Last week I wrote about how quarterback was the most important position in all of sports.  Running back was, for a very long time, held in similar esteem.  Old school football fans used to obsess about the running back position, and some still do.  Reality now tells a very different story.  The value of a running back in the NFL is decreasing almost every season.  The “new” NFL and it’s pass heavy approach to offense, as well as the short shelf life of running backs is leading to a smarter approach in the estimation of their value.

There wasn’t a running back taken in the first round of either of the last two drafts.  It had never happened before the 2013 selection meeting and now it has occurred for two seasons in a row.  The most lucrative free agent contract signed by a running back during the 2014 off season was a modest 4 year $10 million deal signed by Rashad Jennings.  The emphasis at the running back position is now being placed on youth and lack of expense.

This recent turn of events has left the NFL draft as the best place to acquire a running back, despite the lack of first round selections.  Running backs that are drafted after the 1st round are on very cheap 4 year contracts.  Once their 4 years are up the exceptional ones can sign extensions.  After that extension, however, the age of 30 and the running back expiration date approach quickly.  Last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the New England Patriots, paid their top 3 running backs a total less than $2.5 million.  In fact, the teams that employ the top 4 highest paid running backs, Adrian Peterson, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Arian Foster, did not qualify for the postseason.  Read more... (1424 words, estimated 5:42 mins reading time)