There is a prevailing theory in the NFL that the running back position is no longer worthy of premium resources. The Eagles were a perfect case study in this notion in 2015, when they gave DeMarco Murray a massive contract, only to trade him a year later after an underwhelming showing during his one season. There was a time when running backs would make up the tops of draft boards, but the rise of pass-heavy offenses and running back-by-committee approaches have pushed those players to the later stages of the selection process. Truly remarkable talents, such as St. Louis running back Todd Gurley, prove special enough for teams to pull the trigger on. Beyond that, anyone considered a 'fringe' prospect usually finds himself being taken on the 2nd or 3rd day of the draft.
With Murray having been traded to Tennessee, the Eagles have major questions regarding their backfield. Ryan Mathews has been the subject of trade rumors, but is still on the roster as of now. Darren Sproles is a valuable weapon as part of a running back tandem or trio, but is by no means an option as a feature back at this point in his career. Kenton Barner has shown flashes of his ability to shoulder some of the load in his young career, but one would have to think the Eagles would like to flesh out the depth chart a bit more before the 2016 season starts.
The NFL's owner meetings are taking place in Boca Raton, Florida this week. Last year, this event featured Jeffrey Lurie and his support for Chip Kelly as the prime wielder of power in his organization. The 2016 version of the meetings will be an entirely different tune for the Eagles franchise. Roseman, now the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, is back as the primary spokesperson when it comes to personnel decisions and new coach Doug Pederson continues to make the rounds as Lurie flaunts the new face of his Eagles. Roseman spoke on Monday and had some interesting things to say about the notion of value when it comes to running backs.
Howie Roseman on RB study: When you look back at the last 10 years at guys who were in the top 10 in rushing, those guys are high picks.
— Dave Spadaro (@davespadaro) March 21, 2016
Roseman on RBs: When you find a special talent at that position .. that’s a unique weapon. I don’t think the position is de-valued
— Dave Spadaro (@davespadaro) March 21, 2016
(h/t to Eagles scribe Dave Spadaro for the transcribed quotations from Florida)
PhillyVoice.com writer Jimmy Kempski went through the trouble to break down leading rusher in recent NFL history.
50 different RBs finished top 10 in rushing last 10 yrs. Here's where they were picked:
1 – 21
2 – 10
3 – 6
4 – 3
5 – 1
6 – 3
7 – 2
UDFA – 4— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) March 21, 2016
There are a two schools of thought to consider with Roseman making these types of comments. The first is that he is trying to drum up support for the possibility of the Eagles drafting Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott with the 8th overall pick, should he be available. Some consider Elliott to be one of the top two offensive players in the draft and he would immediately step in as the Eagles feature back. Drafting a running back with the team's newly acquired top-ten pick could be considered a head scratcher, and Roseman is perhaps justifying the rationale behind a somewhat controversial decision.
The other purpose Roseman's comments could be serving is to try and entice teams who are targeting Elliott to think that the Eagles have their sights set on him. For teams drafting behind the Eagles in need of a running back, Elliott would have to be considered the prize of the class. If Roseman wants to maximize the value of the 2016 draft, he could conceivably hold the pick ransom and try and stir up a bidding war for teams trying to land Elliott. Despite what some may believe about Roseman, he's been in this position before and knows the value of a well-placed quote, especially at an event such as this. There's a reason behind everything that decision-makers in the NFL say and there's little doubt Roseman chose his words carefully, given the connections some have made between the Eagles and Elliott in the months leading up to the draft.
Somers Price is a contributor for Eagledelphia.com and can be followed on Twitter @somersprice
