Former Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood opens up on RB market controversy
One of the biggest controversies across the NFL is that of running backs getting paid. Well, actually it's them not getting paid. Former Buffalo Bills center and team legend, Eric Wood, opened up on what he thinks is going on, and his thoughts on the running back market. Admittedly, we didn't have Wood opening up […]
One of the biggest controversies across the NFL is that of running backs getting paid. Well, actually it's them not getting paid.
Former Buffalo Bills center and team legend, Eric Wood, opened up on what he thinks is going on, and his thoughts on the running back market. Admittedly, we didn't have Wood opening up on the RB market on our bingo cards.
The talented center, for those who may not know, was a dominant force on the offensive line for the Bills. Wood, based on Pro Football Reference, play at RG for his first few seasons before making the switch over to center. He had played in 120 games in which he started all 120. The two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and one-time Pro Bowler was the anchor for a dominant offensive line.
Unfortunately, after the 2017 season, Wood was forced to retire due to a neck injury. The shocking injury designation, ending his career, was found during an end-of-the-year physical. A bizarre press conference ensued after the update leaked that Wood would retire.
Since then, Wood has been a permanent fixture and a staple in the Bills organization. The current Buffalo Bills radio color commentator opened up on the current dynamic with the running back position. This stemmed after a slew of talented players weren't given a new deal, sparking outrage across social media.
Wood, as his tweet suggested, opened up after Zach Segars, senior writer and editor for Mile High Sports, had compared the "16th-highest-paid center" to the "16th-highest-paid running back" to which Wood could not be silent any longer.
"Centers can often be protected by playing between really good guards and as long as they are adequate and smart, you can get by without a highly paid center, said Wood. "That being said, the elite centers are worth their money because you can leave them on an island in pass protection and focus on helping others on the line. Center have a lot of value with young QB's as well and you will often see veteran centers paid in those situations to help out with pass protection calls at the line of scrimmage"
Segars responded with the question, "Given what you said about the elite centers, are you surprised that the RBs at the top of the market are still paid more than their C counterparts?
Wood wasted no time with a response.
"I'm not bc the elite RBs can do it all and are extremely valuable. A guy like McCaffrey is a playmaker, not just a RB. Teams with elite QBs don't need an elite RB and that's been proven in today's NFL which is a shame bc guys like Ekeler. Barkley, and Jacobs have done all they can for their payday."
Wood, being a center in the league understands the importance of protection and why elite running backs should be getting that bag. The former Buffalo Bills center gave a unique perspective on one of the biggest controversies in the entire league.
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Featured image via Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
