Best Running Back in the NFL?

[LikeWhoa20]

Okay, right now is the day of the halfbacks. There are only a handful of very good QBs, but there is a great number of terrific HBs in the NFL right now. So if you were building a team and you could pick one halfback to play for you this season (this is not a "he'll be great down the road" choice), who would it be?

A list of the top HBs:
Priest Holmes
Jamal Lewis
Ricky Williams
Ladainian Tomlinson -- my choice
Clinton Portis
Edgerrin James
Fred Taylor
Travis Henry
Corey Dillon
Stephen Davis
Deuce McAlister
Ahman Green
Shaun Alexander
Marshall Faulk
Tiki Barber

Like I said, there are a lot of really good HBs in the NFL right now.

[AIRcanada]

when healthy Marshall Faulk IMO is the best running back.

[LikeWhoa20]

when healthy Marshall Faulk IMO is the best running back. I think he's lost it a little bit in the last 2 years. Priest Holmes has taken his place as the best RB in that Rams-type offense.

[Southpaw]

Priest Holmes or Jamal Lewis. Id give Holmes the edge.

[wolverine318]

I think William Green should be added to your list of top RB's

But my choice for best is Tomlinson.

[killerBsaturn]

Gotta give it to Ricky "The Punisher" Williams.

[vindac]

For this year, Ahman Green. But overall I like Alexander

[IlliniGuy]

I gotta go with Holmes.

He rarely fumbles. He is the best pass catching RB. He can be patient or aggressive aka 99 awareness in video game terms.

Even if I wasn't a Chiefs fanboy, I'd still go with Holmes.

[#1michiganfan]

My top choices would be Holmes or Tomlinson, but if I had to choose one it would be Holmes.

[LikeWhoa20]

For this year, Ahman Green. But overall I like Alexander You don't care that Ahman fumbles in just about every game?

[Super Kin Cole]

'The Truth'

[LikeWhoa20]

'The Truth' Paul Pierce?

[vindac]

You don't care that Ahman fumbles in just about every game?

Fumbles or not, hes doing work this year.

[HogsRule22]

eddie george

[LikeWhoa20]

eddie george homer!



EDIT: 10 character minimum

[AIRcanada]

yeah I don't think Ediie George is the best RB In the nfl;

[Wolfman21]

Priest Holmes, or Clinton Portis

[rosenbluth]

holmes, ricky, or LT.

edit - fred taylor is also extremely underrated. he's not the best, but one of them.

[socnorb]

Holmes, he's the complete package (and he likes Chess).

[Edge32]

im not going to lie Edgerrin James is amazing but right now i'll go with preist holmes.

[bighuskermav]

I'm biased since the Chiefs are my favorite team, but I gotta go with Priest Holmes here too. The guy is just fun to watch, and he can really get it done with catching too!

[DeadMan]

Holmes is overrated in my opinion. He has a great offensive line and he isn't that quick neither is he exceptionally strong or shifty. The best all-around back is probably Deuce McAllister or Clinton Portis. Both can catch passes and both are great runners. If I had to chose one, I'd say Portis.

[Krans24]

Priest holmes, although ladanian is very good and portis has always impressed the hell out of me in denver.

[Edge32]

I change my answer to Rudi Johnson

[Tarheel22]

Clinton Portis, no doubt.

Inside running, his cutbacks, sweeps, catching passses, he does it all.

A lot of those good backs either fumble too much for my tastes or they are fragile.

[sniper8778]

jamal lewis cuz of his power, u need at least 2 on him to bring him down. plus for his size, hes got great speed and agility. priest holmes is way too overrated, he has the best Oline, any back behind that Oline would be as good as holmes.

[TrickyD]

I'd probably say Jamal Lewis because of the numbers he is putting up even though everyone and their brother knows they are going to run.

I really like Ahman Green (bias) though too. He is top 5 to me and didn't fumble in the last 2 1/2 months of the season. His speed, short yardage dependability and hands make him a total package to me. LT of course has the same abilities.

[lexlucid]

My extremely biased vote goes to Clinton Portis.

Next would be Jamal Lewis.

[Hollywood]

Clinton Portis...
Ricky Williams...


Michael Vick :p (hey, who else averages 10 yards per rush?)

[sniper8778]

thats cuz he only rushes when theres no one to throw to and he sees a mass hole to run through. but hes damn skilled at it. if he were a HB, he would just be average, maybe with a good Oline, he could be the best, because once he can pass the Blitz, hes gettin' like 40 yards.

[Cory]

Duece McAllister (bias).

He can catch out of the backfield as well as anybody, and he ran for 1,500+ yards this year. He is getting overlooked...

[Marquette]

Ahman Green. Like Tricky said he is the total package. He is a combination of power and speed and that's pretty tough to stop.

[Gooksta]

Jamal Lewis is my pick, but thats just cuz I like power backs.. For his size, he is just amazing for how fast and agile he is, the only thing to knock him on is his hands to catch passes out of the backfield

But Priest Holmes and Duece McAllister are STUDS,

Cant forget to give Clinton and Ahman there props but my pick for Best RB is Jamal Lewis

[IlliniGuy]

jamal lewis cuz of his power, u need at least 2 on him to bring him down. plus for his size, hes got great speed and agility. priest holmes is way too overrated, he has the best Oline, any back behind that Oline would be as good as holmes.

I can't believe you say Priest is overrated. You obviously didnt see the last two games last season (2002) where priest was injured and the backups didn't do a thing. True O-lines are crucial to running backs success, but their is only so much they can do. Priest has the best field vision, the most patience, some of the best hands, and can play the power game as well. I don't really see a soft spot in his game.

If you wanna go by that thinking, Jamal Lewis is only good because he has Jonathon Ogden opening holes for him.

[IlliniGuy]

Ahman Green. Like Tricky said he is the total package. He is a combination of power and speed and that's pretty tough to stop.

Green Bay fanboys!!

But yea, Ahman is good.

[bossman]

Priest has the best field vision, the most patience, some of the best hands, and can play the power game as well. I don't really see a soft spot in his game.

If you wanna go by that thinking, Jamal Lewis is only good because he has Jonathon Ogden opening holes for him.

Priest has the best field position? Heheh didnt look like it on the last play of the game vs the colts where he got owned :D But seriously.. maybe he does, but only because all he can see is field with Wille Roaf, Will Shields, and John Tait blocking for him :p
Best hands? no way, that would go to LaDainian Tomlinson... he had 725 receiving yards this year,... most patience i would give to Marshall Faulk, just because he follows his blocks ALOT better than priest holmes...
As for his soft spots? He cant passblock. Seriously, hes been run over game after game after game.

[Echoes]

I think Clinton Portis is the best back right now. Jamal Lewis is awesome, but he gets 6 games against AFC North teams, the best of which is Cincinnati? Lewis did absolutely nothing against the Titans.