It's the start of the 2019 season. Do you know where your best running back is?

If you are a Chargers, Rams or Cowboys fan, he may be holding out for a new contract, battling a lingering knee injury and "bad energy" or...maybe in Mexico?

An all-new season of Gridiron Digest kicks off with Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott and some other running backs whose health or contract issues could have massive implications for their teams—not to mention your fantasy team.

But Digest is also as jam-packed with its usual assortment of other topics and features, including:

• The camel-ridin', cliff-divin', armored-truck-drivin', triumphant return of Point-Counterpoint.

• Futures bets that you'll want to get a piece of.

• Training camp previews for the Falcons and Broncos. (Don't yawn. They were the first teams to report. What else is there to watch?)

• A look at what to expect from Hall of Fame weekend, from an all-new stadium to Imagine Dragons.

...and much, much more.

But let's kick things off with those running backs at the crossroads. 

Running Backs at the Crossroads, Part 1: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

The situation

The Cowboys assigned Ezekiel Elliott a seat on their team flight to training camp, perhaps hoping he would get it mixed up with his rumored trip out of the country (maybe another Mexican holiday?) and show up at the terminal by mistake. But it didn't work: Elliott is a no-show at Cowboys camp. 

Elliott has two years left on his rookie contract and wants a couple of Jerry Jones' big sacks o' money. But Jerrah already paid defensive end Demarcus Lawrence some sacks o' money this offseason and has other sacks earmarked for Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.

Even Jerrah only has so many sacks to go around, and Elliott's status as both a high-mileage running back and a constant blip on the NFL's disciplinary radar leaves him at the back of the lunch line. 

The stakes

Rookies Tony Pollard and Mike Weber give the Cowboys some alternatives to Elliott. And frankly, a box turtle should be able to gain about 1,000 yards behind the Cowboys offensive line. But suggesting that a two-time rushing leader can be replaced by a pair of later-round draft picks would be taking the "running backs don't matter" debate to illogical extremes.

Elliott is irreplaceable for the Cowboys because they made it that way. The team whose solution to its tight end problem was "let's bring Jason Witten out of retirement" isn't about to suddenly adhere to analytics' best practices.

Head coach Jason Garrett wants to run early and often and use Elliott as a screen and checkdown threat in the passing game, and Garrett isn't exactly renowned for his ability to adjust tactically.

The likely resolution

Elliott is likely to get a Todd Gurley plus-sized contract from the Cowboys, but he may have to wait until Jerrah's check-writing pen cools off after the Prescott deal is worked out.

Elliott can safely lay low at the start of camp, but he cannot fall too far off the grid. Last year's abrupt Dez Bryant dismissal revealed that Jerrah's eagerness to spend, spend, spend on his stars—and his patience—is more limited than it used to be.

Running Backs at the Crossroads, Part 2: Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

The situation

Melvin Gordon is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and wants an extension. The Chargers, whose team motto should be "Penny Wise, Dollar Foolish," have been playing contract hardball with running backs since LaDainian Tomlinson's day and are unlikely to be the first ones to blink in a holdout stare-down.

Yahoo's Charles Robinson reports the two sides are $2-3 million apart on annual salary. But the Chargers appear to want to lock Gordon into a longer deal (probably with backloaded money he's unlikely to see), while Gordon wants something shorter but meatier. 

The stakes

Philip Rivers said it best late in the week, per Matt Szabo of the Los Angeles Times: "We love Marvin, but we're going to go with what we've got. It's a pretty dang good group.” 

Backup Austin Ekeler has been more productive on a per-touch basis than Gordon for two seasons, and Justin Jackson also had a few impressive games last year. The Chargers added training camp depth by signing Derrick Gore* last week, too.

So, Gordon doesn't have a great deal of bargaining leverage. Then again, the Chargers offense is most dangerous when mixing and matching Gordon and Ekeler, often with one in the backfield and one in the slot.

Also, the Chargers are the NFL's hardest-luck team: They're tempting fate that they will miss the playoffs because Ekeler gets tripped up at the 1-yard line in a game or something.

The likely resolution

The Chargers aren't bluffing. They don't even play poker. That Chargers offer won't get any better, so Gordon must either buckle up for a Le'Veon Bell-level holdout or report to camp. Despite reports that contend this might last into the season, look for him to show up after the dog days of camp have ended, whether with a new deal or without.

*No, Derrick Gore is not Frank Gore's son. But you would not be surprised at all if he was.

Running Backs at the Crossroads, Part 3: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams

The situation

The NFL's rushing touchdown leader in 2017 and 2018 has dealt with a persistent, possibly arthritic knee issue since late last year. Rams coach Sean McVay told Jimmy Kimmel (yes, Jimmy Kimmel) that Gurley was "feeling great" in a mid-July interview. McVay has said similar things since last year's postseason, when Gurley rushed a combined 14 times for 45 yards in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl.

Gurley has participated in most training camp drills so far, and per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, he joked that reporters need to "stop putting bad energy in my knee." Gosh, is there anything that cannot be blamed on the media these days? 

The stakes

C.J. Anderson arrived in Los Angeles with a dad bod after getting released by two other teams—and then outperformed Gurley in the postseason. That's a testament to the relative replaceability of running backs, especially behind a strong line in a well-designed offense.

Anderson is now in Detroit, but Gurley's longtime backup, Malcolm Brown, and rookie big-play threat Darrell Henderson can shoulder some of Gurley's load this season. Still, a healthy Gurley allows McVay to create severe matchup binds for opponents using his base personnel, and the Rams are operating with such a razor-thin margin in their bid to repeat as conference champions that they need everyone at full strength. 

The likely resolution

The Gurley situation sheds light on the Elliott and Gordon situations. Running backs peak briefly and early,  and quality replacements are relatively affordable and plentiful. No matter how much a young workhorse running back deserves that big contract, he's unlikely to pay dividends on it.

Look for Gurley to become the chairman of a committee backfield this year. The $57.5 million chairman of a committee backfield. 

Other Running Backs at the Crossroads

Yeah, you're gonna have some tough decisions to make about these guys in the first few rounds of your fantasy draft:

Le'Veon Bell, Jets

Bell took a year off to escape the Steelers franchise tag, posted videos to debunk rumors that he ballooned to 260 pounds in the offseason and is playing for a coach who was lukewarm about his arrival and could have a personality conflict with St. Francis of Assisi. Bell also said that he wants 500 touches this season. Sorry, Le'Veon. Even if you do two years' worth of work, the Jets are only going to pay you for one.

Leonard Fournette, Jaguars

John Reid of Jacksonville.com reports that Fournette is working so hard to bounce back from his miserable 2018 season (439 yards, 3.3 yards per carry) that he even took part in some footwork drills with the offensive line.

Fournette said that last year "humbled a lot of us in some ways," but he stopped short of suggesting he's feeling any pressure to turn things around. "It's not pressure at all," he said. "I've been playing this game for 23 or 24 years." Hmm, maybe Fournette was just a little worn out last year? He has been playing football since moments after his birth, after all.

Devonta Freeman, Falcons

Freeman told Kelsey Conway of the Falcons' official website that back-to-back injury-plagued seasons have made him stronger. "I got closer to God. I learned how to be patient more. … I have a greater appreciation for life." It will be great to see Freeman back on the field, and spiritual and emotional growth are fabulous for him and the people around him. But remember that they don't count for anything in your fantasy league.

Duke Johnson, Browns

A serviceable committee back who could help a lot of teams, Johnson doesn't appear to be in the Browns' plans and wants a trade. But numerous members of the Browns organization, from John Dorsey to Baker Mayfield, have been almost dismissive of his requests. It's as if all the awful decision-making that used to be spread across the entire Browns organization is now concentrated solely on Duke Johnson.

LeSean McCoy, Bills

Now 31 and coming off a miserable year, McCoy is in danger of getting crowded out of a backfield that also includes Frank Gore, T.J. Yeldon and rookie Devin Singletary. Yes, Gore himself is 36, but getting away from Adam Gase will make him feel 10 years younger.

Gridiron Digest Transaction and Injury Spin Zone

Lions sign defensive tackle Mike Daniels, who was released earlier in the week by the Packers

The Lions are now deeper than Lake Michigan on the defensive line but thin just about everywhere else. The Packers are still getting used to this whole "cap management" thing now that they sign a free agent once in a while. Several contenders with cap space to spare that could use a disruptive force like Daniels failed to reel him in; keep that in mind when some of those teams miss the playoffs because of a tiebreaker.

Giants lose multiple receivers at the start of camp: Golden Tate to a four-game suspension; Sterling Shepard to a thumb fracture and Corey Coleman to a torn ACL.

On the plus side, Eli Manning and Daniel Jones both gained an excuse for playing poorly.

It's a good thing Odell Beckham Jr. is gone, or he would somehow be blamed for all of this.

Tate plans to appeal the suspension, saying he ingested a banned substance in a fertility medication.

Sheesh. All the fertility specialist prescribed for me back in the day was a three-pack of boxer shorts and a dozen oysters.*

Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green expected to miss six to eight weeks with torn ligaments in his left ankle.

This is John Ross' cue to step up. More accurately, this is Ross' 175th cue to step up.

Cardinals release former first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche

Partying so hard that you fall from a hotel after apparently breaking a window and trying to climb a wall may be a warning sign that someone lacks the maturity to handle the money, fame and expectations of NFL life. Who knew?

Dolphins sign Allen Hurns, who was released earlier in the week by the Cowboys

The Cowboys initially picked up Hurns' second-year contract option as he rehabbed the leg injury he suffered in the playoffs. They then asked him to take a pay cut on the eve of camp (presumably to free up a few bucks for the upcoming Dak Prescott-Amari Cooper-Ezekiel Elliott money tsunami) and cut him when he declined. Please remember this the next time you accuse some player of being "disloyal" when he holds out for a restructured contract.

The good news is Hurns will fit right in with the Dolphins: He's a local guy, and all their other receivers are also coming back from major injuries.

Lions release running back Theo Riddick

Riddick was a great fantasy RB5 in points-per-reception leagues because he always caught five dump-off passes in the fourth quarter when the Lions trailed by two touchdowns. He will be missed. 

*They worked. Hence dad jokes like that one. 

Training Camp Spotlight: Denver Broncos

Throughout the preseason, Gridiron Digest will highlight a pair of teams per week with news, notes, observations and predictions. We kick it off with the Denver Broncos.

Heading into 2019

The Broncos remodeled their offense once again, this time hoping the midcentury chic style will match both their playoff-caliber defense and team president John Elway's retro sensibilities.

Venerable defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is the new head coach, Rich Scangarello of the Kubiak-Shanahan Academy is the new offensive coordinator, and old fashioned drop-'n'-chuck veteran Joe Flacco is now under center. Literally under center, because Elway has lost patience with that newfangled shotgun.

News from camp

• Those hoping for a Flacco-Drew Lock controversy—or who feel that Flacco-led offenses lost even their love-to-hate-them appeal sometime in 2014—will be disappointed to learn that Lock started camp as the third-stringer. Lock has been splitting second-team reps with Kevin Hogan more recently, but he's still a long way from challenging Flacco. Elway and the Broncos veterans soured on quarterback competitions during the Paxton Lynch/Trevor Siemian years, and Flacco is famously resistant to the "mentor" label. So Flacco it is, folks.

• Speaking of Flacco, John Heath of Broncos Wire reports that tackle Garett Bolles has coined a new nickname for the quarterback: Papa Joe. No, that's not—repeat, not—a reference to what Flacco looks like when he tries to escape the pocket. "If you've got five kids and you're—I don't know, 35?—I don't know how old he is, but I've got to call him 'Papa Joe,'" Bolles said. For the record, Flacco is 34, but he'll age even more quickly if Bolles (5.5 sacks allowed and 13 penalties last year, per Football Outsiders Almanac) and the rest of the Broncos line doesn't improve.

• Fangio's practice routines combine old-fashioned tough-guy philosophies (no music, longer sessions) and a few fresh ideas (asking assistant coaches to hold back and give players a chance to coach each other). A lot of it sounds like typical change-the-culture stuff that won't impact the win-loss column. But at least Fangio gets to put his stamp on things. Vance Joseph, saddled with staffs full of Elway appointments, always seemed to be trying to guess what his imperious boss wanted. 

Player to watch: Josey Jewell, linebacker

Fangio has coached some stellar inside linebackers, from Sam Mills to Patrick Willis. Jewell played well as a rookie behind Brandon Marshall last season, but he's a rugged between-the-tackles thumper in a role that will now demand much more of him as a decision-maker and in coverage.

If Jewell and fellow inside linebacker Todd Davis (sidelined in camp with a calf injury) can handle their new roles, the Broncos will again field a top five defense. If not, opposing quarterbacks will neutralize Von Miller and the pass rush with lots of easy tosses to running backs.

Bottom line

This may not be the team you want to watch or one that's built to compete for the Super Bowl, but it's the team Elway wants. That's all that matters in Denver, and it's increasingly becoming a problem.

Pessimism aside, the Broncos defense will cause a lot of chaos, which could make them spoilers in a division full of teams with higher expectations.

Training Camp Spotlight: Atlanta Falcons

Throughout the preseason, Gridiron Digest will highlight a pair of teams per week with news, notes, observations and predictions. This week's second team is the Atlanta Falcons.

Heading into 2019

The Falcons will once again try to recreate the magic of 2016, this time with a typically stacked offense, a healthier (and far wealthier) defense, and a pair of new coordinators with familiar names: Dirk Koetter on offense (a returnee from a previous era of playoff frustration) and Dan Quinn on defense (he's also the head coach).  

News from camp

• Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and linebacker Deion Jones each signed massive contract extensions (the combined reported value was $125 million) on the eve of camp. Jarrett is a stalwart on the defensive front, but Jones' return from injury may be the Falcons' most important training camp storyline. Per Football Outsiders Almanac, the Falcons pass defense was well above average when Jones was healthy last season but among the worst in the league without him. Jones is still coming back from a foot injury and has been limited at the start of camp.

• Speaking of people named "Jones" who are critical to the Falcons success but limited due to foot injuries, Julio Jones told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he "might mess around and go three" this year—as in: three thousand yards (not as in: three touchdowns, his 2017 total). The single-season record is 1,964 yards (Calvin Johnson, 2012). Lofty goals aside, the Falcons will be better off if their defense and other weapons make them just a little less reliant on Julio this year.

• Safety J.J. Wilcox tore his ACL at the start of camp, because the Falcons defense cannot go a full week without terrible injury news. Wilcox was slated to back up Keanu Neal, who is back from a devastating injury of his own last year. Kemal Ishmael will replace Wilcox. Ishmael is a linebacker-safety hybrid; the Falcons can never have too many defenders who can fill in at multiple positions.

• Koetter would be the greatest offensive mind in the world if the world consisted solely of a 500-mile stretch of I-75. There are three reasons to be optimistic about the latest tenure of the longtime Falcons, Buccaneers and Jaguars coach. 1) He is familiar with Matt Ryan, and vice versa, from his last stint with the team; 2) He won't make as many situational blunders in the red zone and elsewhere as predecessor Steve Sarkisian made; 3) He likes to challenge defenses downfield, which is a good idea when Ryan has Julio, Calvin Ridley and other weapons in his arsenal.

Player to watch: Austin Hooper, tight end

Hooper missed minicamp with a minor ankle injury but was a full participant in this week's practices. He could break out in Koetter's offense, which creates more downfield opportunities for the tight end than Sarkisian's did.

Bottom line

Better health should significantly upgrade the defense, better play-calling will help the offense, and some tiny advantages in a tough schedule (Eagles-Seahawks-Rams at home, virtually no cold-weather games) could make the Falcons surprise contenders. Will they stuff your heart in a food processor come playoff time? Of course. Until then, enjoy the ride.  

Gridiron Digest Sportsbook: Futures Bet Extravaganza!

Don't bet on the Hall of Fame Game! Seriously: Betting on the Hall of Fame Game is just sad. Heck, it's a Broncos-Falcons game. You would avoid that sucker in October, so why would you sniff at it on Aug. 1?

Instead, satisfy your NFL craving with a futures bet on win total over/unders, division winners and such. Here are some of the most enticing plays, based on Sunday's odds and moneylines at Caesars Sportsbook.

Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South (+500): The Saints are the favorites to win the division, but a -160 moneyline leaves no meat on the bone. Football Outsiders Almanac projects 8.1 wins for the Panthers and a 58 percent chance of being in the playoff picture. They have an easier schedule than the Falcons and a stretch of winnable early games (including the Buccaneers twice in the first six weeks) that will help Cam Newton shake off the shoulder rust. With a payout like this, they are worth a flier. 

Baltimore Ravens to win the AFC North (+425): History tells us that the weirder the Ravens are, the tougher they are, and with a defense hip-deep in cornerbacks (but with no established edge-rushers) and what looks and sounds like a wingbone offense for Lamar Jackson in the skunkworks, the Ravens promise to be very, very weird this year. Speaking of weird: The Browns are -110 to win the AFC North. You can tell where the casual offseason money went. Don't follow it. 

Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North (+200): We all expect Kirk Cousins and the Vikings to collapse in games that really matter. But we also expect them to be good enough to make it to some games that really matter. That's the beauty of a divisional futures bet: If the Vikings emerge victorious from a three-way 10-6 Black 'n' Blue division scrum, it won't matter what gets lodged in their windpipes come the playoffs. This is a great wager for Mitchell Trubisky skeptics (pretty much everyone who was watching closely last year, in other words) and folks anticipating another long season of Packers vs. Packers drama.

Houston Texas to go over 8.5 wins (+130): No franchise wins games despite itself quite like the Houston Texans, who have gone 9-7 or better in four of five seasons under Bill O'Brien while operating in a state of perpetual turmoil. O'Brien has as good a roster as ever this season (just don't look too closely at the offensive line), and while the rest of the AFC South looks less like Conference USA than usual, the Texans could once again go 9-7 by sheer accident.

New York Jets to make the playoffs (+320): A moneyline of +105 on a 7.5-win over/under for the Jets does nothing for us. And betting on a non-Patriots team to win the AFC East is like running money through a paper shredder. But there's a squishy middle of the Jets schedule this season when they face the Dolphins, Giants, Redskins, Raiders (at the Meadowlands), Bengals and Dolphins again. If the Jets are as non-terrible as they look on paper, that could be a 5-1 stretch, which could catapult them into the sixth playoff seed and earn you a tasty payout. 

Point-Counterpoint

Adrian Peterson lost millions to revolving debt but still must have spent a boatload of money on an extravagant 'Arabian Nights'-themed birthday party in 2015 involving camels.

Point: "He should have managed his money better!" cries a nation where the average adult has racked up $38,000 in non-mortgage personal debt. 

Counterpoint: Footage from the party will be available on the upcoming Disney streaming service under the title The Return of Jafar: The Unnecessary Live-Action Version. 

Tom Brady "dad-shamed" for viral video of him cliff diving with his reluctant six-year-old daughter.

Point: C'mon. If Brady's daughter doesn't leap off a cliff once in a while, how will she ever learn to levitate? 

Counterpoint: Philip Rivers' request to do the same thing with his kids was denied because it would exceed the maximum occupancy of the Caribbean.

Jalen Ramsey reports for camp in the back of an armored car full of money.

Point: We were one misplaced key away from the perfect Florida Man story.

Counterpoint: Worst of all, it was Adrian Peterson's money.

Hall of Fame Week Preview

Champ Bailey, Pat Bowlen, Gil Brandt, Tony Gonzalez, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Ed Reed and Johnny "Blood" Robinson will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, and the Broncos and Falcons will kick off the 2019 season in Thursday night's Hall of Fame Game.

But there's more to next weekend's festivities than a preseason game and a ceremony. Pro Football Hall of Fame chief of staff Pete Fierle took a few minutes to talk to Gridiron Digest about this year's class, new facilities, new initiatives and...Imagine Dragons?

Gridiron Digest: In your opinion, what defines a Hall of Famer?

Pete Fierle: There have been 300 million men and women who have played this game at some level. Only five million have reached the college level. There have only been about 29,000 who have ever been paid to play, coach or administer it since the NFL was started. With this year's class, we now have 326 Hall of Famers, of which 184 are living.

I think you find that there's something extra about a Hall of Famer. They persevered a little harder. None of them fell out of bed great, but they have a quality that makes them leaders. They're guys who make those around them better, whether on the field, in the locker room or in life in general.

Digest: Do you ever compare Hall of Fame classes and think, "This one is extra special, even by Hall of Fame standards?"

Fierle: Everyone who gets a bronze bust has reached an incredible level. But classes do have different makeup. Think back to 1985: That was such a star-studded class, with O.J. Simpson, Roger Staubach and Joe Namath. Then you look at Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice coming in at the same time [in 2010], the all-time leaders.

This year is really unique because it's the first time we have four defense backs in the class. A whole Hall of Fame secondary coming in together! That's kind of cool.

Digest: Is there any member of this year's class you are a particular fan of?

Fierle: I'm not sure I can answer that easily. All of them for different reasons.

When you look at Johnny Robinson, who has waited for so long. You look at Ed Reed: I've always been amazed at how he had a 106-yard interception return, then one-upped it with a 107-yard return. It was exciting to see Kevin Mawae get in after coming close for a few years but never quite getting the knock on the door. To see his reaction when [Hall of Fame president] David Baker knocked on the door—I don't think I've seen anyone more humbled and thrilled to get in the Hall of Fame. 

Digest: Do you perceive there to be a backlog of qualified Hall of Famers?

Fierle: There's certainly a backlog. There are plenty of deserving candidates, and the way the process works, it's difficult to get into the Hall of Fame. And we think it ought to be. Most often the discussion is about who didn't get in and how deserving they are. But it's special to see just how elite the Hall of Fame really is.

(Digest note: The Hall of Fame board will meet soon to finalize plans for an expanded enshrinement class to celebrate the league's 100th anniversary.)

Digest: The Pro Football Hall of Fame Village is in the midst of a major expansion. What can visitors expect to see this year?

Fierle: We've completed the first phase of the village. Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium is now not only a first-class NFL-style stadium that seats 23,000 but was also created as a concert venue. We have a permanent built-in stage at the 50-yard line that's used for the enshrinement.

The other component of the village that is up and running is our National Youth Football and Sports Complex. That's what will ultimately be eight fields. Last year alone we saw nearly 200,000 players come through that, not just for football but for soccer, rugby and lacrosse in tournaments and camps.

Digest: What else will there be for fans to do in Canton this weekend?

Fierle: Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls kicks off on July 31st with First Play. We start with some Hall of Famers in downtown Canton, at the exact location where the NFL was founded, and there's a three-mile route where kids pass a football up to the front steps of the Hall of Fame.

Digest: Wait...so they pass the football from the site of the old Hupmobile dealership?

Fierle: The Hupmobile dealership no longer exists. But it's the site where it once was. It's an office building. 

We also have the Concert for Legends on our new concert stage. This year it features Imagine Dragons. That might be a record crowd for us to close out the weekend.

Digest: What happens after the game, the gold jackets and the Imagine Dragons concert?

Fierle: Aside from the bricks and mortar, the whole concept of the village is the programming.

Our mission statement is to honor the heroes of the game, preserve its history, promote its values and celebrate excellence everywhere. It's not about hero worship. It's focusing on traits that make some people pretty extraordinary and how we can use them to inspire people to, as we say, live a Hall of Fame life. 

We have a program right now called Huddle Up America. We're trying to bring people together in a time when the country seems pretty divided. In the huddle, it doesn't matter the color of your skin, your religion, your political affiliation. You're there as one team, united to face adversity.

This game teaches us that there's always hope. Remember the playoff game a few years ago: it's fourth down, no time left, and somehow Stefon Diggs pulls that football out of the air, scores and wins? Often, someone comes through the Pro Football Hall of Fame who is terminally ill, and we're on their bucket list. I think it's because of that message. There is hope, there are miracles.

Mike Tanier covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeTanier.