Running back James Robinson has been one of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ most important players since they signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2020. That’s why it was devastating to see him suffer an ankle injury during their Week 16 loss to the New York Jets. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported Robinson suffered a torn Achilles and interim head coach Darrell Bevell confirmed the bad news when he met with the local media after the game.
Dare Ogunbowale stepped in Robinson’s place and finished the game and will likely start the following two games. These aren’t uncharted waters for Ogunbowale. He also subbed in for Robinson in the last two weeks of the 2020 season and went on to register 28 carries for 121 yards. While Ounbowale is a solid short-term fix for the remainder of the season, running back has suddenly become a need with both Robinson and rookie Travis Etienne suffering serious injuries in 2021.
Running back isn’t a position team should spend a premium on but the Jaguars can’t neglect it either. They need to have insurance in case either Robinson or Etienne isn’t 100 percent by the start of the 2022 season and they will have around $71 million in cap space, per Spotrac. The Jags can surely put some money aside and sign a veteran that can step in a featured role if needed.
Here are four free-agent running back options in 20222 the Jaguars should consider in lieu of Robinson’s injury.
No. 1FA running back Jaguars can sign in 2022 – Chase Edmonds.
The Jags did a good job of stopping Chase Edmonds when they faced off against the Cardinals in Week 3, holding him to just 26 yards on 11 carries. However, they may turn to him for help in 2022. The 2018 fourth-round pick had to wait until his forth-year in the NFL to get a shot at being the Arizona Cardinals’ workhorse running back. He’s made the most out of his chance, racking up 98 carries for a career-high 539 yards with two touchdowns.
While fellow Cards running back James Conner has nearly double the carries in 2021, Edmonds has been the more productive of the two, averaging almost two more yards per rush. Furthermore, has hauled in a combined 91 receptions for 684 yards with four touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Edmons missed four games this season but only three in the previous three. Barring serious injury, he should be in great shape in 2022. The Cardinals won’t be in a cap crunch next offseason but they may have more important contracts to take care of, so even though they may be able to bring the running back, there’s a realistic chance they will let him walk in free agency.
The Pro Football staff projects Edmons to get a two-year contract worth $12 next year. That is rather affordable and one the Jags can easily make. His stock could go up if the Cards make a deep playoff run and he thrives but even then, Jacksonville should have no problem securing his services.
No. 2 FA running back Jaguars can sign in 2022 – Sony Michel
Here’s another running back the Jaguars played against in 2021. The difference is that Sony Michel had a monster day in Week 13, toting the rock 24 times for 121 yards. A first-round selection by the New England Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft, the former Georgia Bulldog ran for over 900 yards in each of his two first NFL seasons. However, he only suited up in nine games last year and amassed 449 yards on 79 carries.
After losing running back Cam Akers to an Achilles injury this past offseason, the Los Angeles Rams traded a 2022 sixth-round pick and a 2023 fourth-round pick for Michel. He had a limited workload early in the offseason, logging more than 11 carries in a game just once. However, injuries to fellow running back Darrell Henderson, pave the way for him to have a bigger role over the last four weeks, racking up 423 rushing yards on 89 carries and two touchdowns in that span.
Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, Michel toted the rock 27 times for 131 yards and one touchdown. Henderson suited up but left the game with a knee sprain, so the Rams will probably continue to lean on Michel. Los Angeles is set to have around $5 million in cap space, so they may have a hard time re-signing him.
Just like Edmonds, Michel may not command top money in the open market. Based on his potential cost and his production during his four-year career, he will be an enticing option.
No. 3 FA running back Jaguars can sign in 2022 – Melvin Gordon
By now, it looks like every running back on this list had to play against the Jaguars this season to qualify but it’s a mere coincidence. Having said that, Melvin Gordon didn’t find much success running the ball against Jacksonville in Week 2, amassing 31 yards on 13 carries.
Nevertheless, the 15th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has been a solid player throughout his seven-year career, appearing in 95 games with 85 starts and racking up 1,448 carries for 5,995 yards with 52 touchdowns. He will be 29 next offseason but should still have plenty of gas left in the tank.
The Los Angeles Chargers offered Gordon a deal worth around $10 million per year back in 2019 but it wasn’t good enough for him, so he held out for the preseason and the first four games of the regular season. The Bolts didn’t back down and the former first-round selection ended up reporting without a contract. The following offseason, he signed a more modest two-year deal worth $16 million. Looking back, he should have taken the Chargers’ money and he has acknowledged as much.
During his tenure in Denver, Gordon has participated in 28 games with 24 starts and has tallied 389 rushes for 1,755 yards. He will try to get as much money as possible next offseason, but teams won’t be in a rush to give him a top-market deal. Spotrac projects he will get a one-year contract worth $5.2 million in 2022, which isn’t cost-prohibitive and would be money well spent by the Jaguars.
No. 4 FA running back Jaguars can sign in 2022 – Leonard Fournette
At last, here’s a running back that didn’t play against the Jaguars in 2021. However, Leonard Fournette has a history with them. You should know the story by now but in case you don’t, here we go again.
The Jaguars drafted Fournette fourth overall in the 2017 NFL over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were still available. They already had Blake Bortles in place, so the former regime didn’t feel inclined to invest a premium pick in the position. Things worked out well at first. The former LSU tiger went on to amass more than 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign. In fact, he had two 1,000-yard campaigns in two of his first three years in the league. However, the team moved on from him after James Robinson showed promise last offseason.
Fournette went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and became a key cog on their offense during their Super Bowl run, racking 64 carries for 300 yards and three touchdowns. This season, Lenny has registered 180 carries for 812 yards and eight touchdowns trips to the end zone. He was placed on the Injured Reserve list after suffering a hamstring injury in Week 17 but he could return for the postseason.
But wait a minute. By now you may be wondering why would the Jaguars sign Leonard Fournette after releasing him in 2020, and more importantly, why would he be willing to return to Jacksonville? Easy, the NFL is a business and he wouldn’t mind returning if the Jags make him a good offer. Moreover, there will be a new regime in place next year and if the Jags hire Buccanneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as their next head coach, he could bring Fournette with him.