forums

Nfl free agency thread

bshaw28 said:
Next Years RB salaries:

Derrick Henry - $10.2 million (1 year Franchise Tag)
Kenyan Drake - $8.4 million (1 year Transition Tag)
Melvin Gordon - $8 million (2 yr / $16 million)
Todd Gurley - $6 million (1 yr / prove it deal)
Jordan Howard - $5 million (2 yr / $10 million)

This looks like the future for RB contracts. The big payday isn't an option anymore. Tough time to be a RB.

Grind them out for the first 4 years of their rookie deals - then either tag them, give a low ball short-term deal, or just draft a new one.
Click to expand...

Crazy what has become of the position. In today's NFL, I wouldn't spend a first rounder on a RB and I wouldn't sign one to an expensive long term deal either. Just too many guys being found in later rounds of the draft putting up numbers and then add in the shelf life of the position it's just not worth a heavy investment.
 
Advertisement
Advertisement
moshated305 said:
Crazy what has become of the position. In today's NFL, I wouldn't spend a first rounder on a RB and I wouldn't sign one to an expensive long term deal either. Just too many guys being found in later rounds of the draft putting up numbers and then add in the shelf life of the position it's just not worth a heavy investment.
Click to expand...

Nah, the second half of 1st round is fine for a RB, if truly talented (like JT, for instance). The 5th year option alone is almost worth it (average of the 3rd through 25th highest paid at position). I would be ecstatic if the Fins ended up with JT with their third 1st rounder.
 
Mahoney-Pearson said:
I'd be surprised if he's there for us in the 20s. Rare athlete who's production matches his talent.
Click to expand...
He will be there.

6E55CDEA-DACB-42F7-8356-6EEC7DB7FB94.jpeg
 
Advertisement
No_Fly_Zone said:
Nah, the second half of 1st round is fine for a RB, if truly talented (like JT, for instance). The 5th year option alone is almost worth it (average of the 3rd through 25th highest paid at position). I would be ecstatic if the Fins ended up with JT with their third 1st rounder.
Click to expand...

I don't see it man. Sure they are talented but their teams aren't winning. Why pay Zeke all that money and your team still doesn't make the playoffs. You don't need a first round RB to win in the league anymore. The smart teams are winning and drafting guys in later rounds who are turning out to be excellent players while using their top picks at premium positions that are actually making a difference in the win and loss columns.
 
moshated305 said:
I don't see it man. Sure they are talented but their teams aren't winning. Why pay Zeke all that money and your team still doesn't make the playoffs. You don't need a first round RB to win in the league anymore. The smart teams are winning and drafting guys in later rounds who are turning out to be excellent players while using their top picks at premium positions that are actually making a difference in the win and loss columns.
Click to expand...

I'm not taking a RB top 5 (like Zeke, or even top 13. But the Cowboys aren't struggling because of Zeke. They struggle because of Dak, subparts coaching, and the fact that Jerry runs that organization the way a spoiled teenager runs his new BMW... recklessly and without respect for its value.

They lost to the Pats, but the Rams don't make it to the super bowl without Gurley. And Tennessee this year showed what a strong young RB can still do in this league (albeit 45th overall pick).

QB is still the most important position, but I will happily role with a talented RB at JT's level with a late 1st.
 
No_Fly_Zone said:
I'm not taking a RB top 5 (like Zeke, or even top 13. But the Cowboys aren't struggling because of Zeke. They struggle because of Dak, subparts coaching, and the fact that Jerry runs that organization the way a spoiled teenager runs his new BMW... recklessly and without respect for its value.

They lost to the Pats, but the Rams don't make it to the super bowl without Gurley. And Tennessee this year showed what a strong young RB can still do in this league (albeit 45th overall pick).

QB is still the most important position, but I will happily role with a talented RB at JT's level with a late 1st.
Click to expand...

If Taylor fell to the 2nd, I'm all for taking him. It's not just the Cowboys drafting RBs high and doing nothing. That was my point though. Teams drafting a RB high when they have other needs. Henry is part of the reason why I say you don't need a guy in the first when you get first round production from a mid second rounder. Chubb was 2nd after him in yards, another 2nd round guy.

Even in the range you are saying you have Seattle taking Penny late first and he's been outplayed by a 7th rounder in Carson two years straight. Seattle could have used that first rounder elsewhere. Carson was 5th in yards this year. That's 3 of the 5 not first rounders. Other two were Run CMC and Zeke. Both great players but both missed the playoffs. 2 of the other 3 made it.
 
Advertisement
The spot for Taylor is the 49ers at the end of the first.

Their system operates with cheap backs, but look at what happened when you put a true talent (Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis) on those old Denver offenses. It adds another layer of explosiveness.
 
DMoney said:
The spot for Taylor is the 49ers at the end of the first.

Their system operates with cheap backs, but look at what happened when you put a true talent (Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis) on those old Denver offenses. It adds another layer of explosiveness.
Click to expand...

...but TD was a 6th Round Pick and CP was a 2nd Round Pick.

Why spend a R1 pick? I'm not saying its not a fit...but, this team balled out with an undrafted journeyman last year (who was athletic as **** @bshaw28).

I feel as though this draft is pretty deep with running backs, too. I'm finding the draft to be deeper in draftable RBs now that I have devalued them. I find that no other position on the offensive side of the ball allows me to objectively say "he wins here...there is a role for that" than RB. As teams use RBs in a wide variety of ways (usage rates are all over the map for teams)...I feel there is a spot for all sorts of backs that win in different ways.

As for the 49ers...lets say, you are a fan of JTT...late R1 seems like a great spot to trade back to one of those teams that might want one of those Tier 2 QBs in this draft that want that extra team control year and still get that back in R2.
 
BoxingRobes said:
...but TD was a 6th Round Pick and CP was a 2nd Round Pick.
Click to expand...

Which makes them unique among special backs. There are good backs everywhere, but the real difference-makers go early.

Here are the HOF running backs from the modern era (post-1950). Over 86% are Top 32 picks, and an incredible 69% were Top 10 picks. Only 14% were drafted outside the Top 32.

Top 10 picks

Marcus Allen
Jerome Bettis
Jim Brown
Earl Campbell
Larry Csonka
Eric ****erson
Tony Dorsett
Marshall Faulk
Paul Hornung
Floyd Little
Ollie Matson
Hugh McElhenny
Lenny Moore
Walter Payton
John Riggins
Barry Sanders
Gale Sayers
OJ Simpson
Ladanian Tomlinson
Doak Walker

Top 32 picks

Frank Gifford
Franco Harris
John Henry Johnson
Emmitt Smith
Jim Taylor

Later picks

Terrell Davis
Leroy Kelly
Curtis Martin
Thurman Thomas

Let me be clear: I am not saying Jonathan Taylor is a HOFer. But I see him as a true home-run hitting difference maker in a San Francisco offense that is perfect for him. And that can help push them over the top.
 
Advertisement
BoxingRobes said:
...but TD was a 6th Round Pick and CP was a 2nd Round Pick.

Why spend a R1 pick? I'm not saying its not a fit...but, this team balled out with an undrafted journeyman last year (who was athletic as **** @bshaw28).

I feel as though this draft is pretty deep with running backs, too. I'm finding the draft to be deeper in draftable RBs now that I have devalued them. I find that no other position on the offensive side of the ball allows me to objectively say "he wins here...there is a role for that" than RB. As teams use RBs in a wide variety of ways (usage rates are all over the map for teams)...I feel there is a spot for all sorts of backs that win in different ways.

As for the 49ers...lets say, you are a fan of JTT...late R1 seems like a great spot to trade back to one of those teams that might want one of those Tier 2 QBs in this draft that want that extra team control year and still get that back in R2.
Click to expand...

I think Taylor would be a monster on the 49ers, but I think they've shown a preference for smaller, really fast RB's.

The 49ers are a good example of trying to surround an average QB with weapons - and they've invested a ton to do so in the last 2 years.

RB - McKinnon (Was $7.5 mil yr, restructured to $1 mil - 3rd Rd pick), Coleman ($5 mil yr - 3rd Rd pick), Mostert ($3 mil yr - Undrafted), Breida (Was $600k, just extended to $3 mil - Undrafted), Jeff Wilson ($600k - Undrafted)

So you could:

1) Invest a 1st Round pick and spend bout $3/$4 million on an RB that is more dynamic, and can probably carry the load of 2-3 guys you already have. That's in theory of course - Taylor is unproven.

2) Invest $12 million in 4/5 RB's that are a mix of 3rd Rd picks and undrafted guys - but all have proven themselves in the NFL and fit your system.

There is no right or wrong answer - just different approaches.

1st Round RB's have different ceilings, but all have extremely high floors - Gurley, Zeke, Fournette, Barkley, Jacobs
2nd Round RB's - You're taking on more risk. You could get Chubb or Henry. But you could also get Ronald Jones, TJ Yeldon, or Ameer Abdullah.
 
Last edited:
Isn't Lamar Miller testing the market? Also, anyone looking at Gore? Would love to see him play one more year.
 
Advertisement
Back
Top