Free Agency 2020: King Henry on the Backfield Throne

For Green Bay, fullback Danny Vitale and returner/rusher/receiver Tyler Ervin are set to be unrestricted free agents.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Depending on the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement, NFL free agency will begin on March 18 and the so-called legal-tampering period – when teams can officially begin negotiations with free agents – is March 16. With that, here is our preview of the top 10 free-agent running backs. (Age at the start of the new league-year is in parentheses.)

FIRST, THE PACKERS’ OUTLOOK

Fullback Danny Vitale and running back/returner Tyler Ervin are among the Packers’ 14 unrestricted free agents.

Vitale had a strong training camp and looked like he’d be a key player in the offense. Instead, in his 15 games, he played 170 snaps, rushed once for 3 yards and caught seven passes for 97 yards. He was third on the team with 228 snaps on special teams and second with five special-teams tackles. When he was injured at the end of the season, tight end Jace Sternberger capably took over the fullback snaps.

“I just think it never limits you in terms of what personnel you want to use. But you’ve got to have the right people to do it, and I think we’re both in a position we have really good fullbacks,” coach Matt LaFleur said in November ahead of a matchup against the 49ers, who frequently feature fullback Kyle Juszczyk. “I just think it adds another dimension to your offense, especially if you have a guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield. I think traditionally, most people think ‘fullback’ and they think you’re just in there as a thumper to go block. I think the way we’ve both used the guys that we’re fortunate enough to have is a little bit unique.”

Ervin saved the special teams. In the first 12 games, Green Bay had minus-8 yards on punt returns. In Ervin’s four games, he returned 11 punts for 106 yards. He finished with a 9.6-yard average on punt returns and a 26.7-yard average on kickoff returns. He got some touches at running back and receiver, too – one carry for 10 yards, two catches for 15 yards – with the Packers desperate to find a playmaker.

“Tyler did a great job, not only from the return aspect,” LaFleur said at the Scouting Combine. “I felt like that’s where our special teams started to take a turn for the better is when we picked him up. He is a versatile guy. We were able to play him a little bit more and more as the season progressed. If I have my way, yeah, I’d love to have him back.”

With Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and Dexter Williams, the Packers do not have a pressing need.

OUR TOP 10

Derrick Henry, Tennessee (26): Henry will be the latest litmus test on running back pay. He led the NFL with 1,540 rushing yards and tied for the lead with Green Bay’s Aaron Jones with 16 rushing touchdowns in almost literally carrying the Titans to the AFC Championship Game. According to Pro Football Focus, Henry rushed for 1,268 yards after contact. Only four running backs had more total rushing yards than that prodigious figure. However, he’s not much of a receiving threat, his five fumbles were second-most among running backs and he’s got a lot of wear and tear. Not only did he pace the NFL with 303 carries in 2019, he had a staggering 395 carries during his final season at Alabama. At 247 pounds, Henry’s body probably is capable of carrying the load for at least a few more years but, with a running back, you never know.

Melvin Gordon, L.A. Chargers (26): Speaking of running back pay, nobody knows how that works more than Gordon. After averaging 907 rushing yards, 46 receptions and 9.5 total touchdowns in his first four seasons, Gordon held out in 2019 rather than play under the fifth-year option of his contract. Gordon’s holdout accomplished nothing other than letting him sit out the first four games of the season. In 12 games, he rushed for 612 yards (3.8 average) and caught 42 passes. He is one of top three-down backs in the league but he’s got wear-and-tear concerns dating to his 569 touches during his final two seasons at Wisconsin. Of 45 backs with at least 100 carries, he was a woeful 41st with 2.46 yards after contact per carry, according to PFF. Plus, he fumbled four times. He’ll turn 27 in April.

Kenyan Drake, Arizona (26): Drake was traded from Miami to Arizona at midseason. It was a brilliant move by the Cardinals – if they can keep him. In eight games, Drake rushed for 643 yards (5.2 average) and eight touchdowns and caught 28 passes. He was 32nd with 2.69 yards after contact per carry. For his career, Drake has averaged 4.8 yards per carry; he’s caught 103 passes the last two seasons.

“He’s certainly a guy we would like to have back but not sure what the market is going to do,” Cardinals GM Steve Keim said at the Scouting Combine. “I do know this: He took full advantage of his opportunity. I was really proud to see not only his work ethic but the skill-set he has is so unique, his ability to run, stretch the way he does, ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.”

Lamar Miller, Houston (28): Miller missed the 2019 season with a torn ACL, ending a streak of five consecutive seasons with at least 870 rushing yards. In his previous three seasons with the Texans, he rushed for 2,934 yards (4.1 average) and added 92 receptions. In 2018, he ranked 10th among backs with 3.24 yards after contact per carry. He’ll turn 29 at the start of the draft. Injured and old-ish (by running back standards, anyway) isn’t a great combination.

Carlos Hyde, Houston (28): With Lamar Miller missing the entire season, it was Hyde to the rescue with a blast-from-the-past season. After back-to-back seasons of 930-plus rushing yards with the 49ers in 2016 and 2017, Hyde rushed for a not-so-grand total of 571 yards with the Browns and Jaguars in 2018. After Miller’s injury, the Texans acquired Hyde in a trade with Kansas City. Hyde rushed for 1,070 yards. While he caught 59 passes for the Niners in 2017, the passing game is not his forte. Of 45 backs with at least 100 carries in 2019, the big guy was an uninspiring 27th with 2.78 yards after contact per carry.

Theo Riddick, Denver (28): Riddick missed the entire 2019 season with a shoulder injury. Riddick spent his first six seasons in Detroit, where he caught 285 passes and carried the ball 288 times. He caught at least 53 passes in each of his final four seasons with the Lions, including 80 receptions in 2015 and 61 in 2018.

Chris Thompson, Washington (29): Thompson is one of the top third-down backs in the league. He’s caught at least 35 passes in each of his last five seasons, including 42 receptions for 378 yards in 2019. As is the case for Riddick, Thompson is more of a threat as a receiver than a runner. For his career, he has 212 receptions vs. 250 rushes.

Jordan Howard, Philadelphia (25): Howard, who rushed for 3,370 yards and caught 72 passes in his first three seasons with Chicago, was shipped to the Eagles last offseason in exchange for a sixth-round pick. He rushed for 525 yards (4.4 average) and caught 10 passes in 10 games, missing the final six with a shoulder injury. He was 24th with 2.93 yards after contact per carry.

DeAndre Washington, Oakland (27): Washington had seasons of 34 receptions in 2017 and 36 receptions in 2019. He rushed for 387 yards in 2019, giving him a three-year total of 1,122 rushing yards (4.0 average) and seven touchdowns.

Devontae Booker, Denver (27): Booker was a fourth-round pick in 2016 after piling up 2,773 rushing yards and 80 receptions in two seasons at Utah. He’s been a huge disappointment, though, who fell off the face of the Earth last year with two carries for 9 yards in 16 games. However, he caught 99 passes in his first three seasons. Draft grades tend to matter, meaning Booker is worthy of another look.