Bang For Your Buck: The 10 Most Productive RBs for Their Salary

One year they can run for 1,880 yards and 27 touchdowns then be out of the league three years later.

They have the shortest shelf life of any position in football, so they must get all the money they can while on top.

These are the top 10 running backs who are making less than they deserve.

This is the third of a three-part series examining the production of offensive skill players. To view the list of the most productive quarterbacks go to:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/423221-bang-for-your-buck-the-10-most-productive-quarterbacks-for-their-salary

For the list of most productive receivers go to:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/425321-bang-for-your-buck-the-10-most-productive-receivers-for-their-salary

Honorable Mention: Thomas Jones

2009 Base Salary: $900,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $641 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $64,285 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,719 per attempt

He was the fifth highest paid running back with the last name Jones, but Thomas Jones was the most productive.

His 1,402 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns were both third best in the NFL last season.

His Jets were the surprise team in the AFC East, making it all the way to the AFC Championship game, where they lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

Next season, Jones will be teaming up in Kansas City with Jamaal Charles.

10. Jerome Harrison

2009 Base Salary: $535,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $620 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $107,000 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,757 per attempt

Harrison was not exactly a standout player in 2009, considering his 862 rushing yards was the 20th best total in the NFL and his five rushing touchdowns were as many as quarterback Aaron Rodgers had, but with a salary of just $535,000, he was one of the leagues most productive players.

He shared the running load for the majority of the season, but in the last three weeks when he was made the feature back, he ran for 561 yards on 106 attempts and the Browns won all three games.

9. Pierre Thomas

2009 Base Salary: $460,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $580 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $76,666 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $3,129 per attempt

While Pierre Thomas is not even the starting running back for the world champion New Orleans Saints, as that honor is given to Reggie Bush on the depth chart, he certainly performed like the starter.

Thomas had 793 yards and six touchdowns on the season, both better than Reggie Bush, who made more per touchdown than Thomas did the entire season.

8. DeAngelo Williams

2009 Base Salary: $645,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $577 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $92,142 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,986 per attempt

DeAngelo Williams was not the leading rusher for the Carolina Panthers in 2009, nor was he the highest paid running back, but he was the most productive rusher on the team and the eighth most productive in the league.

He, along with teammate Jonathan Stewart, headed a rushing attack that ran for 2,498 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season.

7. Adrian Peterson

2009 Base Salary: $755,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $545 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $41,944 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,404 per attempt

Adrian Peterson ran for a very respectable 1,383 yards, fifth best in the league in 2009.

Where he really shined was in his ability to get into the endzone, where his 18 touchdowns led the NFL.

Peterson is hoping more than just about anyone that quarterback Brett Favre will return for a 21st season in 2010, as opposing defenses will have a much easier time stacking the box and shutting Peterson down if they do not have to worry about Favre under center.

6. Fred Jackson

2009 Base Salary: $500,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $470 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $250,000 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,109 per attempt

On a Bills team that lacks many stars, Fred Jackson stands leaps and bounds above the rest.

In his third professional season, Jackson was able to rush for 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

His 2,516 all purpose yards lead the league last season.

Jackson and the Bills must improve on getting the ball into the endzone, as Jackson only had two touchdowns on the season.

5. Matt Forte

2009 Base Salary: $385,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $414 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $96,250 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $1,492 per attempt

Forte failed to reach 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, granted it was only his second professional season.

His 929 yards were more than 300 less than he had in his rookie season while his four touchdowns were half as many as he had in his first season.

Forte's 3.6 yards per carry was the lowest for any back who ran for more than 750 yards.

4. Rashard Mendenhall

2009 Base Salary: $385,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $347 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $55,000 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $1,590 per attempt

Rashard Mendenhall ran for his first career 1,000-yard season, and did so behind a Steelers line that gave up a league-leading 50 sacks in 2009.

With Ben Roethlisberger suspended for the first six games of 2010, much of the offensive burden will likely fall on Mendenhall's shoulders.

3. Jamaal Charles

2009 Base Salary: $385,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $343 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $55,000 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $2,026 per attempt

Another back on this list to have his first career 1,000-yard rushing season, Charles did so on only 190 attempts.

His 5.9 yards an attempt was tied with Felix Jones for the highest average in the league.

He will team up with honorable mention Thomas Jones to form one of the best running back tandems in the league next season.

2. Ray Rice

2009 Base Salary: $385,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $287 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $55,000 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $1,515 per attempt

Following a season in which he ran for 1,339 yards and seven touchdowns, second-year back Ray Rice was named to his first career Pro Bowl in 2009.

He was one of only eight players to have over 2,000 all purpose yards, with 2,041.

His 5.3 yards per rush was the third most for anyone who ran for more than 1,000 yards.

1. Chris Johnson

2009 Base Salary: $385,000
Yard-Dollar Ratio: $191 per yard
Touchdown-Dollar Ratio: $27,500 per touchdown
Attempt-Dollar Ratio: $1,075 per attempt

In just his first two seasons in the NFL, Chris Johnson has run for 3,234 yards and 23 touchdowns, while racking up just three yards less than 4,000 all-purpose yards in that time.

He led the NFL with 2,006 rushing yards and 358 attempts and was tied for third with 14 touchdowns last season.

Johnson also led the league in rushes of 20 or more yards with 22, the next closest running back, Adrian Peterson, only had 12.

Johnson signed a new deal this offseason and will be making a steady $4.2 million next season.