Question about the depressed RB market in the NFL….

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

Does anyone think that trickles down to college football recruiting? If you’re a HS senior being recruited to play RB in college, don’t you kind of feel like that’s a dead end? Even if you’re a 5 star kid who excels in college, it’s super rare that you’ll be picked in the first round, and you may not go until day 3. And what is the hope for a lucrative 2nd contract?

I honestly think the RB’s who can catch and block a blitzing linebacker are the RB’s who will have real value in the near future.

 

[Burgh15]

Top running backs should leave for the NFL as soon as they can. They basically need to get to the NFL when they are 21 years old, especially if they're going to get drafted in the first. Look at Najee Harris. He was 23 when he was drafted and will be 27 if the Steelers pick up his option year. Franchise him for one season and Harris won't hit free agency until he's 28, which is when the decline starts for most running backs.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Does anyone think that trickles down to college football recruiting? If you’re a HS senior being recruited to play RB in college, don’t you kind of feel like that’s a dead end? Even if you’re a 5 star kid who excels in college, it’s super rare that you’ll be picked in the first round, and you may not go until day 3. And what is the hope for a lucrative 2nd contract?

I honestly think the RB’s who can catch and block a blitzing linebacker are the RB’s who will have real value in the near future.

RB may be the least important position in all of pro sports. I would ensure my RB is the least paid on the team. For example, if Rodney Hammond was the Steeler RB this season and they paid him league minimum, their record would be the exact same which is why it was so stupid to waste a 1st Round pick

 

[h2p_5150]

RBs aren't going to switch positions because for the most part they are uniquely suited to be RBs. They have similar body types to inside linebackers... but inside linebackers don't really get paid much anymore either. There are exceptions- I'm sure some could play CB or slot WR but for most of these guys, switching positions just means they won't make the NFL at all.

The thing is that RB is one of the most important positions at every other level of football. They should be among the highest paid in NIL money.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

cant blame any RB like izzy going to the nfl asap vs. coming back for another year, getting hit 200 times and being a year older, to maybe move up a round.. Dion lewis, shady, izzy, just get to the nfl asap and pray you get any kind of second deal.

but i dont see things looking good for rbs. this trend is only going to continue. Najee will probably not even get his 5th year picked up, dont even think about a second contract here in pittsburgh..

if najee has two big years and looks good, maybe you franchise him.. one year deals for a RB over hte age of 28 is probably as good as it's gonna get for RBs.. like barkley just signed..

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

I argued with my friend about this 20 years ago. Outside of a few backs, the running game is just a product of the blocking. Thus, I would never invest too much capital in one.

... which goes to show just how incredibly inept the end of the Colbert era was. And I'm not even talking about Najee Harris as much as I am talking about the contract they offered Bell.

 

[pittdan77]

You're placing a relatively small human being in a position where they are having 20 plus collisions in heavy traffic with larger human beings who are moving like they are on rocket sleds every Sunday. If you throw a larger human being in there, maybe they can take the beating but they can't really do much for you in terms of playmaking to the outside of the box. Teams have realized that it's ultimately cheaper and more effective to have two or three guys that can share in these duties of various shapes and sizes. They're vey easy to replace so there isn't a good reason to give them a crap load of money. It's simple economics.

It's still really good work if you can get it so I don't see guys shying away from it.

 

[Jakhny]

Just want to say to NHP that your post is especially insightful and provocative.

 

[jtownknowitall]

At the high school level RBs are a dime a dozen.

 

[revampedpanthers]

RB may be the least important position in all of pro sports. I would ensure my RB is the least paid on the team. For example, if Rodney Hammond was the Steeler RB this season and they paid him league minimum, their record would be the exact same which is why it was so stupid to waste a 1st Round pick

It's not that it's unimportant it's just that there are enough adequate ones around that you don't need to draft them high or spend big money on them. If you couldn't get anyone but a stiff without spending a high pick teams would draft them high. For the most part at the NFL level yards Gaines are determined by the offensive line and scheme. A great back maybe takes a 3.8 ypc and makes it 4. Because most of the time you can find a adequate guy of the scrap heap.

 

[revampedpanthers]

I argued with my friend about this 20 years ago. Outside of a few backs, the running game is just a product of the blocking. Thus, I would never invest too much capital in one.

... which goes to show just how incredibly inept the end of the Colbert era was. And I'm not even talking about Najee Harris as much as I am talking about the contract they offered Bell.

Only rbs that should be drafted in the first or paid big money are guys who are great in the passing game as well as the run game. LT for example or McCaffrey if he could stay healthy. Those guys were/are weapons in both the run game and passing game they can run legit passing routes and beat safety's.

 

[revampedpanthers]

At the high school level RBs are a dime a dozen.

Disagree at the hs level a great RB makes a huge difference. At the college level they still do but it is lessened and at the pro level they are a dime a dozen.

 

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

Just want to say to NHP that your post is especially insightful and provocative.

Assuming that you’re being serious, thank you.

 

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

Only rbs that should be drafted in the first or paid big money are guys who are great in the passing game as well as the run game. LT for example or McCaffrey if he could stay healthy. Those guys were/are weapons in both the run game and passing game they can run legit passing routes and beat safety's.

It makes me wonder if guys like Jerome Bettis, Jamal Anderson, Jamal Lewis, Mike Alstott or Peyton Hillis would even get a chance in todays game. It truly drives me nuts when it’s 3rd and 1 and a team lines up in the shotgun.

 

[cruzer]

Does anyone think that trickles down to college football recruiting? If you’re a HS senior being recruited to play RB in college, don’t you kind of feel like that’s a dead end? Even if you’re a 5 star kid who excels in college, it’s super rare that you’ll be picked in the first round, and you may not go until day 3. And what is the hope for a lucrative 2nd contract?

I honestly think the RB’s who can catch and block a blitzing linebacker are the RB’s who will have real value in the near future.

Something that doesn't get talked about much that has impacted the value of RB's are the rules changes. The Mel Blount rule, targeting, and roughing the QB rules have been implemented to increase scoring (and to increase player safety). The impact is that teams move the ball and score, largely via the passing game. A good RB certainly helps but you can win with a great passing game and an average back. Why waste precious salary cap dollars on a high end RB?

Cruzer

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It's not that it's unimportant it's just that there are enough adequate ones around that you don't need to draft them high or spend big money on them. If you couldn't get anyone but a stiff without spending a high pick teams would draft them high. For the most part at the NFL level yards Gaines are determined by the offensive line and scheme. A great back maybe takes a 3.8 ypc and makes it 4. Because most of the time you can find a adequate guy of the scrap heap.

This. The "problem" for individual running backs is that the difference between a good running back and an average running back is minimal. The difference between an average running back and a somewhat below average running back is minimal. In a salary cap league, if you can get 95% of the production for 40% of the cost, well, you'd be an idiot not to take the savings so that you can apply that money to a different position where the difference between a good player and an average one is much larger.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Another way to discern how much importance the league places in running backs is that they’ve instituted umpteen rules to protect QBs and WRs.

Whereas, any kind of hit, anywhere on the body, delivered BY any part of the body, at any velocity, regardless if “helpless” etc, to a running back is completely fair game.

Ergo, the former are rare jewels to be saved, the latter are gibrones that are totally disposable, total commodities. Drag ‘em off and bring out the next Christian to be ravaged by the Lions (well, not the Detroit variety, which suck).

I don’t particularly agree with this assessment, but it totally IS the assessment, so why are these guys surprised? Najee, you started as a WR, you should have transferred somewhere like, gasp, Pitt to keep playing WR rather than let Saban move you to a position where you would end up in the NFL sharing carries with an UFA.

 

[TheChair]

With the NIL era, it is about being a star. And RBs still are stars at the college level. A guy like Izzy can change an offense, for example. I bring this up to say that the pros are a future issue and these guys still make money in the pros, just not as much as they made relative previously. It is no worry as a result.

 

[steelcurtain55.]

At the high school level RBs are a dime a dozen.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Play soccer instead.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

With the NIL era, it is about being a star. And RBs are still are stats at the college level. A guy like Izzy can change an offense, for example. I bring this up to say that the pros are a future issue and these guys still make money in the pros, just not as much as they made relative previously. It is no worry as a result.

That is true. Hey, I truly don’t mind anyone speaking up got themselves if they feel truly wronged and can factually back that up. But these guys aren’t stupid, or at least not unsavvy (if it isn’t a word, it should be)… they know the history of the game, at least the recent history of their position…and they certainly know that in this era that the running back is a commodity. Blame the Patriots; their backs during their SB years were anonymous. More recently, the Chiefs, they are the same. This group of backs think things are suddenly different? Are they not watching the teams that win and what positions are most critical? If they were right, I’d give them due. But they just come off as foolish here.

 

[Burgh15]

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

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Correct and why Najee should hope and lobby that the Steelers increasingly use him as a receiver (going back to his original roots as well). They finally were doing so by the end of last season, to good effect.

 

[wbrpanther]

At the high school level RBs are a dime a dozen.

Not so. A real good one makes a huge difference in high school like anywhere else.

 

[Schaef60]

Correct and why Najee should hope and lobby that the Steelers increasingly use him as a receiver (going back to his original roots as well). They finally were doing so by the end of last season, to good effect.

That’s what they have warren for.

 

[LivinWell]

Correct and why Najee should hope and lobby that the Steelers increasingly use him as a receiver (going back to his original roots as well). They finally were doing so by the end of last season, to good effect.

Trouble with sending the RBs out for passes too often is whopicks up the blitz?

 

[Millerton24]

Does anyone think that trickles down to college football recruiting? If you’re a HS senior being recruited to play RB in college, don’t you kind of feel like that’s a dead end? Even if you’re a 5 star kid who excels in college, it’s super rare that you’ll be picked in the first round, and you may not go until day 3. And what is the hope for a lucrative 2nd contract?

I honestly think the RB’s who can catch and block a blitzing linebacker are the RB’s who will have real value in the near future.

6 million not so bad