Earlier this month, the Golden State Warriors, as expected, claimed the 2017 NBA crown, while the Pittsburgh Penguins took home their second straight Stanley Cup. Baseball has already hit its midseason lull, where it will remain idle until early October. With the sports world settling into its annual down time, it’s never too early to engage in football talk. Three aging running backs will enter the 2017 NFL season with new logos on their helmets. Two of them are coming off of injury-affected seasons, and the third is coming out of retirement. Nevertheless, expectations for the once workhorse backs are filled with speculation and question. Jamaal Charles spent nine seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and at 30 years old, he’ll enter his …show more content…
Age and injury are ugly realities that have forced themselves upon these running backs. Once amongst the top echelon of NFL backs, gaudy numbers led to fairytale seasons. Sly jukes and overwhelming power once loaned themselves to explosive runs. However, with mileage under the hood and dings and dents ever present, it’s time to predict who will show up and show out for their new team. All signs point to Lynch being the standout amongst the three fading stars. A part of a relatively young and inexperienced backfield, Lynch’s name instantly tops the marquee. He should be in line to see the biggest workload amongst the three backs, while Derek Carr and his receiving corps help balance an offense that packs a lot of punch. A year without football activity or contact can be a double-edged sword. The body gets rest, but it also gets out of football shape. Although Lynch officially retired and the other two, Peterson and Charles, were in the league last year, they’re all coming off extended amounts of time away from the field. Lynch is the only one who wasn’t dealing with a major injury last year, but he did suffer a down season before retiring. Thanks to nagging injuries, Lynch only competed in seven games during the 2015-16 season and managed just 3.8 yards per carry, a bit shy of his career average of 4.3 per tote. None of the three backs offer an exceptional amount of evidence as to why they’re going to dominate for their team. Lynch simply appears to be in the best
Fantasy football is becoming one of America’s favorite pastimes, along with actual football. This year over 59 million people in America and Canada will take part in a fantasy football league of some kind. So for those 59 million people, here are some early fantasy football busts that you need to be aware about.
With the increase in concussion the NFL has seen multiple “superstar” athletes retire from the game early such as, Calvin Johnson who is border line Hall of Fame numbers, Jarod Mayo who was a two-time pro bowler who should be entering in the league at his prime, B.J. Raji was a young stud for a super bowl winning team (Kurtenbach). All three athletes were 30 years old and younger (Kurtenbach). This is because the risk-reward equation for NFL players has changed dramatically, and the understanding of risk will continue to grow faster than the rewards moving forward
Looking back at his stats you can see that post-2012 have been nothing to brag about. (Again disregarding his 2015 season) With only 26 total rushing TD's in six seasons and only 2 receiving, it is time for the next man to step up. I have defended Doug Martin until I was blue in the face and my fingertips callused from the countless times I've had to argue his worth. I have to give my fingers a rest.
“To be the best you got to beat the best; therefore I am the best cause I’ve beaten the rest” (Barry Sanders). The game of football only requires 22 men, but only one man can be the running back. The running back position is considered the most prestigious of the game. To be a great running back in the N.F.L. you must possess certain qualities such as: speed, strength, agility, field vision, quick feet, and good stamina. Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Marcus Allen all possess these qualities and are three of the best running backs the National Football League will ever see.
While it may seem as though the linemen in the NFL are just as big as they were thirty years ago, they’re not, they’re bigger. In 1970, only one N.F.L. player weighed as much as 300 pounds, according to a survey conducted by The Associated Press. That number has expanded from three 300-pounders in 1980 to 94 in 1990, 301 in 2000, 394 in 2009 and 532 as training camps began in 2010. The major change in size have caused the people in the sports society to question why the players have increased so much in size.
The last time we saw a healthy Foster on the field, he was among the best running backs in the league. He may be an aging running back in a league that heavily favors younger, more athletic backs, but you cannot deny the talent he possesses. There isn’t
Still seen as the aggressive runner that the defense is scared to tackle, wear and tear is affecting production on a consistent basis. Though extremely physical, the human body can only take some much abuse until it breaks. By the beginning of the 2009 season, Adrian Peterson was named the best NFL running back by the analysts of NFL Network and ESPN. Peterson, whose main flaw was fumbling, made a quick turn around his 2010 season after fumbling the ball only once. After the season ended, he finished NFL’s top 100 players as the number three overall player and number one running back once again.
Over three decades after quitting professional football, Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown still remains one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL. He was a player of the Cleveland Browns between 1957 and 1966 during which he literally ran the show in the NFL. He made a mockery of his opponents with his pace and power, scoring an impressive 126 touchdowns and being the leader in the league for yards gained in the eight out of the nine seasons he played. Brown’s 15 National Football League (NFL) records were attributed to his combination of sheer strength, intelligence, and speed. Most of the people who witnessed Brown’s performance on the pitch attested that had he continued playing, he would have set high standards that other athletes
Both of these players had historic careers; Lynch had 26 interceptions, 490 tackles, and ten forced fumbles. Steve Atwater also had a Hall of Fame-worthy career gathering up 1074 tackles and 24 interceptions, including one that he took back for a touchdown. It is hard to fathom that someone with over 1000 tackles hasn't made it into the Hall of Fame.
Some are considering this as a bluff as Carr was not happy with some of the calls thrown his way during the divisional round. At the age of 30, Brandon Carr continued to have another productive season with the Dallas Cowboys. Carr finished the season with 53
Over the offseason, the Packers did their due diligence when it came to the running back position as they did not re-sign Lacy and drafted two young running backs in BYU’s
Chris borland recently left football after signing with the NFL for only one year because he deemed it too dangerous. He is not the only one either. Corey Robinson, son of a football hall of famer, left football for the same
The 2012 NFL season is over, and fans are left with little to do, except follow player cuts while awaiting free agency and the rookie draft. While flipping through the latest news, I came across the following headlines:
McCown has also built a rhythm with Tight End Austin Seferian-Jenkins. A player who at the begining of the year was suspended the first two games for violating the league's substance abuse policy (Driving under the Influence) while he was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers.The Jets who were in need of a Tight End, signed Jenkins, giving him one last shot by the to turn his career and life around. Along with some mentoring and his own strong will, Jenkins the fourth-year pro and 38th pick in the 2014 draft has caught 43 of McCown’s career high 261 completions.While racking up 322 receiving yards and finding pay dirt 3 times. Jenkins could very well be 2017 comeback player of the year.
The biggest question in college football right now is, “Are running backs finally back?” During the 2015 college football season, it does seem to lead into this idea that runner backs are finally back. The likes of Leonard Fournette and Christian Mccaffrey from last year having monster seasons pretty much carrying the team on their backs. As well as a runnerback taking the Heisman Trophy, something that has not been done in over five years. Runnerbacks, based off last season, are going to have monster years and take over the spotlight.