There were a number of teams I considered shoo-ins to select running backs in the draft. And not just any running back – a player in the first three rounds who would be expected to start or be a prime contributor. But some of these teams stood pat.
The offseason isn’t over, of course. LeGarrette Blount and others are still sitting out there as unsigned free agents. And maybe some teams are confident they can develop an unheralded youngster – Robert Kelley came out of nowhere for Washington last year.
But these teams in my eyes still have unanswered questions at running back.
Buffalo Bills. They didn’t draft anyone to replace Mike Gillislee. I guess this means they have some confidence Jonathan Williams can get things going. He averaged under 3 yards per carry as a rookie. They need to have a Plan B in place. They need someone who can spell LeSean McCoy, and it’s not realistic to expect him to start all 16 games.
Detroit Lions. Theo Riddick is a third-down back. Zach Zenner had the little burst at the end of last year but is unproven. Ameer Abdullah is small and has been plagued by injuries and fumbles. But Lions didn’t select any running backs. They say they’re comfortable with what they have, with Abdullah being the starter. They’ve also got Dwayne Washington as their 4th-string option.
Indianapolis Colts. Frank Gore will be 34 in less than a month. I thought they were going to release him. And their other main back is Robert Turbin, who’s been cut by a few teams. Yet no running backs chosen until Marlon Mack in the fourth round. And that’s a compensatory pick – No. 143 overall is more accurately the second half of the fifth round. They say they’re excited about him; he’s got speed – 6 of his 15 TD runs last year were over 40 yards. They better be right about him.
New York Jets. Matt Forte doesn’t have much left. Bilal Powell is more of a third-down guy, I think. Powell had a handful of good games last year, but all were against really bad run defenses – Browns, 49ers, Bills. Surprised they didn’t choose a running back until Elijah McGuire in the sixth round.
Philadelphia Eagles. I read something a few weeks back suggesting the Eagles were just waiting for Ryan Mathews to get healthy, then they would release him. They’ve got tiny Darren Sproles. They’ve got Wendell Smallwood, who’s not much bigger. So I though we’d see a running back in the first three rounds. Only one chosen, Donnel Pumphrey in the fourth round, and he weighs only 176 pounds – 14 less than Sproles.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Doug Martin was terrible last year and is suspended for the first three games. I thought they’d be looking to cut him loose and save some money. They’ve got Charles Sims and Jacquizz Rodgers, but nobody thinks of them as starting-caliber guys. Peyton Barber wouldn’t make most rosters. But no running backs chosen until the Jeremy McNichols in the fifth round. Like Martin, played at Boise State.
Washington. They seem to have given up on Matt Jones. They were trying to trade him for a cup of coffee during the draft. Robert Kelley had a nice year last year, but he’s got limited ability – he played four years at Tulane, and they never wanted to make him their starting tailback. So I thought a selection of a big-time runner was coming. Instead, only one chosen was Samaje Perine in the fourth round. Perine ran for a record 427 yards against Kansas as a freshman, but he got worse every year and ran a 4.65 at the combine (almost as slow as Kelley). He was part of a one-two punch last year, and Oklahoma looked a lot better when Joe Mixon was on the field. Mixon has a lot more speed and averaged 1.4 more yards per carry. Saddled with the assault video baggage, Mixon wasn’t even on a lot of draft boards, yet still went two rounds earlier than Perine. Washington will be fine on third downs with Chris Thompson. On regular downs, they’ll need to get by with some combination of Kelley, Perine and Jones, and I’m not sure there’s an adequate runner there.
—Ian Allan
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