How a Rams legend and Saquon Barkley's premium contract will revive RB position

You may not think about former Los Angeles Rams legendary running back Eric Dickerson very often, but you can bet that Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley thinks about him all the time right now. You see, Rams RB Eric Dickerson holds the NFL All-Time Single Season Rushing Record with 2,105 rushing yards set in 1984. Right now. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley has rushed for 2,005 yards, needing just 101 rushing yards to claim the record.

But Barkley is not Eric Dickerson. Dickerson is more than a one-hit rusher. He is the top running back in the history of the LA Rams franchise. Still, his record is at stake this season. Saquon Barkley wants that record.

But to do so, the Eagles will need to go against conventional wisdom, start their offensive line and Barkley in a meaningless game in Week 18 (in terms of playoff implications) and risk injury to a key offensive starter just as the team is girding up for another postseason opportunity.

If you recall, the Rams' defense did not put up much of a fight, allowing Barkey to run roughshod over them on his way to posting 255 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, as well as four receptions for an additional 47 receiving yards. That is over 300 yards and two touchdowns of offense by one player, a total that has dwarfed the Rams' offensive output in multiple games this season.

Needless to say, the Rams lost that game by a score of 37-20. And yet, there is more than meets the eye to Saquon Barkley's success in 2024. Let's dive in.

Barkley (and company) will revive RB position

In 2023, the market for veteran free agents appeared to have little interest from NFL teams. Some of the top rushers in professional football signed contracts that came in far lower than originally projected. Some viewed this market change as a sign that running backs were going the way of the Dodo bird. Others did not.

The NFL annual free agent market is a fickle thing. The marketplace sets the value of specific positions of an NFL team. But the fair market value established each year is dependant upon a wide range of factors. The basic foundations of Econ 101 apply of course. That is to say that there is a constant presence of both supply and demand forces acting in opposition to set the price each year. Then, there is a perceived quality and fit factor of specific players that override the basic fair market value (FMV) of a specific positional group.

Finally, there is a perception of talent that will be made available in the annual NFL Draft. NFL teams, limited by the annual salary cap, are eager to draft cheap rookies for the next four (or five) seasons, rather than pay FMV for a veteran. But the quality of rookies is never a sure thing.

But the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles knew what they wanted, and who they wanted, and committed to signing a veteran free agent running back who they felt was an ideal fit for their team and offensive philosophy. The Ravens added veteran RB Derrick Henry, while the Eagles signed veteran RB Saquon Barkley. The Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year $37.5 million contract. The Ravens signed Henry to a two-year $16 million contract.

But it's Barkley's contract that will revive and redefine the running back market for the NFL. Here's how.

The NFL is still a copycat league

The NFL is a copycat league. If an NFL team shows any innovative ideas that pan out, it's not long before other teams in the NFL work on develop those innovations for their own team. For LA Rams fans, that process is all-too-familiar as the Rams coaching staff continues to be cannibalized annually by other teams that seek a jumpstart method to transplanting kernels of the Rams success into their own coaching staff.

Even now, as Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley gash NFL defenses week after week, the Rams roster boasts RB Kyren Williams, a running back who has rushed for 1,299 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2024. With one game remaining, he has rushed for more yards under Rams HC Sean McVay since RB Todd Gurley rushed for 1,305 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2017.

And the Rams front office would be wise to reflect upon the team's running back room now. Kyren Williams, drafted in 2022, will become a free agent after the 2025 NFL season. Will the Rams view Williams as a:

(A) Must sign
(B) Sign to team-friendly contract
(C) Sign to discounted contract
(D) Don't re-sign

As the value of running backs inflates in the wake of Barkley's 2024 production, the Rams front office will face a tough decision. Should the team commit to a fair market value contract with veteran RB Kyren Williams, or roll the dice that future runners will be just as effective? That is a topic, and decision, for another day.

For now, let NFL headlines be filled with articles about Rams RB Eric Dickerson, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, and whether it's more important to shatter records or simply compete in the postseason. That decision is for others to decide.

When Rams RB Eric Dickerson set the single-season rushing record in 1983, that record seemed unbreakable. Now? It is in peril of being broken. And it's now the bar for elite running backs to aim for in the future. Saquon Barkley will revive the market for NFL running backs in the future. But Rams legendary running back Eric Dickerson has defined why Saquon Barkley, and all NFL running backs, are still valuable.

As always, thank you for reading.

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