There are some pretty interesting names, two former first-round picks and a second-rounder among them, who currently have no team to run for. Shaun Alexander was the league's MVP two short yeas ago. Travis Henry, that same season, ran for 1,211 yards. Kevin Jones looked like a future star in Detroit after a great rookie season and has shown some good receiving skills in his injury-addled career

All three are unemployed.

The thinking is that these three players should be able to find work before the start of the season somewhere, but with such a glut of free-agent running backs right now, teams are going to be very picky with who they sign or approach, unless injuries start piling up.

It's also difficult to say which is the most attractive of the three. Alexander's dropoff from stardom has been so precipitous that it has teams thinking he has hit the wall and will never be the same. Henry's problems in Denver (and Buffalo and Tennessee) has teams that value character closing the door on considering him, even if he has 3-4 years of good football left. And though Jones is the youngest of the three (he turns 26 in August) and might have the most upside, his back-to-back season-ending injuries have teams very cautious.

But I can say that I heard on good authority that Jones is way ahead of schedule and thinks he could be ready to play Week One, despite suffering a torn ACL in December. Normally, the recovery time is 12 months, but Jones showed in a private workout -- one attended by PFW correspondent and Lions beat writer Nick Cotsonika -- that he can do almost anything required of a running back, including cutting and twisting and changing direction. That's impressive.

Alexander has heard from Cincinnati and New Orleans, but the Saints have another rehabbed, older back (Deuce McAllister) amid its crowded backfield. Henry reportedly hasn't heard much in the way of offers, but there are some speculating he could end up back in Tennessee, where he behaved moderately well (despite a four-game drug suspension his first season there).

Jones has gotten the most attention of the three, and though many feel the Bears could end up with him, don't rule out the Patriots. Bill Belichick reportedly was very high on Jones in 2004 and was set to draft him before the Lions jumped up and nabbed him at 30. The Patriots settled for TE Benjamin Watson, who has been merely good, not great. Remember, the Pats didn't exactly show a ton of confidence in Laurence Maroney at times last season and might be looking at adding a back with Sammy Morris coming off a chest injury and Kevin Faulk being limited to a specialist's role. The Titans and Buccaneers -- two teams that love to stockpile running backs -- also have been mentioned as landing spots for Jones.

And I am not even considering Cedric Benson, the former fourth overall pick, in this matter. Is it possible he won't play in the NFL this season? According to one personnel director, you bet. And there might be jobs for guys like LaMont Jordan, Najeh Davenport, Musa Smith, Ryan Moats, Reuben Droughns and LaMont Jordan -- veteran backs currently on rosters who might get cut in camp.

It's a crowded RB market that might not sort itself out until July and August, when the first injury casualties start going down.