National Football League

Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry among 12 key RBs set to make impact on new teams

Published Jul. 31, 2024 8:44 a.m. ET

The huge devaluation of NFL running backs in recent years is built on the theory that they are all replaceable and interchangeable.

This offseason, though, NFL teams sure did put that theory to the test.

Running backs spent the offseason on a wild and unprecedented carousel ride, resulting in nearly half of all NFL teams changing their starter at the position. Some of the biggest names in free agency — headlined by Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry — were running backs who switched teams in a frantic few weeks.

And though they didn't all sign for big money, the amount of movement still has the potential to cause a seismic shift in the league.

Here's a look at the 12 biggest names and best backs to switch teams since last season ended, ranked in the order of the impact they're likely to have:

5-STAR IMPACT

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

(Three years, $37.75 million; $26 million guaranteed)

The rich got richer with the Eagles landing the best running back on the market — if he's able to stay healthy, which is not a guarantee given all the injuries he's battled the past few years. During his time in New York, Barkley's biggest battle was fighting for space behind the Giants' awful offensive line. Now the world gets to see him behind one of the best O-lines in the game.

If Barkley has room to make his moves, he could easily put up a 1,500-yard season, especially with teams guessing whether he or quarterback Jalen Hurts has the ball on their run-pass option (RPO) plays. And the Eagles seem likely to use Barkley more as a receiver than the Giants did, too, though his actual targets might be limited due to the 1-2 punch of receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. However the Eagles use Barkley, defenses will have an impossible choice when they're making their game plans because this team is loaded with offensive weapons.

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Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

(Two years, $16 million; $9 million guaranteed)

The Ravens were the No. 1 rushing team in football last year despite rotating their way through five injury-plagued running backs. Now they get one of the steadiest and most durable in the league in Henry, who has topped 1,000 yards in five of his past six seasons. The powerful Henry should thrive behind an offensive line that is far better than what he ran behind in Tennessee. And his power combined with quarterback Lamar Jackson's speed and moves will keep defenses off-balance.

Henry is 30 and has more than 2,000 carries over eight NFL seasons, so his health and usage bear watching. But if there's no fall-off, the Ravens' ground game will be impossible to stop.

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

(Four years, $48 million; $12.5 million guaranteed)

Aaron Jones had a big impact for the Packers when he was on the field, but a long list of nagging injuries kept him off it far too often. Matt LaFleur needed an every-down back to take the pressure off young quarterback Jordan Love, especially late in games, and he got a good one in Jacobs.

LaFleur is banking, of course, on the 2022 version of Jacobs who led the NFL with 1,653 yards, not the off-looking one who had half that in just 13 games last season. If the Packers get the vintage version, their offense will be a two-way threat.

Will Josh Jacobs flourish for the Packers?

4-STAR IMPACT

Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals

(Two years, $8 million; $3 million guaranteed)

The Bengals are making a bet that the 26-year-old Moss, who has started only 11 games in four NFL seasons, is ready for a much bigger role. He certainly seemed like he was early last season in Indianapolis when he filled in for Jonathan Taylor. In his first four starts, Moss ran for 445 yards on an impressive 5 yards per carry before handing the job back to Taylor.

The Bengals are still Joe Burrow's offense — if he's healthy. But Moss should be in line to at least top the 1,034 yards Joe Mixon had for Cincinnati last year.

Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

(Two years, $19.75 million; $13 million guaranteed)

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud electrified the Texans offense last season, but the running game couldn't quite keep up. Devin Singletary did rush for 715 yards over the final 10 games, but the Texans wanted more to support Stroud and his new No. 1 receiver, Stefon Diggs.

Mixon is entering his eighth NFL season, but he's only 28 and has amassed just 1,500 total carries, so there should be room for more. Last year in a bad Bengals offense, Mixon ran for 1,034 yards and had 52 catches for 376 yards. He should do a lot better on a young and rising Texans team.

3-STAR IMPACT

Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings

(One year, $7 million; fully guaranteed)

When Jones is healthy, he is a force. He ran for 100 yards or more in his last five games in Green Bay, including two games in the playoffs. The problem is he played in only eight of the 14 games before those and reached 20 carries only once before his season-ending stretch.

In a season of transition behind either journeyman quarterback Sam Darnold or rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings will need to lean on Jones. The key for the 29-year-old will be whether he can stay on the field.

Devin Singletary, New York Giants

(Three years, $16.5 million; $9.5 million guaranteed)

Everything Singletary does will be compared to the departed Barkley, especially since he is choosing to wear Barkley's old No. 26. Those comparisons might work in his favor, though. For one thing, the Giants upgraded their offensive line with veterans Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor and Greg Van Roten. Singletary also played well in 10 starts for Houston last year, rushing for 715 yards.

And some of his best career work came at the start of his career in Buffalo, where his offensive coordinator was now-Giants coach Brian Daboll. The fit is perfect. And since Barkley had just 962 yards in 14 games last season, the bar isn't exactly high.

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2-STAR IMPACT

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

(Three years, $21.75 million; $10.5 million guaranteed)

Pollard was such a disappointment in Dallas last season, rushing for just 1,005 yards — 2 fewer than he had the year before despite 59 more carries. His speed, burst and power all appeared to be gone.

The Titans are hoping that now that he is 18 months removed from ACL surgery, Pollard will regain his 2022 form. They're also putting him in a timeshare in the backfield, like he was back then — this time with Tyjae Spears. That could make Pollard more effective, but it also means his numbers are likely to go down.

D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears

(Three years, $24 million; $14 million guaranteed)

Being a feature back for the first time in his career and playing behind the Eagles' powerful offensive line led to Swift having a career year in 2023, with 1,049 rushing yards.

Don't expect a similar performance in Chicago.

The Bears were the No. 2 rushing team last year largely because of quarterback Justin Fields. Now they're starting over, to some degree, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. They'll have to lean on Swift a lot as Williams endures a learning curve, but Swift may still have to split the backfield duties with Khalil Herbert, who led Bears RBs with 611 rushing yards last year.

How dynamic will the Bears offense be this season?

1-STAR IMPACT

Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders

(Two years, $8.4 million; $4.2 million guaranteed)

The Commanders' feature back is Brian Robinson, which is going to limit the impact that Ekeler can have. His role is probably going to be that of a third-down back who is used mostly as a receiver out of the backfield.

What the Commanders are hoping for is just a bit of his All-Pro form from 2022, when he ran for 915 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 107 passes for 722 yards. Ekeler is 29, though, so that might be a lot to ask. And last year (627 rushing yards, 51 catches for 436 yards), he looked like a shell of his former self.

Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

(One year, $2 million; $1.65 million guaranteed)

The Cowboys entered the offseason knowing they needed to do better at running back than Tony Pollard, looked at an unprecedented number of free-agent backs and then … brought back a 29-year-old they had cut a year ago?

Elliott is coming off a terrible year with New England — 642 yards on a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. He didn't even do a lot with his 51 catches (just 313 yards). He may not be done, but he's a shell of the running back who ran for 1,434 and 1,357 yards in back-to-back years for Dallas in 2018-19. He's durable and sure-handed, but it's hard to imagine he'll recapture his glorious past.

Ezekiel Elliott-led RB core, CeeDee Lamb's contract raise concerns

Gus Edwards, Los Angeles Chargers

(Two years, $6.5 million; $3.4 million guaranteed)

Gus "The Bus" is a powerful, battering-ram back and new Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh loves to lean on a strong ground game. But is Edwards his feature back? The Chargers also brought in Edwards' former Ravens teammate J.K. Dobbins, who could be a more explosive option if he's fully recovered from a torn Achilles.

Whoever is the lead back, is Harbaugh really going to want to take the ball out of Justin Herbert's hands that often? It's also worth noting that Edwards has never been a featured back. He also hasn't rushed for 100 yards in a game since Dec. 8, 2020.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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