AFC East bucking trend by coveting veteran running backs
The AFC East is partying like it's 2013.
With the Miami Dolphins snagging Arian Foster on Monday, the division dominated for the past decade by the decidedly running-back ambivalent New England Patriots now boasts three of the most intriguing veteran running backs in the league.
LeSean McCoy established himself as a still-formidable option in Buffalo last season, while Matt Forte joined the New York Jets after being spurned by the Chicago Bears.
The trend is not one a lot of other teams are following. With the running-back position significantly devalued over the past five years, franchises seem willing to roll the dice with a rotating group of disposable ball-carriers every few seasons rather than hitching their wagon to a previously successful player.
While none of these former franchise running backs are expected to carry the full workload, all are expected to be a feature part of their team's offense.
The Bills attempted to surround McCoy with help by selecting Karlos and Jonathan Williams in the fifth round of the 2015 and 2016 draft, respectively, but both have let off-field issues jeopardize that plan.
Forte will have a stable of capable downhill runners like Bilal Powell, Khiry Robinson, and Zac Stacy to keep him fresh all season, while Foster will likely be in a time-split with Jay Ajayi and possibly third-round rookie Kenyan Drake.
The one thing all of these situations have in common is that while all three teams are investing heavily in motivated veterans, they're not willing to completely trust their backfield to one - even if they're special all-purpose backs like Foster, Forte, and McCoy.
Maybe the best example of this strategy came in 2015, when the Arizona Cardinals signed the thought-to-be finished Chris Johnson.
Johnson proved an aging all-purpose back does not need to be relegated to third-down duties, rushing for 814 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games before getting hurt.
That being said, the three AFC East veterans will head into the season with higher expectations than Johnson had going into 2015. There are risks with all three too, as Foster is recovering from a ruptured Achilles - a potential death knell for running backs - McCoy's total production has steadily declined and Forte's ability to continue as an every-down back is unknown at the age of 30.
With more and more franchise backs being cast off by their teams, many will keep an eye on the AFC East this season in hopes Foster, McCoy, and Forte can prove the special talents of certain running backs are worth investing in.