<H1>Measuring Leonard's ceiling</H1>
<H3>by ALEX DELANIAN
<DIV style="MARGIN-TOP: 6px">Tuesday August 21, 2007, 11:45 AM</H3>
These 67 yards feel like much more.
In the St. Louis Rams' second preseason game on Saturday, former Rutgers star Brian Leonard went head-to-head with the San Diego Chargers first-team defense (mostly), rushing for 49 yards on 17 carries and picking up a pair of nine-yard catches.
Starting RB Steven Jackson was in for one snap, a play action pass, before Leonard took over. He made players miss, he propelled himself forward Eddie George-style on every hit he took and looked like he wasn't bothered by the physicality.<A name=more></A>
The Chargers had the eighth-best rush defense in the NFL last season and were playing with a fair amount of intensity for a preseason game. Rams QB Marc Bulger was knocked to the ground a few times so you know they weren't just going through the motions.
It raised a question that I didn't think warranted a lengthy discussion, but I'm becoming convinced otherwise. Can Brian Leonard have a long, prosperous NFL career?
The 67 yards Leonard totaled during the game came in a variety of ways, similar to his career as a Scarlet Knight. Every NFL team values a player who can do multiple things out of the backfield and keep defenses guessing. Every NFL team likes Brian Leonard in theory, but can this theory be put into practice?
Many of you have watched Leonard for the past few years rather than just the tail end of last season. You can tell me if I'm off base.
Part of Leonard's appeal in the months before the NFL Draft were his combine numbers. He ran faster and bench pressed more than anyone expected; great in both categories, not simply solid all around. The Rams' coaching staff has talked about using him in different ways from different spots on the field. You have to utilize what you spend a high draft pick on, obviously.
Here's where I pause. As fast as he is and as strong as he is, there are guys that are faster and stronger. Lots of them. Maybe they don't have Leonard's football IQ, but let's not view these physical attributes in a vacuum - you can do better.
The dividing point, it seems, between great success and gradually fading away is how well he'll fit his position. The man was drafted as a fullback, after all.
He doesn't need to be Lorenzo Neal, bulldozing through a platoon of linebackers so LaDainian Tomlinson can score his 73rd touchdown of the year, but what can he do for the Rams' Steven Jackson besides spelling him for a series now and then?
If he can be in there at the same time as Jackson, the Rams become frightening. If Leonard is a respected blocker in the NFL and defenses have to respect that, in addition to his own abilities with the ball in his hands, preparation becomes impossible.
So, that's my question. Can Brian Leonard be more than just a talented back in the NFL? Can he be a wave-of-the-future fullback?