Browns greatest 'RB Franchise' in NFL history, statistically proven

danieldzillmer

Hey guys, figured you all might want to check this out. What do you think?? Is it fair?

http://nflspinzone.com/2014/09/09/32-nfl-franchises-statistically-ranked-greatness-running-back/

Obviously feel free to share and or brag if you like it... just a fun middle of the week piece that I figured ya'll might appreciate. NFL history is crazy and this result was shocking, but cool.

Tour2ma

Interesting...

At the risk of knocking us off of our perch... did you look at dividing the totals by the sum of each top three's years played? Without such averaging it would seem like longevity has a chance of diminishing excellence.

Regardless... pretty safe bet that the way RBs are valued today, it will be a long time before anyone can knock us off.

Zombo

We have depth too ... Marion Mötley, Ernie Green, Greg Pruitt, Kevin Mack, Earnest Byner, Eric Metcalf....

So who's the leading rusher since 99 ... Lewis? Cripes.

This current gang is going to restore the pride.

Z

The Gipper

Another factor to confirm this: the Pro Football HOF lists "Modern Era" Running backs that have made the HOF, and these are the teams that have members on that list:

Raiders: Marcus Allen

Oilers/Titans: Earl Campbell

Dolphins: Larry Csonka

Rams: Eric Dickerson (Faulk: minor)

Giants: Frank Gifford

Broncos: Floyd Little

Jets: Curtis Martin

Washington: John Riggins

Bills: OJ Simpson, Thurman Thomas

Lions: Barry Sanders, Doak Walker

Bears: Walter Payton, Gale Sayers

49ers: Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry

Cardinals: Ollie Matson, Charlie Trippi

Packers: Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor

Steelers: Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson

Cowboys: Tony Dorsett, Emmit Smith

Colts: Lenny Moore, Marshall Faulk

Browns: Jim Brown, Leroy Kelley, Marion Motley

The Browns are the only team with 3 HOF RBs.

Mudfly

@the-gipper said:

The Browns are the only team with 3 HOF RBs.

..and one of only a very select few with dual 1000 yard rushers the same year.....

Gotta have a history of some MIGHTY awesome running backs, when Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner don't even crack the top 5.....

Motley

Brown

Kelly

Pruitt(M)

Pruitt(G)

Mack

Byner.....

These guys were pretty much a "non stop" running game for us for decades.....and nothing since....

But, I've got a very very good feeling about Crowell and West ....they look like real backs and it's been awhile since Ive seen one here...

The Gipper

But note this: when Bettis gets elected...and he will... that will give the Steelers 3 "modern day" RBs as well.

If Roger Craig were to make it...and he has been a finalist, that would also give the 49ers 3 RBs.

jim_brown

@the-gipper said:

Another factor to confirm this: the Pro Football HOF lists "Modern Era" Running backs that have made the HOF, and these are the teams that have members on that list:

Raiders: Marcus Allen

Oilers/Titans: Earl Campbell

Dolphins: Larry Csonka

Rams: Eric Dickerson (Faulk: minor)

Giants: Frank Gifford

Broncos: Floyd Little

Jets: Curtis Martin

Washington: John Riggins

Bills: OJ Simpson, Thurman Thomas

Lions: Barry Sanders, Doak Walker

Bears: Walter Payton, Gale Sayers

49ers: Hugh McElhenny, Joe Perry

Cardinals: Ollie Matson, Charlie Trippi

Packers: Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor

Steelers: Franco Harris, John Henry Johnson

Cowboys: Tony Dorsett, Emmit Smith

Colts: Lenny Moore, Marshall Faulk

Browns: Jim Brown, Leroy Kelley, Marion Motley

The Browns are the only team with 3 HOF RBs.

if you're going to walk down memory lane, you could add ernie davis; he certainly would have been a hof'r if it hadn't been for leukemia.....he was a fantastic all around athlete, like jim brown, who had greatness written all over him.....the browns would still be talking about him if he had lived.....

The Gipper

@jim_brown said:
if you're going to walk down memory lane, you could add that ernie davis; he certainly would have been a hof'r if it hadn't been for leukemia.....he was a fantastic all around athlete, like jim brown, who had greatness written all over him.....the browns would still be talking about him if he had lived.....

Well, that is a little too speculative. No one knows that by any means. I mean, sure, its possible. But that is like saying that Ki-Jana Carter would have been a Hall of Famer if not for injury, or Courtney Brown, or Steve Emtman.

Or he may have turned out to be like Trent Richardson. Highly touted, highly regarded.....and nada.

The Gipper

Note this: The only two Running backs that are likely to become HOFers in the future, that I can tell would be Bettis, LaDanian Tomlinson...and maybe Roger Craig,maybe Edgerinn James....among retirees, plus Adrian Peterson.

What about the likes of Shaun Alexander? Marshaun Lynch

Can you think of any other retired or active RB that should be in the HOF?

The Gipper

Now, what about the other shoe? Which franchises have produced the best Quarterbacks? Again, here is a listing of which teams have produced Hall of Fame QBs....plus likely HOF QBs (in parentheses) Some QBs are listed twice or so for having played a long stretch with two teams:

Raiders: George Blanda

Chiefs: Len Dawson

Broncos: John Elway

Chargers: Dan Fouts

Browns: Otto Graham

Redskins: Sonny Jurgenson, Sammy Baugh

Bills: Jim Kelly

Vikings: Fran Tarkenton

Patriots: (Tom Brady)

Jets: Joe Namath

Saints: (Drew Brees)

Bears: Blanda, Sid Luckman

Oilers: Blanda, Warren Moon

Cowboys: Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach

Steelers: Terry Bradshaw (Ben Roethlisberger)

Dolphins: Bob Griese, Dan Marino

Eagles: Sonny Jurgenson, Norm Van Brocklin

Lions: Bobby Layne, Dutch Clark

Rams: Van Brocklin, Bob Waterfield

Giants: YA Tittle, Benny Friedman

Colts: Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning

49ers: Tittle, Joe Montana, Steve Young

Packers: Arnie Herber, Bart Starr, (Brett Favre) (Aaron Rodgers)

So, my conclusion just based on this is that the Packers have been the all time top QB producing team. Perhap a complicated mathematical formula like the one for RBs produced in the article would have another team come out different, I don't think this is far off. I went back before 1950 to list HOF QBs.

Did I leave anyone...or any team out?

Mudfly

Based upon your list, the pack def looks the best....the bottom 3 teams all look pretty good though.....

You might add Kurt Warner to the Rams list.....and its WAY too early, I know, but Luck will likely end up on the Indy list too(barring trade/injury).....

The Gipper

@mudfly said:

Based upon your list, the pack def looks the best....the bottom 3 teams all look pretty good though.....

You might add Kurt Warner to the Rams list.....and its WAY too early, I know, but Luck will likely end up on the Indy list too(barring trade/injury).....

Warner, absolutely. Future HOFer. Rams also get a decent QB in Jim Everett. He is in the NFL top 20 in passing yards FWIW. And Roman Gabriel who led the Rams to a lot of playoff spots in the 70s.

Other "decent" QBs, who might fall short of HOF status for various teams:

49ers get a couple of good ones in John Brodie and Jeff Garcia (who sucked for us, but excelled in 49ers WCO system)

Raiders get Lamonica and Stabler

Chargers get Rivers and John Hadl

Cowboys get Danny White and Romo (at least his stats are good)

Bengals get both Ken Anderson and Boomer Esiason and Carson Palmer

Colts also get Bert Jones

Cardinals get Neil Lomax and Charley Johnson

Eagles get Donovan McNabb

Giants get Eli and Phil Simms

Saints get Archie Manning

Oilers get Dan Pastorini

Vikings get Tommy Kramer?

Bears get Jim Mcmahon

Packers get Dickey

Redskins get Theismann

Browns get Sipe and Kosar

Bills get Joe Ferguson

Patriots get Drew Bledsoe, and Steve Grogan

Seahawks get Dave Kreig and Matt Hasselback

Panthers get Kerry Collins

....and somebody gets to claim Vinny...but who? Jets maybe,

I still think Packer lead the pack (pun intended) of QB producers.

Mudfly

Yep....still the pack.....but If we're doing non HOFers, then maybe add...

Daunte Culpepper to the Vikes

Chad Pennington to the Jets ??

Vinny????