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Outkick the Coverage

Outkick the Coverage

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If You Pay Running Backs Big Money, You Won't Get Your Money's Worth

If You Pay Running Backs Big Money, You Won't Get Your Money's Worth

To open Friday's show, Clay Travis discusses Todd Gurley being cut by the Los Angeles Rams. In July of 2018, the Rams made Todd Gurley the highest paid running back in the NFL, and on Thursday, they cut him. The Rams are the second team to move on from their highly paid running back this week. The Cardinals parted ways with David Johnson and his expensive contract by including him in the trade for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

The four highest paid running backs in the NFL last season were Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley, LeVeon Bell and David Johnson. Only Elliott went over 1,000 rushing yards, and all four of their teams missed the playoffs.

Clay argues that teams simply cannot pay running backs big time money, because teams will never get their money's worth. Running backs simply do not last a long time in the NFL. Clay points out that there were 22 running backs selected in Todd Gurley's draft class in 2015, and now that Gurley has been released, not a single one of those 22 backs is still with the team that originally drafted them.

Clay brings in the Outkick crew to discuss the running back position in general. It seems like in today's modern NFL, running backs are possibly the least valuable, and most replaceable position in football. It's certainly a far cry from the 1980's and 1990's when running backs were seen as, or even more important, than quarterbacks.

(In hour 3 of the program, Outkick had Breaking News that Todd Gurley signed a one year contract with the Atlanta Falcons.)

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