Steven Jackson will void the final year of his contract with the St. Louis Rams, making him an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career on March 12. Several teams should be interested in the three-time Pro Bowl running back, but where will he land?
Steven Jackson could land with Falcons, other Super Bowl contenders
Longtime St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson is set to hit the open market for the first time in his career. Where might the NFL’s active leading rusher end up?
Kevin Casey
Jackson has spent his entire nine-year career with the Rams, and leads all active NFL running backs with 10,135 career rushing yards. He is getting older, but he can still produce; last season Jackson ran for 1,042 yards on 257 carries, his eighth straight 1,000-yard season. He was due $7 million in 2013, a number the Rams could not have afforded to pay him with the rise in production of running backs Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead. Instead of waiting for St. Louis to release him, Jackson decided to enter free agency on his own.
So where will he end up in 2013?
The favorite
The Atlanta Falcons are considered the front-runners to land Jackson, who would serve as a replacement to Michael Turner. Atlanta is expected to release the 31-year-old running back, scheduled to make $6.9 million, giving them the cap space needed to sign Jackson.
Jackson, 29, has as much wear as Turner, but is producing at a higher level at this point in his career. Last season Turner was limited to 3.6 yards per carry, while Jackson averaged 4.1 yards per attempt behind a worse offensive line. In addition, Jackson is also a much better receiver than Turner and would be a good fit in the Falcons pass-first offense.
Atlanta has Jacquizz Rodgers as well, but he is considered a change-of-pace back and would be a complement to Jackson in the backfield.
The other candidates
Plenty of teams could use a veteran running back of Jackson's caliber, so a lot will depend on his asking price and if he is more interested in piling up carries and yards or competing for a Super Bowl.
The New York Giants released starting running back Ahmad Bradshaw to make room for David Wilson, but they will need someone alongside their second-year back. The Giants have been fond of goal-line specialists and Jackson has the strength to fill that role as well as get a good chunk of carries and mentor Wilson.
The New England Patriots are always a team looking to add veterans and Jackson could fit well in their stable of running backs. The emergence of Stevan Ridley last season may make this less likely than it would have been a year ago, but if Jackson is hunting for a ring, there is no better spot than New England.
With Willis McGahee coming off another injury, there could be an opening in the Denver backfield. McGahee was limited to 10 games last season and is recovering from a broken leg and knee surgery, so there are no assurances he will remain on the Broncos roster. It would not be a surprise if the Broncos made a run at Jackson to replace McGahee and share carries with Ronnie Hillman.
The Colts are another potential suitor as they have plenty of cap space and a bit of a weakness at the running back position. They liked what they saw out of rookie Vick Ballard, but adding a proven veteran presence like Jackson could help a young team.
Could he stay put?
Despite entering free agency, Jackson could end up right where he left off, re-signing with the Rams at a discounted rate. He is a fan favorite, and Jeff Fisher has expressed interest in him returning at a reduced price. Even Jackson himself said he would like to return to St. Louis back in December.
But if he returns, Jackson would likely not see the carries he is used to with the Rams, as both Richardson and Pead are up-and-coming backs. If he stays in St. Louis, there is a good chance it would be as part of a platoon or a second or third option. If that is the case, one wonders if the allure of a return to the Rams is enough to beat out the chance to compete for the Super Bowl.
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