Why Running Backs Dont Get Paid
As of yesterday the franchise tag extension deadline has ended in the NFL. Meaning if a player was put on the one year franchise tag and didnt sign a long term extension then they have to wait until the end of the year. This is usually a little to no news day in the sports world, however, the players not able to negotiate long term deals are, for the most part, running backs.
It has not been a good decade for the running back position. The days of the bell cow running back are for the most part over, RBs are rarely taken in the first round, and teams are even just using receivers as RBs (i.e Deebo Samuel). Gone are the days of CJ2K, LT, and AP. The days of running back committees and specialized positions are here.
The State of the RB Position
In the past teams were always looking for the next great RB. The Saints in 1999 traded every pick in the draft plus their first three picks in the next draft for Ricky Williams. Im not sure a team would even give up that haul for a QB now a days (Williams was traded again two years later for another two first round picks). In the 2005 draft RBs Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown went back to back with picks 4 and 5. Ki Jana Carter (1995), Bo Jackson (1986), and Billy Sims (1980) were all drafted number one overall. A move that would now likely get a GM fired before the end of the night.
In my personal opinion the 2012 NFL draft is where the view of the RB position changed. Trent Richardson, out of Alabama, ended up going number three overall. He ended up being one of the biggest memes of a running back possibly ever for missing wide open holes. He was out of the league by 2015. Two others went at the end of the round with Doug Martin at 31 and David Wilson at 32. Doug Martin was the most successful topping 1000 yards twice, but was out of the league by 2019. David Wilson had a back injury and only played in 21 games.
Since that draft there have been a total of 6 backs taken in the top 10 (Gurley #10, Zeke #4, Fournette #4, CMC #8, Barkley #2, and Bijan #6). Now all of these guys, except Bijan because he is a rookie, you could say have had their moments. Gurley had to retire after his knee injury, Zeke and Fournette are currently unsigned free agents, and Barkley is on the verge of a hold out due to not getting the extension he wanted.
Teams are now opting for more of a committee approach. Its hard to put a lot of assets into a position where players usually fall off around the age of 28. Teams now opt for a committee of defined roles, like a short yardage back or a 3rd down back to fill specific roles. Simply put it is the position where you take the most damage touching the ball 20-25 times a game to be effective. That makes it difficult to pay these guys big money, even the big time guys.
The Current Dilemma
Circling back, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard, who are all considered top 10 backs in the league right now, did not sign long term extensions. It has been reported that Saquon was offered a $13 million dollar a year contract but wanted $16 million. Thats what was reported I was not in the room. Instead these guys will make a measly $10 million this year on the franchise tag. Which I know I am an unemployed blogger, but I would have taken the long term $13 million deal. This lack of perceived respect by the players resulted in Tweets like these.
This to me was the funniest one. Derrick Henry just suggesting, Im not sure that we just dont go under center? Maybe? Im not sure what this meant.
JT I think kinda nailed it. Im not sure if he was trying to, or maybe it was one of those moments where you are thinking out loud and then it makes sense. This is pretty much it though.
This one from CMC is true. These are without a doubt three of the best athletes in the NFL. Its just an easily replaced position.
Conclusion
In the corporate world, the people who are paid the most are sales people. Thats not to say that the people in operations, accounting, or human resources arent good at their jobs. The truth is they arent as important as sales people. Sales people bring in the money that pays the paychecks. Running backs are people that work in operations. Is it nice to have one thats really good so everything runs smoother? Of course. If they quit could you probably bring in another guy to get you through the day? Most likely yeah.
The truth is most players over value themselves, and teams that cant realize that struggle with the cap. We have seen over and over again these big contracts not pay off, and if we look at recent history its just not that important. A team hasnt won the Superbowl because of a running back probably since Terrell Davis in the late 90s, and he was taken in the 6th round. I think the bigger issue in the NFL is players not understanding that if theyre making a lot of money then other guys are not. I know theres a lot of ways to manipulate the cap space, but if you want to win you need a well built roster which means 50 guys who can play.