having a bad day, even long after his scent had worn off from the thin fabric. You took comfort in knowing that he’d once worn it too, in the same way that you’d found comfort by his side in Vegas for those short hours.

Feeling a little better than you had previously, you took a deep breath and looked around the room, fingers absently stroking the hem of your shirt. You’d lost your parents, and they weren’t coming back, which was something that you had to deal with, something you’d been putting off for eighteen months. Now, you’d effectively lost Ryan too, and unless something happened to change that - unless he contacted you, unless you found him again, even though you had no idea how to do that, it was something that you’d also have to deal with. Eventually.

You thought of Ryan’s smile, thought of the way his lips had felt on the back of your hand as he’d kissed it for the first time. You thought of the look in his eyes when he’d seen you on the plaza, thought of the way that you felt when you’d heard him sing - really sing for the first time. You remembered of the moment that you’d felt his mouth on yours for the first time, tasting like mint chocolate. You remembered what he smelled like, remembered what he looked like, leaning over you as you laid in bed, staring up at him.

You remembered how you felt the moment you’d realized what you felt for him, sitting alone in a dark room in your Aunt’s home, and then you decided that you couldn’t think about him anymore, you couldn’t dwell on the fact that you loved him and you were likely never going to know what had happened to him. Taking a deep breath, you stood up, hoisting your bag over your shoulder and heading out of the room to see about changing your flight.

It was time for you to go home like he’d suggested. At least dealing with an empty house and all of your parents’ stuff would keep your mind off of the sudden disappearance of Ryan Brenner from your life. I hope.

---

When you’d arrived back in Philadelphia, it had taken you two days to work up the nerve to even unlock the front door of the house, and then another two to take a step inside of it. The moment you’d entered the front hall, you’d broken down, falling to your knees in the entryway and staying there until your body had given out on you and you’d collapsed to the floor, drawing your knees up to your chest and crying silent, dry tears, your entire body shaking as you thought about the giant, empty places in your life. Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad. Mom. Dad. Ryan.

The emptiness of the house was unsettling but once you’d gotten over the initial emotional reaction to being back, you’d taken your time in moving through the place, fingers trailing over picture frames and furniture, sitting at the kitchen table, re-entering your room. Luckily - or unluckily, however you wanted to think of it - the intruders hadn’t killed your parents inside, instead dragging both of them out into the garage before ending their lives, and so being inside of the house got easier as the days passed, though you didn’t step foot out the door from the kitchen into the garage.

You started by slowly going through your parents’ things. Though you had a few issues where you lost focus and needed to take breaks, you had their bedroom cleaned out within a week, stripped down to the furniture. Their clothing had all been donated, separated into different boxes and bags before taking it to local shelters and charities. From there, you moved on to the other rooms of the house - the kitchen, the bathrooms, the living room and dining room. We had too much stuff. None of this shit matters. By the fifth week in the house, you were completely done with the upper floor, except for your bedroom, and had most of the main level of the house organized, too.

You chose to keep a few things, packing them into storage totes and placing them in a spare bedroom - photo albums, some of your mother’s old vinyl records family heirlooms… including some of the jewelry that the thieves had stolen in the first place. Your aunt - the one from Virginia - had been the one dealing with the police and the trial, which you hadn’t attended because the thought of looking those men in the eye had been unthinkable for you, and she’d gotten back the missing items, returning them to the home for you, ready and waiting.

At the beginning of month two in your childhood home, just as the first few days of spring were breaking, you stepped down into the basement for the first time. The room had always been your favorite in the house - built into the side of a small hill, which meant that the majority of the far wall was made of glass, looking out into your back yard. The room was bright and airy, and you slid the glass door open before stepping through the room, eyes on your father’s books and your mother’s knicknacks. None of them would be kept - you simply had nowhere to store them, and while it made you sad, they were just things, and you had the memories that went along with them. But the guitar in the corner was a different story. It was another thing that you couldn’t begin to think about getting rid of, but even touching that had been difficult for you.

You picked it up, holding it by the neck, and as your fingers curled around the smooth wood, you felt a wave of sadness wash over you. You play? You look good with a guitar in your hands. Sinking down onto your dad’s comfortable stool, you hugged the guitar to your chest. Ryan had been right - you needed to get back to the house and to deal with the loss of your parents, needed to make peace with the fact that the house wouldn’t ever feel like home again - say goodbye to them in a more meaningful way than speaking at the service…but you should have done it sooner.

Taking your time and going through things had been therapeutic, and you’d had many conversations with your parents as you’d cleaned out the house, but the person that you found yourself thinking of most had been Ryan. He still hadn’t contacted you, still hadn’t been answering his phone, hadn’t shown up on TV or on the radio… and you didn’t know what to do, even going so far as to search for him on the Internet with no results.

There was nothing that you could do, really, except worry about him, and letting yourself fall down that rabbit hole would have derailed the entire process and significance of going through the house… so you opted to push your worry for him out of your thoughts, at least until you’d made significant progress on the rest of the task at hand.

That didn’t keep you from talking to him, though, and you found yourself humming or singing his songs out loud often, mentally keeping a list of things that you wanted to show him or tell him, no matter how silly or insignificant. Even though he wasn’t physically with you, your silent (and sometimes out loud) conversations with Ryan helped you get through the days of packing and throwing things away, motivated you to get out of bed and continue. Wish I could tell you, Ryan Brenner. I wish you knew.

You strummed a few chords, looking out the glass door and felt your throat tightening as you allowed yourself to really think of Ryan again - of his kind eyes, easy smile and his thick, deep voice. You wondered where he was - if he was still alive - what he was doing, and you were worried. You were worried because you hated the unknown when it came to those you loved - and you loved Ryan, still and totally, and even if you never heard from him again, there would always be a place for him in your heart.

I’m keeping this guitar. No matter where I go, it goes with me. That was the night you moved the guitar stand up to your room, and after that, you spent at least a few minutes each day strumming it, trying to make your fingers cooperate. It was a slow process, but it was something, and it kept you connected to Ryan in a way. Not only that, but you used the time to begin planning another project for yourself - organizing a gallery show for some of your favorite photos, and started sending your portfolio to local studios. He wanted to see my work, why wouldn’t others?

Thirteen weeks after you went home, you finished cleaning out the house. Though all of the furniture was still in it, the house was a shell of itself, most of your family’s personal items long gone and the others placed into storage, and as you wandered through the main floor, you decided what you needed to do. You had no desire to live in Philadelphia, no desire to remain in the house - and so it was time to sell it. There was no one else that you had to convince of the decision, and so you’d reached out to Amy’s mother, asking her for the name of a reputable realtor.

Since it was late spring, you’d been warned that once the house was up, it would likely sell quickly. That was fine with you, and so you had gone through all of the required steps to get the house inspected, to get it appraised, to get it listed for sale. Four months to the day that you’d returned to the house, you officially put it on the market - on the same day that you’d been contacted by the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, who wanted to feature your work as a guest exhibition. It would be the first time a collection of your work was visible in a public space and not on the pages of a magazine or on the Internet, and you were terrified and thrilled at the same time.

Celebrating with a bottle of wine and the guitar on your back porch, you’d toasted to your family, toasted to yourself - toasted to the memory of Ryan. “I did it, Ry. I dealt with it, just like you told me I needed to.. and I put myself out there, too.” You laughed, shaking your head and clutching the neck of the instrument that was sitting on your lap. “You’d be proud of me, I think.” The tears filled your eyes, but they weren’t as painful as they had been previously; you could think of him with only fondness and a faint pang of sadness. The ache was still there, but if there was anything you’d learned during your travels, it was that you couldn’t dwell on the things that you couldn’t control - and you couldn’t control Ryan’s absence in your life.

He was gone from it just as quickly as he’d entered it, and though you missed him fiercely, it was something that you couldn’t change. “I hope you’re happy, wherever you are.” Lifting your glass toward the sky, you took a long drink and then set it down on the patio next to you before settling the instrument on your lap and arranging your hands properly. You were still learning, but were able to clumsily pick out some of the chords of the song he’d played you on Christmas, and it was a comfort to you.

Three weeks after the house had been put on the market, you accepted an offer on it. The realtor had tried to convince you to wait, to haggle on the price, to get the best deal that you possibly could, but you were ready for it to be done, ready to devote your focus to the gallery and to whatever came next. You were itching to leave the city, itching to get back on the road, and without the house, you had nothing tying you down. You decided to accept an offer from a young family, even though it wasn’t the highest that you’d received, and after meeting with the gallery representatives to finalize details for the opening of your exhibit only a few days later, you’d simply walked across the street to the real estate office, officially signing the property away and approving the offer.

Though the close date wouldn’t be until the third week of June, which was almost a month away, it gave you time to plan, time to decide what came next - and time to enjoy the fact that you would officially be free of all obligations.

You’d decided to take a walk through Rittenhouse Square after meeting with both of the people that you needed to, and as you walked slowly beneath the trees, you found yourself smiling and enjoying the warmth of the air. Though Philadelphia’s days as your official “home” were numbered, you were happier than you had been in a long time. As you made your way toward the center of the park and the fountain, you heard someone playing guitar, the soft notes reaching your ears even over the noise from the city’s traffic and the conversations of the other people in the park. It’s the perfect day for it. You kept smiling and walked toward the sound, knowing that many of the college kids played in the park, but your smile faltered as you saw the figure perched on a crate beneath one of the tall trees, a hard case open near his feet. No way.

Your heart was pounding as you walked closer, pausing at the back end of the fountain and reaching out with one hand to steady yourself against the concrete block as you swayed on your feet. It can’t be. It’s not possible. You swallowed, blinking and took a few more steps toward the guitar player, shaking your head back and forth. Ryan? You felt your eyes well up and a quiet gasp left your throat as he continued playing, his voice getting louder with each note - stronger, too, even though you saw the obvious effort it was taking him to play the chosen song while keeping his composure.

…But baby I've been here before I've seen this room and I've walked this floor You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya And I've seen your flag on the marble arch And love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah…

You moved, finally, joining the small crowd of people that was watching him play, but you weren’t focused on them - you were only focused on Ryan, on the fact that after five months of wondering and waiting and hoping that he was OK, he was sitting in front of you - in the city that you’d called home, guitar in hand. He’s wearing my shirt. You stared at him without shame as he played, eyes raking over his body from his feet to his neck, not daring to look at his face because you knew that if you did, you’d immediately run to him. I can’t do that. He’s not mine. You blinked, bit your lip and then blinked again, feeling as if you were entranced as he played, each word full of meaning, each word a relief as it hit your ears. You’re here. You’re here. You’re OK. You realized that the song was ending and stepped closer to Ryan, still about ten feet away, a few people between you. You didn’t know what you were going to say or do - but your body was operating on its own, feet carrying you ever closer to Ryan even as he sung the final notes and strummed the final chords.

His head was tilted toward the ground as he played, you finally saw, because he had the recorder set up next to him in the lid of the guitar case. Still recording himself. Good. As the song ended and you stepped forward with two other people, he finally looked up, to his left, in the opposite direction from where you were standing, speaking to a young man that had also stepped forward to talk to him. Ryan had the same look on his face that he’d had in Vegas after playing in front of Paris - proud and surprised and genuine and you spoke without thinking, your voice trembling. “You’re really good.” Ryan froze mid sentence, his fingers tightening around the neck of his guitar. “Your voice is incredible.”

He turned his head slowly toward you, and you watched as his eyes widened and his lips parted, his gaze focused on your face. He glanced down quickly, shifting and setting the guitar in the case before he stood, taking a single step toward you and then stopping. This is it. You swallowed, taking a breath and stepped toward him too, your next words coming out quietly as you felt the moisture in your eyes finally spilling over and you reached a hand out to him. “Do you know any Robert Johnson, Ryan?”

---

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spearsilk0-blog · 5 years

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The Bear’s Den, May 24, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS / FREE AGENCY / DRAFT

Medina: Excuse Me, But What Do You Mean Brian Urlacher Isn’t a Top-10 Player in Bears History? - Bleacher Nation - Brian Urlacher is a Hall of Famer, an all-time great, and deserving of a top-10 spot among the best Bears ever.

Hughes: Bears to Donate Million Dollars to Local Charities - Da Bears Blog - One of the great things about the partnership between Ted Phillips and George McCaskey has been their committment to charity. And never has that been more apparent that their new initiative.

Dickerson: Matt Nagy sees no signs of defensive drop-off for Bears - ESPN - Chuck Pagano is thrilled to be back on the field with coaches and players and says his scheme will have some elements of Vic Fangio’s defense.

Koshul: Matt Nagy is taking culture to another level with Chicago Bears - 247sports - We take a look at how Matt Nagy has changed the culture around the Chicago Bears, going into year two as the head coach.

Eurich: Chuck Pagano does not plan on many changes to Bears defense - 247Sports - Following up someone like Vic Fangio will be no easy task for Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Fangio oversaw one of the NFL’s best defensive units a year ago before he took on the role as the head coach of the Denver Broncos. Pagano was hired by the Bears this offseason after he was fired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts following the 2017 season.

Alper: Bears “seeing some different looks” with Chuck Pagano running defense – ProFootballTalk - After being hired as the defensive coordinator in Chicago in January, Chuck Pagano said that the Bears defense won’t change much with Vic Fangio now running the show in Denver.

Nazario: Allen Robinson needs to lead wide receiver corps - NFLSpinZone.com - Allen Robinson had a good season last year but needs to take a big step forward this season for the Chicago Bears to succeed.

Stankevitz: Eddie Jackson’s pitch for the Bears hits home with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - ‘It’s just like Bama’ - NBC Sports Chicago - Eddie Jackson convinced Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to sign with the Bears thanks to one simple pitch: It’s just like where the two played in college.

Barbieri: Bears have had high attendance rate at offseason workouts - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears players have bought into Matt Nagy’s system for the second year in a row, evidenced by their participation rate this offseason.

Potash: Khalil Mack eager to take his game to another level - Chicago Sun-Times - His goal? ‘To be the best that ever played the position,’ OLB coach Ted Monachino said.

Biggs: Chuck Pagano has to put his stamp on the Bears defense, but he won't throw away what Vic Fangio built - Chicago Tribune - New Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is installing a new defense, but it won't be a whole lot different than Vic Fangio's.

Medina: Let's Enjoy Some Highlights Starring Walter Payton, the Greatest Bears Player in Franchise History - Bleacher Nation - The greatest player in NFL history is the best player in franchise history. And he has the highlights to prove it!

Quick hits: Trubisky clearly in comfort zone - ChicagoBears.com - Six weeks into the Bears offseason program this spring—and after two OTA practices—quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s familiarity with the offense and his receivers is evident.

Mayer: Ranking best Bears of all time - Nos 1-25 - ChicagoBears.com - Legendary Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Dick Butkus top the list of the greatest players in Bears history as ranked by writers Dan Pompei and Don Pierson in the Bears Centennial Scrapbook.

Hoge and Jahns: OTA’s, Best Bears of All Time, and The Next Live Podcast Recording - WGN Radio - Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns share their thoughts after witnessing the first session of the Bears’ Offseason Training Activities. They play tape from head coach Matt Nagy, new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano, as well as some of the positional coaches and players. They also play an interview with Ted Monachino, the team’s new outside linebackers coach. Hoge and Jahns discuss the list of the top 100 Bears of all time available on the team’s website. The guys also talk about where the next live recording of the podcast will take place and how you can get yourself there!

Bernstein: Here’s What’s Wrong With Bears’ Top-100 List - 670 The Score - Dan Hampton deserves more respect, and William Perry needs included.

Finley: Bears trying James Daniels at center, Cody Whitehair at guard - Chicago Sun-Times - James Daniels, who started 10 games at left guard last year as a rookie, is getting snaps at center, coach Matt Nagy confirmed.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Adam Gase says Jets didn’t overpay for Le’Veon Bell - NFL.com - Jets coach and interim GM Adam Gase met with the New York media on Thursday and addressed reports that he disagreed with how much his team spent on RB Le’Veon Bell.

Greenfield: Taking pain management in the NFL seriously - Our Turf Football - A new day is coming in the NFL. Could the decriminalization of marijuana in the NFL be too far behind? OTFB’s Sonja Greenfield takes a look.

Arhar: NFL and NFLPA adding health resources for players - Our Turf Football - The NFL and the NFLPA finally agree on something. The players mental and physical health. OTFB’s Kate Arhar looks at the health resources that are being adding for the players.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Minnesota Vikings OTAs: Is it possible Mike Hughes won’t be ready for Week 1? - Daily Norseman - At least one well-placed source is raising that possibility

Packers 2019 90-man roster ranking, 40-36: Will it be a bounce-back season for Marcedes Lewis? - Acme Packing Company - The veteran tight end surprisingly re-signed in Green Bay after a quiet 2018 that saw him struggle to get on the field.

Why a 2019 Darius Slay extension makes sense for everybody - Pride Of Detroit - Darius Slay wants an extension now, and it makes complete sense for him to seek that new deal.

PFF: Frank Ragnow has potential to be the best center in NFL - Pride Of Detroit - Pro Football Focus thinks Frank Ragnow’s potential is endless at his "new" position.

Detroit misses out on 2021, 2023 NFL Draft hosting opportunity - Pride Of Detroit - 2022 remains a possibility.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

WCG Top 100 Chicago Bears players of all-time: 100-91 - Windy City Gridiron - We’re kicking off our WCG Top 100 Chicago Bears Players list with 100-91. We’ll update this list as we reveal more of our picks, so stay tuned!

Sunderbruch: Examining draft day trades and the value they hold: Part 3 - Windy City Gridiron - Despite the age of the Johnson chart, it continues to predict high-end trades better than its competitors. However, a new chart is beginning to own the middle of the draft.

Infante: Bears’ David Montgomery facing surprisingly tall odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year - Windy City Gridiron - With the odds given for the rookie running back, Montgomery seems like a smart bet.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/5/24/18637231/chicago-bears-free-agency-draft-offseason-training-activities-camp-pace-nagy

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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gwdbp · 7 years

Text

G&W Incorporation and Dune Park Construction: Part One

I will skip a lot of railroad history about Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. If such history becomes relevant, I will update the blogs or posts as necessary. To get a sense of pre-modern day NWI and Illinois, check out http://oprt.org/history-1.htm.

There are numerous moving parts to the begins of railroad history in Northwest Indiana. I will be very careful with how I describe them and to be as accurate as possible. Also, you may see me interchange the name a lot from “The G&W” to “DPB”. Just note that I am referring to the Dune Park Branch.

NWI looked slightly different back before the G&W was built. Before the railroads, trails were used for wagon trains and foot travel. The trails were first created by Natives, and subsequently acquired by legal and illegal means by the Federal Government and private enterprise. Plank roads were laid out on a lot of these trails. The plank roads later became track beds for the major railroads, more-or-less.

I am not quite sure but I believe that the Buffalo & Mississippi Railroad was the first railroad in the region, being chartered February 6th, 1835. It was not built west that far beyond Michigan City. Its name was change to Northern Indiana Railroad (NIR) on February 6th, 1837 and it ran from the eastern boarder of Indiana to Michigan City and southeast from Michigan City to LaPorte.

Michigan Southern Railroad (MS) planned to use NIR’s line in its push to Chicago, and operations began November 30th, 1850. The MS & MC mergers continued to accelerate throughout the mid-to-late 1800′s. There were numerous name changes, so numerous that I will not waste time listing them all in this post.

As far as I can surmise, rivals Michigan Central (MC) & Michigan Southern Railroad (MS) were the first two major railroads to cross NWI and access Chicago, with MC being the very first, being maddeningly aggressive with MS in its push from Michigan to Chicago. MS had to use some legal trickery in order to cross more than three miles into Indiana. MS & MC were able to build their connections to Chicago through a series of mergers with smaller railroads into themselves.

Here’s a photo of railroads and pipelines dated 1900.*mistakenly labeled 1850

Let’s get a little bit closer.

You can see by 1900 there were several railroads coming through the area. The DPB is apart of this, but it’s running through the southern portion of where US Steel sits today. This is a detail that I believe most people don’t realize, and it will have severe consequences for the G&W in the future.

In spite of MC’s aggression, MS’s fortunes changed. NIR eventually merged with MS to form Michigan Southern & Northern Indiana Railroad (MS&NIR) in 1855. The Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad (CP&A), which did not operate in Indiana, leased the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad (C&T) in 1867. CP&A changed its name to Lake Shore Railway (LSR) a year later and in 1869 LSR merged C&T into itself. That same year, MS&NIR merged with LSR to form the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS).

These strategically important series of mergers allowed for the LS&MS to extend from Chicago to Buffalo, NY... as well as whatever ROW’s it had in Michigan and elsewhere in the Midwest.

And finally, the final piece of this puzzle. In 1877 New York Central & Hudson River Railroad (NYC&HR) took notice of the LS&MS. It bought majority stock and became the owner of the entire LS&MS system. This led to the creation of the new New York Central Railroad (NYC). This action would leave NYC as top dog in the region, with MC being a rival.

Now - let’s talk about Indiana Harbor Railroad (IHR) and Illinois, Indiana & Iowa Railroad (II&I) or (3I/Old Three I/3 Eye Route). The 3I was a successful coal running railroad that terminated in Churchill, SE of Ladd, IL (southwest of Joliet). 3I built the portion of the line that went from Streator, IL to South Bend, IN. Only a small segment of the Indiana line is still in use.

The photo below shows a line map. The blue line is the Norfolk Southern (NS) Kankakee Route. This is a part of the old 3I Kankakee Belt. The red lines indicate portions of the line that are now abandoned. I bring it up because the 3I line used to connect to the Chicago line via the Kankakee Belt @ South Bend.

IHR - different from the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad - was incorporated April 17th, 1896 in Illinois. In 1901 Indiana Harbor (now East Chicago), a city, was constructed to accommodate the Calumet region’s shipping needs, centered around IHR. MC and LS&MS financed the endeavor. In 1905 IHR purchased track from MC in the Calumet District of Chicago, and track that lead to Union Stock Yards. MC & LS&MS obtained whole stock in IHR October 31, 1907, changing the name to Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad (IHBR). This brought the IHR into the NYC system. NYC made Charles W. Hotchkiss General Manager, as Hotchkiss was the creator of the IHR.

Now this bit is confusing Firstly... on August 9th, 1906 NYC merged the 3I with IHR and the Danville and Indiana Harbor Railroad to form the Chicago, Indiana and Southern Railroad (CI&S). YET on the other hand, IHR was reorganized into the IHBR. The confusion comes into play because I’ve read in other forums people who’ve said that IHR was completely different from IHBR, and I find that to be highly unlikely. The IHR is only different from the IHBR in the sense that IHBR was brought into the NYC system through MC & LS&MC's capital stock ownership.

CI&S stock was owned by Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway (LS&MS) as well as Michigan Central Railroad (MC). Bear with me. CI&S’s stock was owned by LS&MS and MC. New York Central (NYC) owned stock in both LS&MS and MC. Get it? Got it? Good.

Here’s the critical part.

MS were the ones who originally built the line that would later become the DPB. It had track laid that ran west through the north end of Gary. I believe it was called the Indiana Harbor Lake Shore Line (or branch) or something close to it.

This can be proven by looking at a map. Here is the one claiming to be from 1850 again. I say claiming because on this map it’s labeled LS&MS - yet LS&MS wasn’t incorporated until 1869.

Top right corner - that would be be Baillytown (present day Burns Harbor). You can clearly see where MC ran into Hobart and MS ran westward into Gary (wasn’t Gary then). The MS line ran exactly along the same route the DPB is now. It was not built by IHR, though IHR could have operated along the MS/LS&MS later on before being reorganized into IHBR. You’ll see what I mean below.

We move the map further west and you can see the path that LS&MS took through Gary. MC’s route can also be seen. See the shaded area at the center of the photo labeled “New Stock Yards”? That’s the property that will later become US Steel. It is unknown to me who first deemed this area to become stock yards before US Steel got involved. Little known fact: There was a lighthouse on the US Steel shoreline. It was first lit in 1837. There is a newer lighthouse built in 1911 that is still in use today but not publicly accessible.

When US Steel bought this property, the LS&MS ran right through it on the southernmost end of the shaded area. LS&MS had to remove a large section of its Lake Shore track, in 1904 - before the steel mill was built. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) also had to remove their tracks, but it was not cut off like LS&MS was. We’ll get to that in a future post.

CI&S founded the Gary & Western Railway Company (G&W) the same year construction of US Steel commenced. Some accounts I’ve read say that the G&W was a purely CI&S venture with NYC, others say basically that the G&W was a subsidiary of US Steel and was operated by CI&S. I can’t say either way - a big grey area there. Until proven otherwise - I’ll say that G&W was a subsidiary of US Steel and US Steel worked with CI&S to build it. I seem to remember reading this somewhere, but I can’t remember the source.

According to the ‘Biennial Report of Fred A. Sims Secretary of State of the State Of Indiana for the Fiscal Term Ending September 30, 1908’ - on October 6th, 1906 the G&W received $200,000 in stock.

According to an Indianapolis Star article published Sunday, October 7th, 1906 - Articles of Incorporation were drafted with Secretary of State Fred. A Sims the day before - October 6th, 1906. It stated as follows:

“Gary and Western Railroad Company, to build nine miles of track in Lake County as part of the Chicago, Indiana & Southern Railroad - capital stock, $200,000.”

G&W rebuilt the LS&MS line through Gary, moving it to the south of US Steel and elevating its route to avoid grade crossings. The G&W DPB was a single track, standard-gage, steam railroad. It’s westernmost end begins at Gibson Yard in Hammond, Indiana, heading east through Ivanhoe Junction in Gary, curling north over Route 12/20 (5th Avenue). The eastern portion of the elevated line reconnected with the remaining portion of the original IHR/CI&S line east of Gary Works at a point known as “G&W Junction”. From this junction, the G&W continued east, terminating just west of the area known now as Burns Harbor at a huge sand pit.

LS&MS is who is cited most often for the creation of the DPB, but it is evident that CI&S, maybe in conjunction with US Steel, was the one responsible for reconnecting it after it was removed. It’s hard to nail down exactly when the original track bed was lain by MS between Burns Harbor and Chicago but I estimate that MS did so at least 50 years prior to the construction of US Steel.

This is nowhere near the definitive story of RR history in NWI, but as far as the Dune Park Branch is concerned, this can shed a lot of light.

#dunepark #Dune Park #Gary #Indiana #NYC #New York Central #LS&MS #Conrail #Penn Central #Northwest #Chicago #Railroad History #Gary & Western #G&W

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madpicks · 7 years

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New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports/nfl/ranking-32-nfl-backfields-heading-2017-season/

Ranking All 32 NFL Backfields Heading Into The 2017 Season

Adrian Peterson is on the Saints. Jamaal Charles signed with the Broncos. And in a shocker, Marshawn Lynch unretired and will be wearing the Silver and Black this upcoming season. A lot has changed around the league, as the top running backs of the last few seasons are being shuffled around from team to team while talented young stars are emerging.

The position of running back itself has been evolving lately. For a while, it seemed like the running back by committee system was the new way to go, but lately the importance of having a top running back has been re-established with the emergence of Ezekiel Elliott and Le’Veon Bell.

Will all the backfield moves lately, it seems like a good time to re-evaluate where we stand around the league as far as running backs go. This list will look at the best overall backfields around the league, with a focus on depth, backups, and third down backs like Darren Sproles that, while not being huge stars on their own, can change the game with only a few touches. Obviously, having a talented number one guy is still important, and this list will reflect that.

But more than ever, the guys behind your star are important. What if Bell gets injured? Who comes in for a few snaps when Elliott is gassed after a long game? Having solid depth in place will make a difference in where your team lands in this list, Ranking All 32 Backfields in the NFL.

Washington Redskins: Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson

We start with the worst, and the Washington Redskins current situation currently qualifies. The Redskins have spent the last several seasons without a true number one back, and are continuing to experiment with plugging in different players to their offense. This year it’s Rob Kelley’s turn to give it a go, as the former undrafted player is penciled in as the Redskins starter.

Chris Thompson will get touches as a solid yet unspectacular pass-catcher out of the backfield. On the whole, though, the Redskins do not look like a team that has a game-breaking threat in their backfield, which will make things difficult for Kirk Cousins (or whoever ends up under center).

Indianapolis Colts: Frank Gore, Robert Turbin

Frank Gore is one of those guys who it feels like has been around forever. The former 49ers workhorse back has enjoyed a very solid NFL career, but there’s no denying it’s near its end. The 34-year-old back is several years past the date that most runners hit the wall, and it’s doubtful the Colts will be able to squeeze much more production out of him.

Turbin has shown flashes at times, but the 27-year-old seems to be again set to be a role player this season. The Colts missed out on some of the bigger name backs in this years draft, but did grab a promising prospect in Marlon Mack in the fourth round of this year’s draft.

San Francisco 49ers: Carlos Hyde, Joe Williams

While he’s a pretty good running back who can break tackles and make plays, Hyde has proved to be fragile in recent years and unfortunately just isn’t good enough to hold down the backfield on his own. The 49ers were rumored to be looking for a compliment for Hyde in the draft, and new general manager John Lynch will hope fourth round prospect Joe Williams turns into something at the next level.

While he’ll need to prove himself in training camp and preseason snaps if he hopes to get touches this season, Williams is a speedy back with good cutting ability. If he develops, San Francisco’s backfield has some potential. Until then, however, they can’t call themselves one of the better units in the league.

Green Bay Packers: Ty Montgomery

The running back situation in Green Bay is anything but certain, and it will be an interesting story to follow through training camp. Currently, former wide receiver Ty Montgomery, is slated to be the starter. Montgomery has shown promise in some starts for the Packers, but has yet to prove he can be the guy over the course of an NFL season.

The Packers showed a level of trust in Montgomery by not taking a running back early in the draft, but ended up with an assortment of projects as they picked three backs on day three of the draft. They nabbed Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones, and Devante Mays, and are hoping at least one of them will develop into a workhorse down the road.

Detroit Lions: Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick

Ameer Abdullah was a very promising back that had fans excited when he was picked in the second round of the 2015 draft, however he has proven to be fragile, perhaps one of the worst qualities for a running back to have. While he looks to be rebounding well from foot surgery last year, he’s no sure thing in Detroit.

Also getting touches is receiving specialist Theo Riddick. Also an injury-prone back, he excels when given the ball in space, but is not a guy the Lions can count on to grind out yards between the tackles. The Lions have a lot of potential for the upcoming season if both backs are able to stay healthy and play complimentary roles. If they can’t, the Lions could well find themselves at the bottom of this list next year.

Baltimore Ravens: Lorenzo Taliaferro, Terrance West

The Ravens are heading towards training camp with a very cloudy situation in their backfield. The team has not had a true workhorse back in several seasons, and this year will be no different for the team. Lorenzo Taliaferro and Terrance West have both had some success in different roles at different times, but in the NFL and especially at running back it is very difficult to predict how a promising prospect will look over the grind of a 200+ carry season.

That’s why, in a reversal of previous trends, true number one backs are back in style, and having a proven commodity in the backfield is still a valuable asset despite today’s pass-first offensive styles. The Ravens as a team are trending the wrong way, and without a workhorse to take the pressure of Joe Flacco, that could continue.

New York Giants: Paul Perkins, Shane Vereen

Paul Perkins is unproven, yes, but in his only start last season—a week 17 game against Washington—he became the only Giants back to put up a 100 yard game for the entire season. With the Giants parting ways with now free agent Rashad Jennings, it looks like Paul Perkins’ job to lose this upcoming season.

Shane Vereen is a bonus for New York, he is an ideal third down back, but missed a lot of games last season with injury and is a role player at best. New York also took a rookie prospect in Wayne Gallman in the fourth round of this year’s draft, hoping he’ll develop into a bruising short yardage back.

Philadelphia Eagles: Ryan Mathews, Darren Sproles, Wendell Smallwood

Things are far from settled in the Philadelphia backfield, with rumors of an impending release for Ryan Mathews and other moves potentially still to come. However, as it stands right now, the oft-injured Ryan Mathews leads a group of talented but inconsistent backs.

While Mathews is the starter, Darren Sproles is the most explosive back on the team. The 5’6” running back has done it all for the Eagles, whether running, pass catching, or returning kicks. The Eagle’s strategy seems to be to give the soon-to-be 34-year-old 8-10 touches per game in space and give him a chance to break a big play. Outside of Mathews, who is likely not to be on the team, and Sproles, who is too small to be a workhorse, there is no one proven on the Eagles roster. Expect some more moves to come out of Philadelphia before the dust settles.

Miami Dolphins: Jay Ajayi

Jay Ajayi burst out in 2016 with two straight 200+ yard games, cementing his status as the Dolphins starter, a role he took from Arian Foster, en route to a 1,200 yard season. He’ll enter the 2017 season as the Dolphin’s unquestioned starter, and another solid season could push him into the conversation as a top-ten back in the league. However, while Ajayi while look to prove himself as the Dolphin’s running back of the future, there is no one else in Miami that shows any particular promise outside of a backup role. Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake look to be the other two backs on the roster, barring Miami making a move.

Denver Broncos: CJ Anderson, Jamaal Charles

Jamaal Charles made waves recently when he chose to sign with the Denver Broncos, arch-rivals of his former team the Kansas City Chiefs. The 30-year-old enjoyed several seasons as one of the top running backs in the league, but injuries and age have slowed him and he doesn’t figure to be capable of handling a full-season workload.

He’ll likely be splitting carries with CJ Anderson a small yet powerful back who has put together some solid numbers with the Broncos. The two will first decide who is number one heading into the season, but expect both to get a healthy amount of touches. If Charles somehow manages to show some of the ability he had in his prime, this backfield could be dangerous.

New York Jets: Matt Forte, Bilal Powell

Matt Forte has had a great career, primarily starring as the Chicago Bear’s top back for almost a decade. He moved to New York last season, and while he put up some decent numbers, he needed surgery this offseason to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. At 31 and with a history of knee issues, it doesn’t look like the former second-round pick will be able to return to form in the coming year.

The team is clearly hoping Bilal Powell will step up in 2017, as they did not take a running back before the sixth round in this year’s draft. The career backup showed promise last season, including a 145 yard, two touchdown performance in a late season game.

Kansas City Chiefs: Spencer Ware, Kareem Hunt, Charcandrick West

The Chiefs RB battle will be furious, and an entertaining camp story to follow. The competitors? Starter Spencer Ware, who was tabbed to be the next big thing in KC after taking over for Jamaal Charles but struggled last season, Charcandrick West, a role player who did not do much in 2016 after a strong 2015, and Kareem Hunt, a third round pick that the Chiefs clearly expect to come in and light a spark in the backfield, ensuring whoever comes out as the starter is tough and ready to play hard in 2017, knowing the other two are right behind him breathing down his neck. Expect some kind of committee setup in KC when it’s all said and done, but Hunt, who has drawn comparisons to Le’Veon Bell, looks like a favorite to eventual rise to the top for the Chiefs.

New England Patriots: James White, Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, Mike Gillislee

Bill Belichick has never been big on running backs. During Tom Brady’s career, there has been a revolving door in the backfield, and it doesn’t seem to matter. The Pats have success no matter who’s carrying the ball. This season, however, the Patriots rewarded Super Bowl hero James White with a nice contract, while retaining Dion Lewis, getting rid of LeGarrette Blount, and signing Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee.

Good luck picking a winner from that race. Every back fills a slightly different role, but all are capable receivers and all enticing prospects with breakout potential. Expect a crowded committee in New England. Tom Brady will have no shortage of fresh legs to hand off to or to catch passes out of the backfield whenever he needs.

Los Angeles Chargers: Melvin Gordon, Branden Oliver

After a disappointing rookie season, Gordon bounced back last season, putting up over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in a campaign the Chargers expected from him when they took him in the first round in 2015.

LA will have a lot of depth at the position this year, with backup Branden Oliver in the mix and veteran free agent Kenjon Barner coming over from the Eagles. Barner flashed some ability during his time in Philadelphia but is more of a backup than number one guy at this point in his career. Barner and Oliver should see some touches, but unless something happens to Gordon, he’s the main guy in the backfield taking handoffs from Philip Rivers.

Minnesota Vikings: Latavius Murray, Dalvin Cook, Jerick McKinnon

After almost a decade of stability at the running back position, the Vikings are moving on from Adrian Peterson, one of the greatest backs of his generation. Suspension and injuries slowed down the 32-year-old in recent years, and the Vikings are moving on this season. Free agent Latavius Murray, a former Oakland Raider, will battle with second round pick Dalvin Cook and veteran Jerrick McKinnon, who backed up Peterson the last few years through injury and suspension.

Murray had some good years in Oakland, but will need to prove himself to Vikings coaches in order to fend off Cook, who the Vikings clearly think it the future of their backfield. If Cook stays out of trouble off the field, he has potential to be the Vikings starter for years to come.

Los Angeles Rams: Todd Gurley, Malcom Brown

Todd Gurley is continuing to improve at running back, but hasn’t quite broken into the top tier of runners in the NFL after taking a step back in 2016. The Ram’s 2015 first round pick has a chance to bounce back this year, as the Rams will likely lean heavily on him in the backfield as they try to develop quarterback Jared Goff into a star in this league.

Many called Gurley’s 2016 campaign a sophomore slump, as the entire Rams team looked pretty disfunctional for much of the year. Gurley has tons of physical tools, but often lacks the patience and vision top NFL backs such as Le’Veon Bell demonstrate. With better coaching, better blocking, and more stability at quarterback, Gurely has every chance to rip off a great 2017.

Carolina Panthers: Jonathan Stewart, Christian McCaffrey

It feels like Jonathan Stewart has been around for forever. The bruising back spent much of his NFL career splitting time with DeAngelo Williams in Carolina, but without as much wear and tear on his body as most backs have at this point in their careers, Stewart looks like he’ll be The Man this year in Carolina.

Meanwhile, Carolina nabbed one of the best fits in the draft for their offense in Christian McCaffrey. Criticized for being too small to be an every down running back at the NFL level, McCaffrey won’t have to. While Stewart pounds the interior of the defense, McCaffrey will be free to get his touches in space, or even split out as a receiver. McCaffrey’s athleticism will make an immediate impact for Carolina’s offense.

Cleveland Browns: Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson

Could this be the year the Browns start to pull themselves out of the cellar? The team had a good draft by all accounts, grabbing solid pieces to build a team around. And an improved offensive line bodes well for the two-headed monster of Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson in the Cleveland backfield.

Neither of the two are top-tier running backs, but are proving that two mid-tier running backs might just be enough, as the two are able to spell each other out, and, last season, combined for over 1,300 yards on the ground. They’ll need a powerful rushing attack if they want to compete in what is a solid defensive division in the AFC North.

Houston Texans: Lamar Miller, Alfred Blue, D’Onta Foreman

The Texans are another team with a complicated backfield situation, and it only got murkier when the team picked up D’Onta Foreman in the third round of this year’s draft. Free agent signing Lamar Miller was the clear leader of the Texan’s run-first backfield last season, with Alfred Blue chipping in some carries from his role as a backup.

Foreman is a downhill runner who excels between the tackles, and will look to push Alfred Blue out of the backup spot. It’s a win-win situation for the Texans, who will look to rely on three solid runners to help out rookie first-round QB Deshaun Watson this coming season.

Oakland Raiders: Marshawn Lynch

One of the big surprises of this offseason was Marshawn Lynch coming out of retirement to join the Raiders. Once thought to be a baseless rumor that was more wishful thinking, due to Lynch’s ties with Oakland, it actually happened, and the former Seahawk will be wearing the silver and black this coming season.

The quiet running back clearly has something left in the tank and something to prove this coming season. The five time Pro Bowler turned 31 this offseason, but should be motivated to spearhead the Raider’s rushing attack. Having a veteran moving the chains on the ground will be huge for quarterback Derek Carr and a talented Oakland squad that hopes to compete with Pittsburgh and New England this season for the AFC crown.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon

The Jaguars got an instant boost in their backfield during this year’s draft that skyrocketed them up the list of best in the league. Jacksonville was thrilled to grab Leonard Fournette with the fourth overall pick, and the LSU star was immediately slipped into the top spot on the team’s RB depth chart. Fournette is a burly, angry, powerful runner who’s style brings to mind a young Adrian Peterson.

T.J. Yeldon, who disappointed when given a chance to start last season, is still a talented back who should get touches behind Fournette this upcoming season, especially if Fourenette ends up coming out of the game on third and long situations.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin, Jacquizz Rogers

Word out of Tampa Bay is that Doug Martin is in great shape heading into camp, and ready to return to form as a top back in the league. Martin has had an up and down career after exploding onto the scene in his rookie season with almost 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Injuries have kept the Buccaneers star off the field, but when healthy, he’s in the conversation as one of the top backs in the league.

Backing Martin up is Jacquizz Rodgers, a poor man’s Darren Sproles who rushed for 560 yards last years in Martin’s absence. If the two stay healthy, they can be a frightening pair out of Tampa Bay’s backfield.

Chicago Bears: Jordan Howard, Jeremy Langford

Jordan Howard is more proof that you don’t need to take a running back in the first round to land a good one. Although, to be fair, not many people saw Howard’s success coming, as he ended up being the tenth running back off the board in the 2016 NFL draft, going in the fifth round to the Bears.

Coming into last season as a third-stringer, Howard quickly rose up the depth charts due to injuries. Once given his shot as a starter, he didn’t look back, and piled up the numbers with 252 carries for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns.

Howard is the unquestioned starter going into this season, but Langford serves as a capable backup for a Chicago team that will need a strong season from their backs in order to be competitive.

New Orleans Saints: Adrian Peterson, Mark Ingram

After months of rumors and speculation, Adrian Peterson finally landed in New Orleans. After a few tough years near the end of his Vikings career, it will be a welcome new home for one of the NFL’s all-time greats, who believes he still has another year or two in him.

It remains a mystery how the backfield will be managed and how Mark Ingram will feature. Both backs possess a similar style, and there are rumors that Ingram could be on the move before the start of the season. Alvin Kamara is also a new face in the mix after being taken in the third round by the Saints. Kamara looks to potentially slide in as a third-down back, as a great pass catcher out of the backfield.

Cincinnati Bengals: Jeremy Hill, Joe Mixon, Giovanni Bernard

The current three-headed-monster setup in the Bengal’s backfield might not look the same when the season gets underway. It currently features Jeremy Hill as the “starter”, although Gio Bernard gets a healthy amount of touches in both the run and pass game. Breathing down both of their necks is second round pick Joe Mixon.

Not a fan favorite after video surfaced of him punching a woman in the face, Mixon has undeniable talent, which is why the Bengals drafted him. If he keeps out of trouble, he has the talent to be a star and compete to be the best running back from this year’s class. If not, he won’t be the first talented yet troubled player the Bengals have seen come through their system.

Seattle Seahawks: Eddie Lacy, Thomas Rawls

After Marshawn Lynch’s retirement, unretirement, and trade to the Raiders, the Seahawks were left not too badly off at running back. Eddie Lacy comes over from Green Bay to join Thomas Rawls, initially thought to be Lynch’s replacement.

Lacy gives the Seahawks a proven bruiser at running back. He started his career off in Green Bay with two straight 1,000 yard seasons, however, problems with his weight and injury derailed the next two years. He has the undeniable talent to return to form, and a competitive backfield situation with the hungry Thomas Rawls means Pete Carroll should be able to get the best out of the former Packer.

Buffalo Bills: LeSean McCoy

The Bill’s backfield is exclusively Shady McCoy’s show to run, and that’s how he likes it. The former Eagle returned to his dominant form in 2016 with an impressive 1,267 rushing yards and 13 TD’s, to go along with 50 catches for 356 yards and a touchdown.

McCoy’s elusive, explosive running style has drawn comparisons with Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, one of the best backs ever. Turning 29 this season, the Bills hope that McCoy still has a few good years left in the tank. His backup, Jonathan Williams, was a sixth round pick last year who has yet to show anything at the next level, meaning it’s up to McCoy to power the Bill’s ground game this coming season.

Atlanta Falcons: Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman

While neither are in the conversation for best pure running back in the league, the Falcon’s unique backfield duo are a threat to any defense and a big reason why the team won the NFC last season. At just 24 and 23, respectively, the explosive young duo combined for almost 2,500 yards from scrimmage and totalled 24 touchdowns during the regular season.

Neither is a traditional downhill bruiser, both excel when given room to work. And despite their similarity, there is no bad blood between the two, who could both excel on their own. The pair actively root for each other’s success and are more than willing to share carries, which is how the Falcon’s have seen success in such an unorthodox way.

Arizona Cardinals: David Johnson, Andre Ellington

David Johnson placed himself squarely in the top tier of running backs in the National Football League in 2016, when the former third round pick ran all over teams en route to over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns. Johnson is clearly top dog in Arizona heading into 2017, and will look to carry the load offensively again for the Cardinals as a dual threat runner and receiver.

Andre Ellington is a serviceable veteran backup who is a skilled blocker and receiver and will be able to spell out Johnson whenever necessary. The Cardinals also picked up a project in the fifth round, grabbing TJ Logan, a shifty runner and returner out of North Carolina.

Tennessee Titans: DeMarco Murray, Derrick Henry

After an off year with Philadelphia, DeMarco Murray has returned to form as one of the top backs in the league in Tennessee. Playing in an offense that compliments his bruising, downhill style, Murray racked up almost 1,300 rushing yards last season to go along with nine touchdowns.

And it’s not just Murray in Tennessee. The Titans are stacked with big, powerful backs, as they also have former Alabama star Derrick Henry. Henry picked up almost 500 yards and five touchdowns as DeMarco Murray’s backup. While it’s unclear how they will split carries in 2017, Marcus Mariota’s life is made much easier by the ferocious one-two punch the Titans have in the backfield.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Le’Veon Bell, James Conner

Watching Le’Veon Bell run the ball is like watching a master musician perform. Bell’s running is an art form unlike any other back in the league, and it makes him one of the best in the game. He can charge toward a hole, stop completely, let his blockers do their job, and then pick the best path into the secondary. Once he’s there, he has the power to truck defensive backs and the speed to run past linebackers.

The only knock on Bell is that he’s not always on the field, having missed time with injuries and suspension. Without reliable backup DeAngelo Williams in the mix this season, the Steelers targeted local boy James Conner, who looks to be a great fit for the Steelers as a versatile back ready to spell out Bell at any time.

Dallas Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott, Darren McFadden, Alfred Morris

A mix of young talent and veteran experience highlight’s the Dallas Cowboys backfield that currently stands as the best in the NFL. While many analysts might put Le’Veon Bell over Ezekiel Elliott as the best back in the league, there’s no doubt Elliott is a close second and only getting better. When you combine that with Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris, two big, veteran backs both capable of stepping in and starting for a few games, you get a scary backfield.

After Dak Prescott shocked everyone with his incredible 2016 campaign, the Rookie of the Year will face heightened pressure in his sophomore season. For a Dallas team with the offensive pieces to make a Super Bowl run, Elliott will need to maintain his superstar form in order to take some pressure of Prescott for this team to be playing football deep into the playoffs.

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