Let's get ready to fumble

I'm watching the preseason game between the Vikings and Steelers right now. Because there's not much else on. I think the only Olympic events on tonight are track & field and... diving? Is it diving? I can't remember, I just know that it wasn't interesting. Anyway, Steelers rookie running back Rashard Mendenhall just lost a fumble. Get used to this, Steelers fans. The first time I watched a full game of Mendenhall's was the last game of his college career-- the Rose Bowl against USC, last January. When I watched him play, I immediately noticed he was a very talented guy, but he did not take care of the ball at all while he was running with it. He carries the ball like a loaf of bread, as my junior high football coach was wont to say (I don't understand it, either). Everybody's been going nuts over this guy in the preseason, saying he's going to leach carries from Willie Parker and he could take over Pittsburgh's starting tailback job, and on and on. First of all, this is ridiculous, because Parker is awesome. Like, one of the league's top 5 backs when healthy. Why would any rookie get a chance at taking his job? Unless it were 2007 and the rookie were Adrian Peterson. Anyway, back to Mendenhall. I'm sure the Steelers coaches are working with him on the way he carries the football, but it will take time to break these deeply ingrained habits. Expect fumbling to be a constant concern for Mendenhall in at least his first couple years in the league, and it could be a problem that dogs him his entire career. Bottom line: Do not overvalue Mendenhall-- or undervalue Parker-- in your fantasy drafts. If you really want to take a rookie running back, I would definitely take Darren McFadden over Mendenhall, and I would probably take Jonathan Stewart and Steve Slaton over him, as well. But not Felix Jones. Felix is a good back, but Marion Barber is gonna be a beast this year. Just you watch. Okay, enough football talk. I'm out.