That's right, worthless! Overrated, overpaid and overvalued.
Do I want LaDainian Tomlinson? No thank you. Stephen Jackson? Tempting, but I'm good. Adrian Peterson? I'd rather have the Adrian Peterson on the Bears.
In the modern-day NFL, there isn't a more replaceable position on the football field than the running back. There isn't a position where the difference in production between the backup and starter is smaller. And there isn't a position GMs should spend less money on.
I'm not crazy. I just watch a ridiculous amount of football, and that is what has led me to this conclusion. A lot of people will agree with me when I say that a running back is only as good as the offensive line he's running behind. But I think I take it a step further when I say that a running back's production is directly proportional to his offensive line. As in, if you gave Michael Turner 300 carries behind the Chargers' offensive line, I think the production is going to be identical to, or at least insignificantly lower than, LT - the "best" player in the National Football League.
See, the thing is, there are literally hundreds of guys from backups to practice squad players who are capable of Pro Bowl numbers if given 16 starts behind a quality line. Bill Belichick knows it. This is why Belichick, despite having a first-round draft pick in Laurence Maroney, basically employs a running back-by-committee.
Mike Shanahan knows it. More than any other NFL coach, Shanahan has exposed the overvaluing of the running back position. For five straight years, a different Denver Bronco has led the team in rushing each season. After hearing that stat, you would think the Broncos' run game has been in disarray, but they are consistently one of the best rushing teams in the league.
Shanahan has made a habit of picking his starting running back during training camp, planting him behind a great line, pumping up his numbers, and then trading him for a player of true value (see Clinton Portis for Champ Bailey). It's simple and ingenious, and I can't believe Shanahan is still getting away with it.
There are an incredible amount of examples that support my theory. My personal favorite is Edgerrin James. When I heard he was leaving the Colts and joining the Arizona Cardinals, I turned to my friend and said, "There goes Edge's career. The highest-paid running back in the league will never be a top running back again."
Sure enough, Edge's production dropped by almost 400 yards, seven touchdowns and a yard per carry behind the Cardinals' offensive line.
But the real evidence of the overvaluation of the NFL running back can be seen in performances of running backs deemed not starter material. Last year I watched my hometown Giants lose Tiki Barber to retirement. Giant Nation was worried, but I couldn't have cared less. I knew that Tiki was benefiting from the most underrated offensive line in football.
So 2007 began with Brandon Jacobs who, unsurprisingly, succeeded but eventually got hurt. Enter Derrick Ward, who averaged a very impressive 4.8 yards a carry. That's a filthy stat. But Ward got hurt. Enter Ahmad Bradshaw, who tore up defenses and helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl. Who the hell was Ahmad Bradshaw?
But that's exactly the point. Throw any good college running back behind a strong offensive line and he's got a shot at the Madden cover. It's why nobodies like Chester Taylor can become fantasy studs one year and MVPs like Shaun Alexander can become fantasy duds the next. The money should be spent on the big dudes with their asses in the air and not on the guy in the backfield. It's already starting to happen.
Gideon Jacobs is a freshman who has not yet declared a major. He can be reached at Gideon.Jacobs@tufts.edu.
