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For those who may not have their finger on the pulse of player movement in the NFL, let me be the first to tell you that it’s been a whirlwind of an offseason at the running back position. Several household names are now with new teams, which not only is poised to shake up your fantasy football drafts later this summer but should have an impact on the league itself in 2024.

As these clubs get together over the next few weeks and months for the offseason workout program including mandatory minicamp, it’s a good time to take stock of all these backfield changes and stack them against one another. Below, we’ve collected every backfield in the league and slotted them into one of seven tiers ranging from the “Thoroughbreds” to the “Work In Progress” section. 

Tier 1: Thoroughbreds

Not only will you find stars in this tier, but what separates these teams is the depth behind their stars as well. While Christian McCaffrey is arguably the top back in the league, the 49ers also have capable backs like Elijah Mitchell Jordan Mason, and rookie Isaac Guerendo in their stable along with fullback Kyle Juszczyk. 

As for the rest of the teams in this top tier, they’ve all gone through seismic change this offseason with some of the biggest signings in free agency. Baltimore added Derrick Henry to headline a backfield that also sports Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (recovering from a torn ACL). On top of their impact out of the backfield. Meanwhile, the Eagles added Saquon Barkley and the Packers signed Josh Jacobs, who are both capable of leading the league in rushing if fully healthy. The Ravens and Eagles also have the luxury of having quarterbacks (Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts) factoring into the rushing attack. 

Tier 2: Quality depth

This is a group that may not have the top-end star power as the group above but possesses plenty of depth to make them a formidable unit. The Lions are knocking…

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The Steelers lured linebacker Patrick Queen from the Ravens in free agency. They apparently didn’t do it by making Queen the best financial offer.

In a recent appearance with Steelers_DB, Queen said he turned down more money elsewhere to sign with the Steelers.

“From all the 15 teams that I was talking to, it came down to like five at the end,” Queen said, via NFL.com. “It was just like five teams in the mix. Some of them were offering some $17 [million per year]. After that it was like, I have a chance to either go win or I have a chance to get paid. For me, the difference was like $4 or $5 million. I’m looking at it like, I’ve never been on a losing team before, and then I also don’t want to be a part of anything being rebuilt because I’m trying to win now. . . . I’m really just trying to win right now, get that out the way and then get paid later.”

Queen signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Steelers. The first year, at $13.84 million, is fully guaranteed at signing.

The deal has no guarantees beyond 2024. Instead, there’s an early roster bonus in 2025 ($6.67 million) and 2026 ($2.5 million) to force the Steelers to make a decision on whether to extend the relationship.

So it’s basically a one-year deal with a team-held option for 2025 and then 2026. Which means, frankly, a one-year deal would have been better. Especially if the Steelers win a Super Bowl this year. Then, Queen could have gotten paid as soon as next year.

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The NFL is ever-expanding and has made a concerted effort over the last few decades to bring the game onto an international stage. This year, the league is set to play games in England, Germany, and Brazil, and it sounds like more countries and cities are being eyed for future regular season games. 

Henry Hodgson, general manager of the NFL’s UK office, told the Irish Star that Dublin and Paris are two European cities. that the league is looking into for potential games. 

“There’s a feasibility study, as we would call it, in a number of different European cities and Dublin is one of those,” Hodgson said. “Looking at the stadiums, taking local meetings … we’ll take away all of that information, digest it and determine what the next steps are.”

He added: “That’s something that’s happening in Dublin, it’s happening in Paris for example, and a number of other cities around the world as well.”

Hodgson noted that the NFL is planning to specifically evaluate Croke Park and Aviva Stadium for games in Ireland. Croke Park previously hosted the Bears and Steelers for a preseason game in 1997 and can seat 82,300 fans. Meanwhile, Aviva Stadium has hosted college football games in the past and has a capacity of 51,700. 

This season, the NFL is slated to have five international games (three in London, one in Munich, and one in São Paulo) in 2024. On top of Ireland and France, the NFL has previously looked into having an international game in Spain as well. 

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Where Purdy ranks among NFL QBs on third-, fourth-down conversions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

NFL quarterbacks are judged on their ability to execute in high-leverage situations on third and fourth down — an area where 49ers star Brock Purdy excelled during his first full season as the starting signal-caller in San Francisco.

Purdy finished second among all NFL quarterbacks in 2023 when it came to regular-season third- and fourth-down conversion rate on passing attempts, as shared Saturday by Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis.

The only player Purdy trailed was Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who went toe to toe with the 49ers’ defense in San Francisco’s thrilling divisional-round win in January. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts and Atlanta Falcons’ Kirk Cousins rounded out the top five behind Love and Purdy.

The 49ers finished the 2023 season ranked fourth in the NFL in third-down conversion rate, a testament to the highly efficient numbers Purdy posted when San Francisco threw the ball in those situations.

Clutch conversions on third and fourth down isn’t the only area Purdy shined in 2023, as the 24-year-old led the NFL in a number of statistical categories including passer rating (113.0), yards per attempt (9.6) and touchdown percentage (7.0 percent).

Purdy’s 4,280 passing yards in 2023 broke the 49ers franchise single-season record previously held by Jeff Garcia. The impressive campaign Purdy posted earned him Pro Bowl honors, becoming the first San Francisco quarterback selected to the prestigious event in over 20 years.

As the 49ers gear up for another season, they can enter it confidently knowing they have a dynamic talent under center who figures to be the franchise quarterback for years to come.

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