Marshall Explains Why the RB Position is Diminished

[Loyal]

In the video below, Faulk explains why the RB position has been diminished since he played and it's opposite of what I believed. According to him, it's because RB's allowed it to happen by accepting a RB by committee approach. He wouldn't allow himself to be removed from a game and lived by the adage that availability was the most valuable commodity for a RB. It was when coaches saw that the back up RB could do the job as well The value of the "bell cow" diminished. Listen to him in his own words and comment how you feel about it. BTW: As good as Dickerson was, I think Marshall was the best dual threat RB in Rams history.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV86YP0zKog

 

[RamFanWA]

KW - you listening to this???

 

[tempests]

Rams made him the highest paid player in franchise history before he had ever played a down for them.

Marshall didn't have a backup that could do everything as well as him. Our whole offense was built around his talents.

 

[Merlin]

Marshall is just protective of RB in general I think. The only teams that really run by committee approaches are those who have non-elite backs. Teams that have elite backs run them.

The problem is twofold. It is supply and demand, as in every year there are good functional backs who can do the job that you can get into midrounds even late rounds. And secondly it is that they get fucked up with all the hits they take and have a short shelf life. That combination drives the market.

 

[Loyal]

Marshall is just protective of RB in general I think. The only teams that really run by committee approaches are those who have non-elite backs. Teams that have elite backs run them.

The problem is twofold. It is supply and demand, as in every year there are good functional backs who can do the job that you can get into midrounds even late rounds. And secondly it is that they get fucked up with all the hits they take and have a short shelf life. That combination drives the market.

Yet premier RB's of the past played many years. Marshall, Dickerson, SJAX, Peterson, Tomlinson, Edgerin James, Payton. They played through pain and were available for many years. They didn't want share reps with anyone.

 

[Merlin]

Yet premier RB's of the past played many years. Marshall, Dickerson, SJAX, Peterson, Tomlinson, Edgerin James, Payton. They played through pain and were available for many years. They didn't want share reps with anyone.

Yes there are always outliers. But we're talking business decision approach here. When it comes to RB you gotta be realistic.

Look at Gurley. Rams paid him and reset the market like they were Robin Hood and got burned. I think when it comes to RB it is wise to be careful. Stick to your equations on where the sweet spot is on what you want to pay.

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1863245128820728104

 

[Loyal]

Yes there are always outliers. But we're talking business decision approach here. When it comes to RB you gotta be realistic.

Look at Gurley. Rams paid him and reset the market like they were Robin Hood and got burned. I think when it comes to RB it is wise to be careful. Stick to your equations on where the sweet spot is on what you want to pay.

The Rams chose to ignore Gurley's injury history when they offered that contract. Marshall never had such a risky history.

 

[Merlin]

The Rams chose to ignore Gurley's injury history when they offered that contract. Marshall never had such a risky history.

And yet today's league treats RB the way it should. Given the availability of median backs and average life span. This is a business my man. It's like hitting on 17.

 

[Loyal]

And yet today's league treats RB the way it should. Given the availability of median backs and average life span. This is a business my man. It's like hitting on 17.

We are talking Marshall Faulk good backs and not the Zac Stacys of the NFL. If in the future we had even a Todd Gurley-like back again, McSnead would pay him that 2nd contract because he'd be so vital to this offense McVay could not bear to let him go. Moneyball never resulted in a World Series victory in Oakland.

 

[Merlin]

We are talking Marshall Faulk good backs and not the Zac Stacys of the NFL. If in the future we had even a Todd Gurley-like back again, McSnead would pay him that 2nd contract because he'd be so vital to this offense McVay could not bear to let him go. Moneyball never resulted in a World Series victory in Oakland.

The conversation is whether the money being paid to the RB position is derived by RBBC. That doesn't have anything to do with it.

Of course there are outliers. Faulk was one. But that isn't going to fundamentally change the market as a whole when there are RBs who can do the job for you throughout every draft. It is availability that drives RBBC. Just like it is availability that drives value. This is basic market behavior. Faulk is saying RBBC is driving value. He's misconstruing things.

 

[Flint]

A player like Marshall who could do everything had the power to say I’m not coming out, cuz he was better than every other back at everything. Other back’s might not be the best at receiving or pass pro, I don’t think you can say I want to stay in on 3rd down if the other guy is a better blocker.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

The real reason is that there aren’t enough elite backs in the league. Kids don’t want to play RB. Injury risks in high school are great.

 

[Neil039]

IMO (and it doesn't matter). The change will have to come in College. Guys need to develop their hands as much as their jump cuts. Lots of college coaches don't mind singular use backs since they have way more space on their active roster. In McVay's system a dual threat would be OPY (!) or possibly MVP.

In summation: I can sleep with a ten if given two opportunities to add it up!

 

[HitStick]

The real reason is that there aren’t enough elite backs in the league. Kids don’t want to play RB. Injury risks in high school are great.

I don’t think it’s that. I don’t remember a single player in high school that ever thought about injury. I think it’s because the glory is in the WR position. As the league became more of a passing league, you saw the attitudes of the younger kids changing. When I played, I wanted to be like Marshall. Everyone now wants to catch that deep ball for six. There’s no “glory” in doing the dirty work

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I don’t think it’s that. I don’t remember a single player in high school that ever thought about injury. I think it’s because the glory is in the WR position. As the league became more of a passing league, you saw the attitudes of the younger kids changing. When I played, I wanted to be like Marshall. Everyone now wants to catch that deep ball for six. There’s no “glory” in doing the dirty work

Parents don't want their kids to be runningbacks is what I should have written. At least many of the ones I've spoken with over the years. Knee neck and head injuries are concerning.

 

[RamBradford85]

The real reason is that there aren’t enough elite backs in the league. Kids don’t want to play RB. Injury risks in high school are great.

Facts outside of Barkley and Henry, gibbs and maybe 1 or 2 others

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

Haha, faulk would get paid $20m+ per year right now. That's how good he was.

If Barkley looked this good the last couple of years he would have been paid much more.

The elite rbs get paid.

Meanwhile, mediocre wrs make more than good rbs. I don't understand why seeing there are so many of them in the league. Just a blur of average wrs in the league that offer nothing more than each other.

.

 

[dieterbrock]

The spread has done a job on the position, harder to evaluate the college guys. Those who do play, seem to wear out faster. Running backs used to routinely get over 300 rush attempts a game, go back to early 2000's and you'd see 10 or more guys at 300+, some even going over 400. Now, even with a 17 game schedule, you might see 2 guys over 300.

 

[dieterbrock]

Here's a crazy stat

Franchise tag values

2016
RB 11.8 Mill / WR 14.4 Mill / QB 20 mill

2024
RB 11.9 Mill / WR 21.8 Mill / QB 38.3 mill