Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
The huge devaluation of NFL running backs in recent years is built on the theory that they are all replaceable and interchangeable.
This offseason, though, NFL teams sure did put that theory to the test.
Running backs spent the offseason on a wild and unprecedented carousel ride, resulting in nearly half of all NFL teams changing their starter at the position. Some of the biggest names in free agency — headlined by Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry — were running backs who switched teams in a frantic few weeks.
And though they didn’t all sign for big money, the amount of movement still has the potential to cause a seismic shift in the league.
Here’s a look at the 12 biggest names and best backs to switch teams since last season ended, ranked in the order of the impact they’re likely to have:
5-STAR IMPACT
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
(Three years, $37.75 million; $26 million guaranteed)
The rich got richer with the Eagles landing the best running back on the market — if he’s able to stay healthy, which is not a guarantee given all the injuries he’s battled the past few years. During his time in New York, Barkley’s biggest battle was fighting for space behind the Giants’ awful offensive line. Now the world gets to see him behind one of the best O-lines in the game.
If Barkley has room to make his moves, he could easily put up a 1,500-yard season, especially with teams guessing whether he or quarterback Jalen Hurts has the ball on their run-pass option (RPO) plays. And the Eagles seem likely to use Barkley more as a receiver than the Giants did, too, though his actual targets might be limited due to the 1-2 punch of receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. However the Eagles use Barkley, defenses will have an impossible choice when they’re making their game plans because this team is loaded with offensive weapons.
Lane Johnson dishes on Eagles’ addition of Saquon Barkley
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Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/saquon-barkley-derrick-henry-among-12-key-rbs-set-make-impact-new-teams
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Publish date : 2024-07-31 12:44:31
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