Let me preface this all by saying I have no doubt Le’Veon Bell is going to get a huge contract this offseason. The disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers running back sat out all of last season and forfeited more than $14 million to prove a point.
It is highly unlikely the Steelers will be the team to give him that lucrative contract and there will be a lot of really good running backs on the market also vying for a starting job and the contract to accompany it. For this scenario, we aren’t talking about running backs to build a team around. Most consider Bell this sort of player, right or wrong. But for good football teams looking to improve the most replaceable position on offense without breaking the bank, here are four other options.
Tevin Coleman
Coleman has spent his first four NFL seasons in Atlanta in a shared backfield. This works to his advantage as a free agent because there is plenty of film showing his diverse set of skills, but at the same time, he doesn’t have the mileage on him some other backs on this list do. He’s only 26 and has all the talent to be a true feature back on the right team.
Mark Ingram
Ingram, like Coleman, is a talented running back who is part of a crowded backfield. It took a few years for Ingram to get traction in the league but once he did, we all saw the back who dominated at Alabama. Ingram is 29 and isn’t a guy you bank on long-term, but for a good team wanting to get better next season, Ingram will be a value signing.
Jay Ajayi
In 2016, it looked like Jay Ajayi was going to be the next great NFL running back. But since then, he’s been moved to a new team and had to share touches before being lost for most of 2018 with a torn ACL. He seems to be on track to be ready for the 2019 season and in the right system could be very productive.
C.J. Anderson
We lobbied hard and on more than one occasion for the Steelers to sign C.J. Anderson. He played like a guy with a chip on his shoulder after being released multiple times last season. All he did was land on the Los Angeles Rams and find himself a vital cog in the team’s rushing attack, helping them reach the Super Bowl.
