There are a bunch of notable running backs headed for free agency, including Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley and Austin Ekeler. But I don’t know that there will be a lot of big contracts handed out.
Teams don’t tend to value the position nowadays. There are enough decent options available at modest prices that it doesn’t make sense to break the bank unless you feel you’re getting something special.
Barkley, I would think, would generate some interest, but teams have the option to fall back and settle for lesser but capable options. Henry and Ekeler are big names, but they’re not the franchise-type talents they’ve been in the past. Jacobs and Pollard both were a lot more effective in 2022 than last year.
Also available: Devin Singletary, D’Andre Swift, D’Onta Foreman, Zack Moss and Ezekiel Elliott.
| FREE AGENT RUNNING BACKS | |
|---|---|
| Player | 2023 team |
| Saquon Barkley | NY Giants |
| Josh Jacobs | Las Vegas |
| Derrick Henry | Tennessee |
| Austin Ekeler | LA Chargers |
| D'Andre Swift | Philadelphia |
| Tony Pollard | Dallas |
| Devin Singletary | Houston |
| Kareem Hunt | Cleveland |
| Zack Moss | Indianapolis |
| D'Onta Foreman | Chicago |
| Ezekiel Elliott | New England |
| AJ Dillon | Green Bay |
| J.K. Dobbins | Baltimore |
| Dalvin Cook | NY Jets |
| Antonio Gibson | Washington |
| Gus Edwards | Baltimore |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | Atlanta |
| Rashaad Penny | Philadelphia |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Kansas City |
| Damien Harris | Buffalo |
The track record of transplant running backs hasn’t been particularly strong. David Montgomery did just fine with the Lions last year, of course, but Miles Sanders, Jamaal Williams and Dalvin Cook all were misses with their new teams.
I played around with some numbers on this. In the 32-team era, there have been 43 instances in which a running back posted top-20 numbers (using PPR scoring) then moved to a new team in the next offseason. Only three of those running backs then finished with better numbers with their new team. Only six others again finished with top-20 numbers (that is, fewer than 20 percent of transplant backs were able to stay in the top 20).
Only three of those running backs finished with more total yards (run-rec) with their new teams, and only five finished with more touchdowns. It’s a rugged position, where you want to be careful not to get caught chasing last year’s production. You want to make sure you’re getting a back who fits properly (like Montgomery last year).
In the chart below, the three running backs who ranked even higher (PPR scoring) with their new teams are in bold. The others who are least stayed in the top 20 are tagged with black dots. The numbers that are in bold, those are the areas where guys finished with better numbers.
This is a complex chart, so an explanatory walk-through is appropriate. The “year” shows the player’s last season with the original team (so for Miles Sanders, you’re seeing not Carolina but what he did with the Eagles in 2022). The rushing and receiving stats from those seasons are shown.
In the right half of the chart, you’re seeing his new team (the next year), with the difference in total yards and touchdowns. (For the vast majority of players, those are negative numbers, with the production having declined). The final column (“Rk”) shows where he ranked the next year using PPR scoring.
| TOP-20 BACKS MOVING TO NEW TEAMS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Rushing | Receiving | New Tm | Yds L | TD L | Rk |
| 2022 | Miles Sanders, Phil. | 259-1269-11 | 20-78-0 | Car. | -761 | -10 | 50 |
| 2022 | Jamaal Williams, Det. | 262-1066-17 | 12-73-0 | N.O. | -771 | -16 | 61 |
| 2022 | Leonard Fournette, T.B. | 189-668-3 | 73-523-3 | Buff. | -1151 | -6 | 129 |
| 2022 | Dalvin Cook, Min. | 264-1173-8 | 39-295-2 | NYJ | -1176 | -10 | 70 |
| 2020 | Mike Davis, Car. | 165-642-6 | 59-373-2 | Atl. | -253 | -4 | 34 |
| 2020 | Kenyan Drake, Ari. | 239-955-10 | 25-137-0 | L.V. | -547 | -7 | 55 |
| 2019 | Todd Gurley, LAR | 223-857-12 | 31-207-2 | Atl. | -222 | -5 | 29 |
| 2019 | Devonta Freeman, Atl. | 184-656-2 | 59-410-4 | NYG | -836 | -5 | 87 |
| 2019 | Leonard Fournette, Jac. | 265-1152-3 | 76-522-0 | T.B. | -1074 | 3 | 35 |
| 2018 | Tevin Coleman, Atl. | 167-800-4 | 32-276-5 | S.F. | -352 | -2 | 39 |
| 2018 | Kareem Hunt, K.C. | 181-824-7 | 26-378-7 | Cle. | -738 | -11 | 48 |
| 2017 | Dion Lewis, N.E. | 180-896-6 | 32-214-3 | Ten. | -193 | -8 | 27 |
| 2017 | Frank Gore, Ind. | 261-961-3 | 29-245-1 | Mia. | -360 | -3 | 47 |
| 2017 | Carlos Hyde, S.F. | 240-938-8 | 59-350-0 | Cle./J | -684 | -3 | 49 |
| 2017 | C.J. Anderson, Den. | 245-1007-3 | 28-224-1 | Ca./LA | -787 | -1 | 70 |
| 2016 | Latavius Murray, Oak. | 195-788-12 | 33-264-0 | Min. | -107 | -4 | 25 |
| 2016 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. | 299-1161-18 | 7-38-0 | Phil. | -383 | -15 | 45 |
| 2015 | DeMarco Murray, Phil. | 193-702-6 | 44-322-1 | Ten. | 640 | 5 | 5 |
| 2015 | • Lamar Miller, Mia. | 194-872-8 | 47-397-2 | Hou. | -8 | -4 | 19 |
| 2015 | • Todd Gurley, St.L. | 229-1106-10 | 21-188-0 | LAR | -82 | -4 | 15 |
| 2015 | Matt Forte, Chi. | 218-898-4 | 44-389-3 | NYJ | -211 | 1 | 21 |
| 2015 | Chris Ivory, NYJ | 247-1070-7 | 30-217-1 | Jac. | -662 | -5 | 48 |
| 2014 | Shane Vereen, N.E. | 96-391-2 | 52-447-3 | NYG | -83 | -1 | 27 |
| 2014 | • LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 312-1319-5 | 28-155-0 | Buff. | -287 | 0 | 17 |
| 2014 | Fred Jackson, Buff. | 141-525-2 | 66-501-1 | Sea. | -669 | -1 | 64 |
| 2014 | • DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 392-1845-13 | 57-416-0 | Phil. | -1237 | -6 | 15 |
| 2013 | Chris Johnson, Ten. | 279-1077-6 | 42-345-4 | NYJ | -608 | -8 | 39 |
| 2013 | Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac. | 234-803-5 | 43-314-0 | Oak. | -950 | -5 | 97 |
| 2013 | Knowshon Moreno, Den. | 241-1038-10 | 60-548-3 | Mia. | -1430 | -12 | 103 |
| 2012 | Reggie Bush, Mia. | 227-986-6 | 35-292-2 | Det. | 234 | -1 | 7 |
| 2012 | Steven Jackson, St.L. | 258-1045-4 | 38-321-0 | Atl. | -632 | 3 | 31 |
| 2012 | Shonn Greene, NYJ | 276-1063-8 | 19-151-0 | Ten. | -880 | -4 | 60 |
| 2012 | Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG | 221-1015-6 | 23-245-0 | Ind. | -1032 | -4 | 77 |
| 2011 | Mike Tolbert, S.D. | 121-490-8 | 54-433-2 | Car. | -472 | -3 | 37 |
| 2011 | Michael Bush, Oak. | 256-977-7 | 37-418-1 | Chi. | -901 | -3 | 47 |
| 2009 | Thomas Jones, NYJ | 331-1402-14 | 10-58-0 | K.C. | -442 | -8 | 27 |
| 2008 | Derrick Ward, NYG | 182-1025-2 | 41-384-0 | T.B. | -850 | 1 | 49 |
| 2006 | Thomas Jones, Chi. | 296-1210-6 | 36-154-0 | NYJ | -28 | -4 | 22 |
| 2006 | Ahman Green, G.B. | 266-1059-5 | 46-373-1 | Hou. | -1049 | -4 | 64 |
| 2005 | • Edgerrin James, Ind. | 360-1506-13 | 44-337-1 | Ari. | -467 | -8 | 17 |
| 2005 | Mike Anderson, Den. | 239-1014-12 | 18-212-1 | Balt. | -989 | -12 | 78 |
| 2004 | Reuben Droughns, Den. | 275-1240-6 | 32-241-2 | Cle. | 120 | -6 | 14 |
| 2003 | • Clinton Portis, Den. | 290-1591-14 | 38-314-0 | Was. | -355 | -7 | 9 |
—Ian Allan