'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Amidst the great devaluation of their market, many running backs are still seeking an opportunity to prove that they can still perform at a high level.
From Josh Jacobs to Tony Pollard and, until recently, Saquon Barkley, RBs have been unable to secure big-money deals that will ensure their futures with their respective teams.
But there are others who still have not found a home, and this list will outline the 10 most crucial free agents at the position.
#10) JD McKissic
JD McKissic has had a fascinating NFL career. Despite being a running back at present, he has had more success in the air game, tallying 600 more receiving yards and more receiving touchdowns than he has rushing yards and touchdowns.
In 2022, he initially agreed to join the Buffalo Bills for two years and $7 million, only for the newly-renamed Washington Commanders to successfully lure him back on the same terms.
A neck injury ended his season, however, and he was gone after completing half of the said contract.
#9) Kenyan Drake
Kenyan Drake has had a decent career in the NFL so far, being a serviceable backup for the likes of Pro Bowlers Jay Ajayi and Josh Jacobs.
In 11 games last season, Drake had 442 rushing yards on 93 carries and three touchdowns, as he, JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards led the Baltimore Ravens back to the playoffs.
However, he appears to have been a victim of the Ravens' recent offensive reshuffling, with the team picking multiple receivers in an attempt to improve Lamar Jackson's passing game.
#8) Darrel Williams
Coming off a career-best season with the Kansas City Chiefs where he won a Super Bowl, Darrel Williams joined the Arizona Cardinals in 2022, primarily serving as one of the backups to James Conner.
The team did not perform well, and he was out after his contract ended. As of this writing, he has still yet to find a team.
#7) Darrell Henderson Jr.
Darrell Henderson Jr. was one of the Los Angeles Rams' three primary running backs when they won Super Bowl LVII. He performed decently in that game, having only seven yards on four carries but 43 yards on three receptions.
Amidst a team-wide regression, however, Henderson Jr. was waived in the middle of 2022. He subsequently joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, only to be cut before playing a single snap.
#6) Rex Burkhead
Rex Burkhead is one of the more anonymous running backs on this list, but his contributions to the New England Patriots' last Lombardi win in 2018-19 cannot be overstated.
He was responsible for the game-winning touchdown against the burgeoning Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, and he led all rushers with 6.1 yards per carry in Super Bowl LIII.
But the last time he was seen on the field, he was a Houston Texan. Since then, he has remained unsigned.
#5) Le'Veon Bell
Now, onto the big names.
After a year away pursuing other interests, could Le'Veon Bell really be returning to the NFL? The three-time Pro Bowler recently told CBS:
"I don't even want to say that I'm done, because I didn't officially retire. If I get a call and it's feeling good, I'm gone."
Bell was last seen on the field in 2021 when he rejoined fellow ex-Steeler Antonio Brown in Tampa Bay. However, unlike Brown, he saw minimal playing time, with a touchdown catch being his only highlight.
#4) Kareem Hunt
Upon debuting with the Cleveland Browns, Kareem Hunt established himself as a decent second option behind Nick Chubb. In 2020, the two helped the team post a winning record for the first time since 2007 and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
But amidst a return to mediocrity in the next two seasons, the Browns decided not to keep Hunt. The rest of their running back core, however, leaves much to be desired.
#3) Leonard Fournette
In 2020, looking for a championship, Leonard Fournette joined Tom Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they succeeded, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs. The two remained teammates for two more seasons afterward. with Fournette even extending for three years in 2022.
But when Tom Brady definitively retired, the Buccaneers decided that they had to enter a new era. Fournette was the most prominent name to leave, with two years still left on his contract.
#2) Dalvin Cook
For six years, Dalvin Cook was one of the most important pieces in the Minnesota Vikings, reaching four Pro Bowls and making two postseasons. Alas, a long-term alliance was not to be, as he was released last month.
Since then, Cook said he wanted to join forces with DeAndre Hopkins and win a Super Bowl with him. Unfortunately, "DHop" went to the Tennessee Titans, aka Derrick Henry's team, meaning if Cook follows him, he will have to accept a reduced role, and he likely will not want that.
#1) Ezekiel Elliott
The great running back debate arguably began when the Dallas Cowboys released Ezekiel Elliott, even though he still had a few more years to play and many dollars to receive.
The emergence of Tony Pollard, however, made the decision easier to make for owner-general manager Jerry Jones. Now, as training camp begins for NFL teams, Elliott could be on the outside looking in.
