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Torrain, Hightower, Helu And Morris. Does Anyone See A Pattern Here?

Lanky Livingston said:
I believe he was trying to say Morris is DOOOOOOOOOMED because all other Shanahan RBs have been driven til they fall apart. Still silly when you consider most RBs don't last that long. ZBS or not, its a very tough position on the legs/knees.
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So, basically our QB is doomed because he runs too much, and now our RB is doomed because he runs too much.....so, how long before Hankerson's legs fall off, from running too many routes ?
 
Fear The Spear said:
So, basically our QB is doomed because he runs too much, and now our RB is doomed because he runs too much.....so, how long before Hankerson's legs fall off, from running too many routes ?
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So just what was Hank doing to cause his hands to fall off?

:paranoid:
 
Henry said:
Thats why we kept Portis over Betts. :D

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Yes. Which ranks right up there in the franchise's stupidest decisions ever. Definitely below Shanny running RG3 into the ground, and a few notches above the swinging gate.

Probably right next to hiring Steve Spurrier.

We could have traded Portis for Boldin, who years later is still a stud. :cuss:


Bulldog's Twin said:
This post makes no sense. Roy Helu is a change of pace back that received limited carries before being injured.

Morris is a full-time back who just had 1,600 yards rushing and ended up the season healthy.

How are these two narratives similar?

And how does Torain come into it?

Torain was released because he wasn't producing not because he was hurt.
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Shanny seems to have a knack for finding RBs beyond the first round, or through FA, and they have a fantastic season. A year later? They tend to vanish due to injuries.

It may be a training staff issue. We can't ever seem to get these guys right again.
 
Gibbs ran the hell out of John Riggins, Ernest Byner and Clinton Portis.

Johnson ran the legs off Emmitt Smith at times.

When coaches have good backs they use them, at least outside of Philadelphia :)
 
Olandis Gary, Mike Andersen. Only Terrell Davis and Portis lasted more than 1 season. Fortunately we will draft another RB in the middle rounds every year.
 
Riggo-toni said:
Olandis Gary, Mike Andersen. Only Terrell Davis and Portis lasted more than 1 season. Fortunately we will draft another RB in the middle rounds every year.
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Shanahan's 1000-yard rushers:

Terrell Davis lasted 8 seasons (last two he wasn't the same back).
Mike Anderson lasted 8 seasons.
Olandis Gary lasted 6 seasons.
Clinton Portis lasted 9 seasons.
Rueben Droughns lasted 9 seasons.
Tatum Bell lasted 5 seasons.

Alfred Morris - TBD

Seems like we can reasonably expect 7-8 seasons out of Alfred, barring some sort of catastrophic injury issue like TD. RBs fall apart in this league, its not just Shanahan's - its just the nature of the beast.
 
I think people keep comparing backs' longevity to John Riggins who was in the NFL for 13 seasons and took the pounding. That isn't going to happen again.

Criticize the Redskins and Shanahan for the zone scheme and the number of carries.

How about Marion Barber in Dallas? Basically done by 26.

How about Brandon Jacobs in NY? At age 28 he was in decline and was released after the Giants Super Bowl win. Meanwhile, Ahmad Bradshaw had become the primary back a couple of seasons earlier.

The last back I remember that was continuing to be productive into his 30's was Thomas Jones who rushed for 1,000 yards when he was 33.
 
Willis McGahee has been very productive into his 30s, which is pretty surprising consider the total knee reconstruction he had coming out of college. But he, Riggins, Thomas Jones, Eddie George, etc. are the exceptions, not the rule. RBs do not last in this league.
 
It's all about carries. Most backs are good for about 2000 carries. Clinton Portis, who was an absolute workhorse for us in a way that, say, Ladell Betts could never have been, lasted for 2230 carries, good for 22nd all time. You break 2800 you are in the Hall of Fame.

Morris has already rushed the ball 335 times. That a LOT. Assuming he won't get the ball that many times every year, but maybe 280-300 times ... he could conceivably last for seven years? That would be a nice career for him.
 
It's also how you run. Portis started out as a scatback who used speed to out run guys and hit the sideline. When he came to DC Gibbs used him inside the way he had used Riggins and Byner who were much bigger players.

That change in HOW he was used shortened the effective part of his career.

Riggins was 6'2 and 240 in an era when middle linebackers were 225-230 and defensive ends were 260.

He was about their size.

Today the force of impact for a guy that is 5'11 and 223 running against linebackers that are now 250-260 and defensive linemen are all over 300 is totally different.

Running back is the one position where the relative size of the players has remained about the same while everyone else has gotten a lot bigger.
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Riggins also played fullback for much of his career, spent the first six years of his career playing 14 game seasons, took a year off, and didn't break 300 carries in a season until he was 34 years old. He's not really comparable to any modern full-time back.

Byner was good for about ... 2000 carries.
 
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