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[Fouts2herbert]

Was it = It took a couple years for AJ and Marty to fix the OL?

LT had skills I don’t think our current room has. I think Omarion will be very good but different than LT. LT’s jump cuts at full speed were from another world. Any defender one on one in the open field against him was completely defenseless. Just zero chance. He was faster too. One break down and he could be gone. Omarion will have more power, that alone won’t completely make up for LT’s unique evasion abilities.

Spin moves inside the hole leaving guys right in front of him lunging into gaps and landing on their fucking face in the back field, the ankle breaking cuts, the reverse side cuts, hurdling off of spin moves and those devastating stiff arms that surprised the shit out of bigger players that looked at him and thought he was too small to put their fucking heads in the dirt...OH and the majestic flights into the end zone, the guy was money inside the 5, you knew he was going to get the fuck in if he had to burrow underneath the pile or break it outside, or just fly over top of everyone...LT was one for the ages, easily in the conversation when discussing the best RBs ever to play in the NFL, I'll always say that Barry Sanders was the best to ever do it, but LT was up there, he's one of the few guys that can be compared to Sanders...

[dmac_bolt]

Spin moves inside the hole leaving guys right in front of him lunging into gaps and landing on their fucking face in the back field, the ankle breaking cuts, the reverse side cuts, hurdling off of spin moves and those devastating stiff arms that surprised the shit out of bigger players that looked at him and thought he was too small to put their fucking heads in the dirt...OH and the majestic flights into the end zone, the guy was money inside the 5, you knew he was going to get the fuck in if he had to burrow underneath the pile or break it outside, or just fly over top of everyone...LT was one for the ages, easily in the conversation when discussing the best RBs ever to play in the NFL, I'll always say that Barry Sanders was the best to ever do it, but LT was up there, he's one of the few guys that can be compared to Sanders...

Yeah, he was special. I don’t think he was the #1 beat all time but he’s in that discussion group and thats saying something big

[Steve]

I was with you on this early but not if it's at the cost of removing our best running back from our starting offense.
we can't just assume we'll find ourselves in position to ice games with late carries--gotta get there first.
and given Najee's propensity to protect the ball and use his plentiful playing experience to maximize blocking for first downs, I think his best role would be the late game finisher.
I want Hampton startung if he indeed is our best running back week 1.

Give me a few weeks and I'll probably swap back haha.

I personally don't think he will be our best back till late in the season, if at all during his rookie season. I think people are being somewhat optimistic about Hampton's ability to learn an NFL offense that quickly. I think he will understand it well enough to get snaps, but especially his pass protection is going to need some work. Even if he has perfect technique, there is simply the volume of blitzes, dogs and disguises he has to learn and be able to recognize quickly. I think he will play well, but Harris is a very good back in his own right.

Second, it is just the fact that I don't care who the primary RB is in the 1st half, they are not going to break as many long runs against defenses that are still relatively fresh. The run fits are better. The tackling is better. shedding blocks are better in the 1st half than 2nd. Both Najee and Hampton are big physical guys who can run through tackles. Both will be breaking a lot of tackles. But Najee has shown in his long runs, that he just cannot run away from defenders. His long runs tend to be on the shorter side.

Hampton is maybe even harder to tackle than Harris. If Hampton breaks one tackle, he is gone. In his highlights, even guys with good pursuit angles don't get him because he is so fast. Add those two qualities together, especially later in games when the D is not tackling not fitting as well, Hampton is going to be even more dominant, just because of his natural physical ability. His not being quite as developed in terms of being knowing the offense to a super high degree, and understanding front 7 run fits as well, really won't matter as much.

Harris was allowed to leave Pitt because he is not the home run guy who can give us chunk plays, like Hampton will. But Harris can be the setup man who wears the D down. His average per carry is very high for a guy who doesn't break long runs. He is a move the chains guy who is pretty good pass protector most of the time (he has some occasional lapses). I just think he is a really good setup man to help us finish games.

[Topcat]

I personally don't think he will be our best back till late in the season, if at all during his rookie season. I think people are being somewhat optimistic about Hampton's ability to learn an NFL offense that quickly. I think he will understand it well enough to get snaps, but especially his pass protection is going to need some work. Even if he has perfect technique, there is simply the volume of blitzes, dogs and disguises he has to learn and be able to recognize quickly. I think he will play well, but Harris is a very good back in his own right.

Second, it is just the fact that I don't care who the primary RB is in the 1st half, they are not going to break as many long runs against defenses that are still relatively fresh. The run fits are better. The tackling is better. shedding blocks are better in the 1st half than 2nd. Both Najee and Hampton are big physical guys who can run through tackles. Both will be breaking a lot of tackles. But Najee has shown in his long runs, that he just cannot run away from defenders. His long runs tend to be on the shorter side.

Hampton is maybe even harder to tackle than Harris. If Hampton breaks one tackle, he is gone. In his highlights, even guys with good pursuit angles don't get him because he is so fast. Add those two qualities together, especially later in games when the D is not tackling not fitting as well, Hampton is going to be even more dominant, just because of his natural physical ability. His not being quite as developed in terms of being knowing the offense to a super high degree, and understanding front 7 run fits as well, really won't matter as much.

Harris was allowed to leave Pitt because he is not the home run guy who can give us chunk plays, like Hampton will. But Harris can be the setup man who wears the D down. His average per carry is very high for a guy who doesn't break long runs. He is a move the chains guy who is pretty good pass protector most of the time (he has some occasional lapses). I just think he is a really good setup man to help us finish games.

Yep...Harris is the setup man with repeated stiff jabs and body punches to wear the D down...then in the 4th quarter, Hampton hits them hard with the right cross..."Hampton is going ALL...THE...WAY...TOUCHDOWN!!!"

[DerwinBosa]

Spin moves inside the hole leaving guys right in front of him lunging into gaps and landing on their fucking face in the back field, the ankle breaking cuts, the reverse side cuts, hurdling off of spin moves and those devastating stiff arms that surprised the shit out of bigger players that looked at him and thought he was too small to put their fucking heads in the dirt...OH and the majestic flights into the end zone, the guy was money inside the 5, you knew he was going to get the fuck in if he had to burrow underneath the pile or break it outside, or just fly over top of everyone...LT was one for the ages, easily in the conversation when discussing the best RBs ever to play in the NFL, I'll always say that Barry Sanders was the best to ever do it, but LT was up there, he's one of the few guys that can be compared to Sanders...

My favorite highlight was when he stiff-armed O.J. Atogwe in 2006, knocking his helmet off before running freely to the end zone.

image.png

His leap into the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 was also something else.

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[Topcat]

My favorite highlight was when he stiff-armed O.J. Atogwe in 2006, knocking his helmet off before running freely to the end zone.

image.png

His leap into the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 was also something else.

image.png

Good stuff...LT did so many things well...the way he ran out of bounds to avoid the punishing hits was pure wisdom...and probably added a few quality years to his play...also, I used to love the old LT roll out and pass play...we should actually bring that one back on occasion...we could even try that out with Tre Harris...he was a QB in high school...used to throw to Malik Nabers...

[dmac_bolt]

Good stuff...LT did so many things well...the way he ran out of bounds to avoid the punishing hits was pure wisdom...and probably added a few quality years to his play...also, I used to love the old LT roll out and pass play...we should actually bring that one back on occasion...we could even try that out with Tre Harris...he was a QB in high school...used to throw to Malik Nabers...

He didnt start dipping OOB to avoid hits until his 3rd or 4th year. Thats around the time he stopped diving over the goal line, he said his wife made him promise to stop doing it lol.

He often left yards on the field dipping OOB in later years but ya can’t complain about LT … he’s LT.

[Fouts2herbert]

One of the things that stood out to me about LT when I met him was how genuine and humble he is, it's so unusual for a superstar like that to be that down to earth, he came from humble origins and his success wasn't guaranteed, he was underestimated early and had to earn his way to becoming a starter which made him hungry as hell, his hunger levels were off the charts, he wanted to be legendary and he made that shit happen, also his size stood out a bit, they listed him at 5'10" 220 but the times that I met him in person I was 5'11" and him with cleats on I still looked down on him, I'd say that he looked to me like he was around 5' 8" tall and weighed around 190 pounds. That would be my guess, PLUS he wasn't a big muscle guy either and he didn't have huge chest and huge arms or a huge ass like Micheal Turner to add all that weight on. But one thing that LT had that he was just one of those freakish people that are incredibly strong, and I'm sure he worked out like a beast but that natural god given strength? That strength you can't get in a gym and I think LT had that, he was the real pound for pound guy, he was a small man that was incredibly powerful and strong.

Another thing that LT was a master at doing was using the energy from a defender against them, whether they had their arms around him already or were getting ready to lunge at him he moved his feet in ways that he drifted out of tackles sideways and backwards when guys thought they had him dead to rights.

The ICONIC Tomlinson move was that two legged jump cut he had, that thing was so fucking devastating, it's not something a lot fo backs have used or done over the years and LT was a master at it, IMO the best ever to use that move, because it requires the burst to come out of it at speed and most backs always rather keep one leg on the ground to keep balance and generate startup, but LT did that jump cut with a lightning fast pitter patter one two motion bam bam almost simultaneously and he was gone and people thought he was losing power, then bye see ya! Barry used it too but LT did it all the damn time and he could use it to go both left and right. Not everyone has the explosiveness to use that move.

[Riverwalk]

My favorite highlight was when he stiff-armed O.J. Atogwe in 2006, knocking his helmet off before running freely to the end zone.

image.png

His leap into the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 was also something else.

image.png

I’m glad someone finally brought up LT’s use of the stiff arm. Few did it better.

The current King of the stiff arm is Derrick Henry, but Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Petersen, and Walter Payton were also adept.

It’s quite a weapon that can distinguish the elite backs of all time from the also rans.

[electricgold]

Yeah, he was special. I don’t think he was the #1 beat all time but he’s in that discussion group and thats saying something big

I've seen all the great RB's minus a few Jim Brown was before my time! I'll say Emmitt Smith was the best there ever was!

[Riverwalk]

I've seen all the great RB's minus a few Jim Brown was before my time! I'll say Emmitt Smith was the best there ever was!

If you saw Barry Sanders at Jack Murphy stadium in 1988 rush for 222 yards and score 5 TD’s in the Holliday Bowl you witnessed something otherworldly.

Jim Brown averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game and the ONLY player to do that. What was unique about Jim was his capability to drag defenders for several yards after they latched on to him. It was like watching a man play with boys.

Emmitt has the stats which put him in contention for greatest but I know I saw Barry and Jim do things Emitt couldn’t.

[dmac_bolt]

I've seen all the great RB's minus a few Jim Brown was before my time! I'll say Emmitt Smith was the best there ever was!

Huh. I was never even sure Emmitt was better than Tony Dorsett. I’d put JB, Barry, and Walter over both of them. Thats the list that prevents me from saying LT was #1.

“Best ever” is one of those things nobody can ever prove or disprove. Too many variables.