With all of the rumors and media attention surrounding the wide receivers group of this year's free agency, it was almost forgotten that Ahmad Bradshaw is still on the market. After being released from the New York Giants, the interest around had been relatively quiet. Now that many of the big named players officially signed with other teams, Bradshaw is getting his turn in the spotlight. The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals are now pursing him.
Bradshaw was released for cap space purposes by the Giants over a month ago. He had and injury-plagued 2012 that ended with offseason foot surgery. He is now medically cleared and can visit teams. The running back market is slim this year. Steven Jackson was considered the top back to get and the Atlanta Falcons picked him up. Rashard Mendenhall was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers and immediately signed him. That leaves Bradshaw and Michael Turner left to fight it out with teams.
The Green Bay Packers have never had a premier running back. They were originally pursuing Jackson before the Falcons were able to sign him. They ranked 20th last season in rushing yards. They do not need a high-profiled back considering they have Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball, but Bradshaw would help keep their offense balanced enough.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need a new running back after the three on their roster last season delivered disappointing seasons. Mendenhall, Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman all had low numbers last season. Dwyer was the team leader in rushing with 623 yards total on the season while the entire team ranked 26th in the league overall in rushing yards. With the release of Mendenhall, they need a back to replace him. While Dwyer shows promise, he is not a starter.
Despite a long history with injuries, Bradshaw is only 26. His best rushing years are ahead of him and he is still capable of being a top running back is he can stay healthy. In 2012, he rushed from 1,015 yards and six touchdowns, while only missing two games. That is better than any running back on the Packers or Steelers did. It is only a matter of time before the free agent running backs get picked up and Bradshaw would be a fit for either team.
