Franchise with the best pedigree for RB's (1 Viewer)

[Native]

I was thinking about this last night. Which Franchise has had the best group of Running Backs over the course of the history of football? I will let you guys decide how to interpret the word "best". Some teams have had 2-3 awesome backs but then not much else in the way of 1000 yard rushers. Other teams have consistently churned out solid backs but not as many superstars.

I havent researched the subject in detail but if I had to guess, I would pick the LA/St Louis Rams as the team with the best history of RB's. They have had several guys who are HOF worthy (Dickerson, Faulk, Ollie Matson) as well a large number of players who have performed at a high level for a number of years (Bettis, Greg Bell, Wendell Tyler, Lawrence McCutcheon, Steven Jackson, etc).

Anyone have any thoughts? Can Chase provide some statistical analysis? Others?

 

[dgreen]

SF has had some good ones. Hugh McElhenny and Joe Perry as HOFers. Roger Craig, Garrison Hearst, Ricky Watters, and now Frank Gore.

 

[dgreen]

The Browns have Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, and Marion Motley in the HOF. Bobby Mitchell was a RB when he was with Cleveland and he's a HOFer (WR). Then there's the Pruitts, Mack, Byner, and Eric Metcalf was more a RB than WR in Cleveland.

 

[dgreen]

Colts are pretty good. Lenny Moore and Eric Dickerson in the HOF. Alan Ameche, Tom Matte, Lydell Mitchell, Joe Washington, Faulk, and James.

 

[Don Quixote]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

 

[Happy Ragnarok]

The Cowboys are an interesting case in that they've had 3 backs who have led the team through the large majority of their existence as a franchise...Perkins, Dorsett, and Smith. A couple other pretty good runners, but those three alone leading the team in something like 30 of its 50 or so years of existence has to put them on the radar.

 

[dgreen]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

Oh yeah, forgot about Grange and Nagurski. A very strong top 4, but not much after them. Is Neal Anderson their next best RB?

 

[CalBear]

The Colts have to get a nod--coincidentally, they also had Dickerson and Faulk, as well as Edgerrin James, Lydell Mitchell, and HOFer Lenny Moore.

The New York Football Giants have HOFers Tuffy Leemans, Frank Gifford, with Joe Morris, Tiki Barber, and Rodney Hampton.

Of course the Packers have to qualify, with HOFers Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, and Clarke Hinkle, to go with John Brockington and Ahman Green.

If they didn't suck so badly, for the last 30 years, the Cleveland Browns would be in the discussion, with HOFers Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, as well as Greg Pruitt and Kevin Mack.

Chicago is my kind of town, with HOFers Bronko Nagurski (also a member of the All Name Team), Walter Payton, and Gale Sayers, as well as Rick Casares and Neal Anderson.

Overall I'd probably have to go with Chicago, just because the Colts and Rams split the production of Dickerson and Faulk. (The Rams also split Jerome Bettis). 3 HOFers including one of the top 3 of all time, and they all played all their important seasons for the Bears.

 

[Don Quixote]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

Oh yeah, forgot about Grange and Nagurski. A very strong top 4, but not much after them. Is Neal Anderson their next best RB?

I would think so. I don't know if anyone worth mentioning in between Nagurski and Sayers.

 

[Happy Ragnarok]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

Oh yeah, forgot about Grange and Nagurski. A very strong top 4, but not much after them. Is Neal Anderson their next best RB?

I'm thinking it's a pretty rousing endorsement if your team's 5th greatest back had 4 Pro Bowls, 9000 yards from scrimmage and 70 TD's.I'm a Steeler fan, and storied as the franchise is, I'm hemorrhaging trying to come up with a 5th best back in franchise history. Rocky Bleier? Willie Parker? Yoi!

 

[GregR_2]

Johnathan Wells

Dominic Davis

Ron Dayne

Steve Slaton

What do we win?

 

[CalBear]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

Oh yeah, forgot about Grange and Nagurski. A very strong top 4, but not much after them. Is Neal Anderson their next best RB?

I would think so. I don't know if anyone worth mentioning in between Nagurski and Sayers.

Rick Casares was a 5-time Pro Bowler and one-time All Pro. He led the league in rushing and TDs in 1956.

 

[Sweet Love]

To be fair, I think we need to break it into original NFL teams and "AFL and expansion team" categories. Half of these guys on these teams played pre-Korean War and while they may have been very good, it is hard to compare teams with 70 years of history versus ones with 35.

 

[rdstorm]

Johnathan WellsDominic DavisRon DayneSteve SlatonWhat do we win?

The award for most-injury-plagued RBs?

 

[rdstorm]

I'm not as up on the pre-70's RB talent from the Oilers/Titans, but it seems like Earl Campbell, Eddie George, and now CJ could match up with any of these 3.

 

[dgreen]

Browns are good call. My first thought was Bears -- Grange, Nagurski, Sayers, Payton.

Oh yeah, forgot about Grange and Nagurski. A very strong top 4, but not much after them. Is Neal Anderson their next best RB?

I'm thinking it's a pretty rousing endorsement if your team's 5th greatest back had 4 Pro Bowls, 9000 yards from scrimmage and 70 TD's.

Wow, didn't realize he put up those career numbers. I forgot about his receiving.

 

[GregR_2]

Johnathan WellsDominic DavisRon DayneSteve SlatonWhat do we win?

The award for most-injury-plagued RBs?

Don't be a hater.