It is no secret that the Steelers’ racing game sucked in 2020. It is an aspect of their game that has been missing for a few seasons. Keeping a rotation of your current stable would be foolish. Pending free agent James Conner was almost gone, and Benny Snell, Anthony McFarland, and Jaylen Samuels were not worthy of a start.
Only the Steelers know what they are going to do about it, or at least they will try. They could surprise us all and go back to the beginning of the project, a move they rarely make. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and backs in the first round are usually less risky than in the fourth or fifth round.
Steelers could also hire a veteran free starter – something they haven’t done since DeAngelo Williams in 2015, when Le’Veon Bell was suspended. The free agency officially begins on St. Patrick’s Day, Wednesday, March 17, at 4:00 pm.
If Pittsburgh finds space to add backs through free agency, here are the pending free agent running backs:
1 Aaron Jones – Green Bay Packers
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 26
Market value: $ 14.6 million
Career statistics: 651 carries, 3,364 running yards, 37 running TDs; 131 receptions, 1,057 yards, 6 TD receivers
A pick of the draft of the fifth round of 2017, Jones is one of the rare selections from the last round that performed much better where he was selected. He has little tire wear, as he did not start until 2019. Although Jones has been linked to the Steelers since the off-season, his value may be more than Pittsburgh can afford.
2 Kenyan Drake – Arizona Cardinals
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 27
Market value: $ 8.3 million
Career statistics: 959 loads, 3,130 running yards, 27 running TDs; 169 receptions, 1,244 yards, 6 TD receivers
A more affordable option, Drake’s market value is calculated over two years, $ 16.7 million ($ 8.3 million / year). The Miami Dolphins selected Drake in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. In reconstruction mode, the Miami Dolphins sent Drake to Arizona in the middle of the 2019 season for a sixth round conditional choice in 2020. The Cardinals signed a $ 8.5 million contract with him for a year.
3 Marlon Mack – Indianapolis Colts
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 24
Market value: $ 613,000
Career statistics: 539 carries, 2,383 running yards, 20 running TDs; 55 receptions, 440 yards, 2 reception TDs
After a career of over 1,000 run yards a year in 2019, Mack entered 2020 prepared for a great season. But 11 times in the season, he suffered a break in the ACL. The only good thing that resulted from the injury was that it happened in September, allowing him 10 months to recover before the training camp. The injury is likely to dictate a cheap, short-term deal that could work for Pittsburgh. The selection of the 2017 draft of the fourth round is not very pass-catcher, however.
4 James White – New England Patriots
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 29
Market value: $ 3 million
Career statistics: 309 loads, 1,240 running yards, 10 running TDs; 369 receptions, 3,184 yards, 25 reception TDs
Although White is designated as a running back, his number as a pass catcher more than double his running statistics. The Steelers love versatile players and he could give the club the best return on its investments. Most of White’s career was spent on a rotating basis, and this is probably the approach that Pittsburgh will take in 2021.
5 Leonard Fournette – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 26
Market value: $ 8.1 million
Career statistics: 763 carries, 2,998 running yards, 23 running TDs; 170 receptions, 1,242 yards, 2 reception TDs
Steelers Wire wrote about why Fournette to Pittsburgh made sense after being unceremoniously released by the Jacksonville Jaguars before the 2020 season. Even after a Super Bowl stop in Tampa, Fournette to Pittsburgh still makes sense. Fournette is a three-hit crusher that manages to recover from the backfield and block. If the Steelers’ offensive scheme calls for a prominent back, he is the guy. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said he hopes to keep the band together for another championship race in 2021, so he could end up staying where he is.
6 Chris Carson – Seattle Seahawks
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 26
Market value: $ 7.4 million
Career statistics: 715 loads, 3,270 running yards, 21 running TDs; 101 receptions, 775 yards, 7 TD receivers
In 2020, Carson presented numbers similar to Conner’s in one game less. A foot injury held the seventh round in four games, but it produced solid numbers. Carson had two consecutive seasons of more than 1,000 yards in 2018 and 2019, so there is no doubt that he is capable of starting in Pittsburgh.
7 Mike Davis – Carolina Panthers
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Age: 28
Market value: $ 8.7 million
Career statistics: 412 loads, 1,531 running yards, 11 running TDs; 125 receptions, 803 yards, 3 TD receivers
Davis stepped up in 2020 and played admirably after titleholder Christian McCaffrey suffered a plethora of injuries. He has been a reserve for most of his career and has only appeared in 62 games. If he could double his 642 yard and six TD season, he would be solid on a rotation with Snell and McFarland.