Who are your top 10 running backs in NFL history.

As impressive as Barry's NFL career was, his final year at Oklahoma State was as impressive a season for any one person, at any position, at any level in football history imo.


And bested by Christian McCaffrey at Stanford ;)
 
I agree about Emmitt and Barry, talent wise they’re not in the same league but you have to give Emmitt props for being as durable as he was and for lasting long enough to become the all time yardage leader. Despite the fact that he had the greatest O-line in history he still had to get it done

That’s the thing that makes ranking football players so tough, the situation you get drafted into is usually what makes or breaks you. No one has succeeded more with less around him than Barry which is what easily makes him #1 for me

meh...

a great line will make average to below average RBs amazing to great and invariably help them stay durable. Best example is Shaun Alexander for the Seahawks. He was kicking ass with his best season in 2005 for 1880 yards, 27 TDs. After that phenomenal year Steve Hutchinson (All Pro Guard) left via free agency to Minnesota and Shaun Alexander's stock (in fantasy football) immediately dropped. He was getting drafted in the top 5 on the regular but as soon as Hutchinson left, most didn't wanted to touch him before the 3rd or 4th round. There were still believers but most astute fantasy footballers were pretty sure SA would be a dud. He never came close to his prime ever again. Finished that season with about 900 yards and 7 TDs in an injury plagued season and was out the league 2 years later.

I am not saying Emmitt is garbage.. Great RB.. but I don't think he's in the top 10. That O-line was one of the best of all time in an era where free agency was not a big thing yet and most players still started and finished their career with that team...
 
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RB is such a hard position to judge because your success depends a lot on others.

Did you have a good offensive line?
Did you have a good passing game to keep the defense honest? But not so good that they pass all the time?
Did you have a coach that preferred to run the ball?
Did you have a good defense, which allowed you to run more in order to kill the clock?
And more recently, do you have a coach that preferred to run with 1 guy, instead of keeping his star fresh by issuing a committee?

With all those factors involved it's almost like you just need to judge RBs on their highlights. In which case I'd say Barry Sanders was the best.
Walter Payton's teams couldn't move the ball in the air and his O-line wasn't great. It's him or Barry for GOAT rbs.
 
I'm a broncos fan. No way TD should be any higher then 10, and I struggle to put him there. He ran behind a line that was competitive with any of the great lines in history, and Elway was his QB. When you add that to a short career, I don't know how I put him in front of a Curtis Martin, or Frank Gore. Nevermind a Thurmond or Dickerson, or even Jerome bettis.

Barry
Peyton
Brown
E. Smith
faulk
LT
Allen
Campbell
Eric Dickerson
Thurmon Thomas
 
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meh...

a great line will make average to below average RBs amazing to great and invariably help them stay durable. Best example is Shaun Alexander for the Seahawks. He was kicking ass with his best season in 2005 for 1880 yards, 27 TDs. After that phenomenal year Steve Hutchinson (All Pro Guard) left via free agency to Minnesota and Shaun Alexander's stock (in fantasy football) immediately dropped. He was getting drafted in the top 5 on the regular but as soon as Hutchinson left, most didn't wanted to touch him before the 3rd or 4th round. There were still believers but most astute fantasy footballers were pretty sure SA would be a dud. He never came close to his prime ever again. Finished that season with about 900 yards and 7 TDs in an injury plagued season and was out the league 2 years later.

I am not saying Emmitt is garbage.. Great RB.. but I don't think he's in the top 10. That O-line was one of the best of all time in an era where free agency was not a big thing yet and most players still started and finished their career with that team...

As good as that line was, emmitts longevity has to count for something. He was old as dirt, playing behind a barely mediocre line in Arizona, and still playing at a high level.

I do agree to a certain extent though, that if Curtis Martin or Frank Gore played behind that line, that they would have been dominate. Tarell Davis is a good example of this. His line was as good, and he was as dominate as emmitt ever was. The longevity for Emmitt with the championships, and records, it counts for something. Gets him to 4 on my list.

I mean none of the guys that will be named other then Barry played behind a bad o-line.
 
I'm about as serious as the people who think Emmitt was just an average back on a good team.
Damn good back on a great team.

I take who they played with into consideration but it doesnt make or break the argument for anyone imo. There are a lot of RBs who balled out on shitty teams. There are a lot of great offenses and o-lines that RBs contribute fuck all to as well.
Eric Campbell and Joe Brown are two of my favorites already mentioned ITT.
Marshawn Lynch and Marshawn Lynch*
 
Damn good back on a great team.

I take who they played with into consideration but it doesnt make or break the argument for anyone imo. There are a lot of RBs who balled out on shitty teams. There are a lot of great offenses and o-lines that RBs contribute fuck all to as well.

Marshawn Lynch and Marshawn Lynch*

I just like taking the piss out of people over Barry v. Emmitt. It's one of the liveliest sports debates of all time
 
I just like taking the piss out of people over Barry v. Emmitt. It's one of the liveliest sports debates of all time
Theyre both giant cans in comparison to the one that is Beast Mode.
 
I'm a broncos fan. No way TD should be any higher then 10, and I struggle to put him there. He ran behind a line that was competitive with any of the great lines in history, and Elway was his QB. When you add that to a short career, I don't know how I put him in front of a Curtis Martin, or Frank Gore. Nevermind a Thurmond or Dickerson, or even Jerome bettis.

Barry
Peyton
Brown
E. Smith
faulk
LT
Allen
Campbell
Eric Dickerson
Thurmon Thomas

Except for that cowboys like from like 88-96
 
LMAO at people calling Emmitt an average back. His outstanding lines got him the all-time records, but he was excellent. Anyone remember when he sat out and the team looked like shit? You couldn't just plug someone in for him. Barry was better (so were others), but people take this shit too far. Plenty of RBs have had great O-Lines, none have done what he did with them.
 
LMAO at people calling Emmitt an average back. His outstanding lines got him the all-time records, but he was excellent. Anyone remember when he sat out and the team looked like shit? You couldn't just plug someone in for him. Barry was better (so were others), but people take this shit too far. Plenty of RBs have had great O-Lines, none have done what he did with them.
He's better than average, but he probably still isn't even top 5 talent wise.
 
He's better than average, but he probably still isn't even top 5 talent wise.
I have him somewhere between 6-10. More to consider than just talent though. His prep and conditioning were top notch which had a lot to do with his productivity. Being a direct contemporary of Barry's has killed his legacy.

But honestly, after the top 5, whom I have as:
Barry
Brown
Payton
Dickerson
Campbell

It gets pretty hard to put them in order. I do think it's funny people don't give Emmitt credit for his longevity, but have no problem giving Payton credit for his (which they absolutely should).
 
I have him somewhere between 6-10. More to consider than just talent though. His prep and conditioning were top notch which had a lot to do with his productivity. Being a direct contemporary of Barry's has killed his legacy.

But honestly, after the top 5, whom I have as:
Barry
Brown
Payton
Dickerson
Campbell

It gets pretty hard to put them in order. I do think it's funny people don't give Emmitt credit for his longevity, but have no problem giving Payton credit for his (which they absolutely should).

Sweetness was on another level and was a god damn gazelle compared to Emmitt. He made runningback look easy. That's the main reason. You see that over time and you just can't believe it.
 
They can't be current players.
.Walter Payton
.Barry Sanders
.Joe Brown
.O.J. Simpson
.Terrell Davis
.Marshall Faulk
.Curtis Martin
.Gale Sayers
.LaDainian Tomlinson
.Bo Jackson

Who is Joe Brown?
 
Marcus Allen is not one of the top 10 best. He had what, like 4 good seasons in the early 80s and rode that success as a has been for the next 15 years. Did he even have a 1000 yard season after his big career year in like 84 or whatever it was?
 
As good as that line was, emmitts longevity has to count for something. He was old as dirt, playing behind a barely mediocre line in Arizona, and still playing at a high level.

I do agree to a certain extent though, that if Curtis Martin or Frank Gore played behind that line, that they would have been dominate. Tarell Davis is a good example of this. His line was as good, and he was as dominate as emmitt ever was. The longevity for Emmitt with the championships, and records, it counts for something. Gets him to 4 on my list.

I mean none of the guys that will be named other then Barry played behind a bad o-line.

Emmitt had no business starting in Arizona.
 
10. Earl Campbell
9. LaDainian Tomlinson
8. Thurman Thomas
7. Markus Allen
6. Erik Dickerson
5. Bo Jackson
4. John Riggins
3. Marshall Faulk
2. Walter Payton
1. Barry Sanders
 
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