2017 NFL Free Agency: 5 Backup Running Backs Los Angeles Rams Should Consider

3. Tim Hightower

At the moment, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the New Orleans Saints do everything in their power to bring Tim Hightower back for a third season with the team, but that doesn’t mean the running back won’t still test the open market. For a player that went four years without playing in the NFL prior to joining the Saints in 2015, it’s amazing to see Hightower play well enough to make an impact over the last two seasons, and hopefully he still has a few productive years left in him.

Only time will tell when it comes to whether the next year or so will be with New Orleans, but Hightower has to feel good knowing there will be numerous teams interested in the possibility of bringing him on board for the 2017 season. Even if he’s going to be turning 31 at the end of May, last year’s numbers are the perfect example of why the Los Angeles Rams would be smart just to consider the possibility of Hightower coming on board.

Not only did Hightower appear in all 16 games during the 2016 season, but there was a two-week span (Week 7 and 8) in which he carried the ground game by rushing for 189 yards with a touchdown on 49 carries. Depending on what the Saints end up doing, Hightower is certainly a name to keep an eye on once free agency gets underway on Thursday, as a possible backup candidate to Todd Gurley.