Has anyone ever heard of a fuel pump screen/filter deteriorating with age and sending debris into the fuel line? Just curious.

No, but that don't mean it cain't happen. While I've not heard of this, I assume that if it is a filter, than once the filtering reaches it's capacity of junk that it's supposed to filter, any future debris would bypass it and then clog the works on the engine side of the filter. Just a thought.

There is also the fuel tank sock which can get seriously clogged. When inspected, it should be puffy, not sucked in.

I may be selling the car. Hard to sell it with it running like crap. May pull the fuel pump and check the sock to see. Is there really a fuel filter inside the tank too? Or is the sock the fuel filter...so to speak?