Photo: USA Today Sports
Continuing the 2020 NFL free agency preview of available players, cut candidates, and landing spots, here is a look at the running back position around the NFL landscape:
2020 FREE AGENTS
TOP TIER
- Melvin Gordon
- Derrick Henry
- Kenyan Drake
- Kareem Hunt (RFA)
Both Gordon and Austin Ekeler are free agents from the Chargers depth chart, with Gordon in LeVeon Bell zone of his expectations and a potentially tepid market willing to pay a top price with a fresh contract. Gordon's similar backs through this point in his career include Maurice Jones-Drew, Marshall Faulk, Joseph Addai, and Deuce McAllister of note. McAllister went on for just one relevant season after that point, Addai fell off abruptly, Jones-Drew went on for two more high-level seasons, and Faulk was the outlier of the subset with four impact season and three other relevant ones during his historic career.
Henry has overcome a sluggish career start with a 1,000-yard season in 2018 and is on pace for an even better season in 2019. Henry's career to-date comps are more worrisome than Gordon's with former players like Knowshon Moreno, Natrone Means, Mike Rozier, and Bam Morris the most notable.
Drake is the wildcard of the group and could be viewed in the next tier by many. However, Drake has little tread taken off his tiers in college or in the NFL, seeing a mere 500-ish touches through 57 NFL games and looking the part of a dynamic 1A back in his stint with Arizona to-date.
Hunt is another low-mileage option with a dominant season to his profile and is also similar to Marshall Faulk, Ricky Watters, Leonard Fournette, and other high-end producers when looking through the lens of their opening 29 NFL games. Hunt, if not kept by the Browns under a significantly restricted tag, would be a wildcard, like Drake, in the market place.
SECOND TIER
- Austin Ekeler (RFA)
- Chris Thompson
- Dion Lewis (Cut Candidate)
- DeAndre Washington
- Peyton Barber
- LeSean McCoy
- Lamar Miller
- Carlos Hyde
- Matt Breida (RFA)
- Jordan Howard
This tier is a hodge-podge of potential early-down stopgaps like Jordan Howard, Peyton Barber, and Carlos Hyde to receiving-centric options like Chris Thompson, Dion Lewis, and others. Austin Ekeler is the wildcard and could even be included in the top tier considering his audition as a feature back with Melvin Gordon out and his continued production even with Gordon back in the lineup. Ekeler is the new version of Danny Woodhead and Darren Sproles - a dynamic offensive chess piece who can dominate within the right offense. Spotrac.com notably has Ekeler's next contract estimated at a lofty $10 million per year average. The Chargers, like the Browns with Kareem Hunt, would be wise to tag Ekeler aggressively and then replace Gordon with a lower-cost veteran (or rookie) who can be a proxy for Gordon's interior and volume work.
Durability has been a question mark for Chris Thompson, so has been a dynamic player through 61 games. However, he has missed significant time in most of his seasons and barely grazed 100 touches in a season twice. Plus, Thompson hits his 30-year-old season in 2020.
Lamar Miller has been the solid but unspectacular back over recent years, especially since joining Houston on his second contract. Miller enters his age-29 season in 2020, off a significant injury (albeit early in 2019) and his career comps include Mark Ingram, Thomas Jones, and James Stewart.
BEST OF THE REST
Three of these are veteran stopgaps on their last gasp of NFL opportunity. Peterson did not have much interest outside of Washington when he signed and was floating out in free agency in the offseason of 2018. Gore has consistently found work but is now in borderline uncharted waters for a 37-year-old running back for 2020, where only Marcus Allen has surpassed even 400 rushing yards in a season. Allen went for 124-505-11 on the Chiefs in his final NFL season.
Prosise is the lone young option here, a former Day 2 pick with flashes amidst his glut of missed games with injury. Prosise has devolved to healthy scratch status in Seattle, a team riding Chris Carson and first-round pick Rashaad Penny manning the RB2 spot. Prosise is an intriguing athlete with receiving prowess, but likely to get a 'prove it' deal to work up a depth chart if he amounts to much in 2020 and beyond.
2020 running back LANDING SPOTS
TOP TIER
- Dolphins
- Colts
- Chargers
- Falcons
- Titans
- Buccaneers
- Texans
The Dolphins, Titans, Chargers, and Texans offer workhorse potential immediately for a splash free agent (or incoming 2020 rookie of note). Kalen Ballage has depressed more than impressed in a short audition as the lead back at the time of publication. Marlon Mack, Devonta Freeman, Ronald Jones II represent ho-hum starters who could be viewed as upgrade-worthy by their respective teams needing a boost.
BEST OF THE REST
- Washington
- Cardinals
- Bills
- Panthers
- Lions
- Raiders
- Jets
These landing spots offer mostly primary backup roles (to start) with injury-away upside. Washington, Arizona, and Detroit have some question mark atop their depth chart entering the offseason with Derrius Guice, David Johnson, and Kerryon Johnson all talents but coming off injuries in 2019 to some degree. Guice has an opportunity to stay healthy for the first stretch of his two-year career and David Johnson could also work back to health and relevancy by the end of the season.
Photos provided by USA TODAY Sports
Tags
Dynasty
Marcus Allen
Kalen Ballage
Peyton Barber
Le'Veon Bell
Matt Breida
Chris Carson
Kenyan Drake
Austin Ekeler
Leonard Fournette
Devonta Freeman
Melvin Gordon III
Derrick Henry
Jordan Howard
Kareem Hunt
Carlos Hyde
Mark Ingram II
David Johnson
Kerryon Johnson
Ronald Jones II
Marlon Mack
Rashaad Penny
Adrian Peterson
