
A Closer Look at Every Team's RB Situation Heading into 2015
Contrary to popular belief, the running back position is alive and well in the National Football League.
There was certainly plenty of interest this offseason when we saw not only the 2013 NFL rushing champion (DeMarco Murray) change teams via trade but the 2014 league leader in the same category (LeSean McCoy) leave for greener pastures (literally) as well.
So the goal here is to address every club’s situation in the backfield behind the quarterback as it stands at the moment. These days, it is a backfield-by-committee league more than ever, but we will get you up to snuff on any changes on the depth chart and what they may mean for their respective teams.
From Arizona to Washington, we will preview the squads in alphabetical order and try to tell you what to expect in 2015.
These days, won’t it be nice to just talk about football and what could happen on the field this season?
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
Over the past three seasons, the Arizona Cardinals have finished 32nd, 23rd and 31st, respectively, in the NFL in rushing yards.
In 2014, only the Oakland Raiders gained fewer yards on the ground in the league. Andre Ellington led the team in rushing (660) and total yards from scrimmage (1,055) despite missing the stretch run. Kerwynn Williams and Stepfan Taylor ran for a combined 454 yards, but when it was all said and done, the Cards managed a mere 81.8 yards per game rushing.
Bob McManaman of AZCentral Sports has the interesting lowdown on 2015 third-round pick David Johnson of Northern Iowa, who hopes to aid Bruce Arians’ cause this upcoming season as well.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
One year after ranking dead last in the league in yards gained on the ground, the Atlanta Falcons improved their performance in this department. Of course, running for an average of just 93.6 yards per game isn’t anything to get too excited about.
Still, this is a team that has gotten away from the running game in recent years. Now new head coach Dan Quinn and new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan certainly hope to change the fortunes of a team that has been held below 100 yards rushing in 34 of its last 48 regular-season contests.
With Steven Jackson released and Jacquizz Rodgers now with the Chicago Bears, could the answer be 2014 fourth-round pick Devonta Freeman? He finished second on the team with 248 yards rushing on 65 carries as a rookie and added 30 receptions.
Third-round selection and former Indiana Hoosier Tevin Coleman is in the mix, as is intriguing veteran Antone Smith. But the biggest question is, just how committed will these Falcons be to the run?
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
While quarterback Joe Flacco was busy throwing 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions during the Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl run in 2012, running backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce were helping make life easier for the strong-armed signal-caller.
This past season, there was no Rice, while earlier this year the team released Pierce—both departures were due to off-the-field issues.
This offseason, the Ravens re-signed Justin Forsett to a three-year deal after the journeyman runner gained a career-high 1,266 yards rushing in 2014. It was quite the turnaround for a Baltimore offense that had totaled 1,328 yards on the ground the previous year—a franchise low.
Forsett, who ranked fifth in the league in rushing this season, is backed up by former fourth-round pick Lorenzo Taliaferro, who ran for 292 yards and four touchdowns on 68 carries in 2014. Head coach John Harbaugh will also be taking a look at another fourth-rounder this summer in rookie Javorius Allen from USC.
Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
When it comes to the running game, the Buffalo Bills have had their ups and downs the past two seasons.
In 2013, only the Philadelphia Eagles (led by NFL rushing champion LeSean McCoy) gained more yards on the ground. This past year, only eight teams in the league ran for more yards than the Birds.
Ironically, the solution for general manager Doug Whaley and new head coach Rex Ryan is indeed McCoy, who they acquired via trade from the Birds. He joins a backfield that includes Fred Jackson (525 yards), Anthony Dixon (432) and one-time Philadelphia teammate Bryce Brown (300), who combined for only 1,257 yards on the ground in 2014, 62 yards fewer than McCoy ran for this past season with the Eagles.
Fifth-round pick Karlos Williams (Florida State) hopes to lend a hand as a rookie, but the majority of the handoffs will go to McCoy. Just who will be in charge of getting him the ball is another story.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
Back in 2009, Carolina Panthers running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart became the first pair of teammates to each run for 1,100-plus yards in the same season. It marks the last time an NFL team boasted a pair of 1,000-yard runners in the same year.
Then again, it was also the last time the Panthers had any back gain at least 1,000 yards on the ground. This season, they are hoping that Stewart, hampered considerably by injuries as of late, can pick up where he left off late last season and in the playoffs. More than half (486) of his team-high 809 yards came in the final five games of 2014, and he added 193 yards rushing in two postseason tilts.
As for Williams, the franchise’s all-time rushing leader, he was released this offseason and latched on with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Spelling Stewart, for the most part, will be Fozzy Whittaker and former Jacksonville Jaguars runner Jordan Todman.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
There was a lot more wrong with the Chicago Bears offense in 2014 than much-maligned quarterback Jay Cutler.
Start with running back Matt Forte, who set an NFL record for receptions by a running back in a season with 102 catches. While that was 28 catches more than in 2013, it also meant 23 fewer carries and 301 fewer yards on the ground for the NFL’s second-leading ground-gainer the previous season. The Bears fell to 27th in the league in rushing in 2014, which didn’t help the cause of a porous defense.
Forte returns for his eighth season and will be joined by free-agent pickup Jacquizz Rodgers, who could pick up some of those receptions. Ka’Deem Carey saw limited carries as a rookie this past season, and new head coach John Fox and new offensive coordinator Adam Gase will also be taking a look at rookie Jeremy Langford.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
It’s somewhat ironic that the Cincinnati Bengals have struck gold at the running back position in the second round of the draft in consecutive years. Unfortunately for the team, the Bengals can’t seem to reach the second round of the playoffs.
Be that as it may, 2013 pick Giovani Bernard and 2014 selection Jeremy Hill both enjoyed stellar rookie years, the latter with a team-high 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this past season. Bernard followed up his strong debut campaign with 1,029 yards from scrimmage (680 yards rushing, 349 yards receiving) and seven scores despite missing three games. Cincinnati finished sixth in the NFL in rushing offense in 2014.
While you may get a brief glimpse of Cedric Peerman and/or Rex Burkhead on occasion, Hill and Bernard make for a busy and productive duo.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
With the talent that the Cleveland Browns had a running back this past season, you would think they would have shown better when it came to running the football.
Then again, no thanks to the team’s situation at quarterback, as well as an October injury to former Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, the offense didn’t exactly spend its share of significant time on the field.
This past year, Terrance West (673) and Isaiah Crowell (603), who teamed for 1,280 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns, eventually made 2014 free-agent pickup Ben Tate very expendable, and he was cut loose during the season. General manager Ray Farmer added former University of Miami running back Duke Johnson in the third round this year.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
There’s seemingly nowhere to go but down after you lose the league’s top rusher in 2014 via free agency…and to a division rival no less.
The fact is that 2014 NFL Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray and his 1,845 yards rushing are now in Philadelphia with Chip Kelly and his Eagles. The Cowboys did not add a running back in the 2015 draft, so it will be up to incumbents such as Lance Dunbar and Joseph Randle, as well as free-agent pickup Darren McFadden, to pick up those lost yards behind the Cowboys’ Pro Bowl-laden offensive line.
Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram reminds us that Ryan Williams, a one-time second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals who spent all of 2014 on Dallas’ practice squad, could factor in as well.
Could it be that it will take four men to replace Murray in Big D? Stay tuned.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
Be it due to a change of philosophy or a less-than-healthy Peyton Manning, when the sun set on the Denver Broncos' 2014 campaign the team had finished with 98 fewer yards rushing from the previous season and ranked 15th in the NFL in this vital category for a second consecutive year.
With running backs Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman hampered by injuries, C.J. Anderson seized the moment, rushing for 648 yards and five touchdowns in the final six games. He’s now the main man in the backfield, with Ball, Hillman and second-year pro Juwan Thompson (who ran for 272 yards rushing and three scores in 2014) still in the picture as well.
You can bet new head coach Gary Kubiak will be putting even more emphasis on the ground game this upcoming season.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
While the Detroit Lions were back in the playoffs for the second time in four years this past season, the team was led by its reliable defense and some timely fourth-quarter heroics via quarterback Matthew Stafford and company.
As for the running game, only four teams in the NFL gained fewer yards on the ground than Jim Caldwell’s club. Veteran Reggie Bush was limited to 11 games and 297 yards rushing and was released this offseason. Joique Bell filled the void with 860 yards and seven scores, while Theo Riddick was a bigger factor in terms of the passing attack, catching 34 passes for 316 yards and four touchdowns.
Better play from the offensive line would help the Lions cause, as could the addition of rookie fullback Mike Burton (Rutgers). And what role will 2015 second-round pick Ameer Abdullah play this upcoming season?
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
For those who think 2014 NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is a one-man show for the Green Bay Packers, think again.
After a sluggish start, second-year running back Eddie Lacy would not only finish the year with 1,139 yards rushing and nine touchdowns but surprised some by catching 42 passes for 427 yards and four scores—his reception total was third-best on the team.
Lacy will once again be backed up by James Starks, who rushed for 333 yards and a pair of scores on 85 carries and was also effective in limited action in the playoffs this past year. Pro Bowl fullback John Kuhn will get the occasional goal-line carries, but Lacy is emerging as one of the game’s more reliable runners.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
It’s safe to assume that a team that won seven more games than the previous season did a lot of things right in 2014.
Bill O’Brien’s first season at the helm of the Houston Texans featured a lot of positives despite the fact the club fell short of the playoffs. One was a ground attack that finished fifth in the league in yards gained—averaging an impressive 135.1 yards per game this past season.
Arian Foster remains one of the best players in the league at his position, and last year’s 1,246 yards rushing was the sixth-highest total in the league. The versatile runner scored a total of 13 touchdowns, eight on the ground and five more receiving. Foster also threw a touchdown pass in the team’s Week 16 win over the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens.
As a rookie, Alfred Blue chipped in with 528 yards rushing, and he and recently acquired Chris Polk provide more than adequate depth.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
You have to go back to 2007 to see the last time this franchise sported a 1,000-yard rushing performance, that being Joseph Addai.
Now the Indianapolis Colts are hoping that veteran Frank Gore, with eight such seasons in 10 years with the San Francisco 49ers, can spark a ground attack that has been ranked 20th or less in the NFL all three years under quarterback Andrew Luck.
Now that the two-year Trent Richardson experiment is over, Gore is hoping that he, Dan Herron and Vick Ballard (who is looking to bounce back from two injury-plagued years) can provide Pep Hamilton’s offense with some much-needed balance. Ballard spoke late last month to Colts.com about his latest comeback attempt.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken some significant steps in an attempt to bolster the league’s 21st-ranked ground attack in 2014. One was the addition of free-agent right tackle Jermey Parnell, late of the Dallas Cowboys. The signing of center Stefen Wisniewski could be a big help as well.
As far as the running backs, Denard Robinson led the club with 582 yards rushing, while Toby Gerhart chipped in with 326 yards on the ground. General manager David Caldwell drafted University of Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon in the second ground and signed Baltimore Ravens castoff Bernard Pierce this offseason.
Quarterback Blake Bortles, sacked 55 times this past season, could use all the help he can get.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
There’s little question that Jamaal Charles is one of the premier players at his position in the league. And head coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have taken vast advantage of his versatility the past two seasons.
The four-time Pro Bowler ran for a career-best 1,509 yards in 2012 and scored five touchdowns. Charles added 236 yards and a score on 35 catches that year.
Under Reid, it’s been a different story and an impressive one. The seven-year veteran has scored 33 touchdowns and amassed 3,314 total yards from scrimmage in his last 30 regular-season outings. There’s also Knile Davis, who added 463 yards rushing and six touchdowns when Charles was unavailable.
Will we also see more of versatile De’Anthony Thomas in 2015, who touched the ball as a runner, pass-catcher and kickoff/punt returner this past season?
Miami Dolphins
17 of 32
The Miami Dolphins featured one of the more improved running games in the league this past season, one year after Joe Philbin’s squad averaged just 90.0 yards per game on the ground in 2013.
It was a banner year for Lamar Miller, who ran for 1,009 yards and eight scores on just 216 attempts—an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. When you add in 275 yards and a touchdown on 38 catches, he provided ample support for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
While the Dolphins have opted not to re-sign Daniel Thomas, they still have reserves such as Damien Williams, LaMichael James, Mike Gillislee and rookie Jay Ajayi.
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 32
The big question for the Minnesota Vikings is not whether running back Adrian Peterson can still play football. It is whether he will play football for the team that has employed him since 2007.
As time passes, it looks more likely that the 2012 league MVP will remain with the Purple Gang following a year in which he played in only one game and was then shelved by the league for his off-the-field issues.
In his place were Matt Asiata (570) and Jerick McKinnon (538), who combined for 1,108 yards rushing and nine rushing touchdowns—all by Asiata. Keep an eye on free-agent pickup DuJuan Harris, formerly of the Green Bay Packers.
Most of all, keep an eye on Peterson and what he’s capable of in 2015, wherever that may be. And that’s likely in the Twin Cities.
New England Patriots
19 of 32
The New England Patriots always seem to have a stable of running backs at their disposal, and their ability to have interchangeable parts has always served them well.
Entering this season, a couple of notable names have moved on via free agency in the form of Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley. LeGarrette Blount returns after rejoining the club last November, with Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden and James White in the picture as well. Blount will miss the season opener versus the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a league suspension.
The Patriots added free agent Travaris Cadet this offseason, although his main role could be as the team’s kickoff return artist.
New Orleans Saints
20 of 32
Had Mark Ingram stayed healthy this past season, the New Orleans Saints may have seen something they haven’t since the first year head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees arrived in the Big Easy.
The last time the franchise featured a 1,000-yard rusher was Deuce McAllister back in 2006. Ingram came close this past season, totaling 964 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground in just 13 games. The 2011 first-round pick was re-signed to a four-year contract this offseason, but that wasn’t the biggest news when it came to the Saints backfield.
While underrated veteran Pierre Thomas was cut loose, the team added C.J. Spiller, who could revive some memories of Darren Sproles in terms of big-play potential on offense and special teams. Khiry Robinson remains in the picture as well, and the Saints added Marcus Murphy in the seventh round of this year’s draft.
New York Giants
21 of 32
The lack of a running game and Tom Coughlin are two sets of words not often seen in the same sentence.
However, after ranking 29th in the league in rushing in 2013, the New York Giants were a mediocre 23rd in the NFL in the same category this past season.
While the team added free-agent running back Shane Vereen this offseason, he will be a target for quarterback Eli Manning in terms of the passing game. The tandem of Andre Williams and Rashad Jennings, who combined for 1,360 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns, will look to be much more productive in 2015.
Yes, there are those who will point out that the team was ranked dead last in the league in rushing in 2011 when Coughlin and Co. went on to win Super Bowl XLVI. But that club also averaged 28 carries and 116.5 yards per game on the ground in four postseason contests.
In 2015, an improved running game could also aid a defensive unit that had its own problems stopping the run this past season.
New York Jets
22 of 32
With so much emphasis on the New York Jets' failures in 2014, it is important to note that only two teams in the NFL gained more yards rushing than the green and white this past season.
Chris Ivory led the team with 821 yards rushing and six touchdowns and will now be spelled by free-agent pickup Stevan Ridley, who missed the New England Patriots championship stretch run a year ago. The Jets also sent a seventh-round pick to the St. Louis Rams for Zac Stacy, while Bilal Powell returns for his fifth NFL season.
New head coach Todd Bowles and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey inherit a club that averaged 142.5 yards per game on the ground and rushed for 100-plus yards in all but three games.
Now if Geno Smith or offseason acquisition Ryan Fitzpatrick can consistently hold onto the football this year, the Jets offense may be worth watching.
Oakland Raiders
23 of 32
While no team in the league gained fewer yards rushing than the Oakland Raiders this past season, there seems to be a quiet optimism surrounding a new-look running back corps.
It’s not all new, but it no longer includes former first-round pick Darren McFadden, who in 2014 finally played all 16 games but managed to rush for only 534 yards and two touchdowns.
Promising Latavius Murray figures to get the bulk of the carries this season, and when he has been available he has flashed big-play ability. The newcomers include Roy Helu, who spent four seasons with the Washington Redskins, and 2012 third overall pick Trent Richardson, now with this third NFL team in four years.
Fullback Marcel Reese doesn’t get a lot of carries but is a valuable part of the passing attack.
So just how dismal was the running attack in 2014? The Raiders were not only held below 100 yards rushing in a dozen games this past year but failed to total at least 20 rushing attempts in nine contests. That’s something that has to change dramatically if this club has any notion of posting its first winning season since 2002.
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 32
In his first two seasons as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, Chip Kelly has stressed the running game and has gotten impressive results.
Now for the first time he’ll attempt to do it without workhorse LeSean McCoy, who has carried the ball a combined 626 times the past two seasons for the Birds but is now a member of the Buffalo Bills.
This offseason, the team replaced 2013 NFL rushing champion McCoy with 2014 league rushing leader DeMarco Murray and in the process robbed the defending NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys of a important cog in their attack.
Kelly also signed Ryan Mathews away from the San Diego Chargers, and he and Murray join explosive Darren Sproles to form a potent trio. And it wouldn’t be a Kelly team if there wasn’t a former Oregon Duck (Kenjon Barner) in the mix.
Still, both Murray and Mathews have battled injuries throughout their brief careers, so who knows how this will all shake out in 2015 despite the impressive names.
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 32
Can the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, ranked second overall in the league in 2014, overcome the early-season loss of All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell?
We saw what the team’s offense looked like without their star performer in last season’s playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Now due to a league suspension, the versatile component will miss the first three games of the regular season.
In his place are veteran DeAngelo Williams and second-year pro Dri Archer, but taking over for the 2013 second-round pick is a somewhat Herculean task. Bell finished second in the NFL in rushing yards (1,361) and total yards from scrimmage (2,215), and his 83 catches for 854 yards were second only to All-Pro wideout Antonio Brown on the team.
It figures to be an interesting start of the season in the Steel City.
St. Louis Rams
26 of 32
While the St. Louis Rams wait for rookie running back Todd Gurley, the 10th overall selection in this year’s draft, to get fully healthy, their running game is currently clearly in the hands (and feet) of Tre Mason.
The latter would emerge as Jeff Fisher’s leading rusher in 2014 with 765 yards and four touchdowns but was less effective as a pass-catcher. The Rams made Gurley the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft despite the fact that he’s still rehabbing from a torn ACL that cut short his 2014 season with the Georgia Bulldogs. Tom Corbett of USA Today has the latest on the standout performer’s status.
So it’s Mason along with familiar faces such as Benny Cunningham and 2012 second-rounder Isaiah Pead. Following the selection of Gurley, two-year pro Zac Stacy expressed his desire to go elsewhere and was dealt to the New York Jets.
San Diego Chargers
27 of 32
On the first night of the 2015 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers traded up two spots in the first round and grabbed University of Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon.
It was a logical move for a team that gained all of 1,367 yards rushing this past season, 478 yards less than 2014 NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray. Only the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals gained fewer yards on the ground than the Bolts this past year.
Health was a major issue in 2014 as Ryan Mathews (now with the Philadelphia Eagles) missed 10 games and versatile Danny Woodhead was lost in the season opener, while Branden Oliver and Donald Brown did their best to take up the slack.
Now it will be up to Gordon to lead the charge. And if Woodhead can remain healthy and once again be an effective receiver for quarterback Philip Rivers, this offense should bounce back from an uneven year.
San Francisco 49ers
28 of 32
For the first time since 2004, the San Francisco 49ers will be sans running back Frank Gore, who in 10 seasons with the team gained a franchise-record 11,073 yards rushing. Now he’s a member of the Indianapolis Colts, and the passing of the torch goes from Dr. Gore to Mister Hyde.
That’s Carlos Hyde, the Niners’ second-round pick in 2014 who ran for 333 yards and four touchdowns on 83 carries as a rookie. Veteran Reggie Bush, late of the Detroit Lions, will provide support in his 10th NFL campaign, while Kendall Hunter looks to rebound in a big way after missing all of 2014 with a torn ACL.
Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com has the latest on what is shaping up as an interesting backfield in San Francisco.
Seattle Seahawks
29 of 32
We are aware that the Seattle Seahawks led the entire National Football League in rushing yards last season. However, we are here to talk about the team’s running back situation and not the feet of quarterback Russell Wilson.
The two-time NFC champions averaged a robust 172.6 yards per game on the ground one season ago, and Lynch was his usual effective self, running for 1,306 yards, finishing third on the team with 37 catches for 367 yards and leading the league with 17 total touchdowns (13 rushing, four receiving).
Back to Wilson, whose 849 rushing yards was the fifth-highest total by a quarterback since the merger in 1970.
That certainly helps Seattle’s cause, but will we see significantly more carries this year from Robert Turbin and Christine Michael? Lynch enters his ninth NFL season and has amassed 2,033 carries in the regular season alone.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
Following a brilliant rookie season by 2012 first-round pick Doug Martin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ground attack has gone backward the last two seasons.
That’s due in part to injuries to a performer who rolled up an impressive 1,926 total yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns in his debut campaign but has missed a combined 15 games the past two seasons.
The Bucs have already decided not to pick up Martin’s contract option for 2016, but where does that leave the team now? He, Bobby Rainey and Mike James all return, as does 2014 third-round selection Charles Sims, who according to PewterReport.com (via Twitter) will be rookie quarterback Jameis Winston’s main man in the backfield this fall.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
This past season, the Tennessee Titans were hoping that 2014 second-round pick Bishop Sankey would be the main cog in a ground attack that had featured three-time Pro Bowler Chris Johnson for six seasons—all resulting in 1,000-plus yards on the ground.
Of course, a lot of things went wrong this past season for the Titans, who enter 2015 with 10 consecutive losses. The team ranked 26th in the league in rushing and failed to crack the century mark on the ground in 12 of its 16 contests.
Sankey returns after leading Tennessee with 569 yards rushing this past season and is rejoined by Shonn Greene and versatile Dexter McCluster. The Titans added David Cobb in the fifth round in this year’s draft. It should also be noted that no player on this club carried the ball at least 20 times in any game in 2014.
Washington Redskins
32 of 32
Over the past three seasons, running back Alfred Morris has started every game for the Washington Redskins and has amassed 876 carries for 3,962 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns.
With former starter Roy Helu opting for free agency, new general manager Scot McCloughan looked to add a little depth in the backfield and used a third-round pick on University of Florida running back Matt Jones. Silas Redd and Chris Thompson are in the picture as well.
You have to marvel at the consistency of Morris, who has been named to the last two Pro Bowls. The former sixth-round pick has totaled double-digit carries in all but one of his 48 starts and has totaled 20-plus rushing attempts in 19 outings over three seasons.
All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.
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