Constructing an NFL roster, while managing the league’s salary cap, is ultimately about markets, about supply and demand, and about asset allocation. You have a certain number of dollars you can spend on a roster, so finding inefficiencies in the marketplace (code for “cheap, but productive players”) is a huge key to success.
Perhaps no other market in sports has been as dissected, discussed, and ultimately caused a lot of friction between players and teams than the running back market in the National Football League. For a variety of reasons, chief among them being the short shelf life for most starting running backs, the average salaries for that position are far lower than other positions with equal or less name value and star power. Market inefficiency!
For whatever reason, there were plenty of teams ready to move on from their team’s running back icons this offseason, and the result was several elite level running back moving onto new homes. Currently, the acquiring teams all are Super Bowl contenders, and the teams who cut the running backs loose are all below .500, some significantly so.
Thankfully, the Houston Texans were one of the contenders! Good job, Nick Caserio finding a market inefficiency! Here are the four most prominent examples of veteran backs leading their new teams to the promised land:
DERRICK HENRY, Baltimore Ravens
CONTRACT: 2 years, $16 million
SIGNATURE STAT: 1st in rushing yards per game (116.9); 1st in rushing TD’s (11)
RECORDS (current team/former team): BAL 6-3, TEN 2-6
Henry’s first trip to free agency ended up with him landing in the perfect Henry-type spot. He was put on earth to be a Baltimore Raven. So far this season, Henry has made the Lamar Jackson-led offense even more deadly, with Henry scoring at least one touchdown in every game this season. The Texans play the Ravens on Christmas Day, a game that has a chance to be the worst Christmas gift ever.
SAQUON BARKLEY, Philadelphia Eagles
CONTRACT: 3 years, $37.75 million
SIGNATURE STAT: 2nd in rushing yards per game (115.6)
RECORDS (current team/former team): PHI 6-2, NYG 2-7
You can look at Barkley’s stats, which are indeed eye popping, but I prefer to just leave this video right here:
Wow. Someone check on Giants owner, John Mara. He may want to sell the Giants after watching that play.
JOE MIXON, Houston Texans
CONTRACT: 2 years, $19.75 million
SIGNATURE STAT: 3rd in rushing yards per game (101.5)
RECORDS (current team/former team): HOU 6-3, CIN 4-5
The Texans’ offseason moves have largely been productive and beneficial, but none more than Mixon, who has gone for over 100 rushing yards in all five games that he has started and finished this season. Mixon is the Texans’ Most Valuable Player on offense, until Nico Collins returns, at least. With the pass protection a disaster right now, the running game is the only watchable part of the offense.
JOSH JACOBS, Green Bay Packers
CONTRACT: 4 years, $48 million
SINGATURE STAT: 3rd in total rushing yards (762)
RECORDS (current team/former team): GB 6-3, LVG 2-7
Jacobs ended up getting the most money out of any of these backs, $48 million total, and he’s been worth every penny so far. The Packers were a somewhat surprising suitor, given they had Aaron Jones already, but they decided moving on from Jones and bringing in Jacobs was the right move. Turns out they were right, at least halfway through the season.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
