CHADIHA: OLDER RUNNING BACKS CAN STILL PLAY

Anybody familiar with the work of Football Outsiders knows their take on running backs: when balancing salary cap and on-field production, it's better to go with a cheap, young back than an older, expensive one.

Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com, however, notes that for some older running backs, the perception of their declining production has not been met with a decline in their wallets. Chadiha cites the new contracts of New York's Thomas Jones, Houston's Ahman Green, and Denver's Travis Henry. Both Jones and Henry will turn 29 this season, and they each received $12 million in guarantees. Green is 30 and will receive about $6 in guaranteed cash. And then Chadiha also notes Jacksonville's Fred Taylor, who netted a $8 million signing bonus when he inked his four-year extension with the Jags.

So does this mean that NFL general managers are taking a longer look at older backs, believing they can keep up their production into their 30s? Or is this simply a few examples of GMs over-paying for declining talent? Well, of the deals mentioned above, I like the Jets move the best -- Jones is a legitimate starter, and they can always spell him with Leon Washington, who had a pretty good rookie year last season. I am not a fan of either the Green or Taylor signings: Green will be running behind a brutal line and playing with an untested quarterback, which is a recipe for disaster; Taylor is injured seemingly every year, and Maurice Jones Drew should be the starter this year anyway. But that's just me.

You can join FO's discussion on this topic -- and on Chadiha's article -- right here.