Ode to the 757. What can replace this most versatile of jetliners?

Remember all those years ago when Boeing was leaning towards a clean sheet new narrow body but that turned around and pulled the trigger on the MAX within a month or two?

That was, I think, a poor decision (driven in no small part by Southwest and American of course).

Sure, it would have a ~3 year lag on the A320neo, but a clean sheet new narrow body in lieu of the 737MAX could have been exactly the 140-210 passenger, 4-5K nm 757 replacement everyone now clamors for.

Think about it, they have only 40% of the future share of the 150 seat area, and almost nothing of the 180-220 seat area (without the range of the 787). Nowadays with the 737MAX, the "Middle of the Market" is too small because they'd need to build a second plane where really they should have built a new plane to cover both markets and replace both the 737 and 757.

It's a shame the executives didn't have the vision back in 2011.

/backseat management