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Here’s who’s available after franchise tags.
The state of running backs in the modern NFL is bizarre. For years the position has been maligned and deemphasized as the league’s focus on passing and multi-use gadget receivers has moved to the fore, and yet, when we hit the playoffs last year we saw some of the best teams in the league crumble because they couldn’t move the ball on the ground.
Teams able to flourish without a decent running game are few and far between, but that also doesn’t mean teams should overvalue the position and invest too much draft capital or cap money into signing a big-name running back. Initially this looked like a banner year for free agent running backs, but that all changed when franchise tags were handed out on Wednesday. The best three available running backs all got tagged (Josh Jacobs, Tony Polland, Saquon Barkley), but there’s still some solid upgrades here.
For teams looking to sign a player with a proven track record, rather than draft a prospect we have these players to consider at the top of free agency in 2023.
This was a really fascinating season for Sanders, and it will be curious to see how much of his 2022 success will be chalked up to Shane Steichen’s run schemes with the Eagles. Even if you don’t want to give Sanders the benefit of the doubt, he’s shown over the years that he can be a difference maker when he gets touches and has the potential to be a dual-threat back in an offense needing him to be one.
The heart of the Eagles’ league-leading rushing offense last season, Sanders will get attention in free agency and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him signed to big money early by a team wanting a shifty backfield spark, because he is a different player to Jacobs and Barkley, who might be better every-down backs, but don’t have the receiving ability Sanders does — assuming a team wants to return emphasizing that part of his game.
There’s functionally nothing wrong with Montgomery’s game, and he’s a solid three-down back, but there isn’t a particular “wow factor” to how he plays. The big edge in free agency over the remaining backs is age, and at 25 there’s reasonable certainty you could sign Montgomery to a three or four year deal, and he’s be able to play it out effectively.
Montgomery can slot into most NFL offenses and add an element, but he’s not the kind of player who can take over a game. Best suited for an already established offense, Montgomery could thrive on a team like the Bills who just need an upgrade at the position, not a playmaker.
When you look at Singletary’s numbers in isolation, with two straight seasons with over 1,000 all-purpose yards, you’d think he should be one of the most coveted free agents available. The question is: Why didn’t he produce more?
Singletary got the touches in Buffalo, he was behind one of the best offensive lines in football, and with a supporting cast that naturally opened up options for running backs to make big gains — but time and time again the Bills found their ground game lacking.
This feels a little like a buyer beware situation, and I was really tempted to put Singletary lower on this list. However, he’s shown some flashes of dual-threat ability, which the majority of the backs below him simply don’t have.
Williams broke out in the Lions offense in 2022, registering his first 1,000 yard season since entering the league in 2017.
Another typical, three-down back, Williams won’t bring much in the passing game — but for teams looking for a more traditional back he’s an interesting prospect. The risk is that last season is fool’s gold, and largely built off the system that was built in Detroit, rather than individual ability.
The obvious landing spot here is Carolina. Former Lions running back coach Duce Staley is now with the Panthers, and was able to harness Williams to great effect. Couple that with the franchise trading away Christian McCaffrey last season, and about to lose the back who took his place (we’ll get to him in a second) and it feels like a natural fit.
Foreman was put in an impossibly difficult position last season when he needed to step in off the bench and fill the mammoth void left by Christian McCaffrey, and he turned out to be absolutely sensational.
Finishing the season with 914 rushing yards on an incredibly efficient 203 carries, Foreman showed that he’s a lot more than the depth running back he’d been cast as for much of his career.
Similar to Williams, there are some worries that Carolina’s strong run blocking offensive line artificially inflated his numbers, but Foreman showed enough to definitely warrant a look from a team looking for a value starter, or a second player in a running back by committee situation.
