- Incorrect
http://nflspinzone.com/2015/02/13/atlanta-falcons-part-ways-steven-jackson/
Should Atlanta Falcons part ways with Steven Jackson?
Atlanta Falcons veteran running back Steven Jackson hasn’t been much of a factor in the team’s offense ever since joining the organization in 2013, as he’s averaged just 3.5 and 3.7 yards per carry in each of the past two seasons while also struggling through soft-tissue issues that will continue to be commonplace for a 31-year-old running back who one ran for over 1,000 yards in eight straight seasons.
Jackson has taken plenty of punishment on the field over his career, and the production just hasn’t been there for the veteran RB. He’s in an awkward spot now with the Falcons, as there’s been a regime change with Kyle Shanahan taking over for Dirk Koetter on offense as one of those big changes. Shanahan is famous for employing a zone-blocking scheme that favors one-cut backs, so some believe that Jackson is no longer a fit in the Falcons offense.
One of those people is ESPN NFL Nation’s respected Vaughn McClure, who adds that not only is Jackson no longer a fit in the offense, but he’s probably no longer a fit with the organization as a whole. Per McClure, the Falcons will “likely” release Jackson this offseason, as the team is looking for a “younger” and more explosive running back.
Heading into the final year of the contract he signed with the team back in 2013, S-Jax is set to make $3.75 million in 2015 with none of it being guaranteed. His contract wasn’t guaranteed last season either, so the Falcons can easily cut him and save a chunk of cash in order to pick up a better feature back.
For as old as Jackson is, I don’t think it’s fair to call him washed up. His stats look terrible, but he also played behind arguably the worst run-blocking offensive line, especially if you factor in the horrific performances from tight end Levine Toilolo. Jackson, per Pro Football Focus, forced 29 missed tackles as a rusher and averaged a whopping 2.69 yards after contact per carry, which was fifth in the league.
His bruising style hasn’t declined with age, and his trucking ability as one of the NFL’s premier bulldozing backs has clearly made up for his rapidly waning explosiveness and speed. Jackson was one of the better backs in the league last season at getting more than the blocking in front of him, and he didn’t really have a choice given the issues that the likes of rookie
Jake Matthews had in the running game.
His putrid yards per carry averages don’t tell the whole story, because it’s hard to produce when there isn’t much there. Think about it: around 72% of Jackson’s yards on the ground came after he was already hit once.
Antone Smith is the Falcons explosive back and will be one of the more intriguing players at the position to watch in 2015, but even though the Falcons have an RB who can make big plays, you’d at least like to see their No. 1 guy bring some sort of a home-run element to the table. It’s no surprise that Jackson was one of the worst running backs at breaking off big runs, as he has just three rushes of at least 15 yards or more. Only
Toby Gerhart,
Bishop Sankey,
Matt Asiata, and
Fred Jackson had less such runs last season.
Jackson’s veteran savvy makes him a valuable pass protector, which allows him to salvage some value on passing downs even has his declining skill-set has caused his reception totals to plummet severely. In his heyday with the St. Louis Rams, Steven Jackson was not only one of the premier backs in the league, but he also had one season with 90 receptions, 806 yards, and three receiving touchdowns. He never had nearly has big of an impact as a receive since then, but he used to regularly post double the amount of receptions he did last season (20).
$3.75 million isn’t a lot of money for players at most positions, such as wide receiver, but it’s not that cheap at running back.
Per Over The Cap, Jackson’s contract will have the 12th-largest value under the cap next season, and that $3.75 million could go to wholescale upgrades on defense, perhaps a reunion between
Byron Maxwell and Dan Quinn, or it could help go to an even better back in free agency.
It’s easy to sit there and say that Jackson is an old back who serves no use to an NFL team anymore, but the numbers show that he’s still a quality back. He allowed just one pressure in pass protection last season to show that he’s still an elite blocking back, and he continued to move the pile as a rusher to try his best to overcome shoddy blocking.
