The Curious Case of RB Values in the NFL

[seattlefan75]

I really don't understand this change. So if a prime Adrian Peterson or Ladainian Tomlinson was a free agent today teams wouldn't give them a big contract? I can understand not paying a RB that approaches 30 years as the odds of them being as fast and athletic to a rookie out of college back that can run a 4.3 is slim. however for example the Vikings I don't see how they are a better team without Dalvin Cook?

 

[DJ]

I really don't understand this change. So if a prime Adrian Peterson or Ladainian Tomlinson was a free agent today teams wouldn't give them a big contract? I can understand not paying a RB that approaches 30 years as the odds of them being as fast and athletic to a rookie out of college back that can run a 4.3 is slim. however for example the Vikings I don't see how they are a better team without Dalvin Cook?

The Vikings are going to have to pay Jefferson soon....easier to find a RB or go with a committee at RB than find a guy like Jefferson.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

I really don't understand this change. So if a prime Adrian Peterson or Ladainian Tomlinson was a free agent today teams wouldn't give them a big contract? I can understand not paying a RB that approaches 30 years as the odds of them being as fast and athletic to a rookie out of college back that can run a 4.3 is slim. however for example the Vikings I don't see how they are a better team without Dalvin Cook?

Maybe it's just a numbers game. Get an average back & for your average line ..save a fortune.
It could work if you have QB who can wins games with his arm.

It's an age old question ..how great will a great back be if your line sucks?

 

[Sparhawk]

Youze guys could have answered this question just by looking at fantasy rankings......

 

[eaglesnut]

Maybe it's just a numbers game. Get an average back & for your average line ..save a fortune.
It could work if you have QB who can wins games with his arm.

It's an age old question ..how great will a great back be if your line sucks?

Even an old ass emmitt smith was useful on a bad cardinals team. A great RB is a great RB because he knows how to setup and see blocks in addition to the other traits.

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Maybe it's just a numbers game. Get an average back & for your average line ..save a fortune.
It could work if you have QB who can wins games with his arm.

It's an age old question ..how great will a great back be if your line sucks?

Yeah, to be fair to Saquon, he's played 5 years with shitty Olines, shitty QB play, shitty WRs to take the load off and until last year, shitty coaching. Hard to truly evaluate what a player could be given all the things that are playing against him.
Having said that, he's going into year 6 basically having one great season as a rookie, a little drop off in his second year followed by 2 years of injuries and a bounceback year last year that was pretty good. He's only 26 but has a lot of mileage due to all those other factors against him and plays half his games on what is considered one of the worst surfaces in the league. I can't say I blame the Giants for the FT in this one. Given everything going against him, I can't see Saquon having very many good years left. Feel bad for him in that regard but it's not like he's starving. He will have made almost $50 mil by the end of this season in on field earnings alone plus whatever endorsements he's had. Pretty good coin for what has been a pretty average career so far.

 

[broncosmitty]

I mean late 1st, not pick 12

Thank you.

Even an old ass emmitt smith was useful on a bad cardinals team. A great RB is a great RB because he knows how to setup and see blocks in addition to the other traits.

How useful is a RB that can’t get 3 yards per carry?

 

[eaglesnut]

Thank you.
How useful is a RB that can’t get 3 yards per carry?

I don't know what happened that first year but at age 35 he was fine for 35.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Even an old ass emmitt smith was useful on a bad cardinals team. A great RB is a great RB because he knows how to setup and see blocks in addition to the other traits.

And yet you are talking about a guy who had arguably the greatest O-line in NFL History.

 

[shopson67]

Doesn't this entire discussion make using a 1st on a RB a good bet? They already have limited years, so the extra year of the rookie contract is pure value correct? It only goes wrong if you sign them to a big extension.

Depends on the situation. If that is your team's only need, sure. If you're passing on a player at a more valuable position that you will want to use that fifth year option on to extend the team's control for a year, you're not getting full value out of that first rounder and the options it brings.

 

[molsaniceman]

Maybe it's just a numbers game. Get an average back & for your average line ..save a fortune.
It could work if you have QB who can wins games with his arm.

It's an age old question ..how great will a great back be if your line sucks?

Just ask OJ when he 1st went to buffalo they ha a crappy oline and he was so/so but as soon as they got a good one he took off for 2000 yds

 

[broncosmitty]

I don't know what happened that first year but at age 35 he was fine for 35.

He got carries on one of the worst offenses in the league at 35. Literally everyone with as many carries had more yards.

 

[shopson67]

Yeah, to be fair to Saquon, he's played 5 years with shitty Olines, shitty QB play, shitty WRs to take the load off and until last year, shitty coaching. Hard to truly evaluate what a player could be given all the things that are playing against him.
Having said that, he's going into year 6 basically having one great season as a rookie, a little drop off in his second year followed by 2 years of injuries and a bounceback year last year that was pretty good. He's only 26 but has a lot of mileage due to all those other factors against him and plays half his games on what is considered one of the worst surfaces in the league. I can't say I blame the Giants for the FT in this one. Given everything going against him, I can't see Saquon having very many good years left. Feel bad for him in that regard but it's not like he's starving. He will have made almost $50 mil by the end of this season in on field earnings alone plus whatever endorsements he's had. Pretty good coin for what has been a pretty average career so far.

To be fair to the Giants, only two of those years was he healthy and at the top of his game. He made 31M to play 60 out of 82 possible games.

The Giants do want him back and have franchised him, which would pay him among the best at his position for the coming season. I don't know how far apart they are in extension contract value/length.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Just ask OJ when he 1st went to buffalo they ha a crappy oline and he was so/so but as soon as they got a good one he took off for 2000 yds

 

[broncosmitty]

Nordberg…

 

[shopson67]

Just ask OJ when he 1st went to buffalo they ha a crappy oline and he was so/so but as soon as they got a good one he took off for 2000 yds

Bad teams get the #1 overall pick

 

[SteelersPride]

Obviously the Eagles were way ahead of the curve on this one.
Dallas and the Giants..... not so much.

dallas was for a while. They could of been. They had the line. Thats how the eagles can do what they are currently doing. Get the great line and decent backs. Dallas had great line and very good back for years....

 

[Sparhawk]

dallas was for a while. They could of been. They had the line. Thats how the eagles can do what they are currently doing. Get the great line and decent backs. Dallas had great line and very good back for years....

Denver had that plug and play RB with their line.
Seemed like each year a different RB picked up 1000 yards.

 

[PDay8810]

Denver had that plug and play RB with their line.
Seemed like each year a different RB picked up 1000 yards.

But 1400 is the new 1000 yards today.

 

[PDay8810]

dallas was for a while. They could of been. They had the line. Thats how the eagles can do what they are currently doing. Get the great line and decent backs. Dallas had great line and very good back for years....

Dallas drafted a good one last year. The cowboys problem is depth on the line.

But watch the 6th round RB this year. Sproles part 2.