I'm not quite as sure it's due SOLELY to the fact that it's a straight passing league. I think it's also due to the fact that being an RB is a brutal life, and anyone who can shoulder 20+ touches a game is going to crash and burn right about the time they hit 27-28 years old. Unless they're a genetic freak like Derrick Henry who is so freakin' big that he injures defenders; they don't hurt him.
RBs in this league are still important, but they have a shelf life. Work them to death, throw them to the wolves and draft someone young. Unlike WRs who can be productive into the early 30s.
I love a post like this, that we're all basically nodding along in agreement with....and then everyone shits on Emmitt Smith.
4,409 carries. In the NFL. The most ever.
That's like all of Jim Brown's PLUS Roger Craig's.
Tiki Barber + Shaun Alexander.
Jamal Lewis + Larry Csonka
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You'll want to bring up Barry Sanders. 1400 fewer carries. Yeah, his yards per carry was higher, yes he was great, but Barry didn't want 1400 more carries. That wasn't in him. It's not in anyone.
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Marcus Allen + Joe Morris
Thurman Thomas + Le'Veon Bell
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And I'm going to go with the Tebow 30 passing TDs/20 rushng TDs defense.....if anyone could have done it, why hadn't anyone else done it?
Emmitt had as many carries from his age-30 season-on as career carries for Sammy Winder, Travis Henry, Arian Foster or Todd Gurley.
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Yards per carry is very important...but so is carries. You need your guy in the game. Otherwise, your backup is in there, not Barry. Your backup, not Payton. Not Emmitt.
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He somehow navigated probably the roughest position in sports (vs maybe catcher or nose tackle), and did it 600 more times than anyone else, ever.