How to Fix the RB Compensation Issue

[El Chapo Jr]

If the Franchise Tag is the average of the top-5 contracts at a position, could just make the Franchise Tag (RBs-only) the top-5 RB contracts, plus 50%. Barkley's Tag would move from $10M to $15M.

Although, I still view my original suggestion as Quite Elegant.

I think that suggestion would spark movement one way or the other. I'm all for anything that gets those players better paid because if not, some of the best prospects for the running back position would be wise to switch positions.

 

[tklongball]

I don't understand why people are so worried about millionaires not making enough. How about Project Managers? I bust my ass! How come you guys aren't clamoring for me to get a big raise? LOL

 

[Loyal]

The problem is two-fold: short shelf life + supply greater than demand. NFL can't do shit about the short shelf life, because the moment they turn this league into flag football is the moment their game begins its decline into obscurity. Really the only thing they can do is change the rules for rookie contract length for the RB position. Shorten it a year.

If they shorten it more than a year then RB will be more chaotic than it is now and teams may just scrap them and draft wideouts who they then use from the backfield. This is how a free market operates, you can't fix everything. So they need to be smart with any action they take.

Rams thought they were pretty smart back when they paid Gurley. They were rather proud about altruistically helping to reset that market but then they got fucking burned. So it is what it is and honestly I'm not a fan of people crying about what they deserve. What you deserve is what the market is willing to pay you. They're still better off than countless jobs that are more important than what they do, like for example engineers, so cry me a fuckin river.

Todd after getting the bag......

 

[Allen2McVay]

I don't understand why people are so worried about millionaires not making enough. How about Project Managers? I bust my ass! How come you guys aren't clamoring for me to get a big raise? LOL

As soon as I fix this RB-compensation issue, I will get right on it!

 

[PhillyRam]

I maintain that RB’s ARE compensated fairly.

It’s the good ole Law of Supply and Demand, aka the Free Market.

Same reason that teachers aren’t compensated as well as actors and actresses, etc.

Life isn’t always ‘fair’.

Yeah, otherwise let's work out a system so punters get paid more. Hey, how about long snappers & kickers as well. They worked hard to get where they are so why should they be paid the lowest?

 

[dieterbrock]

A running back is "under paid" at 10 mill guaranteed becaue QB's are making 40-50 mill per season
And people wonder why Sunday Ticket costs $400

 

[Zodi]

RBs can also try playing other positions such as WR or CB and have a longer career. They should know/understand what the market pays. And besides getting paid what they are paid, they should get a financial consultant and invest/save appropriately. I think they teach rookies this stuff now. If they got injured in college and never made it in the NFL then what? They are paid based on market value.

I agree. Players like Deebo and CMC (how the fuck did these two end up on the same team?) are far more valuable than a player like Barkley, even if he is top 3 at his position. The players and the game will adapt to the new rules that favor the pass. This is nothing new.

 

[Turducken]

The problem with RB's is they have a short window to make money. Most can't get a second contract and teams will run the tread off the tires while they are playing for cheap. I'd change the rookie contract rules for RB's only. Maybe let them opt out of their rookie contact the season after they get 400 touches (about two seasons as a bell cow back).

 

[fanotodd]

My take is to fine tune the slotted, predetermined, rookie contracts. Another dimension is now necessary—the position the pick will play.

A RB’s best years are on the rookie deal. They should receive the largest contracts coming in. QBs can last forever even if they never really become a reliable starter. Who knew colt mccoy was still playing? What is he, 50? Do you know how much more $$ he’s gonna make than Sony Michel when it’s all over?

The rookie contracts got out of hand so the idea of having a “price list” according to where a player was drafted was a great idea. Now let’s improve it by paying for the position he’s drafted to play.

 

[FrantikRam]

It's not a problem.

Or rather, if it is we will see that with some of these guys holding out. The problem is that the OL is so deterministic of the success of the run game...I just don't think RBs are that important and that's what the market is telling us.

On the other hand...McCaffrey won't have an issue getting paid. It's on RBs to adapt....how are non pass rushing or defending defensive players fairing in the market these days???

 

[So Ram]

It's not a problem.

Or rather, if it is we will see that with some of these guys holding out. The problem is that the OL is so deterministic of the success of the run game...I just don't think RBs are that important and that's what the market is telling us.

On the other hand...McCaffrey won't have an issue getting paid. It's on RBs to adapt....how are non pass rushing or defending defensive players fairing in the market these days???

Von Miller sure got paid last season. The Rams got lucky renting him.

SUH has been how many different teams on what kind of deals? Good question about his value?

I stayed tied to The Rams so I couldn’t tell you the open market all that well now a days.

Da’Bears signed Tre Edwards to a nice deal.Signed a RB and let Montgomery walk to Detroit.Lions traded there RB???

Division trades are meaningful & chalk board material.

 

[Flint]

I don’t know how you fix it or even if you should. Saquon seems like a nice guy and a big part of what the Giants do but this isn’t some conspiracy. The market has decided the worth of the rb, maybe Saquon’s worth more to the Giants cuz Jones isn’t top tier but I haven’t heard anyone come up with anything that would make them more valuable. Pacheco led the Chiefs in rushing as an 7th rounder, Akers and others led the Rams during their SB run. If you have a top tier qb you can make do at the rb position, if you’re a team like the giants or raiders you need a quality rb to help your qb. That doesn’t really help them as a group but what can they do?

 

[dieterbrock]

I think the Franchise tag needs to be altered.
First, teams should be able to use more than 1
Second, it should be a 1 time use thing, no 2nd or 3rd tag
Third, the tag should actually be a 2 year, with the 2nd year a player option at the 2nd tag rate
Lastly, Teams would be able to restructure for cap purposes
For example
Saquon gets 1 year 10 mill tag, 2nd year player option 12.5 mill. All of which is guaranteed
Can then be re-structured for cap purposes
Sucks that RB is devalued, but at least he gets a guaranteed 22-23 mill

 

[muggmeister]

The problem with RB's is they have a short window to make money. Most can't get a second contract and teams will run the tread off the tires while they are playing for cheap. I'd change the rookie contract rules for RB's only. Maybe let them opt out of their rookie contact the season after they get 400 touches (about two seasons as a bell cow back).

Maybe they could go back to school to FINISH the education that was PAID for them, there's an idea!

 

[Kupped]

People talking about letting the market set the price in a system that artificially caps salaries…. Ooooooookayyyyyy

RBs should get paid more.

My solution is a performance pool specifically for RBs that factors touches more than anything else.
An escalator on the touches would be relative level of performance at the position.
I’m not a math guy.. but the smart ones could figure out a formula easily.

Where things get tricky is where that performance pool comes from.

 

[CGI_Ram]

So with Barkley signing a 1yr deal… in the unfortunate scenario he suffers a serious leg injury this year… does that help or hurt the argument about RB pay?

It would seem to validate why it’s risky to sign them to long term deals.

But it also supports the argument they should get paid “better”, perhaps, due to the shorter career life span and overall beating they take.

Sports media will go nuts if he gets hurt.

 

[Mackeyser]

Here’s why the RB pay is a problem.

The talent drain at the position will hurt the sport. How many HS and college RBs will switch positions with this?

We saw this with really athletic OL switching to DL some time back and the answer there was to eliminate the distinction under the Franchise Tag of LT, RT and IOL. Now, iirc, OL pay is far more even which has created incentives to stay on the OL.

Without incentives to run into the wall of defenders 300 times a season, players are gonna chase the MUCH bigger compensation and greater longevity of WR or various defensive positions.

And while top teams can get away with having any RB, that’s not a sustainable solution if for the pass pro alone as every team doesn’t t have a top OL.

The answers are relatively easy and I can post some, but for the benefit of the game, running backs, need to have a greater incentive, across-the-board to make all their money on that first contract. As long as running backs are a one contract position increasingly, we will see a talent drain at the position. Who knows? Maybe Derrick Henry is right, and this evolution will simply remove the position of running back as we know it just like the passing game eliminated the fullback as we knew it and relegated that to a heavy blocking position, which is now essentially out of the game, except for two teams.

 

[dieterbrock]

Running backs are running backs. As athletic as Saquon is there is no guarantee that he's even a D1 ballplayer at a different position.
There is no solution needed because there is no problem.

 

[AvengerRam]

People talking about letting the market set the price in a system that artificially caps salaries…. Ooooooookayyyyyy

RBs should get paid more.

My solution is a performance pool specifically for RBs that factors touches more than anything else.
An escalator on the touches would be relative level of performance at the position.
I’m not a math guy.. but the smart ones could figure out a formula easily.

Where things get tricky is where that performance pool comes from.

You are correct that its not a completely open market in the sense that the consumers (teams) are capped in what they are allowed to spend. That said, the way teams allocate their capped resources to one position over another is certainly driven by supply/demand and cost/benefit analyses that are typical of a market system.

Carve outs for RBs, such as the one you suggest, are difficult. Would it lead to RBs being paid more, or would teams gravitate towards more a two-back/platoon system to avoid the escalators?

Another thought could be to mix all skill players (RB, WR, TE) into a single category for the purposes of setting franchise tag prices. RBs and TEs would cheer such a change. WRs would despise it. Can't please everyone!

 

[Judge Doom]

I think RB get paid fairly enough as it is, really is that simple for me. They were the focal points of an offense back in the day, but now that has been taken away a bit and therefore they get compensated based on that.