The notion {that a} Tremendous Bowl contender ought to make a considerable funding in a operating again was lifeless. And Saquon Barkley held a shovel.
If probably the most gifted operating again of his era, one “touched by the hand of God,” couldn’t change the fortunes of a franchise, who might?
Although the decline of the place’s significance predates Barkley’s arrival to the NFL — just one operating again since 2007 has been named MVP (Adrian Peterson, 2012) after seven operating backs received the award the 16 seasons prior — there was no operating again taken within the top-five of the NFL draft since Barkley was taken No. 2 in 2018. In 5 of the previous six drafts, no operating again has been chosen inside the highest 20.
This season, no operating again was among the many 100 highest-paid gamers within the league, with operating again holding the bottom franchise tag worth ($11.95 million) of any place moreover kicker and punter.
