It’s an underwhelming group of free agent running backs, in my opinion. I don’t see anybody that I think NFL teams will get excited about. If I were walking into a fantasy draft today, this is how I would rank them.
1. LeGarrette Blount, N.E. He’s a limited 30-year-old without much speed or elusiveness. They don’t use him at all in the passing game. He’s a plow horse. The Steelers released him in 2014, after all, and when they did nobody was interested in claiming him. I’m ranking him here because I believe he’ll re-sign with the Patriots. If he does, I imagine he’ll continue to be their main runner at the goal line, and that’s a really good offense. He scored all but one of their 19 rushing touchdowns last year. He’s got a chance, I think, to run for about 800 yards and 12 TDs.
2. Latavius Murray, Oak. He’ll get paid more than Blount. He’s younger and faster, with more ability in the passing game. But the Raiders soured on him some last year, going to more of a committee approach in their backfield, with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard rotating in more. Unlikely that any team will sign him to a big contract (with the expectation of him coming in and being their clear No. 1). More like a Chris Ivory or Spencer Ware, utilized in a tandem with another back.
3. Adrian Peterson, Minn. As great as he’s been, Peterson will be 32 later this month, and his game has always been based on speed and power. He averaged under 2 yards per carry last year. He’s also not much of a pass catcher, limiting how much he can be used on third downs. But he’s Adrian Peterson, and some team probably will think/hope he’s got a decent year left in him.
4. Eddie Lacy, G.B. Weight is an issue. He was hopelessly out of shape at the end of the 2015 season – blimped out like an offensive guard. Mike McCarthy read him the riot act after that season, and Lacy supposedly worked out really hard all of last year. I didn’t think he looked that much thinner, but he was pretty effective, averaging 5.1 yards per carry before getting hurt in Week 5. I don’t think teams will want to invest too much money in him, and I don’t think he’ll be used in a full-time role. If his weight isn’t down, I’m not sure who will sign him. He says the Packers are interested in bringing him back, but Ty Montgomery looks like a much better fit in that offense.
5. Danny Woodhead, Chargers He’s a 32-year-old running back coming off a torn ACL, but Woodhead is more receiver than runner – for age purposes, he should be treated more like a wide receiver. If the Rams re-sign him, they’ll probably try to utilize him as their main third-down back. He caught 80 passes two years ago. He won’t be used in that kind of role again (not with Melvin Gordon now set up in that offense), but 50 catches are possible, giving him value in PPR formats.
6. DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. Has had a great career but turns 34 next month. Steelers could bring him back in a backup role, and LeVeon Bell has missed time with injuries in all four of his seasons in the pros.
7. Rex Burkhead, Cin. Possibly a younger version of Danny Woodhead. When both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard were sidelined, Burkhead started in Week 17 last year and ran for 119 yards and 2 TDs against the Ravens.
8. Christine Michael, G.B. A bunch of different teams have had him. Great size/speed, but lacking in vision and elusiveness. The Seahawks started him for the first half of last year and then were comfortable cutting him.
9. Rashad Jennings, NYG He’s had a nice career. Entering last year, he had a game with 150-plus rushing yards three years in a row. But I think it’s over. He’ll be 32 later this month, and the Giants released him. He says he wants to keep playing, but that offense had more juice when they were using Paul Perkins late in the year. Maybe lands as a backup somewhere, but I doubt it.
10. Jamaal Charles, K.C. Five times he’s gone over 1,000 yards, and he averaged over 5 yards per carry in all of those seasons. But it appears to be over. He’s 30 and has undergone multiple knee surgeries. Kansas City knows him better than anyone and has cut him loose. They love him, but they don’t want him back at any price. Eagles might be interested in taking a look.
—Ian Allan