2012 NFL Free Agency: Power Ranking the Top 10 Running Backs Available

It seems like the lifespan of a running back these days is shorter than summers in London. In a blink of an eye, they're done.

For example, just a few years after Shaun Alexander won the MVP, he became an absolutely irrelevant player and retired. And when Chris Johnson signed a monster contract with the Tennessee Titans, his output dropped considerably.

Who's to say that the same thing won't happen to free agents like Arian Foster and Ray Rice after they sign their contracts this year?

They have certainly played well enough to make big money this offseason, but teams should be cautious when signing running backs.

Running backs aren't even that important anymore in the league. The New York Giants were last in rushing this year, but they won the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Maurice Jones-Drew led the league in rushing, and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't do squat.

That said, there's no doubt that a solid running back opens up the pass for all teams. Although the Giants were last in rushing, the emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw in the playoffs made Eli Manning's job easier. 

So although we're not in the Emmitt Smith or Marshall Faulk era anymore, running backs still hold a plethora of value, and these next 10 running backs will be highly sought after in this year's strong free agent class.

1. Arian Foster

Unlike the other nine guys on this list, Arian Foster is a restricted free agent this year. Because of this, he's most likely going to be staying with the Houston Texans.

The Texans can match any offer and, in the worst case, can place a franchise tag on him to prevent him from going anywhere.

That being said, if Foster's asking price is too high, the Texans already have a deadly running back in Ben Tate under contract. Tate rushed for over 900 yards and scored four touchdowns last season, and he has proven that he could be a starting back.

Foster, on the other hand, might be the best back in the league right now. He not only rushed for over 1,200 yards, but he caught over 600 yards, too. He had a total of 12 touchdowns, both receiving and rushing, and was a major part of the Texans' first-ever playoff berth.

Foster will command a lot of attention this offseason and may even get a few offer sheets thrown at him. 

2. Ray Rice

Ray Rice just might be the most valuable unrestricted free agent on the market this year.

After putting up over 2,000 all-purpose yards last year for the Baltimore Ravens, there is no doubt that he'll be commanding top dollar. He also scored 12 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns.

Because of these gaudy numbers, it's easy to think that Rice was the driving force of the Ravens offense, not Joe Flacco. 

The Ravens should understand this and do whatever it takes to keep him wearing a purple and black uniform next season. 

3. Matt Forte

The Chicago Bears have plenty of cap space, and they can easily apply a franchise tag on Matt Forte.

However, the question remains how his injury will affect him. Forte hadn't missed a game until he missed the last four games of this season due to a sprained MCL.

That being said, Forte was pretty much the main offensive driving force for a defensive-minded Bears team that lost Jay Cutler in the middle of the season. 

He posted a career high in yards per game this season with 83.1. He's also a receiving threat who had close to 500 yards in an injury-shortened season. 

4. Marshawn Lynch

Marshawn Lynch took the momentum of his earth-shaking run in the 2010 playoffs and built on it during the 2011 season. He scored 12 rushing touchdowns along with 1,204 rushing yards. 

It was a career year for Lynch, and because of that, he'll be having a big payday soon. 

5. Cedric Benson

Cedric Benson hasn't been the guy who rushed for 96 yards per game back in 2009, but he's still an excellent back who will wreak havoc against opponents.

Benson was able to rush for over a thousand yards for the third consecutive season this year, and he also added six touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals shocked everyone and made the playoffs.

One of Benson's weak points is that he's not a route-running back. He's not going to rack up many receiving yards, but even without that he'll provide a punch from the backfield for any team.

6. BenJarvus Green-Ellis

BenJarvus Green-Ellis has 24 touchdowns in the last two seasons. Is he a beneficiary of the Tom Brady-run offense, or can he actually be an elite back in the NFL?

One stat that shows that he was completely carried by Brady throughout the season is how he has a grand total of zero fumbles in his career.

That's right. Not season, but career. And this isn't just fumbles lost. It's fumbles in general. The ball has never slipped out of his hands.

There's value to that and teams will recognize that. 

7. Peyton Hillis

Peyton Hillis seems like the latest victim of the Madden Curse, and he'll never be successful in the league again.

All right, let's get serious for a second. There are no such things as curses, and there is no reason to believe why Hillis can't return next year after an injury-troubled season and play the way he did back in 2010.

He's a punishing back who might need a change of scenery to get back where he once was. 

That being said, even when he was having a career season with the Cleveland Browns, he had five fumbles lost that season. That glaring stat can't be overlooked.

8. Mike Tolbert

No, he's not LaDainian Tomlinson, but Mike Tolbert was a valuable asset to the San Diego Chargers offense this season. He was a great goal-line back who punched in eight touchdowns and averaged four yards per carry.

In fact, he has scored 19 touchdowns in the last season, and last year he became a receiving threat when he caught 54 balls for 433 yards.

Tolbert's versatility will not go unnoticed by teams, who will be ready to shell out plenty of money to sign him. 

9. Michael Bush

Michael Bush set career highs in rushing attempts, rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards in 2011, and he chose the perfect time to do it. 

He did all of that on a dismal Oakland Raiders team that had a quarterback who was intercepted more often than the x-intercept on a sine curve graph. 

It's amazing how motivated some players get during their contract years. 

Hopefully for whoever signs Bush, "moral hazard" doesn't kick in after he signs his contract.

10. Ryan Grant

It's been a while since Ryan Grant has been a factor. 

He was completely absent during the Green Bay Packers' 2010 Super Bowl run because of injury and only scored two touchdowns this season. 

There will be a market for Grant, but it definitely won't be as big as it could have been if he was a free agent two years ago.