under Pete Carroll have been dinged for primarily their draft capital investment in running backs, as opposed to long-term contract extensions. Seattle drafted Rashaad Penny in Round 1 back in 2018, and Christine Michael in Round 2 in 2013. They’ve taken second-round running backs Ken Walker and Zach Charbonnet in back-to-back drafts, which in itself has raised eyebrows, and I’ve also been a critic of the process.
As some have noted, Charbonnet is not under contract yet, so that will add about $900,000 to this number for this year when he signs, via OTC. That would move Seattle up to about $6.2 million or so and about 27th overall. But general, overall point remains.What’s the end game? Owners aren’t saving any money for themselves by paying running backs less.
Any conversation about RB pay and fairness has to mention the fact that they spend the bulk of their prime working for free, then playing on a cost-controlled contractWe now have a process in which running backs aren’t getting paid at the amateur level, and then they enter the NFL Draft where fewer players at the position are getting taken in Round 1.
I ask again, how can this position survive in the NFL in the long-term under the current and future pay structure? The best high school and college backs will be aware of this trend and likely urged to switch positions... and no, not everyone can be as versatile as Marshall Faulk or Christian McCaffrey. Just because the position is more fungible than others doesn’t mean there isn’t a clear difference between good backs and bad ones.
It’s a pass-first league and more quarterbacks run the ball than ever before. Deebo Samuel may not be a unique dual threat as WR/RB in the years to come, which could siphon more carries from traditional running backs. Barring massive league-wide schematic changes and/or rule changes that, the position as we know it is not reverting back to its level of importance from the 1970s-1990s.