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Barkley, 23, missed three games last season with a high ankle sprain. When he returned, he wasn't his normal self. Barkley had two 100-yard rushing performances over his final 10 games and averaged a paltry 2.8 yards per carry in his first five weeks back from the injury.
Barkley was admittedly hampered, but not enough to keep him on the sideline. So his play suffered.
And so, apparently, did his Madden rating. It left Barkley in the second tier, tied for fifth among all running backs with Minnesota's Dalvin Cook.
"Chubb was incredible with doing a lot with a little out there in Cleveland. You had Zeke, who is just a steady, consistent player. He's always going to play at this particular bar that you think he lives at. You have Henry who just went off and McCaffery who is perfectly well-rounded and does everything great, "Smith said. "For Barkley this year, as long as he doesn't get hurt again, I don't see why he doesn't pop up, because he has all those incredible physical traits."
And this is the difference between talent evaluators picking which running back they would want on their team (where age is a factor) compared to a video game grading him mostly off an injury-plagued season.
The area that really hurt Barkley - blocking doesn't affect the overall grade - was "carrier vision." He was given a 78 rating in that category, which placed him tied for 85th among all running backs.
Even the Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders thought that was harsh.
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