Outstanding players stuck in impossible situations (1 Viewer)

[Raider Nation]

ARCHIE MANNING - NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1971-1981

Manning was a supremely talented passer/runner who started 129 games for the Saints. They won 35 of them. In his 11 seasons in New Orleans, Archie was sacked 338 times - leading the league in that category three times. Compare that to his boy. In the same time frame - the past 11 seasons - Peyton has been sacked 193 times. We'll never know just how good Pops Manning could have been. He spent his entire career running for his life and getting the snot beaten out of him playing with some abysmal teams.

LEE ROY SELMON - TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 1976-1984

Selmon, from the University of Oklahoma, was the #1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL draft, going to the expansion Bucs. He was a dominant defensive lineman who ended up in the Hall of Fame despite playing on some of the worst teams the league has ever seen. In Selmon's nine seasons in Tampa, the Bucs won 6 or fewer games seven times. Selmon's rookie season saw the dreadful Buccaneers finish 0-14.

RANDY MOSS - OAKLAND RAIDERS, 2005-2006

Moss was traded to Oakland at age 29, in the prime of his career. He proceeded to gain 1,558 yards receiving and score 11 TDs in those two seasons. Good numbers for a mere mortal receiver, but not for a guy who was expected to produce 1,400 yards and 15 TDs on a yearly basis with the Vikings. I was torn on whether to include Moss on this list. Nobody will argue that he clearly quit on his teammates in Oakland. I will never condone those actions, but the further away from it I get the more I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for a player of his caliber. He went from a powerhouse offense in Minnesota to a completely dysfunctional offense in Oakland triggered by the likes of Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks. Yikes.

STEVEN JACKSON - ST. LOUIS RAMS, 2004-present

Mannnnnnn, do I feel sorry for this cat. He arrived in St. Loo just when The Greatest Show on Turf was dissolving. In the past four years, the Rams have gone from 8 wins to 3 wins to 2 wins to 1 win, and Jackson has gotten his brains kicked in the whole time. But the guy never stops running like a bull, and I admire him greatly for that. Jackson has 18 TDs in his last 39 games, which is a joke. A player of his ability should have 18 TDs in less than one full season. He has no talent surrounding him on offense, he constantly faces stacked defenses, and yet he keeps plugging away. I would have loved to see him get a chance to run behind a superior O-line, but by the time the Rams are good (or he goes to another team), he will sadly be past his prime and history will remember him as just another good running back.

 

[Chase Stuart]

**** Butkus/Gale Sayers on the Bears

Steve Young on the Bucs

Deion Sanders on the Falcons

John Hannah on some of those Pats teams

 

[Kevrunner]

Sonny Jurgensen/Washington Redskins

 

[Raider Nation]

**** Butkus/Gale Sayers on the BearsSteve Young on the BucsDeion Sanders on the FalconsJohn Hannah on some of those Pats teams

Excellent choices, especially Hannah. He was a perfect football player.

 

[Raider Nation]

Sonny Jurgensen/Washington Redskins

I had to look that one up. I didn't realize how painfully below-average his teams were. Interesting.http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JurgSo00.htm

 

[Adebisi]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

 

[DansRams]

Dieter Brock --- Los Angeles Rams

 

[jacobo_moses]

Tashard Choice (Not outstanding necessarily, but pretty dang good)

 

[Tickle Monster]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

 

[FavreAndAwayAnIdiot]

I always thought Tim Brown deserved better... As for the Lions, not only Sanders, but Herman Moore. The guy was a monster, too.

 

[radballs]

RANDY MOSS - OAKLAND RAIDERS, 2005-2006

Moss was traded to Oakland at age 29, in the prime of his career. He proceeded to gain 1,558 yards receiving and score 11 TDs in those two seasons. Good numbers for a mere mortal receiver, but not for a guy who was expected to produce 1,400 yards and 15 TDs on a yearly basis with the Vikings. I was torn on whether to include Moss on this list. Nobody will argue that he clearly quit on his teammates in Oakland. I will never condone those actions, but the further away from it I get the more I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for a player of his caliber.

I will argue that because he did. Moss quit on the team, his teammates, and the fans during his run there.

 

[Raider Nation]

RANDY MOSS - OAKLAND RAIDERS, 2005-2006

Moss was traded to Oakland at age 29, in the prime of his career. He proceeded to gain 1,558 yards receiving and score 11 TDs in those two seasons. Good numbers for a mere mortal receiver, but not for a guy who was expected to produce 1,400 yards and 15 TDs on a yearly basis with the Vikings. I was torn on whether to include Moss on this list. Nobody will argue that he clearly quit on his teammates in Oakland. I will never condone those actions, but the further away from it I get the more I can imagine how frustrating it must have been for a player of his caliber.

I will argue that because he did. Moss quit on the team, his teammates, and the fans during his run there.

You agreed with my statement, GB.EDIT: Unless I worded that in a confusing manner. :( Of course he quit on his teammates.

 

[BoltBacker]

Steve Largeant / SEA

Derrick Thomas / KC

Dan Fouts / SD

Eric Dickerson / Rams

Earl Cambell / Oilers

I think all those players should have at least appeared in a Superbowl. They did just about everything they could to will their teams to get there but never made it.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

First guy that came to my mind.

 

[Horrorshow]

A number of Hall of Famers spent considerable parts of their careers stuck on mediocre teams. Franchises like the Forty Niners and Cardinals have enjoyed the services of some great players during lean stretches for the clubs;

Forty Niners*

Jimmy Johnson

John Henry Johnson

Hugh McElhenny

Leo Nomellini

Joe Perry

Bob St. Clair

Dave Wilcox

*Although some of these guys did enjoy a good run in the early seventies under **** Nolan

Cardinals*

Dan Dierdorf

Jackie Smith

Roger Wehrli

Larry Wilson

*Although St. Louis had some nice years with Coryell on the side lines

A few other examples;

Lem Barney - Lions

Bob "Boomer" Brown - Eagles

Joe DeLamielleure - Bills

Charlie Joiner - Oilers

Bobby Layne - Steelers

Floyd Little - Broncos

James Lofton - Packers

Ollie Matson - Various

Tommy McDonald - Various

John Riggins - Jets

Charlie Sanders - Lions

OJ Simpson - Bills

Ernie Stautner - Steelers

 

[makwaloon]

I think Lee Evans career has only been a shadow of what it could have been because he has never had anyone even resembling an NFL QB.

 

[Buckna]

Andre Johnson's first 4 years being wasted with an expansion team going thru a lot of growing pains with a terrible QB at the helm.

 

[benson_will_lead_the_way]

Steve Largeant / SEA

Derrick Thomas / KC

Dan Fouts / SD

Eric Dickerson / Rams

Earl Cambell / Oilers

I think all those players should have at least appeared in a Superbowl. They did just about everything they could to will their teams to get there but never made it.

Dickerson had a good OLine in front of him....Henry Ellard on the outside.

Fouts had weapons at his disposal as well.

 

[Doug B]

Steve Largeant / SEA

Derrick Thomas / KC

Dan Fouts / SD

Eric Dickerson / Rams

Earl Cambell / Oilers

I think all those players should have at least appeared in a Superbowl. They did just about everything they could to will their teams to get there but never made it.

Dickerson had a good OLine in front of him....Henry Ellard on the outside.Fouts had weapons at his disposal as well.

All on BB's list except Thomas appeared in conference title games. Dickerson's and Campbell's squads were stonewalled by dynasty teams in their own divisions.

 

[Bert]

Steve Largeant / SEADerrick Thomas / KCDan Fouts / SDEric Dickerson / RamsEarl Cambell / OilersI think all those players should have at least appeared in a Superbowl. They did just about everything they could to will their teams to get there but never made it.

The only thing that stopped Earl was one of the greatest Dynasty’s in NFL History. At the time many people thought Houston was the second best team in the NFL.

 

[texasbirdfan]

The first 2 Atlanta Falcons ever

Tommy Nobis - HOF quality MLB lost on an expansion team that took 8 seasons to just get respectable

Randy Johnson - QB was the most shell schocked of all time- Archie Manning had it easy compared to Johnson who went into permanent societal hermit status once his playing days were over

 

[Multiple Scores]

MJD.

IMO the Jags are worse than people think and with their horrible draft this year and Del Rio on the hot seat I think this situation may go from bad to worse.

 

[ukshane]

I think Lee Evans career has only been a shadow of what it could have been because he has never had anyone even resembling an NFL QB.

This is a joke right?

 

[Jason Wood]

Marcus Allen in his later years with the Raiders, being kept on the bench because Al Davis had issue with him.

Lee Roy Selmon was the first defensive player that came to mind. In keeping with the Bucs, Hardy Nickerson also deserves a mention. Aeneas Williams (6 PBs) being stuck on the Cardinals seemed unfortunate.

 

[Donnybrook]

Kenny Easly and Cortez Kennedy

 

[makwaloon]

I think Lee Evans career has only been a shadow of what it could have been because he has never had anyone even resembling an NFL QB.

This is a joke right?

Which of these starting QB's doesn't cry out impossible situation?2010 ?2009 Ryan Fitzpatrick (8 games) / Trent Edwards (7) / Brian Brohm (1) 2008 Trent Edwards (14) / J.P. Losman (2) 2007 Trent Edwards (9) / J.P. Losman (7) 2006 J.P. Losman (16) 2005 J.P. Losman (8) / Kelly Holcomb (8) 2004 Washed up Drew Bledsoe (16) He had Moulds in the twi-light of his career lined up across from him in 2004 and 2005 and a servicable but needy Owens across from him last year. Other than that, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Peerless Price, Sam Aiken, Derek Schouman, and Mark Campbell are who he has had to take the double teams off of him the last 6 years. 4 different head coaches and countless O-Coordinators. Top that off with playing WR in the worst weather home venue in the NFL. It has been a terrible situation for a talented WR to play.

 

[ukshane]

I think Lee Evans career has only been a shadow of what it could have been because he has never had anyone even resembling an NFL QB.

This is a joke right?

Which of these starting QB's doesn't cry out impossible situation?2010 ?2009 Ryan Fitzpatrick (8 games) / Trent Edwards (7) / Brian Brohm (1) 2008 Trent Edwards (14) / J.P. Losman (2) 2007 Trent Edwards (9) / J.P. Losman (7) 2006 J.P. Losman (16) 2005 J.P. Losman (8) / Kelly Holcomb (8) 2004 Washed up Drew Bledsoe (16) He had Moulds in the twi-light of his career lined up across from him in 2004 and 2005 and a servicable but needy Owens across from him last year. Other than that, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Peerless Price, Sam Aiken, Derek Schouman, and Mark Campbell are who he has had to take the double teams off of him the last 6 years. 4 different head coaches and countless O-Coordinators. Top that off with playing WR in the worst weather home venue in the NFL. It has been a terrible situation for a talented WR to play.

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

 

[Warrior]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

Point taken. But if you're going to list Lee Evans, you might as well list another 200 or so mediocre players on bad teams as well. Any of them could have been good players on a much better team.We're going for possibly "outstanding" players here.

 

[FUBAR]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

First guy that came to my mind.

Pretty much defines the title.

 

[FUBAR]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

Point taken. But if you're going to list Lee Evans, you might as well list another 200 or so mediocre players on bad teams as well. Any of them could have been good players on a much better team.We're going for possibly "outstanding" players here.

There are others for sure but I think you're underestimating Evans' talent. He could have been one of the greats in the league if he had a competent QB. Surprised nobody's mentioned Steve Smith yet. Delhomme was decent for awhile but for the last 4 years or so he's been abysmal.

 

[bigmiiiiike]

T.O. I'm sure he'd tell you that if only he had half decent talent around him, he'd have 4 Superbowl rings.

 

[ukshane]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

Point taken. But if you're going to list Lee Evans, you might as well list another 200 or so mediocre players on bad teams as well. Any of them could have been good players on a much better team.We're going for possibly "outstanding" players here.

There are others for sure but I think you're underestimating Evans' talent. He could have been one of the greats in the league if he had a competent QB. Surprised nobody's mentioned Steve Smith yet. Delhomme was decent for awhile but for the last 4 years or so he's been abysmal.

I understand Lee Evans talent level and so do the Pro Bowl voters. I think a pre-requisite for inclusion in this thread is that the player needed to be one of the only pro bowlers on a historically bad team. This would demonstrate their ability to overcome the shortcomings of their team mates and become one of the best at their position. A guy like Josh Cribbs comes to my mind while Lee Evans certainly does not.

 

[FUBAR]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

Point taken. But if you're going to list Lee Evans, you might as well list another 200 or so mediocre players on bad teams as well. Any of them could have been good players on a much better team.We're going for possibly "outstanding" players here.

There are others for sure but I think you're underestimating Evans' talent. He could have been one of the greats in the league if he had a competent QB. Surprised nobody's mentioned Steve Smith yet. Delhomme was decent for awhile but for the last 4 years or so he's been abysmal.

I understand Lee Evans talent level and so do the Pro Bowl voters. I think a pre-requisite for inclusion in this thread is that the player needed to be one of the only pro bowlers on a historically bad team. This would demonstrate their ability to overcome the shortcomings of their team mates and become one of the best at their position. A guy like Josh Cribbs comes to my mind while Lee Evans certainly does not.

I don't put much (any?) weight on pro-bowl selections and I disagree with the notion that all pro-bowl voters have any clue besides a highlight reel or stats as to what a player's talent is. Cribbs would count if we're including return guys, I've not been overly impressed with him as a WR although I suppose he could do very well in the right offensive scheme.

 

[Sinrman]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

Can't believe it took until post #6 to bring up Barry. Ok, so I'm a Lions fan and I'm biased. But man he was one of the most gifted players to ever grace the NFL and he was stuck on some awful teams. Put him behind some of the lines during the 90's and they'd still be playing catchup to the records he would have broken...

 

[Monsters of the Midway]

First two guys I thought of were Steven Jackson and Lee Evans, no joke. I guess I'm pretty focused on 2010 right now

 

[Sweet Love]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

Can't believe it took until post #6 to bring up Barry. Ok, so I'm a Lions fan and I'm biased. But man he was one of the most gifted players to ever grace the NFL and he was stuck on some awful teams. Put him behind some of the lines during the 90's and they'd still be playing catchup to the records he would have broken...

I am going to throw this out there (and am sure I will catch some flack), but were his teams really THAT bad? I mean at one point, he had Moore, Perriman and Morton keeping defenses somewhat honest. I realize it is considered fact that he had a bad line, but is said fact possibly exagerrated because he is (and always will be ) compared to Emmitt Smith and his vaunted line? He did have Kevin Glover as his center (3-time pro-bowler) and Lomas Brown as his LT (6 time pro-bowler during his tenure in DET), so it couldn't have been that awful. I also know the defense was not all that good, but they did have Spielman, Ball, Swilling and Porcher during his tenure.

 

[FUBAR]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

Can't believe it took until post #6 to bring up Barry. Ok, so I'm a Lions fan and I'm biased. But man he was one of the most gifted players to ever grace the NFL and he was stuck on some awful teams. Put him behind some of the lines during the 90's and they'd still be playing catchup to the records he would have broken...

I am going to throw this out there (and am sure I will catch some flack), but were his teams really THAT bad? I mean at one point, he had Moore, Perriman and Morton keeping defenses somewhat honest. I realize it is considered fact that he had a bad line, but is said fact possibly exagerrated because he is (and always will be ) compared to Emmitt Smith and his vaunted line? He did have Kevin Glover as his center (3-time pro-bowler) and Lomas Brown as his LT (6 time pro-bowler during his tenure in DET), so it couldn't have been that awful. I also know the defense was not all that good, but they did have Spielman, Ball, Swilling and Porcher during his tenure.

Swilling was no longer good when he signed with the Lions, but I don't totally buy into the notion that a great D makes a RB's situation that much better, although it could give him more carries. Moore was very good, but the others benefited more from Barry than vice versa. The OL wasn't as bad as people remember but it was below average. The main problem was his coach and owners. Barry kept Fontes employed and the seats filled, but neither helped the team.

 

[makwaloon]

Wow. I seriously thought you were joking and not a Bill's homer.

Let me break it down. I don't think you understand what the term "outstanding" means. Evans was a high pick on a bad team who has averaged 55 receiving yards per game over a 6 year career. He had a couple of great games which may be responsible for your overestimation of his abilities. For comparison, I remember a 3 game stretch where Drew Bennett had 500 yards and 8 TD's on a team that only won 5 games. A few "outstanding" performances does not make you an "outstanding" player.

The point of the thread was outstanding players stuck with bad supporting casts. Pointing to Evans' weak stats doesn't do anything to say he couldn't have been that, since wide receivers' stat lines are heavily impacted by their supporting casts. Archie Manning's numbers stunk, too. Archie Manning wasn't an outstanding player according to his numbers (I don't think he was an outstanding player whatsoever, but I'll defer to the OP since it was his post), but he was the first name listed.Evans did have one monster year in 2006 -- http://footballguys.com/10stuart_players_leeevans.php -- so I think it's legitimate to wonder how he would have looked on another team. Had he played in a dome, with a good quarterback, behind a decent offensive line, well, we'll never know what we could have done.

Point taken. But if you're going to list Lee Evans, you might as well list another 200 or so mediocre players on bad teams as well. Any of them could have been good players on a much better team.We're going for possibly "outstanding" players here.

There are others for sure but I think you're underestimating Evans' talent. He could have been one of the greats in the league if he had a competent QB. Surprised nobody's mentioned Steve Smith yet. Delhomme was decent for awhile but for the last 4 years or so he's been abysmal.

I understand Lee Evans talent level and so do the Pro Bowl voters. I think a pre-requisite for inclusion in this thread is that the player needed to be one of the only pro bowlers on a historically bad team. This would demonstrate their ability to overcome the shortcomings of their team mates and become one of the best at their position. A guy like Josh Cribbs comes to my mind while Lee Evans certainly does not.

Tim Graham wrote a niece piece on Evans' predicament for espn.com on 6/23/10. Titled "Lee Evans:Star Cloaked in Buffalo Fog" in included this:"Like Steve Smith with the Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson, Evans is right at the top of my list of guys who I would love to see on another team," Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson said. "I think he could be a monster and perennial Pro Bowler in a much better situation."

I agree with him. Evans exceptional speed and hands would allow him to be outstanding on many other teams. An NFL offensive player is so dependent on the cast around them to assist them in putting up numbers. Great offensive numbers can be put up in sports like baseball and basketball individually. Skill position players in the NFL need talent around them. You can be a great corner, linebacker, or center without help but not a great WR.

 

[sn0mm1s]

If Lee Evans is really being thrown out there, Joey Galloway needs to be included. Similarly, if Archie Manning is being mentioned Jeff George should be mentioned too. I really don't think any of them are outstanding players though.

Barry Sanders is #1 on this list. I am pretty sure that he is the only RB in the HOF that never played with another HOFer and never had a QB make a 1st team all pro or pro bowl team. He may be the only player in the HOF where that is the case.

 

[FUBAR]

If Lee Evans is really being thrown out there, Joey Galloway needs to be included. Similarly, if Archie Manning is being mentioned Jeff George should be mentioned too. I really don't think any of them are outstanding players though.

Not really, George was on 5 different teams, Galloway played for 4. Hardly what I'd call "stuck". More journeymen quality players who experienced some success.

 

[Chase Stuart]

If Lee Evans is really being thrown out there, Joey Galloway needs to be included. Similarly, if Archie Manning is being mentioned Jeff George should be mentioned too. I really don't think any of them are outstanding players though.Barry Sanders is #1 on this list. I am pretty sure that he is the only RB in the HOF that never played with another HOFer and never had a QB make a 1st team all pro or pro bowl team. He may be the only player in the HOF where that is the case.

Floyd Little never played with another HOFer, and his teams were much worse than Sanders' Lions. Little probably should have been mentioned earlier, as he's an ideal answer to this question (although Little was also not as good as Sanders). And while Sanders was the only RB to never to play with another HOF teammate, that's a pretty arbitrary bar. Sanders played on some bad teams, but O.J. Simpson played on worse, and other HOF RBs (putting aside Little) played on worse teams for long portions of their career. Walter Payton's Bears were 9 games under .500 for the first eight seasons of his career. The Lions were 2 games under .500 over Sanders' 10 year career.

 

[Routilla]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

This.

 

[gehazi]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

So true. It's got to be the most obvious choice. Would have killed the career rushing record had he been able to withstand the unending losing the Lions are dedicated to.

 

[Raider Nation]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

So true. It's got to be the most obvious choice. Would have killed the career rushing record had he been able to withstand the unending losing the Lions are dedicated to.

I guess we're dealing in semantics here in defining "impossible" situation.Barry rushed for 1,470 or more yards in a season seven times, and he made five playoff appearances.

How exactly is that an impossible situation?

Contrast that to the original four men I listed. They were talented players with NOTHING surrounding them.

 

[sn0mm1s]

Barry Sanders should've been the first guy mentioned here.

So true. It's got to be the most obvious choice. Would have killed the career rushing record had he been able to withstand the unending losing the Lions are dedicated to.

I guess we're dealing in semantics here in defining "impossible" situation.Barry rushed for 1,470 or more yards in a season seven times, and he made five playoff appearances.

How exactly is that an impossible situation?

Contrast that to the original four men I listed. They were talented players with NOTHING surrounding them.

Well, you can easily argue that Sanders *is* the reason those teams were successful. In the years between the Lions last NFL Championship (1957) and Barry's rookie year (1989) the Lions made the playoffs a whole 3 times. Since Barry retired the Lions have made the playoffs once (with a fluke 8-8 record) and have only had 1 winning season. So, the Lions make the playoffs less than once a decade with their usual management and team - but with Barry they are a coin flip to make the playoffs. Barry was outstanding and in an impossible situation (unconventional offense with no TE or FB, poor defense, revolving QB door, inconsistent QBs, and poor management).

 

[gianmarco]

David Carr

 

[sn0mm1s]

Floyd Little never played with another HOFer, and his teams were much worse than Sanders' Lions. Little probably should have been mentioned earlier, as he's an ideal answer to this question (although Little was also not as good as Sanders). And while Sanders was the only RB to never to play with another HOF teammate, that's a pretty arbitrary bar. Sanders played on some bad teams, but O.J. Simpson played on worse, and other HOF RBs (putting aside Little) played on worse teams for long portions of their career. Walter Payton's Bears were 9 games under .500 for the first eight seasons of his career. The Lions were 2 games under .500 over Sanders' 10 year career.

Nice - I hadn't checked the most recent inductees. Of course, Floyd Little should never have gotten in the HOF. Simpson played on some horrible teams but Payton almost always had a good defense. Even so, when you talk about impact on a team Barry dwarfs both of them. When Payton and Simpson joined their teams the offenses hardly improved at all. Barry took one of the worst offenses in NFL history and made them an elite rushing team.

 

[Jason Wood]

The Barry Sanders love fest apparently does extend into the next Millennium. Look, the guy was BRILLIANT. And he didn't have a fantastic organization around him. But he doesn't qualify for this kind of discussion IMHO. The Lions had plenty of other talent around him. Herman Moore, Lomas Brown, Mel Gray, Chris Spielman, Jerry Ball, Robert Porcher and Kevin Glover all made multiple Pro Bowls (and most also had All Pros) playing with Barry. Sanders was never on a great team necessarily but he wasn't stuck in a train wreck either.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

The Barry Sanders love fest apparently does extend into the next Millennium. Look, the guy was BRILLIANT. And he didn't have a fantastic organization around him. But he doesn't qualify for this kind of discussion IMHO. The Lions had plenty of other talent around him. Herman Moore, Lomas Brown, Mel Gray, Chris Spielman, Jerry Ball, Robert Porcher and Kevin Glover all made multiple Pro Bowls (and most also had All Pros) playing with Barry. Sanders was never on a great team necessarily but he wasn't stuck in a train wreck either.

When he was drafted, the Lions had NEVER EVER won a playoff game in the NFL since Super Bowl 1. They won 1 game in the playoffs with him as they beat the Cowboys at home in 1991 before losing their next game to the Redskins. They have never won a playoff game since. So 1 playoff game victory since the 1960's and it's 2010.I don't think you can blame people for writing down the name of Barry Sanders when thinking about great players in impossible situations when you look at it from that perspective. In fact, he retired early because he had just had enough. The ridiculous situation he was in actually forced one of the best Rb's in history to call it quits. He definately had more left in the tank when he retired, he just didn't want to play anywhere else but couldn't stomach how that organization was being run.