I tried to get in touch with all the key free-agent running backs this week to come on Sirius NFL Radio and talk about their employment situation. No one is talking right now.
Interest isn't there ... yet
Whether it's a function of deciding to play again, waiting for more money or the phone not ringing, all is quiet on the running back front -- except for the Kevin Jones workout at the end of the month. I talked with former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who said he wonders if Shaun Alexander even wants to play again. Travis Henry is hard to find, according to some people close to him. Cedric Benson has been ordered to install a breathalyzer machine in his car to prevent him from driving under the influence, and interest in him appears minimal at this time.
Six pack of backs
There are a number of accomplished running backs who will be available to teams. Here is a breakdown of their 2007 seasons:
**LaMont Jordan***
Starts: 7
Att: 144
Yds: 549
Avg: 3.8
TD: 3
Fumbles: 0
- Awaiting release from Raiders
LaMont Jordan is awaiting his release from the Raiders in order to join the ranks of the unemployed. Ron Dayne had the best numbers last season among the group of available backs, but no one seems that excited right now. With the start of training camps just weeks away, free-agent running backs are experiencing a flooded market. Any team thinking about adding a runner to the roster this summer is in the driver's seat. As one veteran said to me, "If you're past 29 years of age, it's starting to look like one-year contracts from here on out."
One GM said, "These close-to-30-year-old ball carriers may have to wait for a serious injury before the market changes for them."
I agree with that strategy, but it can be risky business. Plus, the truth is an NFL runner has a short shelf life and no one wants to be in a long-term contract with an old running back. If Jones proves to be healthy, he may set the market -- which probably can't be much more than the veteran minimum with some back-end incentives.
Lessons to learn from Lewis
Who would have believed a year ago, with Jamal Lewis out of work, that he was going to be in a better place than Alexander, Henry, Benson, Dayne, Jones or even Jordan a year later? Well, he is and it's because he reinvented his career when a team needed him to deliver big-time and he answered the call on a one-year contract. Lewis bet on himself and it will not be any different for the aforementioned six backs.
Can one of these backs or even two of them answer the bell? Do they have what it takes to rush for 1,000 yards on a veteran minimum contract and hit another big payday? It will probably take going to a team where the coach already knows that running back and believes in his skills.
These backs did find eager takers
Some might wonder how DeShaun Foster, Warrick Dunn, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett found work so quickly while the six backs mentioned above are left at the curb with the preseason approaching.
Foster, Dunn, Julius Jones and Duckett averaged 175 carries, 554 yards, four touchdowns and three runs over 20 yards last season, which is a decent performance average. However, the six aforementioned available runners, including Jordan -- who will be released along with his $4.5 million salary -- averaged 176 carries, 664 yards, five touchdowns, and four runs over 20 yards. The numbers show that the unemployed running backs have better production than those who were already signed by new teams.
Plan for the worst
When camps start, running backs typically go down with injury at a steady pace and the phones could start ringing for all six of these backs. A smart team might not wait until clubs are looking for a back because if one team finds themselves competing with other teams, the price will certainly go up. The best advice might be to assume your team is going to lose a back this summer, take a look at the free-agent backs, and make an offer before teams recess for vacation.
Keep in mind only four backs in the entire NFL averaged more than 20 carries per game last year, and no back averaged more than 22 carries per game. The running game in modern football is by committee, and there's no doubt the backs without a home could fit in a rotation for most teams. A former "bell cow" back could be an excellent supplement to a current starter, and the street is loaded with guys who fit the bill if they are receptive to the concept. A solid backup quarterback is worth close to $2 million a year, but they are impossible to find. A quality backup running back normally would be worth $1 to $1.5 million, but they're too easy to find.
Go get a proven back
How many teams could use a back who averaged 12 carries a game, 48 yards rushing, 4.0 per carry, with six touchdowns and had five runs over 20 yards last season? The answer is most teams in the NFL, and the guy they may be looking for is Ron Dayne.
How about a guy who got into the end zone eight times in 153 carries (one touchdown for every 19 carries)? That player would be Kevin Jones.
Or, how about a back who averaged 4.1 yards per rush and popped three runs of 20-plus yards? Go ahead and call Travis Henry, if you can find him.
I would make sure I got one of these free agents on my roster heading into camp, and I would do a one-year veteran minimum contract with a bunch of back-end incentives. If my first choice balked at the opportunity to play under those conditions, I would move on to the second one and then the third, etc. until my team had a veteran runner from this pool of talent.
Have a football-related question for Pat that you would like answered in a future column? Email him at footballmentor@aol.com. "Movin' the Chains," Pat's SIRIUS NFL Radio show with co-host Tim Ryan, can be heard weekdays from 3-7 p.m. ET.
