Put the best running back in the world behind an offensive line of high-schoolers in an NFL game, and that back is going to have some bad numbers. Take a high-school running back and put him behind an all-world offensive line, and he isn’t going to be good, but he’ll occasionally find a few yards.
For running backs, talent certainly matters. But opportunity, volume and supporting cast matter at least as much, and those factors can get lost in the offseason, when we spend our time dissecting a player’s individual skills.
Earlier, we looked at the top situations for running backs. Today, we’re going the other way. These are the worst situations for running backs across the league in 2016. You won’t hear about a player’s breakaway ability or elusive rating, but you will get a breakdown of the worst situations based on the blocking in front of him, and we’ll also give a brief nod to offensive scheme and game script.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks top our list. Not a single starter would put up a realistic fight to start on the Cowboys’ offensive line (our top team). Over the past two offseasons, the Seahawks have gotten rid of their two best (Russell Okung, Max Unger), and they have done very little to replace them. The Seahawks have a unique way of evaluating players, and I’m sure they viewed 2016 first-round offensive tackle Germain Ifedi as the best lineman on their draft board, but he struggled according to CFF’s graders. Expecting Ifedi to immediately replace Okung’s production is a stretch.
DOMINATE FANTASY FOOTBALL & BETTING WITH AI-POWERED DATA & TOOLS TRUSTED BY ALL 32
Unlimited Fantasy League Sync
Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire
WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools
Nathan Jahnkes Rankings - #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks
PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools
NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades
Already have a subscription? Log In
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.