Crystal Ball for Falcons' Bijan Robinson: Predicting RB Contracts

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson could be concerned for his financial future - relatively speaking - following a rough time for Pro Bowl running backs in the NFL.

The lack of long-term extensions available to star running backs could indicate a rough road ahead for rookie running back Bijan Robinson and a massive second contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

Obviously we are a) speaking relatively and b) looking far in the future, as Atlanta has contractual control for five years. And maybe Bijan will be the back that stems the tide. But for now ...

Robinson has been anointed as the next version of New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley, but perhaps that role isn’t quite as glamorous as it’s made to sound. Along with Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs and Dallas Cowboys rusher Tony Pollard, Barkley was one of the three Pro Bowl running backs to get franchise tagged.

In a modern NFL that’s devalued the running back position, Robinson is making the most of any running back from his very first year in Atlanta thanks to his $12.8 million signing bonus. His combined total of guaranteed cash is $13.72 million, over $1.5 million more than the second-highest running back, the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, at $12 million.

Though he isn’t atop the league’s highest-paid running backs when it comes to his season average for the duration of his rookie deal, this year may very well mark the most he’ll make in the NFL. Year after year, the financial commitment organizations are willing to give one of the league’s most physical positions seems to decrease.

Every few years, there seems to be the next great running back coming out of college. Barkley was once considered the next Todd Gurley. Unfortunately, as Falcons fans should remember, the former All-Pro ended his career in Atlanta at just the age of 26, after the Los Angles Rams cut him years before he could complete his four-year contract worth up to $57.5 million.

While the excitement of making it into the NFL is sure to carry Robinson into Falcons training camp, when the adrenaline wears off, he will surely eventually look at how some of the recent running backs to be drafted in the top 10 have been treated following their rookie deals as he figures out how to manage his money ...

And maybe figures out how to be a leader not only of the Falcons, but of a new movement to compensate running backs.

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