Or to put a finer point on it:
Would the Texans draft him #1 this Saturday if they were guaranteed he'd put up 7 years worth of stats that matched Sayers?
J
Interesting spin on a hot topic of late. If by career you dont look to match numbers (since you need to extrapolate for a longer season, more plays in a game and all the other stuff) but look to match 'career's, then he yess they would draft him.
Wouldnt you take half a decade from a running back that is probably the best, most dominating, most unstoppable of all time - running, receiving, kick returns.
How about:
5 Consecutive All-NFL
Rookie of the Year (22 TDs that year)
3 Time Pro Bowl Player of the Game
All Time NFL Halfback (named such in 1969)
75th Anniversary All-NFL Team
Or this:
For half a decade, your team would have the GREATEST runner and possibly greatest offensive threat in the history of the game.
What seperated Sayers was not only his fluidity, his change of direction, his gliding speed - it was his VISION. Imagine Barry Sanders + Eric Dickerson. The speed of Dickerson, some of the underated power of Dickerson, the glide of Dickerson. Now, add the elusiveness of Sanders (though not as start and stop), the moves... now add vision that I have never seen paralleled. If only there were more film, because what little I have seen is just unreal.
There is one play which others can probably attest to:
Sayers was breaking away, and there were a couple defenders sorta in front of him... well, he slows slightly to juke those guys - but that enables a defender to catch up to him, totally from behind.
Well, suddenly, Sayers makes a move ON THE GUY BEHIND HIM - and goes in for the score. The guy puts moves on defenders that are behind him... he was THAT good. Best pure runner, ever.
So, what do you think the Texans would do if they could have the best pure runner ever and an All-NFL RB for 5 of the next 7 years, guaranteed?