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2016 Top NFL free agents - running backs

Jeremy Igo

By Jeremy Igo,
in Carolina Panthers

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Jeremy Igo

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1. Doug Martin

2015 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Martin’s career has been an interesting one, with an impressive rookie campaign that he failed to build on in 2013 and 2014, with injuries holding him back. He’s coming off his best year since entering the league, though, and with a player grade of 87.8, the Buccaneer was the second-best running back in football in 2015. It also helps that he doesn’t have too much wear in terms of career carries, with 869 over the past four seasons.

2. Lamar Miller

2015 team: Miami Dolphins

Miller (85.6) was our fourth-highest graded running back this year, and heads into free agency with youth on his side; the former University of Miami star going to be just 25 when the 2016 NFL season begins. It also helps that he has graded higher than the year before every season since entering the league, and has even fewer carries to his name than Martin. 

 

3. Chris Ivory

2015 team: New York Jets

At 81.2, Ivory was our 11th-ranked running back, and while he might lack the upside of Martin and Miller, he does come with dependable stability, with a positive rushing grade in all six of the seasons he’s played since entering the league. He’ll be 28 when the 2016 season begins, but 2015 was the first season of his career where he saw more than 200 carries.

4. Matt Forte

2015 team: Chicago Bears

Forte (81.2) was our 10th-ranked running back, and while he is very much a more short-term option for whoever picks him up, he can definitely still help a team out. He turns 31 in October, and has 2,077 carries over the past eight seasons, but he did still average 4.1 yards per carry in Chicago last year. He’s also shown himself as a capable receiver, with 44 or more receptions every season since 2008, including 102 in 2014.

5. LeGarrette Blount

2015 team: New England Patriots

Blount will turn 30 in December of the 2016 season, and was our 26th-highest graded running back at 76.0 last season, but makes a lot of sense for a team looking to add a powerful running back to the mix. He forced 34 missed tackles from 165 carries in New England in 2015, with 2.4 of his 4.3 yards per carry coming after contact, making him a really good fit for a team looking to incorporate a backfield-by-committee approach.

6. Bilal Powell

2015 team: New York Jets

Powell is unlikely to be someone signed as a lead back, but what we saw from him in 2015 was a player who can definitely fill the role as part of a committee backfield. Forcing 10 missed tackles and averaging 2.7 yards after contact on 70 carries this year, he has totaled just 402 carries since entering the league in 2011. A cost-effective option, he can add something to an offensive somewhere in the league if the Jets don’t bring him back.

7. Alfred Morris

2015 team: Washington Redskins

Morris is an interesting player to project. He’ll turn 28 in December, but based on his rookie season four years ago, he’s the type of player that you’d think could be a feature back for more than a few teams. The truth, however, is that he hasn’t really shown himself to be that type of player since his rookie year, with his PFF rushing grade dropping every season since then. Forcing just 15 missed tackles on 213 carries in 2015, he’s the type of player who might see a one year “prove it” type of deal to see if he can recapture that rookie form.

8. Stevan Ridley

2015 team: New York Jets

At just 27, he still has youth on his side, but Ridley needs to prove that he isn’t just the type of player who could find success in the New England scheme. Injuries have limited him to just 275 snaps in the past two seasons, but he did really impress in the second half of the 2013 season. Another candidate for a “prove it” deal, we have at least seen flashes from him in the past.

 

Full article... 

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/02/10/pro-top-8-running-backs-about-to-hit-the-market/

 

 

Anyone strike your fancy?

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t96 Grand Master

t96

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I like Lamar Miller a lot, he got completely screwed in Miami. Doesn't really fit our scheme much. Chris Ivory would be a monster for us if he could stay healthy but he hasn't been able to his entire career. Bucs definitely keeping Martin. Forte's a beast for sure but we need young talent at RB, not over-30. Don't like Morris or Ridley. Blount could be a reasonable backup if Stew were to go down but wouldn't want him past that and pretty sure we'll have Stew this year so I wouldn't bother. Powell, irrelevant in our scheme.

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Carolina Cajun Grand Master

Carolina Cajun

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I might be the minority on it, but I like Morris the most out of that list for 2 reasons, He can block, and he knows how to operate in the zone read.  It was only this year that I realized how important to have a guy who can work in that system, and it's not as easy as people would think.  Adrian Peterson took a step back when they moved to a spread offense with Teddy and so they went back to a pro set and while Peterson did well, Bridgewater regressed.  In Philadelphia, Demarco Murray is a North/South runner who does well in a pro set, instead he was square pegged in a round hole in their system.  Of the guys on the list, only morris seems like a guy who could have a football in his gut and know whether to hold on or let go of the ball in our offense.

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UNCrules2187 Mentor

UNCrules2187

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Martin would be nice in that he fits the mold of J-Stew and would directly weaken a division rival. Miller would be a great pick up as well; he was woefully underutilized under the Philbin regime. But I don't believe either of those two are a realistic option. Of the remaining, I'd be happy to see Alfred Morris in Panther blue next season.

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CarolinaNCSU Proficient

CarolinaNCSU

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FWIW, from what I remember fantasy gurus always saying, Alfred Morris was BY FAR at his best when RG3 was playing.  Aka, zone-read, QB threat to run, yada yada.  Cousins didn't allow him the same opportunities. Also is supposedly a high character/quality guy.  I think Morris could come in and at least be a dependable, move the chains guy. 

 

May seem weird, but Morris could be a steal.

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