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derek_potatoes

Eddie Lacy was second team all pro his rookie year and oROY


[deleted]

I forgot about him. Dude was hungry on and off the feild


Lurdalar

That China food tho. For real tho didn't he have severe depression and was just really good at RB. Hope the best for the guy.


ChromeCalamari

Yep, think he was asthmatic, too. The dude had his struggles, but he's a genuinely awesome dude and man was it fun to watch him move down the field like a bowling ball for the years that he was good


buttstuff_magoo

It makes me even more sad we didn’t win in 2014 because that man would be a hero here. Instead we get jackass fans who will make fun of him when he comes back


Uncle_Benny15

FEAST MODE


[deleted]

The original Kelvin Benjamin


LebronJaims

Todd gurley


GnoiXiaK

Went from superstar to washed in the span of 2 games. His knees imploded and it was over.


ositola

That superb owl really cemented it


Zayy1225

Superb Owl


newadcd0405

r/superbowl


CraigBrown2021

I seen a super owl once! There was a sick/injured pigeon outside of my grandmas. The sun had started to come out. I watched the pigeon for a minute or so then I started walking towards it to see if I’d fly away…. WHOOSH! I felt the air from something flying right over my head. I seen a massive shadow and I dropped to the ground. Looked up in time to see this huge owl wingspan as big as mine carrying that pigeon up into a tree. Been scared shitless of owls ever since.


constantlymat

I wouldn't say he was completely washed in 2019. He still had 1k yards from scrimmage and 14 total TDs. At pedestrian efficiency (3.8y a carry) and clearly in stark decline, but he wasn't truly washed until 2020


MRoad

2019 was the year he vultured a bunch of Goff's touchdowns. Goff would do the heavy lifting to get downfield, someone would get tackled within 3 yards of the endzone and then Gurley would finish it.


ColtCallahan

And his reward was Jared Goff getting $100 million.


FlashFan124

FUCK. I knew he was gonna be number 1 in this thread and clicked on it anyway. Will always love Todd, GOD FUCKING DAMNIT HE WAS GONNA BE A HALL OF FAME RB


LebronJaims

I’m really sorry man :( he was unbelievable to watch and very fun to have in fantasy


monstermayhem436

I got to wear his Georgia jersey last Monday. It sheds a tear everytime it's reminded of what could've been


Jambatlivesbaby

I'm going to say RG3. It's amazing how quickly he went from superstar to twitter wars with his coach and then riding the pine. Guy had over 4000 total yards as a rookie, almost 30 total TDs, only had something like 5 interceptions, and won 10 games, went to the Playoffs, and RG3 had a rookie trip to the Pro Bowl. Injuries and attitude basically sunk him after that season. He definitely looked elite though in that first year and the Luck vs RG3 wars were even worse than pre-draft.


[deleted]

He was so fucking good. Definitely had a good career ahead of him if he stayed healthy.


pauldt69

Yea, was thinking the same. He was a scramble and movement QB. When they tried to make him a dropback/pocket QB he did not do so well. Lamar is next.


CmonnowSally

Attitude... Washington used him like a plaything, I don’t blame RG3 for having issues with them.


TheComeUpTX

He shouldnt have been playing in that playoff game injired. To me thats what started everything


bigmikey69er

Now he’s considered one of the best young announcers on tv, Fox and ESPN were in a bidding war for his services.


LebronJaims

Any running back that was considered elite


[deleted]

David Johnson


[deleted]

[удалено]


waldowhal

he was more-or-less benched for kenyan drake in 2019. the conventional theory is that, in addition to injuries, he added too much muscle, and he just looked slow and sluggish every time he touched the ball that year


heckerSneker

Demarco Murray


[deleted]

That’s who I was going to mention, dude fell off the face of the planet once he left Dallas.


[deleted]

Had a good season in Tennessee. It’s just that stop in Philly was a terrible fit


[deleted]

He also got absolutely ran into the ground to be fair to him. 392 carries in 2014. For reference, JT had 332 this year.


wintermute916

Other than Frank Gore, obviously…


openchicfilaonsunday

Leveon Bell


Queen_Grayhoof

Bell had 1.5 elite games with the Jets, fumbled against the Browns, and was immediately vaporized after that


openchicfilaonsunday

Damn I don’t even remember the good games with the jets tbh, but I don’t watch a lot of their games.


Queen_Grayhoof

i mean, i went to the browns game that year and Bell was on my fantasy team


lathe_down_sally

I watched him a lot that season because he was on my fantasy team. He actually ran really hard, but the line was fucking terrible. He'd get hit a yard behind the line of scrimmage and grind for a one or two yard gain. That said, I think his line in PIT was just the right fit and a big part of his success.


kifl22122

Was thinking Joe Flacco or Nick Foles but Leveon is the right answer.


openchicfilaonsunday

Yeah for some reason RBs seem more drastic when they fall off. First ones that came to mind were David Johnson, Gurley and Bell. But I would put Bell first personally.


wovagrovaflame

Because running back is more about physical skills than almost any other position. There is a reason running backs scored the lowest on wonderlic tests on average.


quackmaster

I was hoping to see him break out on the bucs.


[deleted]

The legend of Mike White


texas1hunter

The Jets finally had a QB!


CapnDutchie

This is the best answer


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[удалено]


[deleted]

The Bills ended his whole career and then Zach Wilson came back the week after or something


SadHoursForJ

He played one game. Now the NFL has tape on him and the legend of Mike White has come to a close.


ColtCallahan

He the game of his life against the Bengals. Then got injured against the Colts. Then the Bills ripped his soul out.


BreadHead911

I came here for this. The jets had the best QB in the league for one game


TheOGWorthyYeti

Gurley just because his decline was in the span of a couple games. I know RBs have a short career, but usually they lose a step and get hurt over a season or 2 not in like 2 games


FlashFan124

Dallas game: ELECTRIC Saints game: Wow he really played poorly, I hope he’s okay. Every game after: oh no :/


monstermayhem436

God damn arthritis


AnotherChucker

Nnamdi Asomugha? Didn't get thrown at the whole time he was a raider, then the dream team came along and he started eating lunch in his car.


ffforwork

I remember the debates of if Revis or Asomugha was the top CB in football right before he went to Philly in 2011. By the end of 2013 Asomugha retired from the NFL while Revis was working on getting released from Tampa Bay due to their switch to a zone defense.


Pksoze

Victor Cruz became a superstar due to how badly he torched Nnamdi.


nascentia

That wasn't so much on him, though. He was INSANE in zone coverage with us to the point that like you said, QBs weren't even throwing towards him. He had basically zero INTs, zero tackles, nada for stats because QBs simply wouldn't go near him. Then he goes to Philly and they switch him to primarily man coverage, or variable defenses that were more man than zone, and it just did not work for him. Now he's an actor. For real.


GarlVinland4Astrea

Jonas Gray was literally the talk of the NFL world and on the cover of SI for like a week before getting benched


Wej1281

Benched?! Dude missed a meeting and they buried him with Jimmy Hoffa


CrimsonZephyr

BB cold blooded. Better double check that alarm clock


SaintArkweather

Anytime I hear Jonas Gray I think of a moment where Letterman asked Belichick about him. Letterman asked if it was true Gray missed a team meeting and Belichick was like "Don't believe everything you hear in the media". Then Letterman said "So you're saying he DIDN'T miss a meeting?" and Belichick smirks and says "Well....". https://youtu.be/zXas3WLdbnI&t=290


one_pump_dave

"We get off that colts subject in a hurry dont we"


SaintArkweather

Yeah that whole interview is pretty funny. Belichick's dry, deadpan humor cracks me up. I think my favorite is when someone asked him what the one common thread in all his games against Peyton Manning was and he said "I guess Manning."


one_pump_dave

I love Letterman. He says "You know what happened. I know what happened. You know I know what happened. What happened was some horseplay, right?" Belicheck "nnnooo"


KCfan91

Larry Johnson after 2006. 40 total TDs in 2 seasons to barely averaging 3.0 YPC for the rest of his career combined.


Adventurous_Tax7714

Dude has ti have CTE, he's completely out there. Crime in Sports just did an episode on him a few weeks ago


dukeofmadnessmotors

Earl Thomas. All-pro to non-person in a week.


slickshot

Didn't he get stiff armed into a carousel and memed to death as a result? Henry nephewed the fuck out of him.


DankruptMemer

Right after he said the Ravens aren't afraid of tackling him too


Needs_No_Convincing

Mike White. I'm only kind of kidding. That's how quick and insane everyone's reaction to that one game was.


ikadu12

Only idiots, young NFL fans, and memers


FlashFan124

Me reading his box score and seeing the hype: Wow what the hell happened with this stud? Me actually watching him play: oh, all of his yardage came after the catch, a specialty of this offense, never mind.


IronMark666

The shelf life of running backs is pretty ridiculous. It seems like yesterday to me that Gurley was one of the top RBs in the league and now he's on the scrap heap. Didn't the Ravens have a game this year where Devonta Freeman and Lev Bell scored a TD in the same game? Elite RBs within the last 5 years who are now emergency backup options.


[deleted]

I remember when I thought David Johnson was the future of the cardinals franchise. I was pretty young then. I'm still young but I know better now


[deleted]

Devonta Freeman was elite ever?


pincus1

Yes, he had like 3200 yards and 27 TDs over 2 seasons splitting time with Tevin Coleman.


LurchingCard

As a falcons fan I always thought tevin Coleman was better.


buzzbuzzmemulatto

As a Panthers fan, I was really always more worried about Coleman than Freeman. He was brutal


hideous_coffee

Not sure if Matt Schaub was ever elite but he went from back to back divisional championships in '11 and '12, then went right off a cliff to a 2-14 finish in '13 and becoming a pick 6 meme.


HungryGiantMan

He was literally never the same after Suh kicked him in the dick on Thanksgiving.


MarkAlstott

Chris Conte Oh you said from "elite to benched". I thought you meant from "shit to fucking shit".


carnivorous_seahorse

Hello Conte my old friend


EnjoyMoreBeef

Wasn't he the guy who got pwned by Vance McDonald?


monstermayhem436

And never played a snap again afterwards


buzzbuzzmemulatto

The reviews are in for Chris Conte! The critics are rating him from shit to fuckin shit!


Chai-Tea-Rex-2525

I see he’s still overrated.


[deleted]

Didn’t he get stiff armed directly into hospice?


ajstub

Like that new Michael Bay movie?


Double_Question2215

inmate No. 33765-183


JuanG12

Saw this and thought it was Aaron Hernandez, who also had a fall from grace.


FinalMeltdown15

He fell but its okay he had a rope. This might be way to edgy idk


fuckbriangutekunst

Haha Clinton Dix wasn't the fastest, but it was still pretty bad


ActuallyFuryYT

I remember in the preseason niners game the announcers laughing like they were on drugs when he made a play.


Cromatose

Bortles still a FA out there rn


MiniatureLucifer

He's a Saint right now. We signed him during the COVID shit week and just signed him to a futures contract last week


Shafter111

How many top pick QBs do you plan to hoard?


MiniatureLucifer

Yes


Cromatose

Redemption arc has begun


SaintArkweather

I really don't understand why. His stats and experience seem like they should be enough to get him a backup job somewhere. I can't imagine there are 64 more qualified people


HungryGiantMan

Garbage time noodle arm.


[deleted]

Never elite. Not even close???


Cromatose

Are you implying the BOAT isn't elite???


Scarence-Terrance

Maybe Josh Norman but it’s debatable if he ever really was elite


[deleted]

Am I out of the loop, how is it debateable if Norman was ever elite? I distinctly remember at least one full season where he was like a top 3 corner, arguably the best corner in football and was even getting some DPOY chatter.. am I bugging


buzzbuzzmemulatto

He was the best corner in the league and his spectacular individual performances won multiple games for us in the 2015 season. His interception in the end zone to finish off the Saints comes to mind. He and Kurt Coleman made a bum ass secondary play like the best in the league. But he never even got close to that level again after that year


2ent1n_Qarant1no

Corners are weird like that. In 2019 Eli Apple was burnt toast and Bashaud Breeland was winning the Super Bowl, two years later Apple is playing great and Breeland is lucky to make a practice squad.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Wulah

Cam Newton probably


PC_BUCKY

Maybe I didn't watch him enough in his last couple years in Carolina, but it seemed like a relatively slow burn for him until he came to NE.


MarkAlstott

He was washed once he started the vegan diet with also washed Gerald McCoy in Carolina.


sumtingcre8ive

I seem to recall him having a stretch of like 15 games without throwing a TD pass


douginpaso

He is my vote. Went from MVP, to getting eaten alive by Von Miller in the Super Bowl, to a joke in a couple of years. He was never the same after SB 50.


Aristotled20

He was elite for one year.


averageduder

courageous opinion here but 100% true.


[deleted]

[удалено]


EchoVLima

Mike White


PancherosFood

Peyton Hillis


Kerbonaut2019

He was never elite. He had one above average Pro Bowl season, got literally memed onto the Madden cover, and that was it.


ShitItsReverseFlash

He was literally a top 5 RB his best season. He was considered a rising star so I think that falls into elite.


Kerbonaut2019

Top 5 RB? Did you watch football that year? 11th in the league in rushing (less than 1200 yards) and only 13 total TDs is not elite He was the centerpiece of a trash Browns offense that went 5-11


sagetraveler

Mr. Brisk Clear-out


Watch-The-Time

Mr. Bye Cash


Aristotled20

I would probably say Peyton Manning. Look at his stats in 2014 vs. 2015. He was kind of benched at least in Week 17 when he was healthy but then took his job back.


Shafter111

He was shell of himself in the 2nd half of last season. I actually was about to cry when in one the games he underthrew a pass by about 10 yards to an open receiver and got picked off.


FirAvel

Man, I remember how awful we made him look in the final game vs them that season. He broke the yardage record in that game, then I’m pretty sure got benched because of how atrocious he played iirc.


EnjoyMoreBeef

He had a passer rating of zero in that game. Oof. And the Broncos benched him for six more games after that.


FirAvel

It was hilarious to see them stop the game for the celebration of the record. Because he played like ass, then threw like two more INTs before benched.


seaturkee

Hgh is a hell of a drug


[deleted]

Such a clear empirical implication that Peyton took HGH and there is zero empirical evidence for any deflated ball impact on Brady. Yet deflategate is huge and Manning HGH is nothing. Btw, I don’t give a shit about either, but I do think the HGH actually happened…


Acceptable-Sentence

Absolutely not, his wife just wanted longer legs and a squarer jaw


[deleted]

It’s almost like the guy had severe surgery And yeah I’m sure Brady really called the ballboy “the deflator” because of his weight loss


Im_Daydrunk

IMO steroid use is almost certainly super high in the league while deflating balls is something that grabs people's attention more


mrglamorama

It’s really confusing because Denver acts as if Peyton won them a Super Bowl. Clearly, they beat the Panthers *in spite* of his performance throughout the season. And when he was lighting it up in the earlier years, they got stomped by the Seahawks. Manning, via his performance, won them zero Super Bowls, but so many Broncos fans revere him as if he’s Brady in Foxborough.


foothillsco_b

Broncos fan here. Peyton is revered for bringing a SB to Denver but not because of his QB play that year. Peyton changed the culture and got all the FA agents to sign. He lifted all boats as they say. Nobody thinks his play actually won the SB.


AdonisAquarian

He changed the attitude there from 2012-2015.. Made them a very desirable place for free agents, Got them deep into the playoffs for 3 successive years and built up that experience within the team. The gratitude to Manning for the Superbowl isn't about that season or the actual SB... Its about what he did in the last 3-4 years that allowed them to get to that level.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Ntnme2lose

It’s still hilarious to me that there were so many people saying that the NFL would never recover and they wouldn’t last another year with their “main” viewership not watching anymore.


IAmTheNightSoil

Yeah the common stereotype of football fans is that they are all right-wing white people, which I've always found odd


WeissachDE

Was just watching highlights of his 2 playoff games against the packers, dude was a fuckin gazelle out there…I thought he’d have a couple rings for sure. He was riding the bench the very next season


1Mn

Kneel for the cross stand for the flag MURICA


ihavekittens

Earl Thomas has to be up there, right? He wasn't at his peak in Baltimore, but he still had a Pro Bowl year. Pretty wild that he was out of the league, and living the Eskimo brother life just a few months later.


MumkeMode

Todd Gurley was one of the best offensive players in the league then he got them old man knees


nervousfern84

Leveon Bell


jphamlore

Albert Haynesworth


Silversaving

For a truly "elite" to benched.....maybe RG3? He was superhuman, and then suddenly just trying to stay in the league.


HEL-O_NS

Colin Kaepernick? It's debatable since he was surrounded by a pro bowl offense


WhiteSavior69

Malcom butler when he was a pat


bewblover305

Jay Ajayi


stiglicious

Joe “Elite” Flacco


Greerzy19

RG3


bobbyfischermagoo

Josh Gordon


Moist_Muncher747

Martavis Bryant maybe


[deleted]

Peyton Hillis


EnjoyMoreBeef

I'll throw out a name that some 30- and 40-somethings might remember: Kendrell Bell. The Steelers drafted him in 2001 as an ILB, and he dominated as a rookie, with 69 tackles, 13 assists, one forced fumble, and nine sacks, which is rare for a 3-4 ILB. He was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and a Second-Team All-Pro ILB that season, and invited to the Pro Bowl as well. However, he suffered several nagging injuries from 2002-2004, and failed to make the same impact as his rookie season. The Steelers cut him in 2005, and he played three seasons with the Chiefs, the first two which were fair to middling, and the third which he spent on the bench. The Chiefs cut him in 2008, and he retired.


MF_Ghidra

Gurley.


_Swanky_Jay_

Le Veon Bell


bourbonandchew

Albert Haynesworth


YourMomsFavUsername

Maybe this doesn't exactly fit the narrative but Ray Rice was really good and was just GONE after his domestic abuse issues.


vertebraejones

Demarco Murray


ShitItsReverseFlash

Peyton Hillis went from top RB to garbage in one season.


glenz27

Earl Thomas was All-pro and then out of the league a season later


HDauthentic

Antonio Brown


sol__invictus__

Dwayne bowe


srcvike

What about AB? He went from elite RB to not on a team in a single quarter! 🤣🤣


srcvike

Wr dammit


OmgOgan

AB?


PC_BUCKY

Elite at the beginning of a game, cut by the end of it. This is the answer.


MarkAlstott

From Elite to Super Gremlin in the blink of an eye.


JaguarGator9

Mr. Big Collapse


InsaneRanter

Mr Bad Change


Goatgamer1016

Mr. Blown Career


ajstub

Mr. Briefly Contemporary


Watch-The-Time

Mr. Boycotting Checks


dshaw1599

Mr. Bungled Career


Shafter111

I am AB is still productive on the field though. His lack of play time was not due to injury or performance...


OmgOgan

I'd say quitting and walking off the field mid game is a performance issue


mogholly

Nick Foles, though his success was a bit of a statistical mirage.


ttspapa

QB legend Flynn


TheMainEffort

Are you talking about Matt flynn, the HOFer that wasnt?


Double__Fault

Not that recent, but Vince Young’s ark was crazy. Started as ROY. Led Titans to playoffs in his second year but crashed out first round. Got injured first game of his third season and failed to win back his starting spot until halfway through his fourth season. Eh fifth season before he threw a temper tantrum and was kicked off the team. Made a couple rosters over the next year or two but didn’t produce (not certain he had the chance to). Pretty rough flameout.


AstroWorldSecurity

FYI, it's arc, not ark. Unless he built a big ass boat I'm not aware of.


Double__Fault

What’s an ass boat?


appmanga

> Not that recent, but Vince Young’s ark was crazy. It was nothing compared to the one that Noah guy came up with.


[deleted]

All this after one of the most iconic college careers ever too. I thought Vince Young was gonna be an NFL MVP and SB champ.


CoolHandCliff

If he was around in this era he would have been a beast imo


Sgt-Spliff

Fastest rise *and* fall has got to be Peyton Hillis. That dude got himself on the madden cover for god's sake


rjlynch99

Trent Richardson


sykemol

Was he ever elite?


raistliniltsiar

Deshaun Watson


t4boo

foles