Quote:
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud
I think that both you and ThaVirus aren't old enough to either know or remember that the NFL used to be a "Run First" league. Every defense was geared to stop the run and every offense needed a transcendent running back to succeed.
Harris, Dorsett, Earl Campbell, Eric Dickerson and Marcus Allen thrived in a league that was primarily designed to stop them from running and gaining yardage. Marcus Allen's Super Bowl run, where he reversed direction, was simply beautiful and amazing to watch, as was his ability to get into the endzone.
Marshall Faulk, IMO, is a borderline Hall of Famer, but he didn't enjoy the relaxed passing rules, which opened up the running game, during the majority of his career.
Tomlinson, on the other hand, did enjoy the relaxed rules. And it's become increasingly clear that teams can find excellent running backs in round three or later (or even undrafted) whereas in the 70's and 80's, those guys were first round picks.
The Chiefs failed mainly in the 70's and 80's because they never found a running back (outside of Joe Delaney, who perished after a single season). And while Okoye was drafted in 1986, it wasn't until 1989 that he was a significant part of the offense, which still didn't stop the Chiefs from taking Harvey Williams in the first round and Greg "The Real Deal" Hill a few years later.
Running backs were at a premium. Today, not so much.
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I presume, then, that given the relaxed passing rules, it should be damn near impossible for WRs to make the HOF now?
And I believe I've had this conversation with you before once and simply don't buy the premise. Yes, defenses used to be geared more to stopping the run. They also used to be built around defensive tackles that weighed 260 lbs; defensive ends that weighed 250.
Buck Buchanan was by nearly any measure the most dominant defensive tackle of the era; the guy was 6'7'' and weighted 270 lbs. That's lighter than Tamba Hali. Hell, he just barely outweighs Justin Houston and he has 4 inches in height on the guy.
And he was
huge for his time.
Moreover, while defenses were built to stop the run, offenses were built to help it. WRs were oftentimes glorified TEs. TEs were little more than extra tackles. Single back sets? Pft - I'm not even sure they'd been invented yet.
Disregarding modern RBs ignores any of the factors that have served to make the job a hell of a lot more difficult for them as well.