Is Jonathan Taylor right about Running Backs?

[Mizak]

Seeking deal, Taylor wary of how NFL values RBs

Jonathan Taylor is beginning to wonder what current NFL economic attitudes toward running backs mean for his own contract talks.

www.espn.com

Cook, the former Minnesota Vikings running back, was released last week after his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. The New York Giants and Barkley, who was given the franchise tag by the team, remain in a contract standoff. And Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, also a franchise tag recipient, has yet to sign his tender after leading the NFL in rushing last season.

 

[Scout]

It depends upon the team structure. Some teams are willing to hand a second contract to RBs while others prefer to draft exclusively.

 

[knownone]

He's right. But the issue is not just value. It's also the risk.

The CBA hurts RBs. A 1st round pick is under team control for five years. And the majority of RBs are hitting free agency between 25 and 28. Considering most RBs start to break down around 27. Teams are hesitant to give guaranteed contracts because the risk on the backend is so significant.

Now, that's not the case with Dalvin Cook. He was cut because the Vikings are in cap hell, and he's in that risky age range.

 

[AgentDib]

Part of the issue is that RBs realize their career is short and so they're looking to make a splash with that first free agency contract. RBs could get security if they wanted it by forgoing deals with big numbers on paper in exchange for team friendlier deals with lower cap numbers but more guaranteed money.

Pat Kirwan used to talk about players like Don Muhlbach (long-time Lions long snapper) on his radio show. Every year Muhlbach would add a single year to his contract with a low team friendly value, but high guarantees that made it costly to move on from him. He kept on earning low money every year but for the better part of 20 seasons and totaled around $15million total.

In my view it just comes down to whether the RB is willing to play on a team friendly extension.

 

[Hawkinaz]

Part of the issue is that RBs realize their career is short and so they're looking to make a splash with that first free agency contract. RBs could get security if they wanted it by forgoing deals with big numbers on paper in exchange for team friendlier deals with lower cap numbers but more guaranteed money.

Pat Kirwan used to talk about players like Don Muhlbach (long-time Lions long snapper) on his radio show. Every year Muhlbach would add a single year to his contract with a low team friendly value, but high guarantees that made it costly to move on from him. He kept on earning low money every year but for the better part of 20 seasons and totaled around $15million total.

In my view it just comes down to whether the RB is willing to play on a team friendly extension.

The RB market has been reset if the player wants to get paid it will be at a rate lower than what he thinks he’s worth

 

[Sgt. Largent]

He's right, but it's not like there isn't a long validated history of injury statistics and data to back up why organizations are hesitant to hand out big 2nd contracts to RB's.

Very few of them remain healthy and productive past their rookie deals. We certainly know that here post Lynch.

 

[cymatica]

Good grief. Dudes bitching about only making so many millions. I have to bust my ass working 60-70 hours a week to sniff 100k. I'm tired of these entitled athletes bitching about their privileged lifestyle that consists of playing with a ball. Players from the 80s put their bodies on the line for so much less.

 

[sutz]

Good grief. Dudes bitching about only making so many millions. I have to bust my ass working 60-70 hours a week to sniff 100k. I'm tired of these entitled athletes bitching about their privileged lifestyle that consists of playing with a ball. Players from the 80s put their bodies on the line for so much less.

Then stop watching.

 

[cymatica]

Then stop watching.

Has nothing to do with me watching it

 

[bileever]

Eventually, fewer great athletes will want to play RB. The fast ones will switch to playing cornerback. The ones with speed and good hands will play WR. Heck, 20 years ago, Lamar Jackson probably would have been a RB. Deebo Samuel had issues with being used as a RB because he knew it would cut short his career.

Football used to be all about the tailbacks. Now it's a QB-driven league, and the NFL has done a lot to protect QBs and they are getting a huge chunk of the money. The RB is still the most vulnerable position, with very little being done to help them.

I don't know what the solution is. Maybe change the salary structure so that the RBs get their money upfront, with more money on their rookie contracts. The treatment of RBs as disposable athletes is not a good look.

 

[Lagartixa]

Good grief. Dudes bitching about only making so many millions. I have to bust my ass working 60-70 hours a week to sniff 100k. I'm tired of these entitled athletes bitching about their privileged lifestyle that consists of playing with a ball. Players from the 80s put their bodies on the line for so much less.

Taylor is one of the top 75 running backs in the world, out of a population of over eight billion people, making him part of the top 0.0000009375%, or part of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% in the world at what he does, and in a league that produces multiple billions of dollars in annual revenue. Once you're one of the top 75 people in the world at what you do, in an industry that supports billions of dollars of revenue, you too can make millions.
It's not Taylor's fault that you're not among the handful of best people in the world at something. Your resentment of his success is ugly.

 

[onanygivensunday]

It's all about supply and demand... it's just that simple.

Running backs drafted in the 1st and 2nd rounds are typically not that much better than those drafted in the 3rd and 4th rounds.

On average, 20 RBs are drafted every year. Add to that the UDFAs and there's a lot of RBs for teams to choose from.

 

[cymatica]

Taylor is one of the top 75 running backs in the world, out of a population of over eight billion people, making him part of the top 0.0000009375%, or part of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% of the top 1% in the world at what he does, and in a league that produces multiple billions of dollars in annual revenue. Once you're one of the top 75 people in the world at what you do, in an industry that supports billions of dollars of revenue, you too can make millions.
It's not Taylor's fault that you're not among the handful of best people in the world at something. Your resentment of his success is ugly.

What I said had absolutely nothing to due with resentment of success. The fact that you had to characterize my comment as that is ugly. Check your reading comprehension

 

[morgulon1]

Eventually, fewer great athletes will want to play RB. The fast ones will switch to playing cornerback. The ones with speed and good hands will play WR. Heck, 20 years ago, Lamar Jackson probably would have been a RB. Deebo Samuel had issues with being used as a RB because he knew it would cut short his career.

Football used to be all about the tailbacks. Now it's a QB-driven league, and the NFL has done a lot to protect QBs and they are getting a huge chunk of the money. The RB is still the most vulnerable position, with very little being done to help them.

I don't know what the solution is. Maybe change the salary structure so that the RBs get their money upfront, with more money on their rookie contracts. The treatment of RBs as disposable athletes is not a good look.

Simply shorten the rookie deal for RB so they can have a real shot at free agency.
I'm sure theres a solution, I'm not sure the NFL would want one.

 

[Scout]

There is another factor to consider in that the make up of the oline, scheme and the coaches commitment to the run ball determines how much better a RB will produce.

A lot of running stats for teams is inflated due to teams running the ball more when they command a double digit lead, but the flipside is if a RB is able to be that closer consistently they will have more long runs that break the back of a team trying to make a comeback.

Is a 4.0 average on the ground versus 4.5 average that much of a difference to yield more wins?

Bottom line a RB that wants to be paid has to show something special or unique like home run ability to seal a game or turn a 14 point lead into 20 for example while burning that clock.

Or to take it a step further being able to flip field position by being able to gain a few first downs on a drive with a few carries or one long run even if the outcome of the drive does not yield points.

 

[onanygivensunday]

Simply shorten the rookie deal for RB so they can have a real shot at free agency.
I'm sure theres a solution, I'm not sure the NFL would want one.

I can easily foresee shortened rookie contracts being a sticking point for the next CBA... such as the NFLPA wanting to shorten all rookie 1st round draft pick contracts to three years with a team option for a fourth year... and for all other draft picks, rookie contracts limited to three years.

Of course, the total amount of money paid to each of the rookies would have to be prorated accordingly (from four-year contracts to three-year contracts).

 

[morgulon1]

I can easily foresee shortened rookie contracts being a sticking point for the next CBA... such as the NFLPA wanting to shorten all rookie 1st round draft pick contracts to three years with a team option for a fourth year... and for all other draft picks, rookie contracts limited to three years.

Of course, the total amount of money paid to each of the rookies would have to be prorated accordingly (from four-year contracts to three-year contracts).

The NFL would probably have a problem with that but it makes sense. They might have to pay some players a year early but not everyone is going to benefit because of their play on the field. Do it should even out . Running backs seem to have the shortest careers and take the most punishment . 30 years old is a true measure of most of their careers .

 

[bileever]

I read recently that in 2005, the average running back salary in the NFL was second only to quarterbacks. Now their franchise tag number is only above punters and kickers. Analytics devalued the position and some even say that success at the position is more a matter of scheme rather than RB talent.

The pendulum has swung a little too far, and there's bound to be some correction. Two RBs were even picked in the first 12 picks in this year's draft! Last year, critics blasted the Seahawks for picking a RB with the 41st pick. Even Kyle Shanahan seems to acknowledge that it matters who plays RB, trading for CMC after playing a bunch of no-names for a couple of years plus a wide receiver or two.

There are a bunch of radical ideas out there about how to address this situation. One is to allow RBs to sign a series of one-year contracts so that they could get free agent money earlier. My idea is to have a separate salary cap for RBs, so that a team could choose to compensate a running back without too much risk. Of course, teams may still choose to go with younger backs because older backs are generally not as productive.

 

[onanygivensunday]

My idea is to have a separate salary cap for RBs, so that a team could choose to compensate a running back without too much risk.

The challenge of separate salaries or salary caps by position is how to deal with "tweeners"... like Deebo Samuel... or CCM... are they WRs or are they RBs?

Percy Harvin and Jimmy Graham are other examples... was Graham a TE or WR?... recall his franchise tag designation issue. Ultimately, he was designated as a TE iirc.

 

[BASF]

The league is already starting to swing back to running backs schematically. Last season was the highest amount of rushing attempts per game in fourteen years. The league has realized as defenses have had to start going smaller to stop the passing game, running will be more advantageous. With the position becoming more prevalent, the salaries will begin to increase again.