by BY BILL COATS bcoats@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8189 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

But given that nearly all successful NFL teams deploy two effective backs and that because of injuries, Jackson hasn't put together a full 16-game season since 2006, the question arises:

Who backs him up?

The answer might not surface until late in the preseason. The current roster includes five running backs - one fewer since the trade May 7 of Brian Leonard, a second-round draft pick in 2007, to Cincinnati for defensive tackle Orien Harris.

That left Antonio Pittman, Kenneth Darby, Samkon Gado and rookie Chris Ogbonnaya, a seventh-round draftee, behind Jackson. During the spring, Pittman and Darby have gotten nearly all the reps with the second unit, earning them front-runner status.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo insists he has no favorite in this race.

"I'm not going to pin one against the other," he said. "I think both of the guys are picking up the system pretty well. ... I think both add certain things. I'm real anxious to see the competition when they put the pads on" at training camp.

A number of veteran backs are available, including former Pro Bowlers Warrick Dunn, Ahman Green, Edgerrin James, Rudi Johnson and Deuce McAllister. But nobody meets the Rams' "ascending player" prerequisite for free-agent signees.

So for now, the club probably will stick with what it has behind Jackson. And, Shurmur stressed, that's not bad.

"I'm really impressed with the guys that we have," he said. "They all are a little bit different. ... here's things that they're good at and other things they're developing."

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Pittman was signed off waivers as a rookie in September 2007, after New Orleans let him go. The former All-Big Ten performer, who left Ohio State after his junior season, was the Saints' fourth-round draft choice.

A speedy slasher who does most of his damage between the tackles, Pittman spent most of that season as the No. 3 back behind Jackson and Leonard. He picked up 139 yards on 38 carries in 11 games.

Pittman moved up to the No. 2 role last season as Leonard missed most of the year with a shoulder injury. Pittman played in 12 games, with five starts while Jackson nursed a thigh injury. He wound up with 79 carries for 296 yards and 18 receptions for 132 yards.

The competition for the backup spot this year will be "very fun ... very fun," Pittman said. "This is what you make your team out of. You want guys that are going to come out there and compete every day."

Darby, 5-10 and 211, was signed off Atlanta's practice squad Oct. 14, the day after Leonard was placed on injured reserve. After earning All-Southeastern Conference honors as a junior at Alabama, Darby fell off his senior season and was drafted in the seventh round by Tampa Bay in '07.

He played in just one game as a rookie before the Buccaneers released him. The quick-footed Darby, who isn't quite as fast as Pittman but is a better blocker and receiver, got into 10 games last season in a reserve role. He carried 32 times for 140 yards and had 19 catches for 183 yards.

Having nearly a full season with the Rams , plus participating in all the offseason work, "makes a big difference," Darby said. "I came here last year in the middle of October and really didn't have a chance to show what I had. I was just getting warmed up by the time the season was over."

Shurmur's West Coast-style offense promises to keep the running backs busy, further emphasizing the need for a suitable understudy to Jackson.

"It's a very big role," Pittman said. "Being that guy that spells Steven, it's huge for the team, just so you know that when he comes out of the game, (the offense) doesn't skip a beat."

The Rams can accomplish that with either of the contenders filling in, Darby maintained.

"I feel like we get overlooked a lot," he said. "That's nothing but motivation for us. It encourages us to go out every day and prove to all the critics and the doubters that we're just as good as anybody else out there."

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Backup backs

How Antonio Pittman and Kenneth Darby fared last season in relief of Steven Jackson:

Rushing

Player Att. Yards

Pittman 79 296

Darby 32 140

Receiving

Player No. Yards

Pittman 18 132

Darby 19 183

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