What Happened to Running Backs??

All offseason in the NFL we heard so much about running backs and their contracts, but this has been going on for a while now. It really took center stage when Le’Veon Bell held out of the 2018 season. The history is not good for the players. Almost every recent running back contract has turned out to be bad, or just okay. Front offices have all the evidence that they need to conclude that they are not going to be paying running backs big, multi-year contracts. Take a look on how the running back position in the NFL went from being the star of the show, to the most replaceable player on the field.
Music: bensound.com
0:00 Intro
0:32 The Old Days
1:08 Le'Veon Bell ruins his career
3:04 First Round RBs
3:38 Todd Gurley
5:11 Zeke
6:33 Lenny
7:54 Saquon
8:58 Do RBs win Super Bowls?? (spoiler alert: they don't)
10:09 Today
12:10 Outro
#nfl #football #runningbacks #sports #saquonbarkley #nflfootball #nflnews

[@puransu20]

Longevity's definitely the biggest problem. Can't really give them a long-term contract when one major injury can ruin their career, especially since RBs are one of the most prone to freak injuries. Like just look at this season, 3 weeks in and there's already 2 RBs with season and potentially career-ending injuries. Meanwhile teams also know the best predictor for run game success is how good your O-line is, you kill two birds with one stone with a good O-line as it not only opens up the run game but also keeps your QB healthy.

[@choiyatlam2552]

That’s the reason team should not center their offense around one play making RB like CMC in Oanthers or Barkley in Giants. Look at how the offense completely crumbled without them. You can center the offense around the running game, like Eagles, 49ers and Cowboys but use a committee of backs while invest on your line.

[@aedendobos5417]

I completely agree. I'm a Browns fan and thought we had arguably the best RB in the league in Nick Chubb. He's been putting up great numbers and above all else has been very consistent since entering the league. I thought to myself how he hasn't been getting hurt either and lo and behold, he suffered a horrific knee injury. He may never play in the NFL again and if he does come back, he definitely won't be the same. It's unfortunate to say the least but that's just how the stone rolls for running backs...

[@nicksatwr4538]

@@aedendobos5417 lucky for Chubb it’s just a torn mcl and small tear to acl knee did not dislocate will be ready for camp of 2024

[@whoareyou6854]

@@aedendobos5417Derrick Henry is the exception

[@drewneff4177]

I thought this was a big channel this is a perfect vid

[@JohnNiiggington]

Damn nigga

[@5.7mattt]

Same😂

[@spencerburkard]

Fr love the quality

[@Pixslatin]

Saquan, chubb, Jacobs, Elliot, and cook were the heavy hitters of the off season when it came to this Running Back hold out ...look at them now...awful coincidence for chubb

[@jackreacher2095]

I don't know if I'd consider Zeke a heavy hitter tbh

[@Goobr27]

Zeke dropped off after college tbh

[@shaketin]

@@Goobr27he was the best in the nfl his 1st 2 years

[@thehappycamper2908]

@@Goobr27watch his rookie year highlights and say that again. He was him for a few years, then once he got paid he gained a bunch of weight and it went downhill.

[@ccm0222]

Im suprised you didnt mention how teams are looking at the RB position like a stable rather than 1 RB to carry all the weight, lowering their value even further

[@BogiBD]

Lowkey the rookie contract from RBs should just be higher and I think that would fix a lot of issues

[@chrisredfield6274]

I agree because usually the first few years turn out to be the best years of their careers. They don't take a while to develop and get better and better like receivers or OL. It's almost a purely raw athletic position.

[@glizzardo2692]

Then teams will just stop drafting them and pick them up as udfas lol

[@howdareyouexist]

and why should other positions agree to that? why should the owners agree to that?

[@txboi6894]

​@@glizzardo2692lol I doubt that would be a better idea, you let top rb in the draft go undrafted you'll chance him to go with your rivals or worse, add more firepower to the reigning SB champ. It's either draft him now when you can have a say or get in line with the rest and send offers to him

[@chrisredfield6274]

@@howdareyouexist Same reason they agreed to QBs getting paid highly as first round picks.

[@williamphillips349]

this deserves way more views. the discussion and analysis is top notch. i thought this was a 100k+ channel until i looked further. keep it up man

[@doccholo905]

Great video and breakdown. This was something I kind of noticed but didn't really pay attention too. The game is changing and the running back position is also changing. Most teams seem pretty content with utilizing 2-3 backs now.

[@locus3392]

i was surprised when i saw this was a small channel , vids awesome keep it up bro , hope this channels blows up

[@Wilytics]

Appreciate it, glad you enjoyed

[@jeremyg3095]

Yeah from what has been a recent trend to say the least, you have to give the old school backs a lot of respect. Those guys were so darn tough. LJ, LT, Shawn Alexander, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson...ect, crazy the careers they had with how teams wanted nothing more than to whack them. Not to say that era is old school yet but man that was an era of star RBS. As a Niners fan I'm terrified these days that CMC gets injured watch the film... He a beast but he takes a lot of punishment. PS...I believe Willie Parker and AP were around there as well

[@chancebetty1233]

As a rams fan I’m glad mention SJ❤

[@SLATTERDAY]

I’m an advocate of runningbacks sliding, to avoid damage like QBs 😅

[@grayall2788]

Idk why your channel doesn’t get more views than it does, your videos are entertaining and have good commentary. Hope you get big man

[@cmoney1887]

Good video. 2016 & 2017 is what made me an nfl fan watching Gurley go nuts! I’ve been a rams fan since then

[@navonmyhand7999]

This is great video, I'm always interested in seeing opinions on this topic and this was very well done. Only problem with this situation is that I don't see any way this shifts back in favor of RBs soon because their higher likelihood for sudden and dramatic decline from injury will continue to lead the whole position to much higher turnover rates, then the cycle repeats. The fact that 1st round picks are so replaceable by "lesser" backs also just makes things so much worse on their end in terms of bargaining. I could see backs becoming more useful if the league tries to counter the move to smaller defensive sets with big backs who will punish them but, teams mostly try to beat them by creating space or with speed not power which works well on its own.

[@nahhfam7678]

I think a good middle ground would be incentives for positions with highest injury risk such as running backs or corners in the form of off-field bonuses. Namely I'd choose much higher cuts of jersey sales as running backs are often the more popular options outside quarterbacks. Having non cap income for the players and simultaneously encouraging hard running during that limited productivity window is a win win for both parties.

[@Ruger115]

Dude i always look at comments to see what people say and i saw that your channel is small. You’re doing a great job man keep it up!

[@Wilytics]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed

[@ThuperSuper]

If you are a star RB in college, you definitely need to transition into a slot receiver or fast deep threat as soon as possible if you want to get paid.

[@Wltrwllyngaeiou]

I’d love to see teams experiment with hybrid slot receiver / running backs

[@hotdogmanful]

@@Wltrwllyngaeiou Cleveland did that with Felton last year, and doing it with Ford this year. And most teams do that now anyway

[@breckenmurkins9464]

Yea dude this was such a good vid, i was expecting a million plus sub count, keep up the great content, earned a sub today

[@EATMORCHlKIN]

Excellent video, very concise with numbers to back it up. Subbed!

[@ozyssah]

all this video reminded me of was the tragedy that was todd gurleys career, got robbed of the MVP in 2017 by a mediocre QB season, and then a legit HOF future shut down early by injuries. 2017/2018 todd gurley is likely gonna be the best rb seasons we will see for a long time

[@trealville23]

Dude great video and great quality. Your articulation is on point. Keep it up and the channel will grow

[@daltongibson2328]

You deserve 100x the subscribers you currently have man, good job brother keep up the amazing vids!!

[@luciano844]

Good video bro. Really enjoyed the thoroughness of this video. Keep it up!

[@slimypickle19]

It's a simple flaw in how the game is designed to be played now. Everything is catered toward the passing game & babying qbs that guys like Brady are EASILY able to play in their 40s. While you have insane athletes like ladainian Tomlinson & Adrian Peterson look like complete shells of themselves by 30.

[@shaun4655]

Here before this blows up. Great video my man, really well made and researched.

[@yobootystank8160]

Video was put together hella good . Keep grinding man

[@wattsland]

You’ve gained a new subscriber! High quality videos mate!

[@Wilytics]

Thanks mate

[@davit368]

oh and thank you for your comment, i learned/reminded myself a lot of new/old-new things from it, so thanks again

[@Lacrosse2471]

Top quality content right here - keep at it my man

[@BlackLungRandy]

Awesome vid keep up the great work!

[@dylanyoung5979]

great vid bro. hope you get big!keep up the hard work.

[@ikewhite6832]

My favorite position in the nfl is the running back. It makes me sad to sew how they aren't being paid their due. Hopefully one day they will be valued. Great video, by the way, if you continue producing videos your channel will catch fire one day.

[@Wilytics]

Agreed, I think it could happen if this generation of RBs don't all fall off a cliff. It might give front offices some encouragement to sign those contracts

[@charlespalmer9542]

I 100% agree! Great video! First video I have seen from this channel but got an insta sun and I immediately shared it to my friend group!

[@FunandStuff88]

@@Wilyticsit’s possible with improved training and more effective surgical/physical therapy. Today’s athletes should last longer. More importantly, I think a run based team needs to win a superbowl. Teams like the ravens and Tennessee show it can work well, but not win big. History could have changed a little if Todd Gurley didn’t lose his legs right before the rams Super Bowl.

[@LewDanLascivious8276]

The NFL wants a passing league for more exciting games for higher TV ratings and so more people will show up at the stadiums which brings in more revenue for the league. If you watch the old NFL films were basically the QB's were free to grab and tackle because "UH! they have the ball" 🤷so common sense will tell you THAT'S FOOTBALL! but nowadays I guess they think these primadonna quarterbacks shouldn't get touched or even breathed on without getting called for a penalty like, hint hint: Tom Shady and Patrick Mahomeboy. So basically the quarterbacks know this so they take all day in the pocket knowing they're protected and can't really be touched unless it's by accident from one of their own offensive guards were they end up with an injury. This is why I feel the NFL has abandoned the running game.

[@kevinbowley3563]

great video, keep up the good work dude.

[@cinvenzo1241]

Amazing video. Nice work

[@ancientplayer3409]

This is how small channels blow up. Congratulations to your future success. See you at the top in our industries 🥂

[@dabois8280]

They gotta make rb contracts based mostly around big production markers. Rb gets paid well as long as he is healthy and able to play. If he gets injured he gets all the money he earned from his production + the agreed yearly pay. They need to make those incentive bonuses much larger

[@yvngxnightmare]

That should be the same for every player. You get paid based on your production for the year

[@anonymous01792]

No that wouldn’t work. Just lure them in with big production bonuses and low salary and then not make the play calls that include RBs OR bench them just before they are approaching the milestones. Teams have to be willing to take on the injury risk or be fine with a mid tier running back

[@dabois8280]

@anonymous01792 I'm Saying there would be a lot more milestones so they pretty much can't just bench them before a big metric because if they want a run game they are pretty much constantly paying. Maybe a better way to say it is a rate per yard that gradually goes up the more yards they get. No specific cutoff point that gives a big chunk just get yards get paid

[@glizzardo2692]

This could work, although it wouldn’t be long until we s get a lot of players make plays that hurt the team in exchange for helping their production. For example when gurley slid to down himself instead of scoring, so they could run out the clock. Players would start to have the same mindset as fantasy owners which would absolutely hurt teams and gameplay altogether.

[@dabois8280]

@glizzardo2692 if stuff like that happens there is a good chance you'll get in trouble or eventually cut. They still would need to do what's best for the team especially since any good running back wants to be on a team that goes on to win those big games because it will help them get contracts. Doing things like getting a touchdown instead of running down the clock might help them get better pay in the short term but it won't in the future because the team just won't trust them to play in those situations and give the ball to someone else

[@MMA.Jake.]

I can tell you put a lot of effort into editing. Great job.

[@ictbeats]

Great video great commentary keep it up! Had to sub

[@JoeScott22]

Hot take. I firmly believe that the general talent level of the nfl running back as taken a slide. A lot of backs now dont/can't break tackles or stay healthy

[@LewDanLascivious8276]

The NFL wants a passing league for more exciting games for higher TV ratings and so more people will show up at the stadiums which brings in more revenue for the league. If you watch the old NFL films were basically the QB's were free to grab and tackle because "UH! they have the ball" 🤷so common sense will tell you THAT'S FOOTBALL! but nowadays I guess they think these primadonna quarterbacks shouldn't get touched or even breathed on without getting called for a penalty like, hint hint: Tom Shady and Patrick Mahomeboy. So basically the quarterbacks know this so they take all day in the pocket knowing they're protected and can't really be touched unless it's by accident from one of their own offensive guards were they end up with an injury. This is why I feel the NFL has abandoned the running game.

[@CF_SGV]

I think reggie bush changed it all, he was the first of the shifty small backs that we see in the league nowadays. Derrick Henry is an anomaly in today's game and at the same time the league does nothing to protect the RB as they do with recievers and QBs.

[@emory4641]

I honestly believe it’s that some of these players carry their college teams for four years. Derrick Henry averaged like 45 Carries a game. Same with Saquon and countless others. I feel like by the time they get to the league, half of their prime is in college

[@thomastassara3752]

All the other play making positions have gotten rules to allow them to not take damage, sadly running backs get none of that benefit

[@JoeScott22]

@CF_SGV not quite. U got Warrick Dunn, Brian Westbrook but I know wat u mean

[@itsjb5342]

Its only a matter of time before this channel blows up. I thought i was listening to someone with a half a mill subs

[@MillerTheOriginal]

Great video. Please do a 'running back's that proved their worth' video. Its clear there a rare gem these days. So we appreciate them even more

[@rkbelmont1138]

If there's one RB worth every penny is Cmc. He is a RB who could also play receiver.

[@jordydejong3376]

the only thing i would like to add is the fact that the falcons and the lions both have top 5 o-lines and both their offenses heavily rely on the running back to succeed . If you think about it yeah they invested a lot of draft capital in the position , but they get fresh RB's for 4 to 6 mil a year on 4 year deals that's sounds like a good value. with o lines like that , not a bad investment. usually more then 50% of first rounder's end up as busts anyways . look at the raiders , out of there last 10 first rounder's 9 of them are busts or are in jail. i think we will still see RB's drafted in the first round for years to come maybe even top 10 but 2nd overall pick or 4th don't see that happening anymore , anyways great vid man!

[@tonamurray7021]

Good analysis

[@sethzimmer4281]

Subbed, amazing video‼️

[@ryantrudell4686]

Rules evolved to favor passing, teams started building rosters with great pass blockers, call passes 60% of the time or more, draft RBs primarily to catch passes and chip block first, and run it second. Gone are the days of a bruising run blocking OL and a 30-carry running back every game

[@IBangedUrMom69420]

Run-blocking lines still exist. It’s why teams like the Niners and Eagles have the most efficient run games in NFL history.

[@davidpena9698]

Not to mention the David Johnson contract

[@thehappycamper2908]

damn i forgot about him, was a stud on the cardinals his rookie year. Thought he was gonna be special. Guess thats the point of the vid lol🤣

[@Flowerz__]

You explained it perfectly man. I’ve been saying this same stuff to my friends all summer

[@thestudmuffin6068]

You’re my new favorite channel bro ❤

[@BenP-te2uz]

The lions pick could be their new way of looking at the running back position. Its possible that they will continue to run gibbs in a committee, keeping him healthier with less action in order to hold on to a great talent for longer. Could extend his career significantly by doing this

[@jackneri9]

Great vid!

[@Brando_1212]

Before you know it, they’re probably gonna be big bruiser type of guys to block and get short yards, or shifty slot receivers they throw back there to run routes. Feel like it’s kinda already like this, but soon it will probably be all that’s left of the position

[@practicemakesprofits]

Doubt it, teams will still need a run game

[@jamesjason3788]

this video deserves more views your choice of music is very cultured

[@jayjuggrnaut]

Is the track playing in the background the same one from the Semanax videos from Phub???

[@IsoLopi]

anyone miss Todd gurly on madden

[@oblivion85]

I think what’s happening is that QBs are starting to become more mobile.

[@willyall1353]

this videos quality deserves a sub

[@tmen1476]

Great video! Keep at it 👍🏽

[@pghchaos]

Nice video, good football content is always welcome

[@3CityJay]

Curious, are you able to monetize this video since you’re using NFL clips? I’ve been thinking about making similar content

[@elijah79923]

You really earned the Like and Subscribe. Well done 👏🏽

[@Kneejerks]

I can see the league moving to a 2 RB system, some teams already use it and it would allow RBs to last a lot longer

[@lukehoff3623]

It worked well when the cowboys implemented it last season. They just had to get rid of Elliot’s contract

[@invisiblecolors6900]

Love rb highlights. I was glad to see gurley get his cash and rams still get a sb

[@BugGus1993]

Great vid

[@gsesini1621]

Great video

[@superdankgod2266]

Good video dawg.

[@ManuelGonzalez-ol7ip]

Awesome video, new sub

[@lunarmizt388]

I miss RBs like AP, Marshawn, Tomlinson, Bettis, Dickerson, Hell even Eddy Lacy, Jamaal Charles, CJ2K. In all honesty though Charles and CJ ruined the RB game. The old give a hit don’t get hit RB style was superior.

[@tmen1476]

The NFL is the only level where you NEED and offensive line to have a productive RB. Every other level of football a genuine freak of nature can carry a team. But everyone is a freak of nature in the NFL

[@roselelouch3038]

I feel like a good solution would be to pay RB more but only sign them to 2 year deals

[@dankmoonman6298]

Awesome vid boss

[@Wilytics]

Thanks boss

[@jerremymiller]

Hey man love the video and the take on it. I’ll start with that if you watch anything about the Jags, Lenny was cut more for philosophical reasons than talent reasons But I’m mid way through and the only player i can see myself disagreeing with is the Lenny one. Yes he’s outta the league but I think he’s still got talent to play and mean if you look at that Jags team, they also gave away Jalen Ramsey so can we blame them for dropping a mid tier statistical RB? Lenny went to the Bucs and yes he didn’t have an amazing season, but rather he harnessed his talents in different ways rather than 1k rushing and won a super bowl. Plus James Robinson the guy compared is legitimately outta the league already.

[@Reqzy10]

just getting into football, and your video made me much more knowledgeable. subbed before you blow up 🥲

[@alexsmith3598]

I think RBs should get contracts that are fluid based on production, workouts, rehab, and a lot more. Like pay them to train at the facility. Encourage them to get better and rehab/recover in the facility. You're seeing them put their required work in to earn the most money possible and then they either get paid (just as examples) $5M for 3.8 yards per carry, or $1M for like 3.2 ypc. They just need to be paid based on production at this pount and it's not hard to come up with. The players association is only interested in making business deals for themselves and not helping the players.

[@Wigglystilts]

Seems like a lot of your videos are baseball, (I only took one scroll on your page) but bro I really enjoyed this football analysis! Keep this shit up!

[@TomKujer]

Same thing happened with the Chargers. You mentioned them a bit but Melvin Gordon was drafted in 2015, just 5 spots after Gurley. We then got UDFA Austin Ekler in 2017 and he was putting up practically the same numbers as Gordon in 2018-19. Gordon wanted a big payday and the Chargers didn't give it to him. We did give it to Ekler, but even though he's a top back, his postseason stats are abysmal. Granted it's only been 3 games, but against the Jags in 2022, with only 35 rush yards and 8 receiving yards, that isn't going to help the team win much. I still love Ekler, but with the league changing towards the more pass heavy teams, it feels like burning money when you give a big pay day to a RB, generally speaking

[@cyrusindigo2933]

Ekeler is a bonafide beast tho

[@shlimesmetre1195]

the over the hedge ds music made this video worth liking

[@mrbojangles4155]

Feels like Football is experiencing a scoring awakening similar to the NBA and 3-point shooting. They are breaking from tradition and looking at the numbers.

[@TheT0N1c]

I feel like demand for fullbacks is actually increasing because RBs are actually used alot more for pass protection and instead of having 2 RBs that can Run they rather have 1 RB and 1 fullback for blocking and maybe use a wr for some run concepts

[@rsgerman4061]

I think they should still pay them even a little more considering how much money the nfl rakes in

[@___JB]

Purdy was the last pick of the draft (almost undrafted) and he took the spot of a #3 overall pick at QB!! They won't give up on QBs how they did the RBs though

[@BassManiac07]

this needs more views

[@Smuggy97]

Would love to hear about fullback as well if you haven't already.

[@ektran4205]

the single back formations killed the fullback

[@Seandiaocomedy]

Good video

[@Cnote1024]

I think the Lions using Gibbs as a receiving back and as a secondary piece will help his longevity in the nfl

[@TheAbass13]

Always thought Zeke’s “downfall” wasn’t as crazy as people project. His “down” year in 2020 was 21 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards with 4 Y/A! With 1,317 AP yards in 2020 I just think the RB position has lost overall value in general with other RB’s in the league unfortunately following that same trend

[@TehKaiser]

Zeke got complacent and out of shape. He used to have speed and power but he lost that speed. Plus the Cowboys had a good Oline.

[@TheAbass13]

@@TehKaiser idk if you can be complacent and be a starting RB in the NFL 🤣 if complacency is just shy of 1,000 yards then let’s all be complacent. He also had some knee damage never really had that breakaway speed anymore. OLine was very solid I agree

[@TehKaiser]

@@TheAbass13 Production doesn't mean fulling tapping into potential. Zeke was fat and slower than when he was on his rookie contract. There's a reason athletes peak in contract years. Many put in the extra work to get more money. Once the external motivation is gone and the contract is obtained, the player doesn't do as much.

[@TheAbass13]

@@TehKaiser I politely disagree, sir. I think production is factual results and potential is a projection. “Fat and slow” doesn’t give you 4 1,000 yard rushing seasons and one of those coming two years ago. He isn’t what he used to be, but he’s in his 8th season of toting the football in the NFL

[@williejames5823]

@@TehKaiserwell you put on more weight when most of your carries are up the middle

[@ChaoticDesiigns]

youre gonna blow up remember this ❗️

[@jayjon9773]

Subbed

[@kashwayne]

subbed

[@shakoiatenhawithacrossjaco9051]

Idk, when CMC is in the field compared to any other rb you can tell the difference immediately in yardage gained. Superstars matter, but you just need to determine if they matter that much to your team

[@Miguel323527]

CMC didn't get as beat up in NC. Dude still has 2 solid years I would say until you notice some type of wear and tear.

[@tommyduda9211]

Cool video

[@josh903x]

Guy are getting bigger, faster, & stronger. Hits are getting harder. NFL lets you go after the knees if you’re incapable of tackling someone bc they’re too strong.

[@odddinohunter5991]

This reminds me of FB’s they used to get used a lot but teams slowly shifted leaving the market shattered for them

[@patrickledonne5547]

Things tend to be somewhat cyclical. As the game and analytics becomes more pass heavy, defensive players and O-linemen who excel on passing plays will receive more priority. Individual defenders on the field will be stronger on passing plays, and weaker on running plays. At some point some moneyball GM will realize they can put together an o-line of run maulers on cheap contracts and with late round capital since teams value pass blockers more. When they see the back they want hitting free agency or in the draft, they will get them for a low cost FA deal or low cost in draft equity. It's cheaper to trade up to pick 8 to draft bijan than it is to trade to #1 for a QB because of the way teams value the 2 positions. If you fill those 6 positions on the cheap and use a low cost game manager type at QB, it leaves you a lot of capital to build a defense. You might be able to build that O-line, RB,QB combo of 7 effective players in a run based scheme for the same price jalen hurts or aaron rodgers alone makes.

[@TheScott21385]

Bell also played on the franchise tag the year prior

[@Clownlife432]

Also, they reworked the rookie deals. RBs are most valuable on their first contract. Locking in rookie deals really hurts them. But that’s what happens when you let people bargain against other people who aren’t at the table.

[@ynkybomber]

With all the rule changes it should be no surprise that RB is done. It wont be long before we just go with a QB 1 and a QB2 who can run or throw.

[@maxwello0]

Such a quality vid for a small channel

[@congohh]

Then you got frank gore who played like 86 years, very little injuries and for his age was still doing good. Man is a monster

[@jamesmarshall6619]

he is the opposite of what you expect. Injury prone running back in college who was as durable as you could get as a pro.

[@edwinarias27]

Do more football videos this was really good

[@jarrett5083]

They should allow one and dones for the draft eligibility that would solve rb problems a little

[@felonyjunzai1550]

What will happen is that not many people in football will still play RB, and supply will become lower. The people who do still play RB will be the ones who genuinely love playing it, so they will be better than what we have now. Demand will go up bc those players are making plays. Eventually we will be right back where we started.