In your opinion What are the best RBs of all time

[Cowboy Junkie]

The Lions always seemed to be in playoff contention and that was only because of Sanders. The rest of the team sucked. You seem to like the big bruiser backs. Personally, I prefer the small, quicker backs. But to say that Sanders hindered his team is ridiculous. He is the only reason people watched the Lions. Also his team was not immediately better after he left. They have sucked *** ever since.

I am always surprised when I hear Sanders getting all the credit for the underachieving Lions.
The Lions had plenty of talent in those days..
On offense
T-Lomas Brown
T-Zefross Moss
C-Kevin Glover
TE-Dave Sloan
FB-Coery Schlesinger
WRS-Herman Moore
-Brett Perriman
- Johnnie Morton
- Anthony Carter
QB- Scott Mitchell ( I think He passed for around 4500 yds one season)

On Defense
Chris Spielman,Henry Thomas,Luther Ellis, Stephen Boyd, Bennie Blades,Robert Porcher

I'd say they had some talent..

 

[stealth]

bo jackson was an amazing talent
he was built and ran something like a 4.16 40 yard dash
the guy was not human, I never saw him caught from behind he was just that fast.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Mr. Myers, you have Terrell Davis in your top five but not Eric Dickerson? Especially when you say your list is based on single seasons? Wow. I'm curious as to why you'd turn the TV off when he was on.

 

[dwmyers]

Mr. Myers, you have Terrell Davis in your top five but not Eric Dickerson? Especially when you say your list is based on single seasons? Wow. I'm curious as to why you'd turn the TV off when he was on.

First all, I have a top four, not a top five.

Second, it's based on what I watched. And I didn't watch the Dieter Brock show. I wasn't fond of those Rams teams.

Third, if I wanted to base my analysis on anecdotal evidence or raw unmodified statistics, I'd vote Jim Brown as the best of all time and be done with it. But then it'd be a "me too" analysis in a thread full of "me too" analyses.

All I'm saying is, these four guys impressed me the most. If you want to argue it, that's great, because that would be more interesting than constructing yet another "me too" post.

David.

 

[illone]

Barry
Bo Jackson
Jim Brown
Emmitt
Riggins

 

[boysfanindc]

Barry
Bo Jackson
Jim Brown
Emmitt
Riggins

If you are going include someone you should know something about them, to say Bo Jackson was better then Jim Brown causes you to lose all credability.

 

[4lifecowboy]

1. Jim Brown
2. Earl Campbell
3. Walter Payton
4.Gayle Sayers/ Barry Sanders
5.Emmit Smith/ Tony Dorsett

 

[Dalmations202]

Best Power backs:
Earl Campbell
Jim Brown (probably should be ahead of Earl due to longevity)
John Riggins
Franco Harris

Best Vision - Between the tackles back
Emmitt Smith (record speaks for itself)
Terrell Davis
Eric Dickerson
Marshall Faulk

Most elusive - just juke or outrun you
Barry Sanders
Tony Dorsett

Best overall Package -- the elite Power and Speed guys
Walter Payton
Bo Jackson (had the ability to be the best ever till injury)


Just too many differing styles to call any of the backs listed above as the best RB ever, but these the best I can remember and I think I could argue that each and every one of them is the best, depending on how you weight the criteria. I still probably missed a few.

 

[dwmyers]

<snip>

Best Vision - Between the tackles back
Emmitt Smith (record speaks for itself)
Terrell Davis
Eric Dickerson
Marshall Faulk

<snip>

God, I don't think Marshall Faulk compares much to anyone on the "best of" lists, even though he may have been the most dangerous player beyond the LOS for a while (say, 1998-2000). In the modern era, maybe Tiki Barber comes close, and back in the 1970s, perhaps Terry Metcalf.

Some of the older Dr Z types might know of players like Marshall. There were a number of hybrid RB-WR in the late 1950s, early 1960s.

David.

 

[the kid 05]

Emmitt SMith



He holds a whole lot more records

and had the stupid gril ALxeander not gotten 18 TD's of the NFC west and the texans, then maybe he would have one more to his count.

:bash shaun the girl alexander:

Go madden curse

even if shaun didn't break his record it still belond to priest then to Marshual Faulk then to Emmitt.....

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

God, I don't think Marshall Faulk compares much to anyone on the "best of" lists, even though he may have been the most dangerous player beyond the LOS for a while (say, 1998-2000). In the modern era, maybe Tiki Barber comes close, and back in the 1970s, perhaps Terry Metcalf.

Some of the older Dr Z types might know of players like Marshall. There were a number of hybrid RB-WR in the late 1950s, early 1960s.

David.

James Brooks of the San Diego Chargers did the same kind of things in the 80s. So did Eric Metcalf of the Browns. I think Hershel Walker did this very well for us back in the day. James Craig did it for the 9rs in there glory years. Today, the kid out in Philly does this pretty well.

 

[illone]

If you are going include someone you should know something about them, to say Bo Jackson was better then Jim Brown causes you to lose all credability.

And if you're going to quote me you might want to read what I posted.

Please show me where I say Bo is better than Brown.

Can't find it because I NEVER SAID IT.

 

[the kid 05]

pounder: jim brown

make-ya-miss : Barry Sanders

all-arounder: Emmitt Smith

 

[the_h0wey]

Emmitt SMith



He holds a whole lot more records

and had the stupid gril ALxeander not gotten 18 TD's of the NFC west and the texans, then maybe he would have one more to his count.

:bash shaun the girl alexander:

Go madden curse

actually marshall faulk held the single season TD record.... not emmit

 

[the kid 05]

actually marshall faulk held the single season TD record.... not emmit

Priest homes did....

it goes

shaun then priest then marshal then emmitt

 

[EMMITTnROY]

without reading the rest of this thread first, here is my list:

1. Emmitt Smith
2. Walter Payton
3. Jim Brown
4. Barry Sanders
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Eric Dickerson
7. OJ Simpson
8. Earl Campbell
9. Gale Sayers
10. Marshall Faulk

honorable mentions:
Thurman Thomas
Marcus Allen

 

[dwmyers]

James Brooks of the San Diego Chargers did the same kind of things in the 80s. So did Eric Metcalf of the Browns. I think Hershel Walker did this very well for us back in the day. James Craig did it for the 9rs in there glory years. Today, the kid out in Philly does this pretty well.

James Brooks did have two Marshall Faulk-like seasons, but they were with Cinncinnati:

| 1985 cin | 16 | 192 929 4.8 7 | 55 576 10.5 5 |
| 1986 cin | 16 | 205 1087 5.3 5 | 54 686 12.7 4 |

Eric Metcalf was kind of a pale imitation of his father, IMO, but let's see if I can find his peak stats:

| 1993 cle | 16 | 129 611 4.7 1 | 63 539 8.6 2 |

And he's normally listed as a wide receievr. He never had 700 yards rushing, but he had one season where he caught passes for more than 1000 yards.

Herschel Walker has three years where he is a dual threat, though in the last year he is primarily a runner:

| 1986 dal | 16 | 151 737 4.9 12 | 76 837 11.0 2 |
| 1987 dal | 12 | 209 891 4.3 7 | 60 715 11.9 1 |
| 1988 dal | 16 | 361 1514 4.2 5 | 53 505 9.5 2 |

Roger Craig has three years in which he gains more than 600 yards through the air, including one dual 1000 yard season:

| 1984 sfo | 16 | 155 649 4.2 7 | 71 675 9.5 3 |
| 1985 sfo | 16 | 214 1050 4.9 9 | 92 1016 11.0 6 |
| 1986 sfo | 16 | 204 830 4.1 7 | 81 624 7.7 0 |

Brian Westbrook is indeed a dual threat, but he needs to be more durable to match Marshall:

| 2002 phi | 15 | 46 193 4.2 0 | 9 86 9.6 0 |
| 2003 phi | 15 | 117 613 5.2 7 | 37 332 9.0 4 |
| 2004 phi | 13 | 177 812 4.6 3 | 73 703 9.6 6 |
| 2005 phi | 12 | 156 617 4.0 3 | 61 616 10.1 4 |


But in all fairness to the other guys, none of them has a run like Marshall Faulk's over the period of time he was doing it well:

| 1994 ind | 16 | 314 1282 4.1 11 | 52 522 10.0 1 |
| 1995 ind | 16 | 289 1078 3.7 11 | 56 475 8.5 3 |
| 1996 ind | 13 | 198 587 3.0 7 | 56 428 7.6 0 |
| 1997 ind | 16 | 264 1054 4.0 7 | 47 471 10.0 1 |
| 1998 ind | 16 | 324 1319 4.1 6 | 86 908 10.6 4 |
| 1999 stl | 16 | 253 1381 5.5 7 | 87 1048 12.0 5 |
| 2000 stl | 14 | 253 1359 5.4 18 | 81 830 10.2 8 |
| 2001 stl | 14 | 260 1382 5.3 12 | 83 765 9.2 9 |
| 2002 stl | 14 | 212 953 4.5 8 | 80 537 6.7 2 |

That's 9 years of being a double threat.

 

[Sitting Bull]

Okay, I'm going to do a top 10 without getting ideas from others' posts:

1. Emmitt Smith
2. Walter Payton
3. Jim Brown
4. Bo Jackson
5. O.J. Simpson
6. Earl Campbell
7. Tony Dorsett
8. Gale Sayers
9. Eric Dickerson
10. Barry Sanders

I'm sure I snubbed someone great. This is kinda like trying to rank the "best" rock guitarists: so much depends on value placed on accomplishments vs. intangibles and personal taste. I bet I have Bo Jackson ranked higher than many but he was just so much better than everyone else before he got hurt.

 

[kTXe]

OK, enough with Bo Jackson already.

Guys, guys, GUYS...was Bo an absolutely incredible athlete? Of course. Was he an amazing RB? Of course.

HOWEVER, the guy only ran for 2782 yards for his career. He never had a 1000 yard season.

To rank him above guys like Simpson, Campbell, Dorsett, etc. is 100% INSANE. To put him anywhere in the top 10 is INSANE.

Yes, the guy was spectacular. Yes, his career was cut short by injury and his stats are hurt by playing with Marcus Allen. But you absolutely cannot justify putting anybody that high on an all-time great list because of how good you think he could have been.

 

[Angus]

Bronco Nagurski

http://www.bronkonagurski.com/