Rank these running backs

[AbreuTime]

I'm not impressed by James at all. Even at his peak, he wasn't running for 5 yards/carry, which is something that all the other backs would it iirc. SA also is weak out of the backfield, and I feel like a disproportionate amount of his success is based on his o-line. I also place importance on a back being an asset to the passing game.

Holmes/Westbrook
Barber

Davis/Portis

Alexander/James

[MCS]

[ QUOTE ]
I think Holmes is very underrated in this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I do too. I actually voted him "best," but that may be flawed since I am not sure how good he was as a rookie.

I voted Alexander last.

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
Edge is easily #1 IMO.

Before he blew out his knee he was the most dynamic back in the league. He had the receiving ability and speed of Westbook but with the size and durability to carry the ball 350 times. People have forgotten how great he was before the injury made him merely good.

[/ QUOTE ]
My thoughts exactly. He was so damn sick when he was in his prime, that offense would have somehow been even sicker had he never messed up his knee.

Also, no other back in the NFL ran with the same intensity and no one else used the third leg as well as he did. It always seemed like he would put his free hand down on the ground every time he was falling down and he would pick up an extra couple yards because of it.

Shaun Alexander sucks.

[Jack of Arcades]

Holmes ran for 1000 yards (4.3 ypc) as a rookie in 1998. He was pretty good, until he got the perfect storm in KC (great OL, great system, peak years = HOF years). A guy like him with the right system and support will be crazy good - but at the same time, I don't think he is really significantly better than Westbrook, Tiki, etc, just had better talent.

I think you group Westbrook, Tiki, and Priest up top. The rest goes Davis James Portis SA. But then again, I doubt anyone of us can really rank them objectively...

[MCS]

[ QUOTE ]
no one else used the third leg as well as he did.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] Scandalous!

[Case Closed]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
no one else used the third leg as well as he did.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] Scandalous!

[/ QUOTE ]
Heh, that sounded a lot worse than I imagined it would when I wrote that post. Back in high school my coach would always talk about using the third leg. IE puting out your free arm when running the ball after losing balance to propel yourself to gain a couple more yards. I don't really see a lot of NFL backs doing that as often at Edge would do it.

[kkcountry]

oh will someone let me know they got the LaMont Jordan reference plz? [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

[Jack of Arcades]

Because he played for Maryland, ala Juan Dixon.

[chim17]

Keep in mind that in TD's big seasons he often sat quarters, if not a full half of games because he had already ran for 100-130 yards and the game was in control. I don't remember it exactly but can look it up later.. in his 2000 yard season he sat out the equivalent of almost three games.

Plus, his playoff stats (which have to speak the most volumes, against the best competition) are the best and most consistent ever as far as I know.

[yeotaJMU]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Westbrook/Davis
Edge/Priest
Portis
Barber/SA

i put westbrook as #1 only because he can catch and run and is a factor anytime he is on the field

i put barber last because of his fumble issues most of his career

[/ QUOTE ]

lol seeing as the last few seasons of his career he had next to no fumbles then this makes no sense at all

westbrook and barber are almost the exact same back, except that barber doesn't have the same injury issues that westbrook does and is far more durable

[/ QUOTE ]

like i said earlier... OP was about RB at beginning of career. barber had fumble issues for most of his career