The Return of the Workhorse Running-back!

Image Credit: John Autry Photography

Over the past decade or so, there has been talk how running backs are devalued because “you do not need an elite running back to win.” Instead of looking for a workhorse at halfback, many teams have decided to just deploy a committee of backs. Other teams hardly run the ball at all. But, since the playoffs last year and the start of this season it seems that the best teams have a player they can rely on to carry the ball 20-25 times and control the time of possession, a workhorse.

What exactly is a workhorse? Well, a workhorse is a Running Back that can do everything the team needs form the RB position. Workhorses only come off the field when in need of a quick breather. These types of running backs are much less common than they were, say, 20 years ago. But with the recent arrival of so many talented young Halfbacks, are they finally making a comeback?

For the workhorse to make a comeback it had to have first fallen off. Here is what I believe kickstarted the decline of the workhorse:

The NFL is a copycat league

When the league sees one team having success by doing things a certain way, you can be sure nearly everyone else will follow suit. In 2013, the other 31 teams watched closely as the Denver Broncos tore the league apart through the air with (statistically) the greatest passing attack the game has ever seen, passing for 5,444 yards and 55 touchdowns. They would go 13-3 and make the Super Bowl before getting thrashed 48-3 by the Seattle Seahawks.

For the entire 2013 season, teams watched helplessly as their defense got annihilated by the Broncos’ aerial assault and they did it all with their leading rusher just barely breaking the 1,000-yard milestone. They often split the rushing workload between Knowshon Moreno, Montee Ball, and a little bit of Ronnie Hillman.

Salary cap management

One thing (among many others) the Patriots do so well, deciding what their money is best spent on. They do not overpay for anyone and one position that Bill Belichick has always been especially reluctant to hand out big dollars to is the Halfback.

Until last season when they drafted Sony Michel, the Patriots had been the definition of Running Back by committee. The list goes on forever of players they used in that position; but some notable names are Dion Lewis, James White, Rex Burkhead, LaGarrette Blount, Stevan Ridley, and Shane Vereen. If the Patriots can have success with that many different RB’s why can’t everyone else?

In today’s world money is everything, and team owners will do anything to save a few dollars. Why pay eight figures for one player, when three can combine to do all the same things but for a lesser price? It is a valid argument, but the value of a dominant workhorse back cannot be replaced.

That is only what I believe caused the near extinction of the true every-down back. But, is the workhorse truly making a comeback?

Is the workhorse back:

Simple answer, yes. To prove it, I will place the Running Backs I believe to be workhorses into three separate categories.

Category one will be the All-pro caliber workhorse backs, these players’ talent is undeniable and as well as the impact to their team.

Category two will be the Pro-bowl level backs. These players do everything the players in category 1 do but are not as impactful or talented.

Category three: Starter level. They still run the ball 20-plus times in most games but come off the field more often than the other two categories. Their talent is a noticeable drop off from the players ahead of them.

Notable Exclusions are the guys that I believe could easily make this list but simply do not get enough snaps and/or touches.

Category 1: All-Pro Caliber

Ezekiel Elliot, Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Le’Veon Bell, Alvin Kamara, Nick Chubb

Reasoning:

Zeke, Saquon, Cook, and McCaffrey are shoe-ins. I put Le’Veon in here because everyone knows what he is capable of, but circumstances have prevented him from showcasing his ability. As for Kamara, he may not run the ball as often as the rest of these guys, but his talent is undeniable, and he hardly ever leaves the field. Lastly, we have Nick Chubb, the only reason he could drop is because of the presence of Kareem Hunt.

Category 2: Pro-bowl Caliber

Chris Carson, James Conner, Kerryon Johnson, David Johnson, Leonard Fournette, Marlon Mack, Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, Todd Gurley

Reasoning:

I felt everyone other than David Johnson and Derrick Henry fit perfectly into this category. David Johnson is a top-eight talent at running back but, is underutilized in Kingsbury’s offense. Meanwhile, Henry’s lack of receiving chops keeps him off the field and team load the box with no fear of Mariota bating them, keeping King Henry’s numbers in check and apart of category 2.

Category 3: Starter Level

Sony Michel, Jordan Howard, Carlos Hyde, Aaron Jones, Josh Jacobs, Carlos Hyde, Devonta Freeman

Reasoning:

These guys are here not for lack of talent, but a lack of snaps. Michel could easily have been in category two but according to, https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nwe/2019-snap-counts.htm, he only plays 41% of the team's snaps. He still runs the ball a ton which is why he even made the list at all. The same goes for Josh Jacobs, Jordan Howard, Aaron Jones, and Carlos Hyde. As for Freeman, he does not run the ball as often as the rest of this group but he does more in the passing game than all of them, in turn qualifying him for the list.

Notable Exclusions:

Melvin Gordon, Joe Mixon, Kareem Hunt, Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman/Matt Breida

To sum it all up, the workhorse is back, and I believe that it is a good thing for the NFL. While we may no longer be in the era of Walter Payton types carrying the ball nearly 40 times a game, it is still nice to see that running backs are finding their niche in today’s predominantly passing league. Who knows, maybe in time the game will find itself changing yet again, and the workhorse running back will be all the talk. Until then, fans of the game can rest… the league is in good hands.

- Paul Hessing