Running backs who deliver

 

To win in the NFL, you need someone reliable carrying the mail.

 

Regardless of the conditions – rain, snow, sleet, games at night – running backs must swiftly gain the appointed ground. They plow for tough yards between the tackles. They turn the corner and dash down the sideline. They catch passes out of the backfield. Some can even throw the ball when necessary.

 

The greatest running backs are the total package, and the value of the position simply cannot be overstated. Yet we still have to endure a preposterous "pundit" like CBS Sportsline's Pete Prisco, who steadfastly refuses to list any backs among his ten best free agents (although they can occupy spots 11-13). You, sir, are no David Letterman...but your Top Ten List is nearly as comical.

 

Prisco is much more Cliff Clavin, the know-it-all who actually knows very little. We are his Norm, the fat guy drinking beer and laughing at him. And we're also Carla – beating him over the head with a mail pouch full of Cold, Hard Football Facts.

 

Cheers are heard across Planet Pigskin whenever a team signs a stud running back. Last year at this time, the two biggest names among the free agents were Seattle's Shaun Alexander and Indy's Edgerrin James. Both were designated as franchise players, meaning the Seahawks and Colts could match any offer or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. Teams also had the option of trading for either back at a lower asking price (said to be a single first-rounder or possibly even less).

 

When takers didn't emerge, each player agreed to a lucrative one-year deal with his old team. Alexander (shown here) earned every cent of his $6.3 million by posting career-best numbers. He captured the rushing title, set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns and led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. James, meanwhile, was paid $8.1 million because it was his second season with the franchise tag. He delivered the same way he always has for the Colts, finishing in the top 5 in rushes, yards and touchdowns.

 

Here is how their numbers from 2005 stack up:

 

 

Seeing that kind of production probably made some GMs want to go postal. In retrospect, maybe players of that caliber are worth obtaining.

 

A year later, Alexander and James were set to hit the open market again on March 3. Because of protracted labor negotiations, however, the start of free agency was delayed. The Seahawks promptly took advantage of the extra negotiating time, locking up Alexander with an eight-year contract worth $62 million.

 

The Colts, on the other hand, were forced to wait for the resolution of the salary cap figure, which has now been set at $102 million. Their top two offseason priorities had been re-signing wide receiver Reggie Wayne and defensive end Raheem Brock, who were both inked to long-term deals in February. All the while, James (pictured here) has been left scratching his dreadlocked head, wondering where he would be playing.

 

Beginning on Saturday at 12:01 AM, every team will get a second crack at this first-class back. And those who passed on James a year ago may want to consider this Cold, Hard Football Fact: Six of the last seven teams to win the Super Bowl did so with a new starter at running back.

 

Two of them were acquired by trade:

Two of them were veteran free agents:

One of them was drafted:

One of them was an undrafted free agent:

What follows is a look at how each championship running back compared to the previous season's primary starter at the position:

 

St. Louis Rams

 

Baltimore Ravens

 

New England Patriots

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

New England Patriots

 

Pittsburgh Steelers

 

In every instance, the new starting running back amassed more yards (generally by a wide margin) and averaged over a half-yard better per touch.

 

With fresh horses leading the way, St. Louis in '99 and New England in '01 experienced the two biggest turnaround seasons by eventual Super Bowl winners. Faulk took the Rams from a 4-12 doormats in 1998 to 13-3 champions the next season. Smith similarly put his stamp on the Patriots, helping them reverse a 5-11 mark to go 11-5 and claim the title.

 

The only other team to win a Super Bowl the year after posting a losing record was the 1981 49ers, who had previously gone 6-10. They, too, had a new starting running back, Ricky Patton, who had carried the ball exactly once (for one yard) the prior season.

 

A change at running back has historically worked very well when you're looking to deliver a championship. With free agency finally arriving, a savvy team could get the edge by getting "The Edge."

 

On a yards-per-game basis, no player in NFL history has been better at carrying the mail than James. In this case, the postman is ringing a second time.