Flea Flicker Top-15 Running Backs

Continuing the Flea Flicker Top-15 series and passing the time before training camp, here's a look at the Top-15 Running Backs entering the 2016 season.

15. Dion Lewis, New England Patriots
Lewis was playing great until a knee injury ended his 2015 season early. The Patriots still saw enough to sign him to a contract extension. They don't often do that with running backs.

14. Jeremy Hill/Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
I can't separate the two. One or the other can make an impact on games. The Bengals seem to go with whichever one has the hot hand. It could be scary if both get hot at the same time.

13. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
Last year was supposed to be Hyde's break-out year. Frank Gore was in another city and he was supposed to get all of the carries. Then injuries wrecked what was supposed to be. It will be very interesting to see how he plays in Chip Kelly's offense. Hyde just has to stay healthy.

12. Matt Forte, New York Jets
It's going to be strange to see Forte in a Jets uniform. He's been one of my favorite runners in the league from the moment he entered it. He can do it all. He's still the current model for the "do-everything" back.

11. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
This is all assumption as Elliott is a mere rookie. He showed at Ohio State that he's an incredibly skilled runner. He's also running behind a dominant offensive line in Dallas. That's a nice combination.

10. Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
Miller was a productive runner and receiver for the Miami Dolphins for much of the last three seasons. But he's gone through some stretches in which he isn't too productive. Now, he's with the Texans and he'll be expected to provide a lot of the offense that was provided so well by Arian Foster.

  9. Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
Freeman exploded on the NFL scene last season. From weeks 3-8 he seemed unstoppable. The Falcons won four of those six games. Then he had some injury issues and he never really got back on track. It'll be interesting to see if he can light up the league this season like he did during that six game stretch.

  8. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Martin challenged Adrian Peterson for the rushing title right up until the final game of the season. He's gained over 1400 yards in each of the two seasons in which he's played 16 games. The two seasons in between left a lot to be desired. The Buccaneers offense appears to be on the upswing with quarterback Jameis Winston leading it. Martin should be a big part of that offense moving forward.

  7. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
McCoy has set his bar pretty high. He gained 895 yards in 12 games and he became an afterthought. If he can stay on the field for 16 games he should rebound in his second season with the Bills.

  6. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
He's at #6 with the assumption that he plays this season in shape and at a reasonable weight. He's a tough to tackle bull when he's in shape. An already dangerous Packers offense creeps close to impossible to defend when he's in shape. A chubby Eddie Lacy, like he was last year, would be ranked at #60 rather than #6.

  5. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
This might be a little high seeing as he only really played in a handful of games last season. He can do a lot of everything and he's on an offense that will take advantage of everything that he can do.

  4. Todd Gurley. Los Angeles Rams
There's something electric about Gurley's running. His run that impressed me most last season was a 1-yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings. He showed a variety of skills in that single yard and his desire to get that one yard was stunning.

  3. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles has top-3 running skills. He's so much fun to watch. I just want to see him stay healthy for a several successive seasons.

  2. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Bell just has to stay healthy. He can do it all and he's an offense with an excess of weapons.

  1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
So what if he enters the season at the age of 31. He led the NFL in rushing at 30. He's the best in the game until he shows otherwise which I doubt is any time soon.