Tennessee Titans working again Derrick Henry has been main the cost this offseason to assist working backs get the appreciation and cash they deserve from the NFL and its homeowners.
He additionally does not likely just like the conflicting messages the league appears to be sending with the place.
NFL groups have devalued the place to the purpose the place the very best gamers can not get long-term offers within the prime of their careers. That is taking place regardless of the actual fact working backs are usually a few of the most closely marketed and featured stars gamers within the league.
“Have you ever all witnessed it? I’m fairly certain you all have,” Henry stated this week, through the Related Press. “So sure, simply attempting to indicate that we’re precious as every other place. They use us in commercials and all over. And we simply need our share due.”
He isn’t improper, and it isn’t obscure the frustration he and different high working backs are feeling going into the season.
It’s simple to make working backs marketable as a result of they deal with the ball greater than virtually every other place on the sector exterior of quarterback, whereas additionally they are usually the best and common gamers on their groups.
Gamers like Henry, Saquon Barkley (New York Giants), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) and Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders) are the focal factors of their groups’ offenses and do many of the heavy lifting.
Regardless of that, Barkley, Taylor and Jacobs have been unable to land long-term contracts this offseason.
The Taylor scenario in Indianapolis additionally creates an attention-grabbing state of affairs that’s considerably associated to Henry’s level about how the gamers are marketed.
Indianapolis does not worth Taylor sufficient to pay him on a long-term contract, however when it got here time to supply him across the league in potential commerce talks, it set a sky-high and virtually unrealistic demand from different groups.
The Colts know the way good he’s. Additionally they know the way precious is, and if they may capitalize on that worth to higher their franchise in a commerce they have been ready to exploit it for all they may. They simply don’t share that power on the subject of his paycheck or a long-term dedication.
It is the identical factor on a bigger scale across the league.
The unlucky actuality, nonetheless, is that regardless of the star energy and workload working backs tackle, the 32 groups nonetheless haven’t any incentive to pay the place extra money as an entire.
The workload that makes working backs stars can also be what results in their fast decline as gamers.
There are additionally so many good gamers on the place, whereas the place itself is essentially depending on the expertise round it, that groups really feel they’ll get related manufacturing with lesser-known gamers for considerably smaller costs. In a wage cap league the place {dollars} are restricted (and different positions are considered as extra precious), any kind of financial savings {that a} staff can get is essential.
It’s a struggle that’s not going to go away anytime quickly, regardless of how a lot gamers like Henry, Taylor and Barkley would possibly hate it.
