The St. Louis Rams have a big decision to make regarding their running back position. They've had Steven Jackson as the primary back in their offense for about nine seasons now, but he's set to hit free agency on March 12. On top of that, the team seemingly has his replacement in Daryl Richardson.
Rams want Steven Jackson back
The St. Louis Rams have begun contract talks with running back Steven Jackson, as they want the veteran to return in 2013.
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But it looks like the Rams are at least going to try and bring Jackson back in 2013. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Jeff Fisher said that the Rams have had discussions with Eugene Parker, Jackson's agent, and that "things look good."
Fisher went on to say that Jackson knows that the Rams want him back, but that there is still plenty of time to figure out the contract talks. In other words, it’s hard to define Jackson’s value.
He broke 1,000 yards for the eighth time in his career in 2012, playing in all 16 games. He had four touchdowns and posted a per-carry average of 4.1 yards over the course of a season. He carried the football 257 times, which is a lot, but is also down from the previous three seasons.
Those carries are down because Richardson is now in the mix. As a rookie last season, he carried the ball 98 times for 475 yards, but did not have any touchdowns. He did have a per-carry average of 4.8 yards though, and many think he has the chance to become the primary back in the future.
It will all come down to how much Jackson wants and how much he thinks he can get on the open market. He’s been used more than most running backs in the league over the last several years, but he likes that and wants to remain the starter.
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