Rudi Johnson to be traded?

[djnemo65]

I know it's been said but it is amazing how quickly these running backs flame out these days. Alexander went from MVP to out of the league in 2 years. Rudi Johnson is only one year removed from 3 consecutive 12 TD seasons. Was it always like this? I seem to remember guys playing a lot longer when I was a kid.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

I know it's been said but it is amazing how quickly these running backs flame out these days. Alexander went from MVP to out of the league in 2 years. Rudi Johnson is only one year removed from 3 consecutive 12 TD seasons. Was it always like this? I seem to remember guys playing a lot longer when I was a kid.

Well, the knock on both of Shuan and Rudi was toughness. They both ran fairly soft (more so with Shaun) and weren't really considered tough players. After Alexander's MVP year he got a big contract and just folded up.

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Well, the knock on both of Shuan and Rudi was toughness. They both ran fairly soft (more so with Shaun) and weren't really considered tough players. After Alexander's MVP year he got a big contract and just folded up.

Well Eddie George is a guy who didn't lack toughness, who went from the best in the league to 3 yards a carry in what seemed like a season. Larry Johnson is unfortunately looking to be the next in that tradition. Ahman Green went from 1800 yard seasons to a bum in no time flat. I don't think it's toughness so much, even though the I agree with you about Alexander being a softy (read somewhere that the reason he can't get a job is that he can't block or play special teams, so unless he is a feature back he is completely worthless). I think it's just a taxing position.

Maybe it's just that I remember the Emmitt's and Barry's while forgetting about people like Barry Foster and Christian Okoye.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by djnemo65

Well Eddie George is a guy who didn't lack toughness, who went from the best in the league to 3 yards a carry in what seemed like a season. Larry Johnson is unfortunately looking to be the next in that tradition. Ahman Green went from 1800 yard seasons to a bum in no time flat. I don't think it's toughness so much, even though the I agree with you about Alexander being a softy (read somewhere that the reason he can't get a job is that he can't block or play special teams, so unless he is a feature back he is completely worthless). I think it's just a taxing position.

Maybe it's just that I remember the Emmitt's and Barry's while forgetting about people like Barry Foster and Christian Okoye.

Just checked- Eddie George carried the ball 312+ times each of his first 8 seasons, had over 1000 yards in 7 of them and never missed a game. That's severely taxing, plus he ran so upright that he just took a pounding.

I think Herman Edwards just likes pounding RB's into retirement. He did it to Curtis Martin, and is on the way to doing that to LJ, although both of those guys are super tough.

Ahman Green suddenly turned into a walking groin injury.

But yeah, I just think it all comes down to RB being a brutally physical position. Isn't the average career for RB's like 2.3 seasons or something?

[djnemo65]

Originally Posted by GMScud

Ahman Green suddenly turned into a walking groin injury

There's something really disturbing about the image of a walking groin injury.