you make excellent points.
It’s a tricky list to rate since they’re such different types of backs.
I’ll take a swag:
1. Gordon - was hurt late in the season, it man was he effective when he was healthy. Hasn’t lost a single step, he made several long house calls. Capable receiver out of the backfield. He could be a lead back for a team who has a complimentary RB to spell him. The downside is, it’s hard to say if he stayed healthy because he split the load. He’ll likely go somewhere as the lead back in a committee.
2. Fournette - it was a weird season for “playoff Lenny”. He might be more of a 1a on this list. Like Gordon, age & durability are concerns. Like Brady, he also might not want to be part of a rebuild, but the Bucs clearly prefer him to their other options & I'm not sure anyone’s seen enough of Vaughn to rely on him as a lead back.
3. Connor - career says he’s injury-prone, but seeing what he did when healthy, teams will bite. He also got hurt late, which won’t help that perception. I could see incentive-laden contract, but he should be among the 1st to sign. I could see AZ re-signing him & letting Edmonds walk while Benjamin takes the Edmonds role.
4. Sony was a mixed bag. I saw him do some good things. I also saw him shut down by the 49ers & get his lunch eaten by Cam Akers (did he even touch the ball? 1 carry in a game Akers fumbled twice?) - I’m not sure Sony is as good as he looked at times, or if that was a byproduct of a capable OL opening big holes for him. I was impressed by his performance, but I’m not sure it was enough to parlay into a feature back role. I could see him in Seattle if they don’t keep Penny.
5. Penny - small sample size. Some great. Some not great. Not sure what it means for his future - he’s an enigma. His career is a whole lot of hurt & mediocre, then he has a paycheck on the line & comes out ballin. He’ll latch on somewhere, may even become FF relevant again, but I’m not sure teams will view him as a feature back.
6. Foreman may well have increased his earning power in that playoff game, because wow he looked good. He had some solid games in Henry’s absence. Could see the Titans retaining him if the price isn’t crazy high.
7. CPat. Oof this one was hard. Is he what we saw, or was he the byproduct of being one of the few playmakers on a team devoid of them? He’s not young. He’s never shown anything like that before. He’ll be 31. Yeah - he’ll play somewhere - hopefully in ATL. I’m fading him in FF drafts because I’m worried the regression/injury fairies will show up with a vengeance. I’m betting NFL GMs will as well.
8. Edmonds - I do not see Edmonds taking a staring gig. IMO he’ll go somewhere as a complimentary back. He’s shown his ceiling, IMO.
9. Mostert - dude is made of glass. And he’s just short of 30. He’ll possibly be a 3rd down/breather back somewhere. Likely not a huge priority for whichever team signs him.
—————————————
So that leaves RoJo. At 24 he’s the youngest on the list by quite a bit, and has lower mileage than most. He’s shown some upside, and is a little underrated as a receiver (quite a few times Arians retaliated against RoJo for terrible throws by Brady. Balls at his feet, set-ups for direct hits by LB, etc)
Is he a great receiver? No - but he isn’t terrible either. His late season injury likely didn’t help his stock, but he could absolutely be a between the tackles early down & GL back.
The question is where does he fall on that list? Between Sony & Penny?
