Running Backs Across The League Are Ready To Revolt Against The NFL After What Happened With Josh Jacobs And Saquon Barkley
Listen, we know what happened yesterday with all the running backs and franchise tags. This isn't even a blog to debate about whether or not you should pay/draft running backs. It is what it is right now in the NFL. They aren't valuable. You can have a great running back but that doesn't mean you're set up for a great team. Look at who has been winning Super Bowls and who is at running back. Not exactly high paid guys that are named as the best of the best.
This is strictly about good luck keeping Josh Jacobs happy. Sure, part of it is him wanting a long term deal like any smart person, let alone a running back. But the Raiders don't have a shot to keeping him after the franchise tag year. You don't have a dude sitting in the parking lot ready to sign a new deal only for it not to come. You don't think he'll talk about that and think about that all year? We're talking about running backs here. They are ready to revolt against the NFL after yesterday:
To Henry's point, most teams are taking the traditional running back out of the game. It's a tandem now. It's pass catching as much as it is just running between the tackles. Sure, it's needed, but they are doing it differently the last couple of years. The Chiefs won a Super Bowl with Jerrick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco in the running back room. The Eagles let Miles Sanders walk and ready to go with Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell and traded next to nothing for D'Andre Swift. We're talking about the two Super Bowl teams there. You don't think every other team will try to get close to mimicking that?
We're just not seeing running backs get the payday. It's modern NFL. 3 of the top-16 running backs from last year were franchise tagged. The number 6 running back doesn't have a team. Number 5 and 11 are now on different teams. They can revolt, but what's really going to happen? The league will keep either drafting high and then not giving the massive second contract or they'll just not take running backs until late and doing the same.