The demise of the bell-cow running back might not be as absolute as advertised, but that is clearly the direction the NFL has been trending. For most teams, the ground attack is composed of multiple ball carriers, sometimes including the quarterback himself.
Saints, Eagles among NFL teams that remodeled their backfields this offseason
Running back-by-committee is a popular trend in the NFL, and several teams dipped into free agency to find complements for their starters.
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Situations where a single running back shoulders the rushing duties by himself have become increasingly rare. Only DeMarco Murray averaged more than 20 carries per game in 2014, and no running back eclipsed the mark in 2013. In 2004, just 10 years ago, 12 running backs averaged 20 or more carries per game.
While teams have turned to a “committee” approach at the running back position, finding the right combination of talents who complement one another has become a challenge. Many front offices have invested considerable time and money, only to receive sub-optimal returns from the running game.
A few teams that already had some established talent at running back dipped into the well in free agency and the NFL Draft to try to find this perfect combination:
After a breakout year with 964 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, Mark Ingram earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2014 and a new four-year contract with the team. He'll likely earn the majority of the snaps again in 2015, but will now be spelled by C.J. Spiller, who the Saints nabbed in free agency on a four-year deal similar to the one Ingram received.
Spiller isn't a stranger to splitting carries, and he did it well in Buffalo with Fred Jackson. The two played well off each other, but Spiller's injury history prevented the team from truly capitalizing on the contrasting running styles.
If Spiller can stay healthy in 2015 and beyond, there’s an opportunity for a pair of young running backs to develop into a strong duo in New Orleans. Spiller’s speed and quickness in space is the perfect opposite of Ingram’s grinding, between-the-tackles running style that softens defenses so well.
The Giants exemplified a running back-by-committee philosophy when Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw split carries following the retirement of Tiki Barber, but the wheels fell off at the position in recent seasons. The combination of Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings saved the team some in that regard in 2014 with 1,360 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns combined.
However, both running backs averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry, and don't offer the quickness in space or home run threat of new addition Shane Vereen.
Vereen's biggest contribution as a running back will likely come out of the backfield, where he is one of the best pass-catching backs in the NFL. Still, he averaged more than 4 yards per carry in each of his last three seasons with the New England Patriots, and can make the open-field moves to help free up space for the grinders inside.
Rather than add new parts to an existing threat, Chip Kelly's strategy at running back was to blow up the whole position and start fresh. He shocked many when he made a trade that sent three-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy to the Buffalo Bills after McCoy took nearly two-thirds of the rushing attempts for the Eagles in 2014.
The Eagles filled the void by signing DeMarco Murray, the NFL's leading rusher in 2014, to a five-year, $40 million deal. The team also signed former San Diego Chargers starter Ryan Mathews to a three-year, $11 million contract.
Those two free agent acquisitions join a backfield that already features Darren Sproles, who has made a career out of being a change-of-pace option for teams.
Buffalo Bills
Another team that's going to look drastically different at running back is the Buffalo Bills, after they traded Kiko Alonso to the Eagles for McCoy. Although the Bills already had talent at the position, McCoy pushes them over the top.
McCoy should be the primary starter in Buffalo. Plugging in a guy who ran for 1,319 yards and five touchdowns last season is nice, but behind him, Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown all could contribute. Jackson rushed for 525 yards and two touchdowns last season, and Dixon wasn't far behind with 432 yards and two touchdowns of his own. Jackson, a nine-year veteran of the league, has a lot of wear on his body, but should flourish with fewer carries behind McCoy. The tandem could be a a potent one-two punch, with Dixon always dangerous in short-yardage situations.
The Rookies
All of the teams above made trades or signed free agents to change things up, but the 2015 NFL Draft was the strongest running back class in years. We saw two running backs drafted in the first round for the first time in several years, but even beyond them the draft was littered with backs who could contribute big time as rookies.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the St. Louis Rams are set with Todd Gurley. They took the Georgia back in the top 10 and expect him to be their starter. The Chargers spent the No. 15 overall pick on Melvin Gordon. Although Gordon is also expected to start from Day 1, the Chargers' running back situation is more competitive after Branden Oliver found some success last season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars whiffed last year by signing Toby Gerhart, but Denard Robinson rose to the challenge and proved he could be a capable starter. That didn't stop them from taking T.J. Yeldon, who has already taken first-team reps. Ameer Abdullah should be able to help the Detroit Lions, and Tevin Coleman (Atlanta Falcons), Duke Johnson (Cleveland Browns) and Jay Ajayi (Miami Dolphins) could be in the mix early for their respective teams.
With several rookies from this year’s draft class looking like ready-made starters, we could see backfields drastically altered from the get-go this season.
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