Their old teams didn't want to pay them. Now they're MVP candidates.

Veteran running backs like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkely are thriving with new franchises.

For a moment, Jared Verse thought he had him.

After he shed his blocker in the third quarter last Sunday at SoFi Stadium, Verse, the Los Angeles Rams linebacker, lunged at running back Saquon Barkley. But instead of tackling his opponent, he only grabbed air. 

By the time Verse got up off the field, Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles superstar, was already past defenders and on his way to a 72-yard touchdown run. It was just one brilliant moment in a game of brilliant moments for Barkley, who finished with 255 yards rushing and two scores to go along with four catches for 47 yards in a 37-20 win. 

“I’ve never seen a running back like that,” Verse said after the game. 

What players marveled at that night — speed, strength, lateral movement, vision — are what Philadelphia fans have grown accustomed to all year. Barkley (1,392 yards in 11 games so far) is on pace to break the NFL’s all-time mark for rushing yards in a season, set by Eric Dickerson in 1984 (2,105). He looks every bit the missing piece for a 9-2 Eagles team that has come up short of its Super Bowl aspirations in recent years.It makes you think: Why would a team allow him to leave? 

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-running-backs-saquon-barkley-derrick-henry-rcna181833

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