Rise & Grind: DeMarco Murray might get the $8 million he wants

DeMarco Murray is making his decision soon, and some team is probably going to overpay. Reports say he wants $8 million per season, and with the way running back contracts are going thus far into free agency, he might just get it. That’s a lot of money for a running back coming off the first full 16-game season of his career and a workload of 450 touches in the regular season alone.

Running backs have made a surprising amount of money so far in free agency.

*Hasn’t actually signed anything ... uh oh!

Recent history says those deals won’t pan out for the teams. Look at the largest running back contracts handed out last season: Toby Gerhart (three years, $10.5 million), Donald Brown (three years, $10.5 million), Rashad Jennings (four years, $10 million), Chris Johnson (two years, $8 million) and Maurice Jones-Drew (three years, $7.5 million).

Two of those guys, Johnson and MJD, aren’t even on a roster this year. The Giants signed Vereen on top of their investment in Jennings and his less than impressive 3.8 yards per carry. The Jaguars are chasing Murray in spite of their financial commitment to Gerhart. The Chargers insist they’re not cutting Brown after he produced a grand total of 223 yards on 85 carries last season.

Obviously, it’s a more talented group of running backs on the market in 2015. Gore can be productive in an offense that doesn’t need to grind for 30 carries a game, and he has Boom Herron to spell him. Ingram is just coming into his own and is only 25. Those deals make some sense.

Besides Murray, C.J. Spiller and Justin Forsett are still available, and both can probably expect deals on par with last year’s top running back contracts.

Prices for running backs aren’t what they used to be. However, even with a bumper crop of backs available in this year’s draft, teams are still willing to spend big on the position, and they’re willing to pay a premium based on the name.

The most sensible thing he’s said or done so far this spring is promise that Ahmad Brooks isn’t going anywhere, despite being seen by the media as a potential cap casualty.

All the bad feelings of the last six months or so could be gone by the time September rolls around thanks to Baalke’s track record and eye for talent, but it’s hard to see a clear pattern in player movement there so far this spring. The 49ers are his team now, his alone, and that’s a heavy burden to carry.

Chip Kelly threw cold water on those rumors about packaging Sam Bradford and some draft picks for a move up to take Marcus Mariota at his Wednesday afternoon press conference. He’s committed to Sam Bradford, for now anyway. Interestingly enough, the team has not entered into talks with Bradford about a contract extension, who is in the last year of his original six-year rookie contract.

Jabaal Sheard, recently of the Browns, is headed to New England. He signed a two-year, $11 million contract. He was miscast in Cleveland as an outside linebacker when he’s much more natural at defensive end. The Patriots are moving toward a more straight forward four-man front after parting ways with Vince Wilfork.

Sheard could be one of those sneaky Belichick free agent scores.