Best Running Backs Ever?

[RayClay]

Also, Gale Sayers weighed 198 pounds. Not exactly a power back. Dillon was both and averaged more receptions early in his career.

 

[jri37]

For short periods of time due to injuries Gayle Sayers and Earl Campbell were as dominant as any back. They just didn't have the shelf life of some of the other backs mentioned in this thread.

 

[jmt57]

How do you account for slower and smaller defenses in that estimation?

Why assume that while everyone else was getting bigger, stronger and faster, the players we are talking about when hypothetically transporting them from one generation to the next would not also get bigger, stronger and faster? The same advances in training, nutrition, etc. would be available to the players from previous eras in this scenario. The expectation should be that those older era stars would still be bigger, stronger and faster than other players today.

Sure, Sanders and Smith are recent history, but the others go back to another era, which makes things harder to compare.

Since the way the game is played, coached and officiated is constantly changing, the best way to compare players from different time periods is not head to head, but instead compare them to their peers.

Case in point: at the time he retired, Vinny Testaverde ranked fifth in career passing yards. Was he the fifth best QB in NFL history? Today Eli Manning ranks eighth. Is he even the eighth best QB in the NFL today, never mind a top ten of all time? A quick look at how they compare(d) to their peers confirms that neither is a top ten QB of all time.

Also, Brown, Dorsett, and ****erson stand out as being much different in style. Long striders, thinner in the middle but sometimes with more inertia (mass), and generally less capable as receivers.

In the middle of his career Brown had back-to-back seasons totaling 93 receptions for 976 yards, and had more career touchdown receptions than one of the two running backs you listed as an all-time favorite (LaDainian Tomlinson). In Dorsett's first nine seasons he averaged 38 receptions per year. ****erson had 51 receptions as a rookie, and 41 in his ninth season at age 31.


Jim Brown led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons; by comparison Marshall Faulk never finished higher than fifth. If you want to include receiving, compare yards from scrimmage. Brown was 1st six times, 2nd twice, and never worse than 4th. Faulk had two 1sts, two 2nds, a 4th, an 8th and six seasons outside the top 10. Dorsett had nine seasons in the top ten. ****erson led the NFL in yards from scrimmage four times; Tomlinson did so only once.

Expand to all-purpose yards and the results are similar. Brown led the league five times and was 2nd twice. ****erson led the NFL three times and was in the top four five times. Dorsett was in the top ten six times, with his best years finishing 3rd and 4th. Tomlinson finished 2nd twice and was in the top ten six times. Faulk led the NFL once and was 2nd twice, but was in the top ten only five times.

Scratching the surface and looking beyond the gross career receiving stats reveals that the old timers were just as capable as receivers as Faulk and Tomlinson. Brown, ****erson and Dorsett's abilities should not be dismissed simply because in today's NFL more play calls are made for screen passes to a back.

For them, I say that they were great for their time, but they wouldn't have the same advantages in today's NFL.

Based on that thinking any 'greatest of all time' list will always be equal to the most recent all-pro team - which renders any 'best of all time' debate utterly useless - unless you also believe that tomorrow's players are suddenly going to stop receiving better training, nutrition, etc. and they will stop becoming bigger, stronger and faster.

 

[Family]

Anybody who has seen the NFL long enough knows that the debate only begins at #2. It's like Michael Jordan at the guard position or Tom Brady at QB.

There has never been a RB as good as Jim Brown in any era.

 

[TheFlyingWedge]

Belichick considers Jim Brown the GOAT football player at any/all positions.

 

[Deus Irae]

Jim Brown
Walter Payton
Barry Sanders
Earl Campbell
O.J. Simpson
Eric ****erson

If those guys aren't on your list, your list isn't worth reading. Gale Sayers and Bo Jackson have career length issues which could justify keeping them off, or else I'd add them to the list of guys who need to be on the list.

 

[Bruins29]

There has never been a RB as good as Jim Brown in any era.

He is no Russ Francis

 

[Bruins29]

Sure, Brown, Payton, ****erson, Sanders, Kevin Faulk

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Started watching football early 90s. Barry sanders was the best ive seen.

 

[p8ryts]

The list is very good.


Jim Brown is the best I've ever seen. Surprised that Jim Taylor is on the list but not Paul Horning.

Hornung was a good football player but not a great running back. I don't say that to malign him. He would have been a great Patriot on BB's team. He had a role and he was great at it. Good utilizing his blockers with one of the best offensive lines. I have a lot of respect for his contributions to the great Packer teams.

 

[p8ryts]

Look up their stats. Jackson had zero 1,000 yard seasons, Sayers had 2 in 7 seasons, three of which he played 14 games [full season] and a 13 and 9 games.

Stat? Bah!!

 

[p8ryts]

You have been here a few months and you are cementing your legacy here

The other day you are cutting Malcom Mitchell to keep Austin Carr and Coady Hollester and today its this nonsense.

Are you 8 years old?

play nice

 

[p8ryts]

Started watching football early 90s. Barry sanders was the best ive seen.

Yes, he was impossible to tackle but I always felt he didn't play within the offense and his running style sometimes inhibited the effectiveness of the team. One man's opinion.

 

[Joey007]

Where does our lost son Curtis Martin fit in all of this? Top 10?

 

[dustcover]

Some may say Brown, or Sanders, or Smith, or Payton, and they may be right. But the RB that I found simply amazing who's runs were electrifying was Gayle Sayers.

 

[BobDigital]

Top 10 RBs of all time

When i look at RBs it is not just who was the best runner but most overall impact all around, running, cathing. blitz pick up, ball security and just everything.

#1 Walter Payton - What goes underappreciated about Payton the most IMO is his ability to receive. There was never a situation down or distance he did not make sense to have on the field. Also he was an absolute iron man only missing time 1 year.

#2 Barry Sanders - The only reason i have Sanders below Payton is consistency. He made bigger gains but had bigger loses and that tends to stall drives at times. Still a generational talent at the position clearly.

#3 Marshall Faulk - Faulk is not talked about enough as an all time back IMO though clearly he was. Why were the Rams the greatest show on turf? This guy was the biggest reason. He is the only back I have ever seen who could run and receive both at a probowl level. Lack of power was a concern though but still amazing. Also crazy good ball security. The thing that could not him down is he wasn't so good over his entire career as others. For my money though 1999 Faulk was the best i have ever seen the position played live personally.

#4 LT - Like Faulk Pat fans don't like him and for good reason. He is a spiteful sore loser. However he is probably the 2nd most overall well rounded back this side of Walter Payton. Though I think his receiving skills are a bit overrated (100 catches in a season is great but if they are all drops off behind the line or at it not as impressive) his game is incredibly balanced. However unlike Faulk or Sanders who I put above him he didn't have the same game breaking home run ability though more balanced.

#5 Eric ****erson - As far as pure between the tackles RB this guy may be the best. His power and speed up the gut was clear. His receiving wasn't up to par with a lot of others on this list but it didn't matter. Dude was fast and quick with great vision and moved faster than a 6'3 220lb RB should.

#6 Adrian Peterson - One of the top 3 between the tackle runners in the NFL. In my last list I had him over OJ but after thinking about it more I have AP the nod inpart cause his really great years were further spaced apart and I think that makes them more impresive and for the tie breaker he is a better pass catcher.

#7 OJ Simpson - Some would not put him on their list and I understand why. However speaking purely as a RB and not talking about the human being he was damn good. He had a stretch of dominance almost unheard of for about 5 years.

#8 Emmitt Smith - Smith is a great RB but he is more a guy who was consistently good and rarely great. That can be a good thing year in year out but as far as total greatness I think you really need more years that stick out. Also he ran behind one of the best OLs of all time so you need to take that into account.

#9 Earl Campbell - A short career hurt him in the all time standings. However he was dominant for a time and it was a thing to behold.

#1-10? Jim Brown - I don't pretend to know how good he would be compared to more mordern RBs but clear he is one of the best if not the best. So I put him on this list any spot between 1-10.

 

[jimnance]

Any list that doesn't have Jim Brown #1 is worthless.
It's not debatable.
He is BY FAR the most dominating and greatest rb of all time and it's not close.
Brown is farther ahead of whoever's #2 than MJ is ahead of the next-best hoops player.

 

[Joker]

What always surprises me is the lack of awareness about just what a great running back John Riggins was for a five year stretch.

" Washington Redskins running back John Riggins played in back-to-back SuperBowls. His MVP performance and 43-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVII remains one of the most defining moments in Super Bowl history."

The Diesel.

and Earl Campbell was a must see RB his first 4 or 5 years in the league...positively an irresistible force.Biggest thighs I've ever seen.

 

[jimnance]

What always surprises me is the lack of awareness about just what a great running back John Riggins was for a five year stretch.

" Washington Redskins running back John Riggins played in back-to-back SuperBowls. His MVP performance and 43-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XVII remains one of the most defining moments in Super Bowl history."

The Diesel.

and Earl Campbell was a must see RB his first 4 or 5 years in the league...positively an irresistible force.Biggest thighs I've ever seen.

Loved watching both those guys. Like to see more of that in today's game but it is what it is.

 

[RayClay]

Stat? Bah!!

How do you measure performance as a running back? Not by running?