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NFL free agency a bonanza for running backs

The running back market during last year's free agency was so bad that the top backs in the league organized a Zoom meeting to discuss their options moving forward. A year later, the start of free agency was headlined by the running back carousel that took place on Monday. The top moves included Saquon Barkley (3-years, $37.75 million) to the Eagles, Josh Jacobs (four years, $48 million) to the Packers, D'Andre Swift (three years, $24 million) to the Bears, and Tony Pollard (three-year $24 million) to the Titans.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs (8) is ranked as the No. 12 player on the NFL's Top 100 list going into the 2023 season. Photo by Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Austin Ekeler (two years, $11.43 million) leaves the Los Angeles Chargers to go to play for the Washington Commanders, Devin Singletary (three years, $16.5 million), Zack Moss (two years, $8 million), Antonio Gibson (three years, $11.25 million), and Gus Edwards (two years, $6.5 million) to the Chargers, are also on the move. It is finally a win for the running backs, as all nine players received multi-year deals, a far cry from what happened in 2023. Last year, the top three free agent backs, Barkley, Jacobs, and Pollard, were all slapped with the franchise tag. The decision by NFL teams led to training camp holdouts from Barkley, Jacobs, and Jonathan Taylor, who was set to become a free agent after the season. "I think if I wasn't able to get tagged, the negotiating process would have gone a lot differently. I would have a lot more leverage," Barkley said last offseason. "There are a lot of running backs out here that are key pivotal points to teams having success in this league. The way that we are getting devalued, I don't think it's fair at all, but life is not fair." No ball-carrier received a deal worth more than $6.25 million per year in 2023, and that number was set by Miles Sanders, who was coming off a 1,269-yard, 11-touchdown season. "There are average players in the NFL, but then there are outliers. Those outliers are the guys that are setting the new market and pushing the boundaries, and the reason they are doing that is because they are not the average. So, when we have these narratives coming out where they are comparing the outliers to the average, it really hurts us, and that is not fair to those guys," said Ekeler during last year's training camp. Already on the first day teams could discuss new contracts with players, four running backs have agreed to deals worth more than the $6.25 million threshold. Derrick Henry, Aaron Jones, and Joe Mixon could also surpass that once they find their new teams.

Philadelphia Eagles running back D'Andre Swift (0) rushed for 1,049 yards during the 2023 NFL regular season. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline None of this would have been possible if teams had decided to abuse the franchise tag again. It is impossible to reset the market and determine the value of the top-tier players at the position when they are continuously tagged. It is likely that Barkley and Jacobs had verbal agreements in place that the organizations would allow them to become free agents if they returned from their holdouts last season. Jones and Mixon were both released in the wake of all the moves front offices made to acquire new talent at the tailback position. For a moment, it looked as if Green Bay would have arguably the best tandem in the league with the announcement they would be signing Josh Jacobs. At first, it was reported the Packers were working to restructure Jones' contract before the team ultimately waived him. "It is certainly one of the hardest decisions we've had to make in my time with the Packers and not one taken lightly. He has not only had a significant impact on the field and in the locker room, but he is one of the most beloved players in the community," said Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst on the decision to release the star running back.

After playing four seasons with the Washington Commanders, running back Antonio Gibson has signed a three-year deal with the New England Patriots. Photo credit: Mark Hammond/News4usonline One is left to wonder whether or not Jones saw the money being handed out to his counterparts and decided he could make more on the open market. He was willing to take a slight pay cut to stay with the team last year when the market was dry, but now that their value has been reestablished, it made sense for him to see what he is worth. The big loser during the shuffle is Ekeler. He was responsible for organizing the Zoom meeting last year. The former Charger saw his worth drastically depreciate after posting the lowest yards per attempt (3.5) of his career and recording his least amount of receptions (51) since 2018. In his previous season with the Los Angeles, he was ninth in Offensive Player of the Year Voting and was the NFL leader in touchdowns. Ekeler would have been one of the most sought-after backs and would have received much more than $5.7 million a year had his production not dropped off. Top Image Caption: Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler tries to escape a Baltimore Ravens defender during a Sunday Night Football game on Nov. 26, 2023. Photo credit: Melinda Meijer/News4usonline Read the full article

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