Top 5 RB's in the NFL

[shortywallace1]

With all the Mcgahee discussion about being a top 5 back, and the crazy trade Idea post Lets see who everybody really rates as top 5

Mine would be..........

1. Priest Holmes
2. Ladanian Tomlinson
3. Edge
4. Shaun Alexander
5. Curtis Martin(Yea, yea, he's old, & he's a jet but he's been running his butt off for a long time now)

Just for the heck of it 6-10 would be "In No Order"
Portis, Kevin Jones, Corey Dillon, Ahman Green, Tiki Barber..........Fred Taylor Also would be in here, but he just CANNOT stay Healthy

the bus and j.lewis r much better that p. holmes and shaun alexander

 

[KillerPhin05]

1. Ladanian Tomlinson
2. Shuan Alexander
3. Clinton Portis
4. Edge James
5. Magahee

 

[FinKage34]

I think Ricky may still end up being a top-10 back, but many fans are kidding themselves thinking he is going to be back into his old form immediately upon return. Yes, he made some good moves in one game, but he still looks nowhere NEAR his old self. The biggest part of Ricky's game was his strength, and that seems to be WAAAAAAY down. I doubt we're going to see him bowl over linebackers with what was once the meanest stiff-arm in the league. Hell, we'll be lucky to see him run over a CB or safety the way he has looked out there.

He is still quick (although IMO doesn't look as quick as he was before) and still has among the best anticipation, vision, and quickness in hitting the hole (if there are any) of any back in the league. But, what makes the good ones great, is what they do AFTER that point, and I think Ricky will not be as impressive in that department as he once was.

I am not so blind as to see that this will be a process and take some time. But, what made him great is his uncanny ability to do the impossible. Remember the greatness...I don't believe that is something you lose. Size yes...yet "we can rebuild him, this time even bigger and stronger than before!" :D

 

[Justasportsfan]

3.9 ypc is an off year for Tomlinson. His career average is 4.3.

I didn't say Willis was average did I? I merely stated that his numbers were average and that should keep him out of the top 5 ranking.

this is the post you responded to.

How is getting 1100+ yards in 11 starts an "average" year? Add on all the TDs he had...I'm not looking at the stats now but Willis goes over 1500 yards easy if he plays every game.

you grabed one stat of his game and called it average when you ignored the other stat that was 13 td's which is above average by any rb last year.

In Sept. he only made 11 rush att. for 28 yds. So if I subtract those 28 yds from his total he's rushed for 1100 yds.

Since he started 11 games , that would make his ypg 100. even if you subtract a little from that, the best avg. ypg is 111.5 and the 2nd best is 109.

That's hardly average by last years nos.

You cannot grab one stat and forget the rest.

3.9 is LT off year? 4.0 could be Willis off year?

Willis should not be considered top 5 (I agree) but it's not because of his nos. It's because he hasn't played long enough.Again, he was playing at 80%.

 

[FinfanInBuffalo]

this is the post you responded to.
you grabed one stat of his game and called it average when you ignored the other stat that was 13 td's which is above average by any rb last year.

In Sept. he only made 11 rush att. for 28 yds. So if I subtract those 28 yds from his total he's rushed for 1100 yds.

Since he started 11 games , that would make his ypg 100.

No. he played in and had substantial carries in more than 11 games.

even if you subtract a little from that, the best avg. ypg is 111.5 and the 2nd best is 109.

That's hardly average by last years nos.

You cannot grab one stat and forget the rest.

I can do whatever I want.

3.9 is LT off year? 4.0 could be Willis off year?

Yes. But it could also be his best. Who knows?

Willis should not be considered top 5 (I agree) but it's not because of his nos. It's because he hasn't played long enough.Again, he was playing at 80%.

That's your rationale for keeping him out of the top 5. My rationale is that ther are more than 4 running backs that are better than Willis.

I watched him play. He was a one dimensional back. No breakaway speed. Not a threat in the passing game. Could he be different this year? Sure. IMO, he has not regained the form from his UM days.

 

[Justasportsfan]

No. he played in and had substantial carries in more than 11 games..

I have facts? Do you? Hisfirst 4 games he had a total of 19 ATT

I can do whatever I want..

I never said you couldn't

Yes. But it could also be his best. Who knows?..

exactly , who knws after 1 year.

That's your rationale for keeping him out of the top 5. My rationale is that ther are more than 4 running backs that are better than Willis...

I agreed w/ you and I said he wasn't even top 5. but to use his ave per carry nos. only and say he's average is only picking certain stats to make your argument look right.

I watched him play. He was a one dimensional back. No breakaway speed. Not a threat in the passing game. Could he be different this year? Sure. IMO, he has not regained the form from his UM days.

One dimensional. HMMM. Let's see. Since you like picking ave. per carry to make a point, his ave. per catch is higher than LT ever had in 1 season . 7.7 ypc.. LT's best was 7.3 he had 22 catches and Derrius Thompson had 23.


No breakaway speed, sure in your finfan eyes. He's had 10 carries for over 20+ yards. the only ones ahead of him were, Alexander (15) , barber and jones (11) .Again, you ignore his being 80% HEALTHY.

See I can twist stats too. :D

 

[T tes]

1 LT
2 Priest Holmes
3 Shaun Alexander
4 Edge
5 Clinton Portis (Even without Denvers oline blocking for him he put up some pretty good numbers)

 

[Lazy1]

I have facts? Do you? Hisfirst 4 games he had a total of 19 ATT



I never said you couldn't



exactly , who knws after 1 year.



I agreed w/ you and I said he wasn't even top 5. but to use his ave per carry nos. only and say he's average is only picking certain stats to make your argument look right.


One dimensional. HMMM. Let's see. Since you like picking ave. per carry to make a point, his ave. per catch is higher than LT ever had in 1 season . 7.7 ypc.. LT's best was 7.3 he had 22 catches and Derrius Thompson had 23.


No breakaway speed, sure in your finfan eyes. He's had 10 carries for over 20+ yards. the only ones ahead of him were, Alexander (15) , barber and jones (11) .Again, you ignore his being 80% HEALTHY.

See I can twist stats too. :D

Buffalo fans bring up the fact that he was playing 80% for the whole year and in fact most runningbacks would be lucky to stay 80% healthy throughout the year. If you dont remember In 2003 ricky williams broke his shoulder the first game of the year and played through it the whole year. Runningbacks play with and through pain so bringing up the fact he was 80% healthy is a bad argument to say he could do better *when healthy*.

 

[DBoston80]

1. tomlinson
2. alexander
3. barber
4. james
5. dillon

priest holmes is the most overrated player in the nfl. larry johnson, tony richardson and derrick blalock all had the same or better ypc than holmes did last season behind the kc line.

..Agree to an extent...He's a good back with a great OL....not a great RB.

 

[LithoMan]

I have facts? Do you? Hisfirst 4 games he had a total of 19 ATT



I never said you couldn't



exactly , who knws after 1 year.



I agreed w/ you and I said he wasn't even top 5. but to use his ave per carry nos. only and say he's average is only picking certain stats to make your argument look right.


One dimensional. HMMM. Let's see. Since you like picking ave. per carry to make a point, his ave. per catch is higher than LT ever had in 1 season . 7.7 ypc.. LT's best was 7.3 he had 22 catches and Derrius Thompson had 23.


No breakaway speed, sure in your finfan eyes. He's had 10 carries for over 20+ yards. the only ones ahead of him were, Alexander (15) , barber and jones (11) .Again, you ignore his being 80% HEALTHY.

See I can twist stats too. :D

Gee, someone who can tell the whole story also. Nice going. The posts you reply too are typical ones, hlaf truths, and skewed stats to argue someone is better then somebody else. It's all opinion, but not telling the whole story is quite rampant on here. Nice going.

 

[BrazForPhins]

1 L. Tomlinson
2 J. Lewis
3 A. Green
4 P. Holmes
5 S. Alexander
6 C. Dillon
7 E. James
8 C. Martin
9 W. Mcgahee
10 C. Portis
11 F. Taylor
12 M. Faulk
13 D. McAllister

If Ricky get back to his old form he would be number 2 on my list

 

[bakedmatt]

Here come my very humble opinions. This list is based on not only talent, but production and playing-time (i.e. being able to stay healthy and in a game). If you don't like what you see, don't fret, because at least half of these guys will prove me horribly wrong come week 8. This is a no-rookie list.

01. Ladanian Tomlinson
THE undisputed all-around runningback in this league. He's got the size, the speed, the feet, the hands, the toughness - everything a runningback needs in order to be successful.

02. Edgerrin James
If he didn't lose quickness after two knee surgeries, I think he'd rival Tomlinson as the guy that has all the tools... but we knew that watching him in college, didn't we?

03. Shaun Alexander
A pure runner. He goes down a little too easily for my tastes sometimes, but the man puts up staggering numbers that can't be easily attributed to offensive line play, in my opinion. That case could be made moreso for a few of the upcoming backs. At his age, he's still got several years to run strong.

04. Deuce McAllister
Endless talent on this guy. Nagging injuries have hampered him in the past, which makes me only wonder what he could do behind a better line, and healthy throughout a season. I prefer runningbacks with some pounds on them, and while he's got some to spare, it doesn't seem to slow him down any.

05. Jamal Lewis
More nagging injuries/off-the-field problems. However, his combination of size and speed give him an advantage over other backs. You can't overlook his amazing 2003 season. It's a testament to his ability.

06. Priest Holmes
I said that offensive line dominance would penalize some other feature backs. This is just my opinion of course. Still, Priest is one of the more aware football players, I've ever seen run the ball. He'll find the hole every time.

07. Curtis Martin
When will this guy retire? By the time that happens, you'll hear a collective sigh of relief out of the entire AFC East. For a guy with sub-par speed and size, he's pretty good. Curtis is another one of the most aware players I have ever witnessed. The man has eyes in the back of his head.

08. Ahman Green
Green puts up huge fantasy numbers, despite his fumbling. I'd attribute some of that to the often overlooked Green Bay offensive line. But you wouldn't be a top NFL runningback in my mind if it was all the offensive line. Green can cut through the hole as fast and as hard as the rest of them. We could see a decline in his statistics this year as two Pro Bowl guards just left the team, but I have a feeling Green will do just fine.

09. Corey Dillon
Tough runner with explosive speed that is awfully similar to a player we have. With a more consistent offense, we saw Corey finish 3rd in the league in yards last year. He's not done, and I hope we've shored up a better run defense for when he comes to town.

10. Clinton Portis
Slender Clinton relies on supersonic speed. This guy couldn't play "Wad ball" if he wanted to. However, that doesn't mean I don't recognize the most explosive running back in the league. Behind Denver's infamous offensive line, he put up almost unprecedented numbers for such a young 'back, and had he been traded to a team not named the "Deadskins," and to a team such as Kansas City, we might see Priest Holmes splitting serious time.

11. Tiki Barber
So underrated, it's really ridiculous. Tiki does so much for the Giants that you have to give it up to him. He's good for one really big play a game, and his team doesn't really help him get there.

12. Willis McGahee
Obviously talented. I don't know why Dolphin fans dispute it from time to time. With that said, he's still got some proving to do. That 4.0 ypc can go in either direction this season, his fault or not. But when making this list, I knew I'd rather have Willis on my team than Julius Jones.

13. Julius Jones
Like Tiki Barber, he knows how to make the big play. If you haven't caught the highlight reel of All-Time Cowboys running backs that is circling the Internet, I suggest you check it out. His game isn't complete, because I don't think he could carry an offense like many of the guys above, but boy does he have serious moves. In a clicking offense, he'll be unstoppable, shadowing Emmitt Smith, perhaps. It's really to bad that the 'Boys had to resort to Bledsoe.

14. Brian Westbrook
Brian carried the Eagles offense into the Superbowl in Terrell Owen's absence, last year. Though undersized, he runs hard and knows how to pick up extra yards. He also has outstanding hands and moves. However, he is not a "between the tackles" runningback and the Eagles know that. Otherwise, they wouldn't be interested in Lamar Gordon (instigated by Buckhalter's surgery).

15. Ricky Williams
I don't have to tell you that had this been 2 seasons ago, or had this list been made last offseason, and Ricky was not a retired man at the time, he would easily be a top-10 runningback, and rivaling the top-5. But he did retire, and he is 10 lbs. underweight. Ricky has missed a year of football, and though I absolutely ate up what I saw in the Jaguars game, I have to see him perform a little more to know he still has it.


Honorable Mention:
Fred Taylor - talented, oft injured
Kevin Jones - quick, inexperienced
Travis Henry - built and runs like a prototype RB, oft injured, has "breakdown" games
Warrick Dunn - undersized, helped by former Denver OL coach
Stephen Jackson - unproven, has all-around game
Dominick Davis - gets more credit than he deserves, still very productive
Rudi Johnson - overachiever, not naturally explosive

 

[AU_raven]

That didnt help Ronnie one bit securing that starting job at Auburn now did it? Who did the rushing between the 20's? 40 time means miniscule in the NFL.

They were co-starters.:shakeno:
Both players "rushed between the 20's".
I believe the reference to the 40 time was because an earlier quote stated that Caddy had the speed to break one at anytime. Ronnie too, has the speed (plus a little more) than Caddy.
Anything else???

 

[burger13]

Why are so many people so high on Julius Jones while Kevin Jones get little to no respect.

I've seen Julius on a few lists, but Kevin gets only honorble mention?? Stories will change by the end of this year!!

 

[Justasportsfan]

Buffalo fans bring up the fact that he was playing 80% for the whole year and in fact most runningbacks would be lucky to stay 80% healthy throughout the year. If you dont remember In 2003 ricky williams broke his shoulder the first game of the year and played through it the whole year. Runningbacks play with and through pain so bringing up the fact he was 80% healthy is a bad argument to say he could do better *when healthy*.

he tore every ligament on one of his knees. Some people thought he'd never play again.Huge difference w/ a shoulder problem.

Injuries aside, fact is, no one can say that his nos. we average unless you just pick one stat. I didn't even say he's top 5 or will be the best. I was talking about his nos. as a whole from last year , that's all. Injured or not , he had above average nos.