Ezekiel Elliott became the NFL's highest-paid running back when he agreed to his new deal with the Cowboys on Wednesday. His $50 million guaranteed and $15 million in average annual salary both top the numbers in the contract the Rams gave Todd Gurley last summer.
Overall, however, running back remains the position with the fewest number of players who average more than $9 million per season in the NFL; there are just four — Elliott, Gurley, Le'Veon Bell and David Johnson. This is why Melvin Gordon, drafted by the Chargers in the same first round as Gurley in 2015 — a year ahead of Elliott — feels overdue for an extension.
There is something all those highest-paid backs have in common: a role in the passing game that has become just as vital as their rushing production.
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Elliott and Gurley ranked first and second in scrimmage yards per game last season. In 2017, the order was Gurley, Bell and Elliott. In 2016, it was Johnson, Elliott and Bell.
With finishes of fourth, ninth and fifth in that category, Gordon has a case to join at least the double-digit millionaire's club in the near future, for the Chargers or for someone else. But he doesn't have an argument to get a better deal than those of Elliott, Gurley, Bell or Johnson.
Saquon Barkley, who led the NFL with 2,028 total yards from scrimmage as a rookie last year, will be set up to surpass Elliott's contract in 2021 if he stays healthy, especially with Dave Gettleman and the Giants doing the paying.
But before then, the next running backs in line for potential pace-setting contracts — all from the 2017 NFL Draft — are the Panthers' Christian McCaffrey, the Saints' Alvin Kamara, the Steelers' James Conner, the Bengals' Joe Mixon, the Jaguars' Leonard Fournette and the Vikings' Dalvin Cook.
Here's breaking down their chances of breaking the bank.
Christian McCaffrey
First round, No. 8 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $17.2 million
McCaffrey's breakout second season, transitioning from receiving back to true workhorse under Norv Truner, saw him get 326 touches for 1,965 scrimmage yards, putting him third behind Elliott and Barkley in both categories. He led the Panthers with 107 receptions on 124 targets, scored a team-high 13 TDs, averaged 6.0 yards per touch and was on the field for more than 91 percent of his team's offensive snaps.
Carolina's coaches don't plan to scale down his workload in 2019. Should McCaffrey remain durable through more of such a massive volume, the Panthers will be under pressure to give him a big raise to keep an Elliott-like situation from developing next summer.
McCaffrey has grown indispensable to a team that has a shrinking Super Bowl window and is owned by an aggressive billionaire. That sounds much like the Zeke situation, doesn't it? Should McCaffrey throw down another big year, he can easily argue he is worth at least $14 million annually and $40 million guaranteed, numbers right behind those of Elliott and Gurley.
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Alvin Kamara
Third round, No. 67 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $3.857 million
Kamara has far outplayed his contract as a late Day 2 pick. He played 62.6 percent of the Saints' offensive snaps and had 275 touches last season, turning that into 1,592 scrimmage yards and 18 total TDs. He is extremely efficient for his calculated usage, which was ramped up after he played only 44.5 percent of the snaps with only 201 touches as a rookie.
Now Kamara is in line for another uptick with Latavius Murray complementing him instead of Mark Ingram. Although Kamara might never be a 1,000-yard rusher, his value to New Orleans' diverse passing game is high behind wide receiver Michael Thomas.
Because Kamara comes with less wear-down risk as a hybrid player, something like $65 million over five years would be a sound and reasonable investment.
James Conner
Third round, No. 105 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $3.161 million
The Steelers are enjoying Conner on the cheap, justifying their decision not to extend Bell. He played 64 percent of the snaps last season, getting 286 touches for 1,470 yards and 13 TDs in his sophomore campaign.
There was a sense that Conner was wearing down late last season, and Pittsburgh's coaches have hinted at lowering his touches with more work for Jaylen Samuels. What hurts Conner is that Pittsburgh, as evidenced by Bell, doesn't overextend itself with long-term running back contracts in the key areas of years and guaranteed money.
Four more years at $32 million looks like the best Conner should get and take.
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Joe Mixon
Second round, No. 48 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $5.45 million
The Bengals just gave their No. 2 back, Giovani Bernard, a new deal worth $10.3 million over two years. Believe or not, that puts Bernard at No. 9 among running backs in average annual salary going into 2019.
Mixon had a solid second season with 280 touches for 1,464 scrimmage yards and 9 TDs. But he also has had some knee injury issues, and he needs to come through at a higher level in a new offense. It will take a monster, feature-like season for him to be worthy of the McCaffrey-Kamara salary echelon, but the talent is there.
Leonard Fournette
First round, No. 4 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $27.15 million
Fournette faces a critical season in his quest to get the "next next" biggest contract. He needs to stay healthy and focused through 16 games, and he has a big opportunity in front of him as a fully trusted, three-down back with rookie Ryquell Armstead as his top backup. The Jags are all-in on Fournette.
His powerful skill set behind a healthier offensive line sets him up to out-produce the 1,342 scrimmage yards and 10 TDs he posted as a rookie. Like McCaffrey, he is capable of handling more than 300 touches as the centerpiece of what will be a more legitimate, balanced offense with Nick Foles.
Should Fournette put the Jags on his back and help them get to the playoffs, he can push for the highest deal from the class, given he began with the highest draft status.
Dalvin Cook
Second round, No. 41 overall | Rookie deal: 4 years, $6.353 million
Cook tore his ACL early in his rookie season and suffered from a nagging hamstring injury in Year 2. Over 15 career games, he has 258 touches for 1,364 scrimmage yards and 6 TDs.
The Vikings upgraded their offensive line, and with Kevin Stefanski, they have an offensive coordinator who will make sure Cook gets a high volume of touches to facilitate the passing game for Kirk Cousins.
Cook, like Mixon and Fournette, is good enough that it wouldn't be shocking if he were the most productive back on this list in 2019. If he puts it all together, watch out.
