Sporting News is literally run by King Taharqua

[pstall]

DeA needs to have at least ANOTHER 1k season for me to elevate him to the Top5.

One great year does not a great back make.

Now if he can come anywhere close to what he did last year. AWESOME

[Fox007]

I'm happy with both our backs, couldn't really give a poo what anyone else says.

Especially those so called "experts" like the ones who proclaim Rosario Dawson plays for the Panthers.

[Fiz]

DeA needs to have at least ANOTHER 1k season for me to elevate him to the Top5.

he's been an annual 1k yard running back his entire career, he just hasn't been given the carries.

[bleys]

I'm happy with both our backs, couldn't really give a poo what anyone else says.

Especially those so called "experts" like the ones who proclaim Rosario Dawson plays for the Panthers.

good point... I feel good with our backs and am going to be sad the day we have to let one go. Hopefully we get 3 or 4 years with them together (let's hope)...

DeA needs to have at least ANOTHER 1k season for me to elevate him to the Top5.

One great year does not a great back make.

Now if he can come anywhere close to what he did last year. AWESOME

I think the point people are arguing is he was a top 5 back LAST YEAR...

and by his stats last year, I'd say he was a top 2 back... last year.

[bleys]

DeA needs to have at least ANOTHER 1k season for me to elevate him to the Top5.

One great year does not a great back make.

Now if he can come anywhere close to what he did last year. AWESOME

I think the point people are arguing is he was a top 5 back LAST YEAR... just sayin.

and by his stats last year, I'd say he was a top 2 back... last year.

[double_blue]

hes below forte and mcfadden?? no. he is probably top 10, if not more... sn is rough on us.

[Jangler]

Honestly good...may be a blessing in disguise come 2009...the Panthers NEED to have everyone doubt them, seems to be the way they work...

I agree and hopefully that Arizona game is the driving force behind the attitude of the team all year.....pissed!

[bleys]

I agree and hopefully that Arizona game is the driving force behind the attitude of the team all year.....pissed!

if that doesn't get them going, nothing will... straight embarrassment for a team that was so dominate on the offensive side of the ball.

[monstercat]

williams has never led the league in runs over 20 yards

i assume you're talking about the franchise rushing record for a single game. that happened just this past season.

that only backs up what i said.

i remember that game. foster rushed for 102 yards. williams 82. both foster and williams averaged less than 4 ypc and the longest run of the game was 11yards...by foster.

while it produced good highlight material, it wasn't exactly an effort to be proud of...he didn't carry the team on his back.

Uh...yes he did. There is no way in hell the Panthers win that particular game without Williams playing QB for damn near half the snaps. I don't care what the stats were, he carried the Panthers that day in Atlanta.

[Doc Holiday]

here's my take on the whole thing

1. Adrian Peterson, Vikings. He is the best pure runner in the game, leading the league in rushing average as a rookie and rushing yards in '08. He'll get more chances to show his blocking and receiving skills this season.

He's the best until proven otherwise IMO

2. Steven Jackson, Rams. New coach Steve Spagnuolo has made no secret of the fact he plans to build the team around Jackson. He probably is the best all-purpose back in the league, a candidate to lead the league in carries and yardage in '09.

one question, How? maybe top 15, certainly not number 2.

3. Brandon Jacobs, Giants. His size and physical style set up everything the Giants do on offense, and his absence late in the season exposed some of the team's weaknesses.

Maybe a little high based on his production, but still one of the most feared RB's in the NFL

4. Brian Westbrook, Eagles. He was hampered by injuries last season, but he has 37 touchdowns rushing/receiving over the last three seasons. He is a matchup nightmare for opponents. He should benefit greatly from upgrades along the offensive line and at wide receiver.

Mr. Underrated has always been outstanding but for some reason has always been over shadowed by McNabb even though he's the best player on his team. he's at a good spot at #4

5. Frank Gore, 49ers. The hiring of new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye and running backs coach Tom Rathman is good news for Gore. He has posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and the Niners now are more committed to a power running game.

Injuries, injuries and injuries make him way to high on this list, a top 10 maybe, certainly not top 5.

6. Clinton Portis, Redskins. He runs with power and vision, showing the ability to locate cutback lanes and burst to daylight. When healthy, he has been one of the most productive backs the last five years.

I figure him to be just shy of top 5 status, so I like where he's at but he's better then 2 of the guys above him on this list

7. Michael Turner, Falcons. Turner led the NFL's second-ranked rushing attack with an NFL-high 376 carries last year, and he finished second in rushing yards (1,699) and rushing touchdowns (17). New TE Tony Gonzalez might steal some of Turner's red-zone touches, but Turner remains the focal point of a run-first offense.

Here's another case of out of place I hate the Falcons and I still think he should be in the top 5

8. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers. His 3.8-yard average and two 100-yard efforts in 2008 were among the worst numbers of his career, but he played through injuries that would have kept most of us in bed for weeks. When healthy, Tomlinson is one of the NFL's most versatile and explosive backs. And indications are L.T. will be able to carry the load again in '09.

I like LT but he's over the hill, Chargers should have kept Turner but hey hindsight is always perfect, rated too high, might not even be a top 15.

9. Matt Forte, Bears. As a rookie last year, he accounted for an incredible 37 percent of the Bears' offense. He runs with power and vision, and he makes plays as a receiver. He will be even more effective behind an upgraded line and with QB Jay Cutler's powerful arm keeping the safeties honest. No more eight-man fronts for Forte. The future looks bright.

Matt Forte was better then expected, when you consider his impact on the bears offense, top 10 status is deserved

10. Chris Johnson, Titans. He is an outstanding open-field runner and a dangerous receiver. Titans coaches say the best is yet to come from Johnson. The plan is to use Johnson in more varied ways in '09, shifting him around the field to create mismatches and get him the ball in the open field. He could become a star this year.

Johnson had a great rookie season, now is he a top 10 talent right now? no, but he's not far from it IMO would swap spots with the next guy on the list IMO

11. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars. The departure of Fred Taylor leaves the bulk of the mail-carrying to MJD. He has the speed to attack the edge, is a tough inside runner and can make plays after the catch.

Jones-Drew is one of my favorite RB's in the NFL he always gives 110% on every play, his number where hurt badly because of the O-line troubles of the Jags last season where everthing that you could imagine to go wrong did go wrong.

12. Darren McFadden, Raiders. Turf toe troubles behind him, he should have a breakout season in '09. He is a phenomenal athlete who can line up anywhere. He'll beat out Justin Fargas for the starting job, and it wouldn't surprise us if he led the Raiders in rushing and receiving.

Can we say overrated, Stewart of the Panthers in a back up role showed far more promis and talent then McFadden did last season, even with the injury being considered, so no, he's not even top 20 status IMO

13. Marshawn Lynch, Bills. Despite his impending suspension, Lynch still projects as a 1,000-yard back who will excel in Buffalo's zone-blocking scheme because of his one-cut running style. He also showed improved receiving skills in '08.

I like Lynch a lot and he's about where he should be, I would probably put him at 12.

14. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers. He is a tough, instinctive runner with great vision and burst to make big plays. He rushed for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. Teammate Jonathan Stewart added 836 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns, and Carolina's run-first game plan doesn't figure to change in '09.

The biggest Head scratcher on this list IMO, DeAngelo Williams put up sick numbers last year and is expected to continue that trend with the entire starting O-line of the Panthers returning next season, he's a top 4 RB for sure,

The rest are about were they should be, with the exception of Wells at #20 are you serious? a totally unproven Rookie at #20? sorry but no, there are back ups and time spliters like Norwood, Atl. Stewart, Car. and White, Ten. who I would put on this list before him, and IMO White and Stewart would make the list

15. Willie Parker, Steelers. He missed five games last year because of knee and shoulder injuries but still shows great burst to the edge. With second-year man Rashard Mendenhall (broken shoulder) now healthy, too, Parker could be asked to split time in '09.

16. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins. The Dolphins brought along Brown slowly last year as he recovered from ACL surgery. This season, with an improved offensive line, another year in the system and well on his way to full health, Brown should improve over last year's so-so performance.

17. Thomas Jones, Jets. Jones is coming off his best NFL season (1,312 yards rushing, 13 touchdowns) but is holding out for a new contract. He turns 31 in August, though, and Jets coaches figure to give backup Leon Washington a larger role and find work for rookie Shonn Greene.

18. Ryan Grant, Packers. Grant struggled early in '08 with the Packers' zone-blocking concepts but performed better in the second half of the season. Still, 2008 was a disappointment for Grant, and the coaches don't appear to have full confidence in him. He might not be an every-down back, and there is plenty of competition for carries.

19. Kevin Smith, Lions. Smith started as a rookie in '08, a bright spot on a winless team. He is a productive zone-scheme runner with a nose for the end zone and proved to be a capable receiver. He'll improve with the arrival of Jim Schwartz and new offensive coordinator Scott Linehan.

20. Chris "Beanie" Wells, Cardinals. Wells is big and powerful, in the Jacobs mold. Wells is only a rookie but should overtake Tim Hightower as the first- and second-down back and get the call in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Wells must improve as a pass blocker and receiver, but that will come in time.

[rayzor]

i'm 5' 10" 200lbs.

williams is 5' 9" 217lbs.

stewart is 5' 10" 235lbs.

at my height and build, 200lbs makes fairly stout. for me, gaining 5-10lbs makes a VERY noticeable difference.

another 17lbs, i'd be intimidating to most people.

another 35lbs?

can you say the incredible hulk?

you can't see it with pads on, but there's a big size difference between williams and stewart.

i was more just going from what i have seen. the two of them standing side by side you can't tell a lot of difference.

a couple pics i took at training camp last year...

[nosuchthingasapanther]

Uh...yes he did. There is no way in hell the Panthers win that particular game without Williams playing QB for damn near half the snaps. I don't care what the stats were, he carried the Panthers that day in Atlanta.

....and this is the problem i have with certain fans. they let highlight material distort what really happened.

i remember the direct snaps to williams...there were 11 of them.

11 out of 62 plays. a far cry from half the snaps.

i also remember foster doing what he always did against atlanta. running them over.

i remember for the first time all season thinking that this is how carolina should be playing. the o-line manhandling the defense, and both RBs making plays.

i also remember the defense keeping a choke hold on atlanta's offense. holding them to a mere 3 points.

i remember it being a team win. the only person who needed to be carried that day was weinke.

[nosuchthingasapanther]

i was more just going from what i have seen. the two of them standing side by side you can't tell a lot of difference.

again, you can't see it with the pads on...but that second pic is more obvious than the first.

edit: i even asked my wife about the second pic (she knows nothing about football or who is in the pics). it took all of 2 seconds for her to point out that stewart was bigger.

now i gotta get her to stop drooling over his arms.

[SteveSmithStinks01]

Swap D Will with Jackson and its not a bad list except Mcfadden.