SPANISH HARLEM – The New York Giants recently brought back their star running back on a one-year deal for 11-million-dollar deal. The Franchise tag did not do him any favors and is something the NFL can do without. It hamstrings athletes that may be able to get a better deal elsewhere and forces the player to accept what is given.
I understand the whole story out there about durability and average life span of an NFL player (especially backs). In my eyes, though, that is blown way out of proportion. An injury can happen to any player, at any time and end their carrier. But that is not the point I want to make. Running backs are no less a casualty of the NFL than any other position. The theory that their injuries are worse is nonsense.
It is true that running backs can go from great to bad in a heartbeat. The wear and tear is unlike any other position in the NFL. It will definitely take its toll on the human body and after a certain time in the league, you will be able to make an educated guess, which allows a specific team to get younger at the position.
The cardinal rule is that you don’t pay big money to an aging running back and I’m not here to argue against that but when you are a young mega star like Saquon Barkley, you must fight for every dollar you can get because time is most certainly not on your side. He is a great back that adds value for his pass catching abilities. He is the type of player that you don’t have to remove on third and long because he has the ability to break off a long run after the catch.
In the NFL, you are nothing more than a piece of meat and I’m for Barkley and players like him to get theirs… by any means necessary.
