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Best RBs in the NFL Based Purely on RUSHING Talent (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Bob Magaw
- Start date
Off the top of my head:
Steven Jackson would have to be next on this list, and even above Williams, and MJD and Turner probably round out the top 5. Chris Johnson will have a strong case soon, and Frank Gore belongs in the top 10 - although his ability is based on desire, determination as much as talent - it's hard to judge where to draw the line between talent, which is more innate, and how a player enhances his own game through hard work and the right mindset - that's part of the reason Forte isn't in my top 10 (but he's close) - Forte is more like Gore, an inspired runner who isn't necessarily a physical specimen, but he gets the most out of what he's got. Stewart, Jacobs and Lynch would probably round out the top 10, although I'm open to Moreno, Wells, and Donald Brown playing their way into consideration for the list right away.
The one guy I have to mention outside of the top 10 is Sproles - his natural elusiveness and acceleration would be in the top 10 (maybe even top 5) list of those specific talents, but his size limits him from being in a top 10 overall list.
Steven Jackson would have to be next on this list, and even above Williams, and MJD and Turner probably round out the top 5. Chris Johnson will have a strong case soon, and Frank Gore belongs in the top 10 - although his ability is based on desire, determination as much as talent - it's hard to judge where to draw the line between talent, which is more innate, and how a player enhances his own game through hard work and the right mindset - that's part of the reason Forte isn't in my top 10 (but he's close) - Forte is more like Gore, an inspired runner who isn't necessarily a physical specimen, but he gets the most out of what he's got. Stewart, Jacobs and Lynch would probably round out the top 10, although I'm open to Moreno, Wells, and Donald Brown playing their way into consideration for the list right away.
The one guy I have to mention outside of the top 10 is Sproles - his natural elusiveness and acceleration would be in the top 10 (maybe even top 5) list of those specific talents, but his size limits him from being in a top 10 overall list.
1. peterson
2. jackson
3. ?
2. jackson
3. ?
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
Lynch, really? I thought the general consensus on him was that he was a pretty mediocre, safe player. I see nothing special about him when I watch him run.
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I think if we're going by 2008 performance, LT and Westbrook drop out - they just didn't change games with the frequency they have in the past. Portis is tougher, he took over games early in the season, but he had at least five injuries in the second half of the season and didn't do too much - is durability part of talent?
Ronnie Brown looked pedestrian last year too often for me to put him in a top 10.
Ronnie Brown looked pedestrian last year too often for me to put him in a top 10.
Lynch and Barber have sneaky talent, imo - they are very rugged backs who require a lot of energy for the defense to bring down, and they also have a surprising burst in the open field and surprisingly effective moves in the open field for power backs. I'm not wedded to either in the top 10, but I think they are underrated talents. Lynch is definitely not "mediocre".
Is that Ronnie Brown?
Of course not. You are a Dolphins fan. Thats why you listed Brown (If Ronnie), and dont see anything special about Lynch.
Riffraff
Footballguy
I'll buck the trend and list some older RBs. This is based on talent, not necessarily age. I don't care about stats from 2008 in this conversation.
1. Ladainian Tomlinson - Hall of famer. Vision and ability to make a defender miss are top notch. Carried a putrid Charger team into prominence.
2. Fred Taylor - never on a powerhouse team. Above average stats. Kind of just glides. When he runs, its a thing of beauty to see.
3. Adrian Peterson - new kid on the block. Has rare combo of speed and power. Has a chance to be an all-time great.
4. Ricky Williams - in the non-dope years. Will always have the stigma as a headcase. But as a pure rusher, he was awesome to watch play.
5. Frank Gore - Heart. One of the few RBs that I see run with true desire on every play (and I don't mean trying to hit defenders like Barber). Still think he can carry the 49'ers out of futility.
I listed some older backs. They have proven over time to be much better than some of these hopefuls. Both through talent... and opportunity.
I left off guys like Westbrook because the title of the thread distinctly asked for RUSHING talent. Westy isn't above the crowd without his receiving skills. Reggie Bush hasn't shown much in rushing talent.
1. Ladainian Tomlinson - Hall of famer. Vision and ability to make a defender miss are top notch. Carried a putrid Charger team into prominence.
2. Fred Taylor - never on a powerhouse team. Above average stats. Kind of just glides. When he runs, its a thing of beauty to see.
3. Adrian Peterson - new kid on the block. Has rare combo of speed and power. Has a chance to be an all-time great.
4. Ricky Williams - in the non-dope years. Will always have the stigma as a headcase. But as a pure rusher, he was awesome to watch play.
5. Frank Gore - Heart. One of the few RBs that I see run with true desire on every play (and I don't mean trying to hit defenders like Barber). Still think he can carry the 49'ers out of futility.
I listed some older backs. They have proven over time to be much better than some of these hopefuls. Both through talent... and opportunity.
I left off guys like Westbrook because the title of the thread distinctly asked for RUSHING talent. Westy isn't above the crowd without his receiving skills. Reggie Bush hasn't shown much in rushing talent.
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Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
1500+ yards from LT while dinged up during the seasonreally shocked me.I think dude has to still be ranked up there.
lynx4ben
Footballguy
I'm not willing to give up on the older guys as they are much more talented than some of the younger backs getting mentioned. Every player gets injured or slows down.
I believe many are in the dynasty mode and give people bumps just for being younger. For that reason I can't compare a guy like SJax to a guy like LT. Both got hurt last year but yet we think that SJax is more talented than LT?
LT has done it for many years and has proven to be one of the most talented to ever play the game. Same thing with Westy, their skills are superior to many of the younger guys. I'm not going to give a young player an artificial bump because he had a 90 catch season and is 25 years old.
I thought I would justifiy my position before getting it torn down.
These are NFL Talent rankings not FF Dynasty Rankings. Also this excludes players who have yet to wear the uniform.
1. AP (Amazing skill set. Acceleration and agility in close quarters)
2. LT (A complete HOF back.)
3. Westbrook (The best agility I've seen since Faulk and Barry)
4. SJax (A fast, big punisher. But I do see a lack of ELITE agility)
5. Turner (Too bad he didn't get a chance to start earlier. He's a rare combination of power, speed, and balance.)
6. MJD (Not the typical 5'6" back. He's small and powerfull, good hands, but has surprisingly stiffer hips than I would expect.)
7. Chris Johnson (He's a freak but I question the total package. Maybe too high...)
8. Portis (All around skills, I could easily rank him higher)
9. Gore (Balance, Power, Drive. Gore just stays standing)
10. Jacobs (Reminds me of SJax minus the hands with a little more power)
11. Williams (I have a hard time ranking Willaims/Stewart after last season and their dominant o-line) I like them both but have to see more. Both could easily be top 5 in the SJax/MJD area.
I believe many are in the dynasty mode and give people bumps just for being younger. For that reason I can't compare a guy like SJax to a guy like LT. Both got hurt last year but yet we think that SJax is more talented than LT?
LT has done it for many years and has proven to be one of the most talented to ever play the game. Same thing with Westy, their skills are superior to many of the younger guys. I'm not going to give a young player an artificial bump because he had a 90 catch season and is 25 years old.
I thought I would justifiy my position before getting it torn down.
These are NFL Talent rankings not FF Dynasty Rankings. Also this excludes players who have yet to wear the uniform.
1. AP (Amazing skill set. Acceleration and agility in close quarters)
2. LT (A complete HOF back.)
3. Westbrook (The best agility I've seen since Faulk and Barry)
4. SJax (A fast, big punisher. But I do see a lack of ELITE agility)
5. Turner (Too bad he didn't get a chance to start earlier. He's a rare combination of power, speed, and balance.)
6. MJD (Not the typical 5'6" back. He's small and powerfull, good hands, but has surprisingly stiffer hips than I would expect.)
7. Chris Johnson (He's a freak but I question the total package. Maybe too high...)
8. Portis (All around skills, I could easily rank him higher)
9. Gore (Balance, Power, Drive. Gore just stays standing)
10. Jacobs (Reminds me of SJax minus the hands with a little more power)
11. Williams (I have a hard time ranking Willaims/Stewart after last season and their dominant o-line) I like them both but have to see more. Both could easily be top 5 in the SJax/MJD area.
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Biabreakable
Footballguy
This has got to be the shortest post I have ever seen you make Bob. I am a bit shocked.If you could better define what rushing talent is I will try to answer this question.Bloom was asking if toughness/durability is part of rushing talent. I am not sure if it is. I ushualy consider that part of intanglibles like work ethic, but another intangible is vision. Which I think is definitly part of rushing talent.In any case toughness is really important. One of the reasons I have been such a big fan of Eddie George.Bob Magaw said:
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
I have seen very little of Lynch as such don't really have an opinion on him myself. I'm just commenting that the general consensus for the last year around here has been that Lynch's upside as a fantasy player is limited because his talent as a RB is limited compared to the top fantasy backs. That is why I was surprised at the mention of Lynch, because it seems like the idea that he is not an elite talent is uttered around here as if it is common knowledge. Like if you open up a lot of the threads about Moreno around here you'll see lots of mentions of "I think Moreno relates very similarly to Marshawn Lynch in that he will be a solid player in the league for years but doesn't really have the physical talent to ever be a fantasy stud."As for Brown, you can try and call out the homer card all you want without knowing what you're talking about, but I was talking about Ronnie Brown's talent back before most people had ever heard of him (IE before Cadillac broke his leg at Auburn).I will readily admit that he did not look nearly as good in 2008 as he did before the ACL injury, but most guys go through the same thing in year 1 before bouncing back in year 2. Early in his career, Brown was absolutely one of the most talented backs in the league. The guy had some of the most unbelievable 3 yard runs behind one of the worst O-lines out there. He would literally get hit 2 or 3 times in the backfield and gain 4 yards on many plays. He has that speed/power/elusiveness combination that is extremely rare (if he were slow he is strong enough to be a power back, if he were small he is fast and shifty enough to be a speed back, but he has both). If Brown at that point were able to play in even a mediocre offense and get a workhorse load I have no doubt that he would have finished as a top 3 fantasy back every year with a good shot of being one of those 2000/20 guys.Now, is he still that good? I don't know, he wasn't last year, but he was coming off the ACL tear.Either way, I'm not sure why anyone is shocked to see his name on there, we just had this same thread two weeks ago and half the people listed Brown in their top 5...SugarNuts said:
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Blackjacks
Footballguy
My list is going to look alittle different but I am going to following the rules
1) ADP - No surprise here. Dude is the most talented running back in the NFL
2) Jonathon Stewart - IMO he is the next big thing 4 NFL. He is probably gonna have a rough next couple of years due to the emergence of D-Will but the guy has everything you want in a rb.
3) Reggie Bush - I know I'll get ripped on here but Reggie is a jack of all trades. He is the best recieving back in football and one of the best in open space. If he could make it through a whole year without getting hurt he could approach a 1,000-1,000 season Strictly going off of talent I have no problem saying he is in the top 5 of the whole league.
4) Steven Jackson - Again, like Reggie I would love to see him stay healthy for a whole year. Jackson is a freak of nature with his size and speed and all around game for his build. I still think he'll have a very good career but I'm also a (RAMS HOMER).
5) Felix Jones - No I'm not just saying this to make friends with Switz I just agree with what he sees. Felix is a perfect back for da Cowboys He can catch, block, run inbetween the tackles and off tackle. He has the ability to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball as well as keep the chains moving with a consistant running style. The thing that is going to hurt him is like my 2nd rb on this list, oppurtunity. Once he gets the job in Dallas he will be an absolute stud.
I'm going with what my eyes see instead of going off stats.
1) ADP - No surprise here. Dude is the most talented running back in the NFL
2) Jonathon Stewart - IMO he is the next big thing 4 NFL. He is probably gonna have a rough next couple of years due to the emergence of D-Will but the guy has everything you want in a rb.
3) Reggie Bush - I know I'll get ripped on here but Reggie is a jack of all trades. He is the best recieving back in football and one of the best in open space. If he could make it through a whole year without getting hurt he could approach a 1,000-1,000 season Strictly going off of talent I have no problem saying he is in the top 5 of the whole league.
4) Steven Jackson - Again, like Reggie I would love to see him stay healthy for a whole year. Jackson is a freak of nature with his size and speed and all around game for his build. I still think he'll have a very good career but I'm also a (RAMS HOMER).
5) Felix Jones - No I'm not just saying this to make friends with Switz I just agree with what he sees. Felix is a perfect back for da Cowboys He can catch, block, run inbetween the tackles and off tackle. He has the ability to take it to the house everytime he touches the ball as well as keep the chains moving with a consistant running style. The thing that is going to hurt him is like my 2nd rb on this list, oppurtunity. Once he gets the job in Dallas he will be an absolute stud.
I'm going with what my eyes see instead of going off stats.
Ron_Mexico
I Love Doggies
From a pure talent perspective, I think this is an excellent list.lynx4ben said:
two_dollars
Footballguy
I'm not a Dolphins homer by any means..
but I side with Ronnie Brown being a top 10 RB Talent in the NFL.
but I side with Ronnie Brown being a top 10 RB Talent in the NFL.
Blackjacks
Footballguy
I don't think putting him in the top ten is ridiculious by any means. He has great size to go along with power. He catches the ball very good and blocks good. Heck he even throws a pretty good ball. His speed is very underrated and he has alot of shake in his game for being a bigger back. I think if I ran my list to a top ten he would be in there.Here's a good question for everyone in this thread.
For dynasty purposes.
Would you rather have a guy like Forte who is descently talented but in a good spot or a guy like Chris Johnson who is very talented but in a spot with a td vulture?
(p.s. I love the "I want my $2's" line in Better off Dead)
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texasbirdfan
Footballguy
saw Peterson play locally in high school and on tv here in Big 12 country- very impressive.
However he has always had opportunity with a capital O- take away his oline before you crown him....
However he has always had opportunity with a capital O- take away his oline before you crown him....
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
I've got it something about like this... although obviously some of these guys have yet to show it... aging vets removed
Rashard Mendenhall
Maurice Jones-Drew
Adrian Peterson
Jonathan Stewart
Steven Jackson
Felix Jones
Frank Gore
Marshawn Lynch
Chris Johnson
Darren McFadden
Knowshon Moreno
Rashard Mendenhall
Maurice Jones-Drew
Adrian Peterson
Jonathan Stewart
Steven Jackson
Felix Jones
Frank Gore
Marshawn Lynch
Chris Johnson
Darren McFadden
Knowshon Moreno
obxlegends
Footballguy
For my money Brian Westbrook is the best runner in the game today. He's one move, one cut or one shimmy away from taking it to the house any time he touches the ball. For years he's been the Eagles offense on a Wide Receiverless team.
Adrian Peterson may or may not overtake him in my opinion soon. The only thing I know is that day hasn't arrived yet.
In my eyes Brian Westbrook is the best Running Back in the National Football League.
Adrian Peterson may or may not overtake him in my opinion soon. The only thing I know is that day hasn't arrived yet.
In my eyes Brian Westbrook is the best Running Back in the National Football League.
Well said. Lynch is better than mediocre. He is nicknamed Beast Mode for a reason. You should check him out some this year. He is actually fun to watch when he os on his game. As for Brown, I dont expect RB1 numbers, but I know he is one year removed from surgery, and I expect him to do much better than last year (which didnt suck). I just dont know that, talent wise, he is one of the top RBs. If you are talking about college years, well, I got nothin because I never really saw him back then.
Blackjacks
Footballguy
I like everyone on your list and probably would be about my top ten (give or take a couple of those guys) but I have to ask a question.Why Rashard Mendenhall?I live in Illinois and got to watch alot and heard alot about him during his breakout year 2 years ago and I have to say I don't think alot of him. I don't think he is a premiere power back and I don't think he will fit into what the Steelers are wanting to be. He can't block very good, catches okay, good speed but not great and his moves are limited.I think he will have a hard time beating out Parker, and not cause I think alot of Parker.To be honest I really think Mewelde Moore is the best fit for thst team.Last year when Parker and Mendenhall went down I thought the offense looked the best it had all year with Moore in the game.Just my thoughts..........let me know your sif you would like.Except for that nice list IMO.
Man this thread seems familiar.
http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...0#entry10315775
OH YEAH! I made one just like it.
Haha, not too old at all. Go there for more references if you want. 
http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...0#entry10315775
OH YEAH! I made one just like it.
Haha, not too old at all. Go there for more references if you want. Blackjacks
Footballguy
2 years ago I would have agreed with you. I think Westbrook has been a complete stud. However I think I would have a hard time saying that I think he is one of the most talented running back right now in the game.Would I take him in a redraft this year?????? ABSOLUTELYThe dude still has moves but I believe the end is near for him.
Last year was a tale of two Westbrooks - You have the Thanksgiving Westbrook, the Westbrook from the second Giants game. The guy you describe. Yet there was also the Westbrook who seemed to be affected by injury and that Westbrook was very containable and had little effect on the outcome of games. Westbrook the runner was that guy vs. Minnesota in the playoffs (although most RBs look like that against them), but then he busted the long catch and run to ice the game like the uberstud Westbrook.It seems like once the paint starts to chip on the stud Rbs, the breakdown is always nearer than we think. It's like you're watching the uniform, but sometimes the force that animated it to inspired plays called in sick that day or that series. Within a game, there will be runs that are like the good old version of that back that we've grown to love, and then stretches where they look mortal because of an injury, or a defense that is more excellent than they are. Once this happens, it seems like the real dropoff is only a year or two away. It feels like LT, Westbrook, and Portis could all be at this precipice. That's why it's hard to include them on a list like this. The downward trend is established, it's just a question of how steep the curve will be.
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stevegamer
Footballguy
Is the idea of this thread to specifically ignore blocking/receiving/etc from consideration and rank that way?
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
There just aren't many 1st round picks that are a stout 225 and run a 4.41 (doubly so if they're pretty decent athletes and can also catch). The closest parallel to Mendenhall in the last generation of backs is Fred Taylor IMO. I'd be surprised if Mendenhall doesn't take the starting job from Parker by the end of the 2009.But obviously that's a projection and could be wrong since we haven't actually seen what he can do in the NFL yet. I hope not though since I've targeted him in all my dynasties and landed him in seven of ten.
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link?Lynch has elite talent. He doesn't get a chance to show it very often playing in Buffalo though.
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Blackjacks
Footballguy
I agree Aaron. If Lynch had his head screwed on tight I would be trying to acquire him in every league. He has very good talent.
texasbirdfan
Footballguy
I thought the idea of the thread was to level the playing field by taking away opportunity like all pro teammates. I would like to see Peterson on the Lions last year.But in the final analysis the idea everyone else had was say what they want about their favorite rb's...
doowain
Footballguy
I should add stuff like this to the "5 things I hate about the Shark Pool" thread.This thread's purpose is for guys to rank the RBs in the league based on pure rushing talent, taking away all of the other factors. The point is to see where everyone ranks the RBs only on a rushing talent level. That's pretty obvious to me.What I hate is when guys feel the need to enter a thread like that and proceed to either (a) Bash the thread because it's not what they agree with or how they feel it should be set up, or (b) Completely ignore the criteria for the thread and say things like "Well, if Peterson was on the Lions....."If you don't like the direction of the thread, then don't reply.....just move along.ANYWAY....My Top 5 (BASED SOLELY ON RUSHING TALENT, as the thread asks for)1. LT - I know he's old, but based on talent alone, he's the clear #1 for me.2. Peterson3. MJD4. SJax5. DeAngelo
Westy is NOT given anywhere close to ebnough credit for his rushing abilities. While he doesn't move piles, he's shiftier then any RB since Barry Sanders. He hasn't ever piled up monstrous rushing yards because Philly wisely has tried to use him more in space to take better advantage...HE HAS HAD THE TOUCHES!!!!Westbrook played hurt last year ALL YEAR and still had a good year. Reports are he's much better coming into this year.....at his age, I can see not putting him 1 or 2...or fearing injuries enough to not draft him top 5 in fantasy....but he's EASILY still a top 5 NFL RB on pure talent.
doowain
Footballguy
Westy is NOT given anywhere close to ebnough credit for his rushing abilities. While he doesn't move piles, he's shiftier then any RB since Barry Sanders. He hasn't ever piled up monstrous rushing yards because Philly wisely has tried to use him more in space to take better advantage...HE HAS HAD THE TOUCHES!!!!Westbrook played hurt last year ALL YEAR and still had a good year. Reports are he's much better coming into this year.....at his age, I can see not putting him 1 or 2...or fearing injuries enough to not draft him top 5 in fantasy....but he's EASILY still a top 5 NFL RB on pure talent.
If this thread was based on overall RB ability, I'd agree with Westy in the Top 5. But it's not. It's based on RUSHING ability alone and he's not in the Top 5 IMO.
Ghost of Bill Walsh
Footballguy
No doubt in my mind that the next three to round out the top 5 would be Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Michael Turner. You could easily make a justifiable case for a number of backs to finish out the top 10, but my bottom 5 based on talent would look like this(no particular order)
Matt Forte
Chris Johnson
Clinton Portis
Frank Gore
Brian Westbrook(this year with offensive upgrades)
Steve Slaton(not as talented as above 5 but very good shot at top 10 production)
Matt Forte
Chris Johnson
Clinton Portis
Frank Gore
Brian Westbrook(this year with offensive upgrades)
Steve Slaton(not as talented as above 5 but very good shot at top 10 production)
a_rackowski
Footballguy
Based only on RUSHING TALENT - I think Ced Benson should be up there. This guys talent is off the charts. Although it has been wasted talent thusfar.
It's very rare to see Cedric Benson do anything truly inspired on the football field. He's got a good burst for a guy his size, but his vision, lateral agility, ability to get yards after contact - they are all average at best - granted, average among the best in the world at running the ball, but not exceptional in any way. Physical tools are only one element of talent. Chris Henry might have top 10 physical tools, but no one would put him very high on a list of backs sorted by talent. I think Mendenhall is similar to Benson - a rare combination of initial burst and size, but not a special runner beyond that. For a power back to be considered a top 10 talent, they either have to run with rare anger and power (Jacobs) or a have a fifth gear (Turner). Benson does neither.
kremenull
Footballguy
WOW! You guys are living way too much in a fantasy world if you really believe that Westbrook, or anybody else, is a better RB than "All-Day", based on simple pure rushing talent. It's not even close that Peterson is head-and-shoulders above the entire league strictly in RB ability. The kid has everything. Westbrook is severely limited in power (doesn't break many tackles and doesn't convert in short yardage after contact, i.e., moving piles). And since you mentioned Westy's ability to make the big play, I would doubt it if he made more long gainers than Peterson the past couple of years, although I don't have the numbers readily available. Westbrook is more versatile than Peterson, but not a better, or more threatening (to defenses) RB than him. Nobody is.
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Then you simply haven't seen enough of him.Westy is NOT given anywhere close to ebnough credit for his rushing abilities. While he doesn't move piles, he's shiftier then any RB since Barry Sanders. He hasn't ever piled up monstrous rushing yards because Philly wisely has tried to use him more in space to take better advantage...HE HAS HAD THE TOUCHES!!!!Westbrook played hurt last year ALL YEAR and still had a good year. Reports are he's much better coming into this year.....at his age, I can see not putting him 1 or 2...or fearing injuries enough to not draft him top 5 in fantasy....but he's EASILY still a top 5 NFL RB on pure talent.
If this thread was based on overall RB ability, I'd agree with Westy in the Top 5. But it's not. It's based on RUSHING ability alone and he's not in the Top 5 IMO.
His receiving ability and AR's offense led him to be used differantly....but when called upon to rush in a more traditional sense, Westbrook has more then delivered over the years.
You contradict yourself. FWIW....on pure rushing talent alone, Peterson is the better runner (barely) because he has more power. Westbrook breaks far more tackles then he's generally given credit for, because the average fan doesn't count it as a broken tackle unless two hands are securely on the runner.....and Westbrook is OUTSTANDING at making people "just miss", laying only fingertips on him instead of full arm tackles.Overall, under the rules stated (ignoring blocking/receiving), WEstbrook is in the 3-5 area, Peterson a solid claimant for #1. Count blocking/receiving, Westbrook is #1 in my book. If you're writing him off for age and believe he's done...I can understand that argument, but I'll take Westbrook circa 2005-07 over ANY RB in the NFL over the last 20 years.
ChuckLiddell
Footballguy
Bold statement when you look at some of the seasons put up by guys named Barry, Emmitt, Marshall, Priest, and LaDanian over the past 20 years.
kremenull
Footballguy
No contradictions. Peterson is the better runner by far, not barely, and it is not based just on power. He too makes plenty of defenders miss with his darting cuts, which are much more crisp than anyone in the league as he cuts on a dime at warp speed. Westy has more bounce, stutters, and skip-moves than "All-Day", but certainly not more lateral agility, which translates to very sharp cuts without losing a step. This attribute, combined with his tremendous power, causes plenty of defenders to completely "whiff" on Peterson as defenders have to come at him hard and fast to deal with his power first and foremost, then once he applies the quick dart one way or the other, the defender is toast. It is truly awesome, and very rare combination, to have both of these attributes (tremendous power + great lateral agility) in one RB. And I didn't even mention the top-end speed and acceleration. The Peterson total package is just far and away the best in the league, maybe ever.....Bo Jackson is the only other player that I've seen with a comparable total package as a runner. Jim Brown in his era (vs. his peers) was the same, but he didn't match AP's or Bo's elite, track speed.If I compare LaDanian's total package to Peterson, they are very comparable but Peterson has the slight edge in top-end speed and short-area power (running right through tacklers). But with Westbrook, it's his versatility (receiving and return-ability, but I wouldn't even add pass-pro 'casue I don't believe that Westy is great at it, just decent) that puts him in the upper echelon but he's just not comparable to Peterson from an overall physical attributes perspective for runners, which is what I believed the op may have intended. But hey, your points are also valid.
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While I believe they are much closer then you do...I'm not really arguing that point. Peterson is the better pure runner in todays game. As a total package, I still like Westbrook better.
obxlegends
Footballguy
You'd think a guy with 130 carries and 800 more rushing yards would have more than 1 more rushing touchdown if he was SO much better.
Like I said Peterson is on the cusp, but I don't think he's there yet. I took "runner" also to mean what a guy does after the reception. Peterson isn't special in that regard where Westbrook is probably the league's best. I'm not here to detract from Peterson as I do believe he's a special back. He's just not to the level Westbrook is yet.Just my opinion.
Bob Magaw
Footballguy
sorry for the ill-posed question... & to eminence for the dupe question...
but many of you did anticipate my intent...
maybe a better way to put it would have been...
if you were starting a team, wanted the best RBs based only on rushing ability (not factoring in blocking, receiving), & also for our purposes, under those circumstances, the concern about deangelo vying with stewart for a share of the workload would be thrown out the window...
i'll put up a deeper list, but already know what i know, & was interested in the thinking of others...
BTW, i do factor in age, because that & injury can rob a RB of effectiveness... of course, there can still be a debate about how much LT & westbrook have dropped off (if at all)... LT has been hurt twice in consecutive seasons... maybe they were flukey... we can infer from his age that he is slowing down, but tiki still played fast at this age (of course, he had a different running style)... i do like to examine each player on a case by case basis, & LT should be able to play faster than last year if his toe is fully recovered...
but many of you did anticipate my intent...
maybe a better way to put it would have been...
if you were starting a team, wanted the best RBs based only on rushing ability (not factoring in blocking, receiving), & also for our purposes, under those circumstances, the concern about deangelo vying with stewart for a share of the workload would be thrown out the window...
i'll put up a deeper list, but already know what i know, & was interested in the thinking of others...
BTW, i do factor in age, because that & injury can rob a RB of effectiveness... of course, there can still be a debate about how much LT & westbrook have dropped off (if at all)... LT has been hurt twice in consecutive seasons... maybe they were flukey... we can infer from his age that he is slowing down, but tiki still played fast at this age (of course, he had a different running style)... i do like to examine each player on a case by case basis, & LT should be able to play faster than last year if his toe is fully recovered...
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texasbirdfan
Footballguy
Sorry. I guess I read too much into the intent of your question. I am not trying to dis or criticize, but that question seemed so easy to me, (not trying to edify myself), I was looking for other factors. It's how we did it in the mid 1990's, right about the advent of Marshall Faulk and Garrison Hearst getting huge numbers in receiving changed how rb's were taken vs. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.And hey doowain- not trying to ruin your weekend with any curve balls.....sorry for the ill-posed question... & to eminence for the dupe question...
Obviously, with this clarification, Westbrook would no longer be in consideration. It's clearly Peterson, with Williams/Johnson a distant 2/3.sorry for the ill-posed question... & to eminence for the dupe question...
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