Earl Campbell: Today’s running backs look average

[CloakNNNdagger]

Jim Brown grabbed some attention this offseason when he called Browns first-round pick Trent Richardson an “ordinary” running back.

One of Brown’s fellow Hall of Famers doesn’t think Richardson is the only back out there deserving of the label. Earl Campbell told NFL.com that he doesn’t see any dominant backs in today’s game, largely because of the way the game is played.

“I think it’s because the way the game has changed, to where all of them just look like they’re average backs because they pass the ball so much,” Campbell said. “I don’t think there’s a runner in pro football you could say was like a Jim Brown.”

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[Cjeremy635]

While I'm not taking anything away from Campbell's or Brown's accomplishments, the game today is different. Those guys were bruisers and ran right over people. I agree that there really isn't a back that does that today on a regular basis. Having said that, guys run smarter now. They're fast, maybe even faster then they were back in the day, and they try to be more elusive to avoid that type of contact. It definitely lengthens a career and saves your body from breaking down like Earl's did. Guys think about their future after football these days and the idea of a wheelchair is not a welcome one.

[Kaiser Toro]

The only back that reminds of the old school elite RB is Peterson.

[Insideop]

Here is another article from the Around The League segment on NFL.com. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d...content_stream It basically is the same article but there is a great video with it that shows Campbell in his early days with the Oilers. What a beast! Don't know of too many RB's today that can run and punish the defenses the way Earl did.

[infantrycak]

Earl like Marino gives lie to the notion having a great WR, RB or QB means SB wins.

In fact, none of this year's HoF inductees has a SB ring.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by infantrycak

Earl like Marino gives lie to the notion having a great WR, RB or QB means SB wins.

In fact, none of this year's HoF inductees has a SB ring.

You may not need an elite RB, but having an elite QB damn sure goes a long way.

Last SB winners were:

1. Giants
2. Packers
3. Saints
4. Steelers
5. Giants
6. Colts
7. Steelers
8. Patriots
9. Patriots
10. Patriots
11. Ravens
12. Rams
13. Broncos
14. Broncos
15. Packers
16. Cowboys
17. Niners
18. Cowboys
19. Cowboys
20 . Redskins
21. Giants

Just about all of those teams going back to 1990 all had elite QB's playing for them. Guys like Eli Manning and Ben have both been right on the cusp of elite. Then you've got a few in there like the Ravens and that Bucs team that won on pure defense. THe majority of those winners all had HOF level or elite QB's leading their team all the way.

[SF49erFaithful]

Are these guys envious of the new guys' fame and fortune or something? Today's running backs are better than ever. AP, McFadden, Foster, Gore, MJD, Rice, Jackson, Forte, Turner, Sproles, Lynch, Mccoy. Wow. Honestly if AP played in Jim Brown's or Earl Campbell's era he would own every record imaginable.

With that said, I agree with Jim Brown that Richardson is fairly ordinary. People expecting him to have a McFadden or AP type of impact are in for a rude, rude awakening.

[SF49erFaithful]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

You may not need an elite RB, but having an elite QB damn sure goes a long way.

Last SB winners were:

1. Giants
2. Packers
3. Saints
4. Steelers
5. Giants
6. Colts
7. Steelers
8. Patriots
9. Patriots
10. Patriots
11. Ravens
12. Rams
13. Broncos
14. Broncos
15. Packers
16. Cowboys
17. Niners
18. Cowboys
19. Cowboys
20 . Redskins
21. Giants

Just about all of those teams going back to 1990 all had elite QB's playing for them. Guys like Eli Manning and Ben have both been right on the cusp of elite. Then you've got a few in there like the Ravens and that Bucs team that won on pure defense. THe majority of those winners all had HOF level or elite QB's leading their team all the way.

A great D is essential too. Nearly all those teams had an elite defense AND QB. Notice that GB didn't win it this year, with their defensive slide. NE hasn't won it ever since their defense has started to tank. Also recall that NO and INDI, who usually tend to struggle on that side of the ball, only won the Big Game when their defensive units were ranked amongst the NFL's best.

[Rey]

Anyone read the comments section?

I never saw Earl play live, but I almost made an account just to tell some of those guys to stfu.

[PapaL]

Originally Posted by SF49erFaithful

Are these guys envious of the new guys' fame and fortune or something? Today's running backs are better than ever. AP, McFadden, Foster, Gore, MJD, Rice, Jackson, Forte, Turner, Sproles, Lynch, Mccoy. Wow. Honestly if AP played in Jim Brown's or Earl Campbell's era he would own every record imaginable.

With that said, I agree with Jim Brown that Richardson is fairly ordinary. People expecting him to have a McFadden or AP type of impact are in for a rude, rude awakening.

I disagree. Defenses now are lame compared to what was legal back then and what defenses did. Forearm shots to the head were legal and VERY common. Defenses were built to stop the run, now it's about getting to the QB.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

Guys like Eli Manning and Ben have both been right on the cusp of elite.

Would guys like Eli and Big Ben be considered "on the cusp" had they not won Super Bowls? I realize they did win Super Bowls, but the main reason they are in the conversation of "elite" is because they did.

Even in Earl's day, there were no other Earls. Payton would run over a DB on occasion, but that wasn't his main game. Dorsett, Sims, and Montgomery would avoid tacklers. Even bigger backs like Franco Harris and Chuck Muncie would rarely take on defenders. Earl was just different, in any era.

*Edit - John Riggins would run guys over. That's 2.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Would guys like Eli and Big Ben be considered "on the cusp" had they not won Super Bowls?

Random observation here - Big Ben has only played in 16 games once in his career.

To the topic, yes Earl ran unlike many others. Jim Brown was big and powerful but they weren't the same runner at all.

[BCRich]

Originally Posted by Cjeremy635

While I'm not taking anything away from Campbell's or Brown's accomplishments, the game today is different. Those guys were bruisers and ran right over people. I agree that there really isn't a back that does that today on a regular basis. Having said that, guys run smarter now. They're fast, maybe even faster then they were back in the day, and they try to be more elusive to avoid that type of contact. It definitely lengthens a career and saves your body from breaking down like Earl's did. Guys think about their future after football these days and the idea of a wheelchair is not a welcome one.

Completely agree. the last guy I can remember who was that big, bowling, bruiser, was Ricky Williams, or maybe Deuce. Niether, however, built up legendary status like Earl Campbell & Jim Brown. Their all like Oj nowadays.

I don't think an Earl Campbell could do what Earl Campbell did nowadays. Defenses are bigger, stronger, faster, & more athletic.

But I'd love to see a big bruiser.

[BCRich]

Originally Posted by Kaiser Toro

The only back that reminds of the old school elite RB is Peterson.

Come to think of it, Michael Bush & Ben Tate remind me more of Early than Peterson does.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by SF49erFaithful

A great D is essential too. Nearly all those teams had an elite defense AND QB. Notice that GB didn't win it this year, with their defensive slide. NE hasn't won it ever since their defense has started to tank. Also recall that NO and INDI, who usually tend to struggle on that side of the ball, only won the Big Game when their defensive units were ranked amongst the NFL's best.

A great D is very essential. No question there, but we've seen a lot of great D's and only 3 teams in NFL history have won it all with just great D's and nothing else, and that is the Ravens, Bears, and the Bucs.

Other than that, you've got a ton of teams where the common denominator in most was great QB play. Tons of guys can get you deep in the playoffs, but great QB play gets teams over the top. NE may not have won a SB since their defense dropped off some, but they were a miracle play away from having a perfect season, and a dropped Welker pass away from having two more rings. That's close enough in my book.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Lucky

Would guys like Eli and Big Ben be considered "on the cusp" had they not won Super Bowls? I realize they did win Super Bowls, but the main reason they are in the conversation of "elite" is because they did.

Even in Earl's day, there were no other Earls. Payton would run over a DB on occasion, but that wasn't his main game. Dorsett, Sims, and Montgomery would avoid tacklers. Even bigger backs like Franco Harris and Chuck Muncie would rarely take on defenders. Earl was just different, in any era.

*Edit - John Riggins would run guys over. That's 2.

Big Ben = Yes
Eli = Probably not.

Eli's status got way overblown after that last SB, but I've always thought that Eli caught way more criticism than he deserved playing in NY. He has been a top 10 type QB for many years now and put up pretty solid numbers in the toughest division in football every year. Add that with two SB victories, and I'd put him right in between the elites and the 2nd group of really good QB's. Him and Ben both belong right there in my opinion and possibly Rivers as well.

[Texanmike02]

Originally Posted by Texecutioner

You may not need an elite RB, but having an elite QB damn sure goes a long way.

Last SB winners were:

1. Giants
2. Packers
3. Saints
4. Steelers
5. Giants
6. Colts
7. Steelers
8. Patriots
9. Patriots
10. Patriots
11. Ravens
12. Rams
13. Broncos
14. Broncos
15. Packers
16. Cowboys
17. Niners
18. Cowboys
19. Cowboys
20 . Redskins
21. Giants

Just about all of those teams going back to 1990 all had elite QB's playing for them. Guys like Eli Manning and Ben have both been right on the cusp of elite. Then you've got a few in there like the Ravens and that Bucs team that won on pure defense. THe majority of those winners all had HOF level or elite QB's leading their team all the way.

Before the boards merged I did some research and found that no league leader in rushing has won a Superbowl since TD and only Baltimore won a SB when one back received more than 70% of that teams carries that year. I font remember the particulars though.

Mike

[The Medic01]

Times have changed. These running backs are dominant they just don't do it he way they used to.

[Texecutioner]

Originally Posted by Texanmike02

Before the boards merged I did some research and found that no league leader in rushing has won a Superbowl since TD and only Baltimore won a SB when one back received more than 70% of that teams carries that year. I font remember the particulars though.

Mike

Yes, and I'm glad you brought that back up. When I originally listed all of those teams, part of my post was supposed to talk about the fact that elite RB's are very rarely on SB winning teams. That was one of the reasons I didn't want to the Texans to severely over pay for Foster before we signed him, because I don't value RB's that high in the grand scheme of things even though some RB's have a huge impact. A great O line that is built to protect the passer and open holes for a productive running game will be a lot more important than having an elite RB any day of the week.

And speaking of Foster, I was proud to read that he was the #1 Fantasy pick in FF magazine for mock drafts. Not bad Foster.

[infantrycak]

Originally Posted by Texanmike02

Before the boards merged I did some research and found that no league leader in rushing has won a Superbowl since TD and only Baltimore won a SB when one back received more than 70% of that teams carries that year. I font remember the particulars though.

I am not arguing against your point, more against those who discount Emmitt - he led the league four times and they won the SB three of those years and he had more than 70% of the carries each year.

To further your point, he was the first rushing leader to win a SB. So the short story is there have been two rushing leaders to ever win the SB.