Grant could find new team soon

[MadtownPacker]

NFL HOF RB's:

Marcus Allen (RB) 1982-1997
Jim Brown (FB) 1957-1965
Earl Campbell (RB) 1978-1985
Larry Csonka (FB) 1968-1979
Eric Dickerson (RB) 1983-1993
Tony Dorsett (RB) 1977-1988
Marshall Faulk (RB) 1994-2005
Frank Gifford (HB-FL) 1952-1960, 1962-1964
Franco Harris (RB) 1972-1984
Paul Hornung (HB) 1957-1962, 1964-1966
John Henry Johnson (FB) 1954-1966
Leroy Kelly (RB) 1964-1973
Floyd Little (RB) 1967-1975
Curtis Martin (RB) 1995-2005
Ollie Matson (HB) 1952, 1954-1966
Hugh McElhenny (HB) 1952-1964
Lenny Moore (HB) 1956-1967
Marion Motley (FB) 1946-1953, 1955
Walter Payton (RB) 1975-1987
Joe Perry (FB) 1948-1963
John Riggins (RB) 1971-1979, 1981-1985
Barry Sanders (RB) 1989-1998
Gale Sayers (HB) 1965-1971
O.J. Simpson (RB) 1969-1979
Emmitt Smith 1990-2004
Jim Taylor (FB) 1958-1967
Thurman Thomas 1988-2000
Charley Trippi (HB) 1947-1955
Doak Walker (HB) 1950-1955

Ok Woody. Im just gonna to say it straight up because thats really the only way.

This and the two post of yours that follow it disrupt this thread. Yes it has relevance to the thread but a link to the list would be a lot cleaner. Instead there is three pages of scrolling down thru some info that really isnt relevant to the conversation posters are having at this point in the thread. I think its cool man but let's start pasting links (like the quote above looks) instead of the bulk text. Thanks.

[woodbuck27]

OK Can you remove the posts if their in error or a problem. When I took the time to do this last night I never imagined it would be a problem...it is a problem.

This is what you want ie Sometimes my natural tendency to be an educator gets the best of me. Sorry about that Mad.

Modern Era: Halfbacks-Fullbacks (29) or Post WWII:

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/positions.aspx

[woodbuck27]

Eddie Lee Ivery was a great back! We just never saw it, because of damn soldier field.....

Long time since I thought of Eddie Lee Ivery.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Lee_Ivery#Professional_career

This article certainly allows one some insight into former Green Bay Packer Eddie Lee Ivery;

http://www.theacc.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090809aah.html

Ivery was one of the greatest Georgia Tech running backs of all time, setting single-game marks for rushing yards in a game (356), all-purpose yards in a game (367), and all-purpose yards in a season (1,879 in 1978) - all records that still stand today.... Ivery was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. " **

"In the 1979 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers drafted Ivery 15th overall. He went on to play for eight seasons with the Packers, finishing his professional career with 2,933 yards and 23 touchdowns." **

"The satisfaction that I get out of life now is when I go out and inspire, motivate and encourage a kid to reach his full potential; not just on the field, but also the off-the-field decisions he's going to have to make in life," Ivery said. ** Article

[gbgary]

i think green was great. to do what he did on a pass 1st, pass 2nd, maybe run 3rd, offense was fantastic. grant's been nearly as good. the lost year, and the rehab year (last year), really was unfortunate. the second year after a knee is always better than the first. hope he bounces back.

[Brandon494]

Green also had a hell of a O-line he ran behind but that doesnt take away from the fact that he was one of the top running backs in the game in the early 2000s. That screen play we use to run with him was a thing of beauty...god I miss that.

[woodbuck27]

Green also had a hell of a O-line he ran behind but that doesnt take away from the fact that he was one of the top running backs in the game in the early 2000s. That screen play we use to run with him was a thing of beauty...god I miss that.

I loved the way he ran. Those light feet.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Ahman Green was an earlier version of AP. Except more dominant in the passing game. My opinion.

Green was traded by Seattle for a song and dance. CAn you imagine that happening to a young AP?

I'm not saying this proves much, except AP has a greater pedigree, he is considered hall of fame caliber.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I loved the way he ran. Those light feet.

light in the loafers?

[Fritz]

Perhaps Harvey has me figured out. When I think of the elite backs I truly think of the more all around guys. Elite to me screams of guys like Waltar Payton, Barry Sanders, All Day Peterson, maybe Gayle Sayers (from the highlights I've seen), Marshall Faulk.

I don't put Ahman there

I'd say Ahman was a very very good NFL Running back...and elite Packer RB.

But I don't think I'd categorize him as an elite NFL Back...to me...those are reserved for some of the guys making the Canton Hall of Fame

Couple of things....

First, I think you really mis-speak when you use the term "all around guys." I take that - and I think most people have taken that - to mean someone who has a variety of the kinds of skills a RB can have. Obviously, running the ball well is one, but you can divide that into inside and outside ability. Then there's pass blocking, as someone mentioned. Then there's receiving out of the backfield.

By that definition, Barry Sanders was in no way an "all around guy." He was in fact one-dimensional. He had a distinct distaste for both pass blocking and for going out of the backfield to catch the ball. Wayne Fontes, the Lions' coach, wanted to use Sanders' open field ability by getting him out in the flat for some passes, but Sanders did not want to do that and in fact if you look at his career stats he didn't catch too many passes.

He was also not a guy who would go up the middle for one or two yards. Now, he might go up the middle after some dancing, and get you thirty yards. But if a coach needed a yard and a half and wanted a guy to just take the ball and go up the gut, Sanders was not the guy to choose.

Finally, he did not have breakaway speed. He was perhaps the shiftiest, most-difficult-to-tackle running back that ever played, and he could gash teams for big, big gains, but he did not have take-it-to-the-house speed.

I[m not saying he wasn't a great back. He was incredible to watch - I saw him surrounded by three or four tacklers a number of times, and they just couldn't find him to tackle him. He was wonderful. He was elite.

But he wasn't what you'd call an "all around guy."

Secondly, you used the word "great" backs earlier. I do wonder how different people define that. For some, longevity is a key, so a guy like Emmitt Smith, whom I never thought was a truly great, great back, is considered great. He was consistent for a lot of years. For others, longevity is not quite as important as a few great, great years.

For my money, Earl Campbell in his prime was one of the most punishing, gifted backs I've ever had the good fortune to watch. Nobody really enjoyed trying to tackle that guy, and he carried those Houston teams on his back, along with a whole lot of defenders. Having seen only a little footage of Jim Brown, I imagine that Campbell is as close as I've ever come to seeing someone like the great Jim Brown.

[Smidgeon]

Couple of things....

First, I think you really mis-speak when you use the term "all around guys." I take that - and I think most people have taken that - to mean someone who has a variety of the kinds of skills a RB can have. Obviously, running the ball well is one, but you can divide that into inside and outside ability. Then there's pass blocking, as someone mentioned. Then there's receiving out of the backfield.

By that definition, Barry Sanders was in no way an "all around guy." He was in fact one-dimensional. He had a distinct distaste for both pass blocking and for going out of the backfield to catch the ball. Wayne Fontes, the Lions' coach, wanted to use Sanders' open field ability by getting him out in the flat for some passes, but Sanders did not want to do that and in fact if you look at his career stats he didn't catch too many passes.

He was also not a guy who would go up the middle for one or two yards. Now, he might go up the middle after some dancing, and get you thirty yards. But if a coach needed a yard and a half and wanted a guy to just take the ball and go up the gut, Sanders was not the guy to choose.

Finally, he did not have breakaway speed. He was perhaps the shiftiest, most-difficult-to-tackle running back that ever played, and he could gash teams for big, big gains, but he did not have take-it-to-the-house speed.

I[m not saying he wasn't a great back. He was incredible to watch - I saw him surrounded by three or four tacklers a number of times, and they just couldn't find him to tackle him. He was wonderful. He was elite.

But he wasn't what you'd call an "all around guy."

Secondly, you used the word "great" backs earlier. I do wonder how different people define that. For some, longevity is a key, so a guy like Emmitt Smith, whom I never thought was a truly great, great back, is considered great. He was consistent for a lot of years. For others, longevity is not quite as important as a few great, great years.

For my money, Earl Campbell in his prime was one of the most punishing, gifted backs I've ever had the good fortune to watch. Nobody really enjoyed trying to tackle that guy, and he carried those Houston teams on his back, along with a whole lot of defenders. Having seen only a little footage of Jim Brown, I imagine that Campbell is as close as I've ever come to seeing someone like the great Jim Brown.

Who are you and what did you do with Fritz?

P.S. Repping this post.

[Scott Campbell]

By that definition, Barry Sanders was in no way an "all around guy."

I thought he looked like a mere mortal on grass.

[sharpe1027]

I thought he looked like a mere mortal on grass.

Maybe he was no longer god-like on grass, but he was still an incredibly good -- for a mortal.

[mraynrand]

Green also had a hell of a O-line he ran behind but that doesnt take away from the fact that he was one of the top running backs in the game in the early 2000s. That screen play we use to run with him was a thing of beauty...god I miss that.

true that. I'll never forget the win at Minnesota in 2000. The Packers put a knife in the backs of the Vikings and ruined their season. Ahman Green ran the ball and ran out the clock in the waning moments of the game. His victory celebration was awesome. Green knew how to take it to the opposition.

My only regret about Green is that they didn't give him the damn rock on 4th and one.

[Smeefers]

No one here is saying that Green should be in the NFL HOF are they? I may have gotten a little confuzled back there. Sure he put up some good numbers and he was the best RB that GB has ever seen, but there's no way that he's anywhere near Canton material. Simply put, he wasn't the best back in the league when he was in his prime. Off the top of my head, Jerome Bettis and LT were much better.

I have to disagree with you Fritz on the Emmit Smith thing. I thought he was everything that Barry wasn't and that's why I was so happy to be watching them play in my early days. Smith was the prototypical back. He caught out of the backfield, picked up blitz's and could ram it down your throat whether you liked it or not. IMHO, he was a very big reason we didn't have more super bowls in the 90's.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Green also had a hell of a O-line he ran behind but that doesnt take away from the fact that he was one of the top running backs in the game in the early 2000s. That screen play we use to run with him was a thing of beauty...god I miss that.

He ran the hell out of the screen. Knew how to follow his blockers and squeezed every yard he could out of it. He's the reason we were known as such a good screen team. His legacy carried on for years after he left when announcers still called us a good screen team even when we weren't.