The NFL has to do something about RB compensation

[erod]

Full disclosure, I'm a running back guy. Love the running game. Emmitt is my favorite Cowboy of all time. Most of my all-time favorite football players are running backs.

That said, the NFL has to do something for these guys contractually. The system is WAY unfair for them.

Most draft picks that become great players take a good while to get there, often 2-3 years or more at the pro level. Then, they're rewarded with a HUGE contract after their rookie deal, and often another huge contract or two after after that one.

But not running backs.

Highly-drafted running backs are generally elite the moment they arrive at rookie OTAs. They're already about as good as they'll ever be, and they step right in and dominate from day one.

Gurley, Peterson, Sanders, Gore, George, Emmitt, Barkley, Zeke, McCoy, Andrews, Dickerson, McCutcheon, Campbell, Sims, Payton, and Dorsett (when Landry finally got over himself and put Tony in for good). There are hundreds of examples of them.

And now Zeke Elliott, who, off-field issues aside, is the most impactful player on the team and has been since his opening game. He's usually the best player on the field in any given game.

The league needs to address the fact that rookie running backs are WAY underpaid compared to the impact other players have initially, and the second contract potential those players have in comparison to running backs.

Often, these backs are a huge percentage of their teams offense, but take such a beating early that they go downhill quickly and never get paid like other players. They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

That needs to change because I don't want to see the best young running backs youth football insist on being converted to other positions over earning potential. Used to be that the best players wanted to play running back. Now, it's like financial death sentence.

Perhaps some sort of cap exception to pay them better? A different rookie scale for running backs to go with it? It's got to be simple to address.

Save the position. Pay these guys.

 

[xwalker]

No need.

Players like Zeke are not going to switch to DE in High School or College because it pays more.

Compensation is not fair.

Football players get paid more than Engineers, Military personnel, Firemen, etc..

 

[HungryLion]

Full disclosure, I'm a running back guy. Love the running game. Emmitt is my favorite Cowboy of all time. Most of my all-time favorite football players are running backs.

That said, the NFL has to do something for these guys contractually. The system is WAY unfair for them.

Most draft picks that become great players take a good while to get there, often 2-3 years or more at the pro level. Then, they're rewarded with a HUGE contract after their rookie deal, and often another huge contract or two after after that one.

But not running backs.

Highly-drafted running backs are generally elite the moment they arrive at rookie OTAs. They're already about as good as they'll ever be, and they step right in and dominate from day one.

Gurley, Peterson, Sanders, Gore, George, Emmitt, Barkley, Zeke, McCoy, Andrews, Dickerson, McCutcheon, Campbell, Sims, Payton, and Dorsett (when Landry finally got over himself and put Tony in for good). There are hundreds of examples of them.

And now Zeke Elliott, who, off-field issues aside, is the most impactful player on the team and has been since his opening game. He's usually the best player on the field in any given game.

The league needs to address the fact that rookie running backs are WAY underpaid compared to the impact other players have initially, and the second contract potential those players have in comparison to running backs.

Often, these backs are a huge percentage of their teams offense, but take such a beating early that they go downhill quickly and never get paid like other players. They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

That needs to change because I don't want to see the best young running backs youth football insist on being converted to other positions over earning potential. Used to be that the best players wanted to play running back. Now, it's like financial death sentence.

Perhaps some sort of cap exception to pay them better? A different rookie scale for running backs to go with it? It's got to be simple to address.

Save the position. Pay these guys.

I agree with the overall premise of your post. Running backs on rookie contracts are way underpaid relative to the value they can bring to their team.

What is the best solution? Could it be giving a discount on their cap numbers? Something like getting a 25% discount on their cap number, so that the elite guys can get bigger contracts?

I’m honestly not sure what the best fix is. But I would be in favor of some kind of solution to help them out.

 

[Altestic]

The NFL is trending towards eliminating the position. Pretty soon they'll make a rule where you can only pass, no handoffs unless you're at or inside the enemy 2 yard line.

 

[Sarge]

Ya, I feel really bad for NFL running backs. Make separate rules for running backs and you’re opening a HUGE can of worms. Having said that, it’ll never happen.

 

[IndianaCowboys1994]

Full disclosure, I'm a running back guy. Love the running game. Emmitt is my favorite Cowboy of all time. Most of my all-time favorite football players are running backs.

That said, the NFL has to do something for these guys contractually. The system is WAY unfair for them.

Most draft picks that become great players take a good while to get there, often 2-3 years or more at the pro level. Then, they're rewarded with a HUGE contract after their rookie deal, and often another huge contract or two after after that one.

But not running backs.

Highly-drafted running backs are generally elite the moment they arrive at rookie OTAs. They're already about as good as they'll ever be, and they step right in and dominate from day one.

Gurley, Peterson, Sanders, Gore, George, Emmitt, Barkley, Zeke, McCoy, Andrews, Dickerson, McCutcheon, Campbell, Sims, Payton, and Dorsett (when Landry finally got over himself and put Tony in for good). There are hundreds of examples of them.

And now Zeke Elliott, who, off-field issues aside, is the most impactful player on the team and has been since his opening game. He's usually the best player on the field in any given game.

The league needs to address the fact that rookie running backs are WAY underpaid compared to the impact other players have initially, and the second contract potential those players have in comparison to running backs.

Often, these backs are a huge percentage of their teams offense, but take such a beating early that they go downhill quickly and never get paid like other players. They're the cheap help, although they are ultra critical to team success.

That needs to change because I don't want to see the best young running backs youth football insist on being converted to other positions over earning potential. Used to be that the best players wanted to play running back. Now, it's like financial death sentence.

Perhaps some sort of cap exception to pay them better? A different rookie scale for running backs to go with it? It's got to be simple to address.

Save the position. Pay these guys.

I hear you. If I'm a 15 year old about to play high school football I stay away from that position.

 

[Altestic]

Ya, I feel really bad for NFL running backs. Make separate rules for running backs and you’re opening a HUGE can of worms. Having said that, it’ll never happen.

yeah, too many ways teams will circumvent that, too big of a can of worms. Teams will stop drafting RBs and just get UDFAs off the street, or simply just pass more. Or start playing bottom-roster WRs at tailback. Lots of cans of worms.

 

[dsturgeon]

I don't agree. Lots of running backs are not even 3 down players, and there are passing downs where they just block.

Centers are vital to offenses. They play every offensive play, call out adjustments, defenses, etc. Do they get a pay raise? Do qb's?

 

[Jarv]

The game is evolving, unfortunately. More top athletes will want to become a hybrid/slot receiver instead of RBs...Maybe?

 

[QuincyCarterEra]

The ones that find ways to help their team win games will still get paid. Ex- elite route runners and home-run threats

The old style grinders who will stack up bulk rushing stats not overly efficient are being phased out, and rightfully so. Hopefully we don't screw this up.

 

[Altestic]

The ones that find ways to help their team win games will still get paid. Ex- elite route runners and home-run threats

The old style grinders who will stack up bulk rushing stats not overly efficient are being phased out, and rightfully so. Hopefully we don't screw this up.

hence why Legarrette Blount doesn't have a team right now

 

[erod]

The NFL is trending towards eliminating the position. Pretty soon they'll make a rule where you can only pass, no handoffs unless you're at or inside the enemy 2 yard line.

Not really.

Top 2 rushing teams in the NFL the past 5 years: Dallas and Seattle

Most wins in the NFL the past 5 years: Dallas and Seattle

If not for a dumb goal line playcall, Seattle would have been a mini-dynasty.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

If you believe this NFL scout, three-down backs are top tier, every team wants one.


https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/07/22/d...gordon-cba-negotiations-nfl-training?utm_sour

The Melvin Gordon and Ezekiel Elliott contract situations flared up over the last few weeks, causing the debate over tailbacks getting paid to rage. And I think a lot of people are missing the mark on it, mainly because those two guys, as most NFL teams see it, are in different categories.
I asked some scouts this week about the state of the position, and what the league is getting from its feeder system. It’s clear that the NFL has a smaller top tier at the position than it does at other positions, and a much, much larger second tier.

That brings us to the new mold for the elite NFL back, which is a 225-pound (or so) bruiser who can play on all three downs. That’s Elliott. It’s also Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley and was, and may be again, Le’Veon Bell. David Johnson, for a time, probably was in this category too.

“Those four are all from the same mold—they’re 220 pounds, they can play all three downs, they’re rare,” said one NFC personnel man, who evaluated all of them coming out. “Maybe they become less rare in time, but they’re unicorns now. And to replace one, you need three guys – two first- and second-down runners, and then a third-down guy.”

 

[erod]

I don't agree. Lots of running backs are not even 3 down players, and there are passing downs where they just block.

Centers are vital to offenses. They play every offensive play, call out adjustments, defenses, etc. Do they get a pay raise? Do qb's?

I'm not talking about lots of running backs.

I'm talking about elite running backs, especially those drafted in the top few picks that will immediately start and be a huge percentage of their team's offense.

 

[Little Jr]

FO build teams the way they see fit. The NFL can't come in and tell them how to build a team and who to give the money to. They can't show favoritism to one position.

When I was young RB and QB were the positions to play. Even more so rb since that's all we did. Times have changed. My son is 17 and when he played pee wee there were still a lot of teams who ran but there were some who passed as much as they ran. By his 3rd year most teams were passing team's at age 10-11. They passed more than we did when I was in high achool and they were damn good at it. Lol now they have the 7 on 7 and the game has just changed.

 

[ChuckA1]

I've seen picks go south just as often as not. When you sign a five-year contract, stick to the contract. I want to keep Zeke and believe he is the spark to our offense. That said, hope to heck these holdout rumors are fake news.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Things go in cycles. At some point, backs will become a focus of the game again. For years, backs got paid more, now they don't. Doesn't mean they don't get paid really well still.

 

[erod]

No need.

Players like Zeke are not going to switch to DE in High School or College because it pays more.

Compensation is not fair.

Football players get paid more than Engineers, Military personnel, Firemen, etc..

About 10,000,000 people in the US are capable of being engineers, military personnel, and firemen.

About 20 are capable of being an above average running back in the NFL.

Compensation is reflected by the ability to produce more money than you make and how difficult it is to replace you.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I've seen picks go south just as often as not. When you sign a five-year contract, stick to the contract. I want to keep Zeke and believe he is the spark to our offense. That said, hope to heck these holdout rumors are fake news.

It is......you'll see this week. All a lot of BS started with one story w/o any facts/substance. I'm 100% confidence he'll report along with his teammates.

 

[erod]

FO build teams the way they see fit. The NFL can't come in and tell them how to build a team and who to give the money to. They can't show favoritism to one position.

When I was young RB and QB were the positions to play. Even more so rb since that's all we did. Times have changed. My son is 17 and when he played pee wee there were still a lot of teams who ran but there were some who passed as much as they ran. By his 3rd year most teams were passing team's at age 10-11. They passed more than we did when I was in high achool and they were damn good at it. Lol now they have the 7 on 7 and the game has just changed.

Then why do backup quarterbacks often make more than 80 percent of the starters on their teams?