Should Texans Sign Austin Ekeler Over Saquon Barkley?
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HOUSTON — New York Giants' Saquon Barkley appears to be the headliner for a star-studded free agency class that features several of the league's top running backs. And according to several reports, Barkley is a favorite to land with the Houston Texans.
However, not everyone believes the Texans should go all in for Barkley. 33rd Team's latest free agency predictions have the Texans settling for Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler (30) is tackled by Denver Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton (49) during the second half at SoFi Stadium.
Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports
As the lead back for the Chargers, Ekeler finished last season rushing for 628 yards on 179 attempts and five touchdowns. His name isn't as prominent as Barkley's, but his arrival in Houston could help improve the Texans' rushing attack.
And with a projected market value of $7.4 million, adding Ekeler would be a cheaper option than that of Barkley. According to Spotrac, the market value for the two-time All-Pro running back is set for $10.0 million for the upcoming season.
Before the start of the 2023 season, the thought of the Texans prioritizing a running back in free agency appeared laughable. The future seemed bright for then-starting running back Dameon Pierce, who nearly rushed for 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2022.
Unfortunately for the Texans, Pierce experienced a significant decline. As a result, Devin Singletary gave Houston a major boost in their rushing attack midway through the season. They struggled to run the ball until Singletary rushed for a career-best 150 yards during their Week 10 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 12.
But despite the late emergence of Singletary, the Texans will still prioritize the running back unit when free agency begins on March 13.
"I think the running game will be significant for us to improve upon," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "I think as you see as you go throughout this game, especially in the postseason, teams that win games – you’ve got to be able to run the football and sustain it...We [definitely] have areas to improve – many different areas – but the run game is one of those areas."
