Best runningback of all time

[Rocky]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Absolutely correct. No doubt in my mind.

But remember we've got a lot of people voting in these types of polls who think football was invented in 2006.

I would agree, but there are alot of former NFL players, coaches, etc. that believe Barry Sanders is on a completely different planet than any other RB that has played in this generation. Heck, his best runs are not even on youtube. I'm talking about him just freezing LB's for simple 7 yard gains.

The fact that he is second among RB's in rushing yards per game, second among most great RB's in YPC, put up record breaking seasons in the most conservative of offenses, and would have blew away the all-time rushing record. The guy who is first in many of those categories played in the 50's and 60's. No surprise, imo.

[MassNole]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Was there in Dickerson's rookie year. I thought he was there a couple more years after but nope....

Sheesh the Rams probably cost Dickerson some years in the back end of his career. They used him THAT much.


BTW Plan B Free Agency should be brought back IMO. I know it's more restrictive then what we have now but it was pretty good at keeping teams together while at the same time veterans with some years left could still leave their first team if they want.

I agree on Plan B Free Agency, it was probably the best model for any sport. Teams could protect stars while at the same time letting others test the market. Screw Webster Slaughter and his lawsuit that created Free Agency as we know it now.

[MassNole]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I would agree, but there are alot of former NFL players, coaches, etc. that believe Barry Sanders is on a completely different planet than any other RB that has played in this generation. Heck, his best runs are not even on youtube. I'm talking about him just freezing LB's for simple 7 yard gains.

The fact that he is second among RB's in rushing yards per game, second among most great RB's in YPC, put up record breaking seasons in the most conservative of offenses, and would have blew away the all-time rushing record. The guy who is first in many of those categories played in the 50's and 60's. No surprise, imo.

Two things.....

1) What record breaking seasons (not including team records) did Sanders have? Seasons where he actually broke a record, not have a big single season accomplishment.

2) A RB in a conservative offense is more likely to put up big yards than a RB in a more complex offense. But even if we were to agree what you said is true, he spent most of his career in a form of the Run & Shoot.

[bkrich83]

Re: Best runningback of all time

I would agree, but there are alot of former NFL players, coaches, etc. that believe Barry Sanders is on a completely different planet than any other RB that has played in this generation. Heck, his best runs are not even on youtube. I'm talking about him just freezing LB's for simple 7 yard gains.

The fact that he is second among RB's in rushing yards per game, second among most great RB's in YPC, put up record breaking seasons in the most conservative of offenses, and would have blew away the all-time rushing record. The guy who is first in many of those categories played in the 50's and 60's. No surprise, imo.

In looking at Barry, and he's a great back, don't get me wrong, but in looking at a guy like Walter Payton, what did Barry do better? Payton imo, obviously was the more complete running back. Payton was a 3 down back who was also great in short yardage situations, and was devastating as both a run and pass blocker. He could run inside, outside, was an unbelievable run finisher yet also a home run threat.

If we're talking "best running back of all time" given the sum of the position, I don't see how you could place Sanders above Payton or Smith for that matter.

[ActLikeYouCrow]

Re: Best runningback of all time

barry wasnt the most complete running back ever, i dont think any of the barry no.1 voters are saying that. for me how special he is as a runner overrides him not being a good blocker.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

barry wasnt the most complete running back ever, i dont think any of the barry no.1 voters are saying that. for me how special he is as a runner overrides him not being a good blocker.

for that to be true, his skills as an actual runner would have to be head and shoulders above his peers (in this discussion, that's basically emmitt smith, walter payton and jim brown, with some love to eric dickerson of late).

do you believe he was, by far, the best (not most elusive or electric or exciting, but the actual best) runner of those players?

[Rocky]

Re: Best runningback of all time

In looking at Barry, and he's a great back, don't get me wrong, but in looking at a guy like Walter Payton, what did Barry do better? Payton imo, obviously was the more complete running back. Payton was a 3 down back who was also great in short yardage situations, and was devastating as both a run and pass blocker. He could run inside, outside, was an unbelievable run finisher yet also a home run threat.

If we're talking "best running back of all time" given the sum of the position, I don't see how you could place Sanders above Payton or Smith for that matter.

Um?....***n.

Don't get me wrong, Payton is one of the great players ever....a player with few flaws. But he had nowhere near the quickness, elusiveness, or big play ability that Sanders had. Wasn't nearly as fast, never eluded or broke as many tackles...ever and I've watched a ton of Payton film. This is not a knock on Payton, he simply didn't have that ability.

No one is denying that Payton is a more complete back. But a RB's job is to run the football and imo, Barry did that better. My only questionable was "is he serviceable" at everything else and he was. The numbers prove that (check out his yards from scrimmage numbers).

[CW McGraw]

Re: Best runningback of all time

There is only one better pure runner than Barry Sanders and that's Jim Brown. Even there, I'd say a lot of it has to do with him simply being physically ahead of his time. Brown could be great in any era, but if he played today he'd "just" be a Hall of Fame caliber RB and not arguably the best football player ever. Payton and Smith weren't just at Barry's level when it came to pure running. All four are about equal when you factor in the whole package, but Barry Sanders was the best runner since Jim Brown.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

There is only one better pure runner than Barry Sanders and that's Jim Brown. Even there, I'd say a lot of it has to do with him simply being physically ahead of his time. Brown could be great in any era, but if he played today he'd "just" be a Hall of Fame caliber RB and not arguably the best football player ever. Payton and Smith weren't just at Barry's level when it came to pure running. All four are about equal when you factor in the whole package, but Barry Sanders was the best runner since Jim Brown.

my only contention from that argument is that we're taking jim brown from the 1950's and 1960's and putting him in 2010. wouldn't it be more realistic if we put him in today's game, but accounted for the evolution and gave him the same advantages he held back then?

that was always something that intrigued me. if a guy was ahead of his time, why limit him by placing him "in his time", so to speak? if he's a freak, then when you put him in the future, shouldn't he be given the credit he deserves and be upgraded to freak status then, as well?

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Guys like Gayle Sayers, Eric Dickerson, and OJ Simpson...yes OJ Simpson we're every bit as good of "pure runner" as Barry Sanders.

I'm with BK on this. We're crowning best running back here, then Barry has too many holes in his game to me to qualify.

I guess the question is this: You're drafting a fantasy team in la la land, you get to pick any running back in history for your team. Who do you go with?

[SPTO]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Guys like Gayle Sayers, Eric Dickerson, and OJ Simpson...yes OJ Simpson we're every bit as good of "pure runner" as Barry Sanders.

Sayers and OJ were the first to really use stutter steps and manipulation of the feet as a means to get out of tricky situations. A lot of people of a certain age think that Barry Sanders was the first to really do it but he was just the guy that brought it back in vogue and extended the use of said moves into the type of rushing we see today.

I agree with BK and you on this, you need to look at the TOTALITY of the position and Barry has too many flaws to be crowned #1 but what he did so well puts him up there no denying that.

[The15thunter]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Guys like Gayle Sayers, Eric Dickerson, and OJ Simpson...yes OJ Simpson we're every bit as good of "pure runner" as Barry Sanders.

I'm with BK on this. We're crowning best running back here, then Barry has too many holes in his game to me to qualify.

I guess the question is this: You're drafting a fantasy team in la la land, you get to pick any running back in history for your team. Who do you go with?

1963 jim brown.

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Barry also didn't see a lot of "8 in the box" fronts in the 'Silver Stretch" offense.

4 wide on the carpet allowed him a lot of space. Believe me there was a reason they took him out on short yardage downs.

Flashy...breath taking, elusive...yeah all those. Best of all time? Not even close in my book.

[Jistic]

Re: Best runningback of all time

1963 jim brown.

Good pick!

[Rocky]

Re: Best runningback of all time

Sayers and OJ were the first to really use stutter steps and manipulation of the feet as a means to get out of tricky situations. A lot of people of a certain age think that Barry Sanders was the first to really do it but he was just the guy that brought it back in vogue and extended the use of said moves into the type of rushing we see today.

I agree with BK and you on this, you need to look at the TOTALITY of the position and Barry has too many flaws to be crowned #1 but what he did so well puts him up there no denying that.

I could see this point of view, but really what flaws did he have? The short yardage thing is overblown. That didn't come up until Ross' 1 yard per carry short yardage system came in and he took Sanders out of goalline situations. He wanted a bigger back because he believed that all you needed is one yard per carry (alot of it was to rest Barry as well). Sanders had more than enough physicality and power to be a fantastic goalline runner.

The loss yardage thing I can agree on, but hey, his coach allowed him to do that because the ends justified means. He proved that he could be great running a safer more conservative style as well. It did happen, so I can respect that as a flaw.