Lawrence Taylor top 3 NFL greatest RBs

[Hawkeye0202]

No argument here but some may switch the order.........

 

[big dog cowboy]

1. Walter Payton
2. Barry Sanders
3. Emmitt Smith

Really going out on a limb. SMH.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

1. Walter Payton
2. Barry Sanders
3. Emmitt Smith

Really going out on a limb. SMH.

A lot of people omit Emmitt these days…..he’s getting the “he played with hall of famers” argument.

 

[McKDaddy]

"Stats are for folks who don't really know football" - sounds oddly familiar.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

I believe that is AI and not LT

 

[DallasDW00ds0n]

Looks and talks like AI

 

[OGSixshooter]

"Stats are for folks who don't really know football" - sounds oddly familiar.

ha! GAME-SET-MATCH-TOURNAMENT-WIMBLEDON-GRANDSLAM

 

[Kwyn]

1. Walter Payton
2. Barry Sanders
3. Emmitt Smith

Really going out on a limb. SMH.

it frustrates me when I see so many fans round the league leave Emmitt out of their top five!

They’ll usually do Barry, Sweetness, Brown, LT and AP

They make Emmitt a creation of his offensive line and durability and that’s it.

 

[AstroPilota]

1. Walter Payton
2. Barry Sanders
3. Emmitt Smith

Really going out on a limb. SMH.

Very hard to argue against this order, though I'm having a hard time not slotting Jim Brown @ #2 with Barry then Emmitt. All 5 guys were elite, not sure any of them could take the punishment that Brown endured and still put up the stats.

 

[fivetwos]

The Emmitt vs Barry debate will never die.

Come on. Emmitt was a winning back who consistently made gains that moved the chains. Sanders was a bunch of TFL, then maybe a home run.

I was in the building for that playoff loss to Detroit. Drive ten hours each way for that mess, but hey, that was Barry’s big day over Emmitt. I knew what was coming from Dallas moving forward. How’d Barry do the following week at Washington?

Barry quit early. Emmitt had to be dragged out of the league. Talent and heart are two very different things.

 

[gtb1943]

Very hard to argue against this order, though I'm having a hard time not slotting Jim Brown @ #2 with Barry then Emmitt. All 5 guys were elite, not sure any of them could take the punishment that Brown endured and still put up the stats.

remember that brown played at 235 back when not a lot of players were bigger than 250. So that has to be considered. But he was awesome.

Honestly, if you put a gun to my head and forced me to choose one, Jim Brown would probably be it. But its so close between him and Emmitt and Payton. They were all incredible backs that did it all.

 

[SlammedZero]

It's a solid list, and I could see the argument for putting any of those three at No. 1. Personally, I'd swap Emmitt and Barry.....not because I'm a homer, but because Emmitt is the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Whether you credit his longevity, durability, offensive line, or all of the above, the guy still finished with more rushing yards than anyone who's ever played the position. That should mean something.

 

[gtb1943]

The Emmitt vs Barry debate will never die.

Come on. Emmitt was a winning back who consistently made gains that moved the chains. Sanders was a bunch of TFL, then maybe a home run.

I was in the building for that playoff loss to Detroit. Drive ten hours each way for that mess, but hey, that was Barry’s big day over Emmitt. I knew what was coming from Dallas moving forward. How’d Barry do the following week at Washington?

Barry quit early. Emmitt had to be dragged out of the league. Talent and heart are two very different things.

Sanders chose to go out on top; Like Jim Brown did. Like Rocky Marciano.
Emmitt was a shell of himself at the end. Like Michael Jordan was.
Frankly, I think well of those that choose to leave at the top.

 

[gtb1943]

Barry sanders does not make my list with Brown, Emmitt and Payton because he had way too any losses and frankly thought more of hitting home runs then singles when it mattered.

 

[jazzcat22]

Emmitt, then Walter, no arguments about it.
NEVER EVER.

 

[kskboys]

Earl Campbell, Tony Dorsett, LT, Marcus Allen, Curtis Martin. Many great RBs. Narrowing it down to 3 is pretty much impossible w/o leaving out someone who belongs.

 

[DarkVader33]

Sanders chose to go out on top; Like Jim Brown did. Like Rocky Marciano.
Emmitt was a shell of himself at the end. Like Michael Jordan was.
Frankly, I think well of those that choose to leave at the top.

At the top of what? Those others you mentioned were champions.

 

[MonsterD]

AI LT voice? uh oh

 

[MarcusRock]

We know how this discussion is going to go on a Cowboys message board. Defensiveness all around.

 

[fivetwos]

Sanders chose to go out on top; Like Jim Brown did. Like Rocky Marciano.
Emmitt was a shell of himself at the end. Like Michael Jordan was.
Frankly, I think well of those that choose to leave at the top.

To each his own, but that debate for me was always silly. One refused to be denied greatness, the other seemed as if he was there for the paycheck until it didn’t suit him any longer. The idea that Emmitt’s line was so great is a weak argument. Not that you made it….just in general.