A year after NFL running backs made headlines for a Zoom call during which they commiserated about their position being undervalued, they're making headlines for how many teams traded up and got new contracts.
There are seven former Pro Bowl running backs heading to new teams this year, which is the most in any offseason in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Some of the players who were on that call, including Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and Austin Ekeler, signed multi-year deals with new teams. But as ESPN NFL reporter Jeff Darlington points out, new contracts don't always reflect successful negotiations.
Is there a new perspective on the value of running backs? Which one got the best deal? What was the biggest surprise? And what are the ramifications of the project?
ESPN's panel of Darlington, Matt Bowen, Dan Graziano, Kimberley A. Martin, Jordan Reid and Seth Walder answers the most pressing questions about the running back position one week before free agency.
Has the first week of free agency signaled a new perspective on the value of running backs?
Darlington: Last August, two NFL general managers (both right in the middle of last offseason's running back drama) made it clear that they weren't expecting a significant increase in the position's valuation in 2024. They pointed toward a market saturated with running backs available, and a league that would still prefer to have younger options on rookie deals.
Whether you realize it or not, even when players like Barkley and Jacobs get their coveted long-term deals, those GMs were absolutely right. The running back's value remains the same as last offseason: decreased.
No one comes close to Christian McCaffrey's $16 million per year average, even as the salary cap ballooned to $255.4 million. While everyone else is paid more, running backs' raises remain disproportionately smaller.
The harsh reality is clear: top-tier running backs still have a place in this league. But general managers would rather ruin a rookie and find another one when it comes time to pay him. That's not going to change anytime soon.
Which offer surprised you the most?
Martin: The Philadelphia Eagles sign Barkley. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall in New York Giants owner John Mara's office. The Eagles not only improved their running game significantly, but also weakened their division rival in the process.
It doesn't surprise me that Eagles GM Howie Roseman is aggressive in free agency. It's simply jarring to think of Barkley, the face of the Giants franchise for so many years, wearing green on NFL Sundays, especially considering Barkley's desire to be a lifelong Giant. Mara expected the same result, but money talks.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen made it clear that he was not going to pay bonuses to Barkley. Roseman, however, was. And now, the Eagles are set to have one of the toughest offenses to contain, presenting a home run threat in both the running and passing game.
Which RB got the best deal relative to his value?
Gratian: Barkley, and it's not even close.
Any time a non-quarterback receives guaranteed money in the third year of a deal, it's a big win, and $1.5 million of Barkley's $12 million 2026 salary is guaranteed at signing. Even if the Eagles cut him after two years (which is possible with any of these deals), he will have made $26 million. If he plays the third year, he will have earned $37 million.
It was a home run for Saquon. By contrast, Jacobs' contract with the Packers includes only $12.5 million guaranteed at signing, and the Packers could release Jacobs after one year of paying him $14.8 million.
The Eagles In fact He works hard to get Barkley, who becomes the main beneficiary of Philadelphia's desperation to win now.
Which team improved its RB position the most?
Bowen: Adding Barkley boosts the Eagles' running back room and Philadelphia's entire offense under new coordinator Kellen Moore.
With Barkley's explosive, dual-threat traits, he will be deployed as a three-down back, handling the volume of the run game behind a top-tier offensive front while creating defined matchups at receiver for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
In six professional seasons, Barkley has averaged 98.8 yards from scrimmage per game, recording a total of 288 receptions and 47 touchdowns. He is a difference-maker who can change the Eagles' offensive profile this season.
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McAfee: Tony Pollard is good for Titans culture
Pat McAfee and his team discuss Tony Pollard joining the Tennessee Titans from the Dallas Cowboys.
Which team most needs to make another RB move?
Walder: The Dallas Cowboys. They are currently working with the largely untested group of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner. But as a skeptical running back, when I say “move,” I mean: draft one in the sixth round and count on him or someone from the current emerging group, and then look like a genius when they go 1,000 yards. .
Dallas has been right not to spend money on retaining or replacing Tony Pollard, who signed a three-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. If they want to add a very cheap veteran instead, that would be fine too.
What about the draft? When will the first RB be chosen in April?
Laughed: This year's running back draft class reminds me of 2014, when Bishop Sankey was selected first as high as 54th overall, but seven ended up being chosen inside the top 100. The 2023 group lacks a top-tier prospect, but We could see a run at the position in the mid to late part of Day 2.
I think the Cowboys (who didn't sign a running back after Pollard left in free agency) at No. 56 could be a starting point for such a run. Florida State's Trey Benson displays great vision, breakaway speed, tackle-breaking ability and pass-catching traits, while Texas' Jonathon Brooks (coming off a torn ACL) is a smooth runner with great contact balance . They are my two best RBs and could be late second round picks, and RB1 as rookies.
