This offseason, there was plenty of movement around the National Football League. When it came to the running back position, notables such as Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones have new homes in 2024. The former was able to test free agency and landed with the Baltimore Ravens. Jones was released by the Green Bay Packers and inked a deal with the rival Minnesota Vikings.
However, the focus here is on three standouts that were all in similar situations in 2023. Each hit the free-agent market in early March, and all three earned a lucrative deal this offseason. While there’s only been one full week of action in NFL 2024, it’s interesting to note the impressive starts by the trio.
From franchise tag to getting the bag
In 2023, six players were given the “franchise” tag by their teams, and three of them were running backs. The Dallas Cowboys tagged Tony Pollard, the Las Vegas Raiders did the same to Josh Jacobs, and the New York Giants slapped the tag on Saquon Barkley. Each of the three inked one-year deals, then hit the open market six months ago.
Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans)
Titans’ general manager Ran Carthon rewarded the former Dallas Cowboys’ standout with a three-year, $21.0 million deal this offseason. Pollard spent most of his career sharing time with Ezekiel Elliott, but became much more of the focal point out of the backfield in 2022 and ’23. He ran for 1,000-plus yards in each of those seasons, and also totaled 1,300-plus yards from scrimmage each year.
Versatile Tony Pollard scored a total of 18 touchdowns over that span, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022. In last week’s debut with the Titans, he led all players with 82 yards rushing and a score, and finished with 94 yards from scrimmage.
Josh Jacobs (Green Bay Packers)
The former University of Alabama star was one of three first-round picks by the Raiders in 2019. He was a solid performer during his first three seasons, running for 1,000-plus yards twice and earning Pro Bowl accolades in 2020.
Inexplicably, the Raiders opted not to pick up the fifth-year option in the summer of ’22. Josh Jacobs would go on to lead the NFL in rushing yards (1,653) and eventually earn All-Pro honors that season. He hit the open market this spring and the Packers came up with a four-year, $48 million deal. He had his moments last Friday vs. the Eagles, totaling 104 yards from scrimmage in the 34-29 setback.
Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
He was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, after the New York Giants made him the second overall pick in the draft. Former Penn State star Saquon Barkley finished his career with Big Blue totaling 7,311 yards from scrimmage and 47 touchdowns in 74 regular-season contests. He also ran for two scores during the team’s 2022 two-game playoff run. He left for the division-rival Eagles this offseason to the tune of three years and $37.75 million.
The two-time Pro Bowler did miss three games this past season, but still managed 1,242 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs. That’s quite a figure considering the Giants’ offense managed only 25 touchdowns in 2023. In the Week 1 victory over the Packers in Brazil, Barkley ran for 109 yards and a pair of scores, and also caught an 18-year TD pass.