2016 NFL Free Agency: Ideal Landing Spots for Top Remaining Running Backs

The 2016 edition of NFL free agency is now three weeks old, and teams have already scooped up most of the highly coveted players.

Some position groups have a few stragglers still on the market—quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to search for the right deal, for example. However, the market has pretty much been picked clean of high-caliber pass-rushers, offensive linemen, receivers and defensive backs.

One position group that still holds a lot of talent, however, is running back. There are no surefire starters, but several quality backs are still waiting for contracts.

This could be in part because teams don't view the running back position as a priority, partly because plenty of backs should be available in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft.

Remaining free-agent running backs may have to wait until after the draft to land spots as roster fill-ins. However, quality backs such as Ronnie Hillman, Arian Foster, LeGarrette Blount and Tim Hightower are available for any team to sign.

We're going to take a look at the top remaining free-agent backs and pair them with a potentially perfect destination based on factors such as scheme fit, team situation, coaching fit and player skill set.

Just to keep things interesting, we won't match any players with the teams that employed them in 2015.

Arian Foster

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Oakland Raiders

According to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, veteran running back Arian Foster is expected to visit with the Miami Dolphins Tuesday. Adding Foster would make some sense for Miami, as the team lost starting back Lamar Miller in free agency. 

However, it's possible that the Dolphins are simply kicking the tires on Foster at this point. He missed most of last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon and isn't expected to be back to 100 percent until the summer.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, sources indicate that Foster's plan is to be patient and let the right opportunity come to him.

For Foster, the right opportunity might not be in Miami, where the need for a starting-caliber back is present. He has a long injury history and has missed 23 games over the past three seasons. He likely still has talent—he rushed for 1,246 yards just two seasons ago—but Foster might be better suited for a situation where expectations are low.

Depending on what transpires during the draft, Foster could potentially find that situation with the Oakland Raiders. Oakland doesn't have a need at the top of the depth chart, where Pro Bowl rusher Latavius Murray is present. However, the Raiders could use some depth at the position.

If the Raiders don't add a running back early in the draft, it would make sense to bring in an experienced veteran such as Foster. The move would be similar to the Arizona Cardinals' late acquisition of Chris Johnson last year—low risk for the team but with potentially high rewards for both sides.

The Raiders are quickly becoming a trendy playoff pick and are definitely a team on the rise. Foster could provide value as a depth player and potential spot starter and even receive an opportunity to get back into the postseason in return.

The idea of playing for former head coach Gary Kubiak and the Denver Broncos will probably tempt Foster, but he should be equally tempted by the idea of playing beside Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr.

Oakland would also provide a bit of a California homecoming for him, as Foster played his high school ball at San Diego's Mission Bay.

Reggie Bush

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

Ideal Team: New England Patriots

Former first-round draft pick Reggie Bush has spent 10 years in the NFL (which makes me feel old) and is coming off an injury-shortened season—he appeared in just five games for the San Francisco 49ers before suffering a torn meniscus.

Bush has made it clear, though, that he intends to continue his NFL career.

"I'm not retiring," he said earlier this year, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I'm still playing. No, I'm not done. And I would never—knock on wood—I never want to end my career like that, going out with that."

If Bush wants an opportunity to end his career on a high note, he should consider the New England Patriots. They have a history of bringing in veteran players at the late stages of their careers—just last season, injuries opened the door for Steven Jackson to get a chance with the team.

Bush would most likely be a depth player alongside Dion Lewis, James White and Brandon Bolden. However, this is likely the best role for Bush as he makes his return from injury.

The Patriots brought Bush in last offseason for a visit, so the interest was previously there. If Bush is willing to agree to a team-friendly contract, perhaps the two sides could reach a deal this time around. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick must see some value in Bush, who has filled running, receiving and return-specialist roles throughout his NFL career.

Bush is only three years removed from a 1,000-yard rushing season and two years removed from a 40-catch season, both with the Detroit Lions. If he can prove to be the same player he was before last year's injuries, he would be a near perfect fit with the Patriots as a versatile offensive player.

The Patriots would give Bush a legitimate opportunity to go out on top.

LeGarrette Blount

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Miami Dolphins

We've already mentioned that the Dolphins' loss of Lamar Miller has them looking for a starting-caliber running back. At the very least, the team needs to find a complement for the unproven Jay Ajayi, who is likely Miami's best current option at the position. 

Miami might want to look to free agent LeGarrette Blount, who spent the majority of the past three seasons with the AFC East rival New England Patriots.

Blount has proved to be a capable starter, though injuries and off-field issues have kept him from ever nearing elite status. He appeared in 12 games last season before being lost to a hip injury. Blount made six starts and finished with 703 yards rushing, six touchdowns and a 4.3 yards-per-carry average.

Pro Football Focus rated Blount 29th overall among running backs for the 2015 season.

Returning to the Patriots would make a large degree of sense for him, but Miami also has a lot to offer. New head coach Adam Gase should bring an offensive mentality to the Dolphins, and he knows the importance of a quality running back. Gase has worked with the likes of C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford over the past two seasons.

The Dolphins don't have anything close to a clear-cut starter on which Gase can lean. Adding to the position is a definite priority.

"The reason we were trying to do that is we’re looking to having more than one guy," Gase said, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. "Jay is going to be a big part of what we’re doing. I’d like to have multiple backs. Right now, we don’t have a lot of guys on the roster."

Adding Blount would give the Dolphins a player with starting experience within the division. Miami would give him a realistic opportunity to earn a starting job and, at minimum, a chance for a significant role.

Ahmad Bradshaw

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Cleveland Browns

Nine-year veteran Ahmad Bradshaw might not seem like a high-profile free-agent target, and he probably isn't. Injury has shortened each of the Marshall product's past three seasons.

However, Bradshaw does have plenty to offer. He is experienced, a two-time Super Bowl champion and only recently hit the magical 30-year-old mark. The most important factor, though, is that he is extremely and productive when he is healthy.

Bradshaw appeared in 10 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2014, producing 425 yards rushing, 38 receptions, 300 yards receiving and eight total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus rated him 13th overall for the 2014 season.

It's the Colts connection that might just earn Bradshaw an opportunity with the talent-starved Cleveland Browns. Current Browns quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton spent the past three years as Indianapolis' offensive coordinator. He should be familiar with what a healthy Bradshaw can bring to the table.

Current Browns vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry also has roots in Indianapolis. He spent the past four seasons as the Colts' pro scouting director. In fact, Berry might even have had a hand in bringing Bradshaw to Indianapolis.

Because of his injury history, Bradshaw isn't likely to see a lot of opportunities from teams with potent offensive depth charts. The Browns, however, do not fall into this category. Though there is some potential in their backfield, the Browns can use all the help they can get in the talent department.

Bradshaw is a seasoned veteran who knows how to win and should have some experience with what guys like Hamilton and Berry envision for the team. Because of a lack of playmakers, the Browns might be able and willing to offer Bradshaw something in return that other teams won't—an opportunity to get back on the playing field.

Tim Hightower

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Washington Redskins

Veteran running back Tim Hightower was essentially absent from the NFL for four years before returning in 2015, last appearing in a regular-season contest with the Washington Redskins in 2011. The New Orleans Saints gave him his opportunity to return, and Hightower took advantage.

He appeared in eight games for the Saints last season, starting three contests and racking up 375 yards rushing and four scores in the process.

Pro Football Focus rated Hightower 13th overall among running backs for the season.

There's a chance that he will be back in New Orleans by the start of the 2016 season. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported in early March that the Saints were working to bring back the former Richmond standout.

Looking away from New Orleans, though, Hightower might find a favorable opportunity with the Redskins. They have a need for an experienced back now that Alfred Morris will be playing for the rival Dallas Cowboys.

Ironically, it was Morris who claimed Hightower's roster spot with the Redskins back in 2012. Hightower made five starts in Washington back in 2011, rushing for 321 yards and 3.8 yards per carry.

Hightower has experience with the organization even if he has few ties to the current coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Sean McVay was coaching tight ends back in 2011.

A return to Washington would give Hightower an opportunity to compete for playing time alongside Matt Jones and Chris Thompson. Washington, in return, would get a capable ball-carrier who will only turn 30 in May and should have fresh legs after a lengthy break from NFL life.

Hightower would be tremendous insurance against the possibility that neither Jones nor Thompson can carry the load in 2016.

Stevan Ridley

Jerome Davis/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Green Bay Packers

According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Green Bay Packers have been "poking around" on former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman and other ball-carriers.

For Hillman, the question is likely whether or not he'd be willing to go from an offense that relied primarily on two backs to one where he could be the third back on the depth chart. This could potentially be the situation in Green Bay, where the Packers have Eddie Lacy and James Starks under contract.

Assuming Starks can adequately fill the role of receiving back—he did have 43 receptions in 2015—the Packers might actually want to look at Stevan Ridley over Hillman. Ridley isn't the type of change-of-pace back that Hillman can be, but at 5'11" and 220 pounds, he is the type of big, physical bruiser who could spell Lacy on early downs.

There is some risk with Ridley, as injuries have caused him to miss 18 games over the past two seasons. However, the injury history also places him firmly in prove-it mode. Though still young at 27 years old, he hasn't had a productive season since 2013 and may be best served by showcasing his talents on a one-year deal.

As a perennial playoff contender, the Packers would provide Ridley with the perfect place to show off. The team is regularly in the headlines and on national television. Expectations would be relatively low for Ridley, allowing him to focus on making the team and getting back to form.

In 2013, Pro Football Focus rated Ridley 24th overall among running backs.

Green Bay would get a quality depth player with starting experience. Ridley appeared in 30 regular-season games with 18 starts between 2012 and 2013 and produced 2,036 yards rushing in that span. His presence would provide the Packers with a potential spot starter and could possibly pressure Lacy to perform better than he did during his disappointing 2015 season.

Ronnie Hillman

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Chicago Bears

We've mentioned the Packers' reported interest in Ronnie Hillman already. A better fit for the newly crowned Super Bowl champion, however, may be the Packers' division rivals, the Chicago Bears.

We can connect the proverbial dots from Denver to Chicago via Bears head coach John Fox. He served as Hillman's head coach for the running back's first three years in the league.

Fox should be more than familiar with Hillman's skill set and liked the back while in Denver, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

In Chicago, Hillman would potentially split carries with second-year pro Jeremy Langford. Considering his history with Fox, Hillman might even receive an opportunity to compete for the starting job. Regardless, there should be plenty of touches to go around now that Matt Forte is playing his football for the Jets.

The Bears would get a player whom Fox knows, one who has the ability to start and be a productive NFL running back and a player the franchise can build around. Hillman will turn 25 years old near the start of the 2016 season.

Hillman is a smaller, shiftier back at 5'10" and 195 pounds and projects as a nice complement to the 6'0", 208-pound Langford—who, interestingly, is only a few months younger than Hillman. A potential home run hitter, Hillman racked up 863 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground in 2015. His longest run of the season went for 72 yards.

Pro Football Focus rated him 38th among running backs in rushing for the season.

Hillman and Langford would potentially give the Bears the type of one-two duo that Fox enjoyed in Denver with Hillman and C.J. Anderson. Because both players are young, they could also give Chicago a running back tandem that could stick around for the foreseeable future.

Bobby Rainey

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

Ideal Team: Cleveland Browns

Bobby Rainey saw his role with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shrink in 2015. However, he was a valuable role player in his previous two seasons with the team.

In 2014, Rainey racked up 406 yards rushing, 315 yards receiving and two touchdowns. In 2013, he produced 532 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the ground, though he only had 11 receptions for 27 yards on the season.

In 2015, he saw the field primarily as a special teams player, but he did excel in the role. He was even named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 5.

Because Rainey brings versatility as a depth back and special teams player, he could create a lot of value in a return to the Cleveland Browns. They lost their primary punt returner in Travis Benjamin in free agency, along with special teams ace Johnson Bademosi. Running back depth behind Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson is also questionable.

With the Browns lacking in offensive playmakers, Rainey would likely get a legitimate chance to compete for playing time—something he might not get with other franchises. New head coach Hue Jackson could be inclined to use Rainey the way he utilized Rex Burkhead on offense with the Cincinnati Bengals—as a sort of runner/receiver hybrid.

Though Johnson has emerged as the receiving back in Cleveland, Rainey would likely be the primary fill-in on passing downs.

Pro Football Focus rated him 33rd overall among running backs in receiving during the 2014 campaign.

Rainey also has familiarity with the AFC North, as he played in Cleveland in early 2013 and spent time with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012.

At just 28 years old, Rainey still has plenty of time to carve out a playing career, and Cleveland appears to be one of the few places that could afford him a legitimate opportunity.