The Facts: Jones-Drew never had to search for motivation. It came in daily doses from people questioning him because of his stature. Time and again, the 5-7 Jones-Drew silenced doubters with his play. Now that he's with the Raiders, he has found a new source of motivation from those who wonder if he has anything left. "I know what I have left," Jones-Drew said. "I know the work I put in this offseason to get to where I need to get to be able to play at a high level. I stopped worrying about what people were saying."
Diehards Line:
Jones-Drew, 29, led the league in rushing in 2011, and he was atop the chart again in 2012 when he suffered a broken left foot. The injury limited him to six games and required surgery. Jones-Drew had two screws inserted into his foot, which forced him to relearn how to walk, let alone run. So, perhaps it's no surprise that last season Jones-Drew rushed for only 803 yards and 3.4 yards per carry, or almost 1 yard less than his previous career-low. With that came doubts about whether Jones-Drew still has what it takes to be an every-down back. He calls such talk "hilarious. ..." From a fantasy football perspective, Jones-Drew's price tag is going to scare anybody away. His current ADP (RB36) makes him a reasonable enough risk -- assuming we gain some clarity on the how the workload will be divided between MJD and Darren McFadden.