5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Branching off from our five best QB, RB, WR thread, let's address the D. Who are your 5 best you've seen at defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, NON-Skins?

Mine in no particular order:

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
John Randle
Howie Long
Warren Sapp

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Champ Bailey
Ed Reed

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Choosing to forget Smith's, Deion's and Champ's time with the skins?

[B]DL[/B]

Reggie White
Richard Dent
John Randle
Dwight Freeney
Charles Haley

[B]LB[/B]

Same as Matty

[B]DB[/B]

Hanford Dixon
Rod Woodson
Everson Walls
Ronnie Lott
Nnamdi

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Here are mine...

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Warren Sapp
Charles Haley
Dwight Freeney

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu
_________

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[B]DB[/B]

Mike Haynes (prob the best ever)
Ronnie Lott
Ed Reed
Everson Walls
Lester Hayes

[B]LB[/B]

Lawrence Taylor
Mike Singletary
Andre Tippet
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas

[B]DL[/B]

Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Richard Dent
Fred Dean
Dallas' Doomsday (Randy White, Too Tall Jones, Harvey Martin, xxxx)

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

ah hello Darrell Green people...

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=mredskins;730155]ah hello Darrell Green people...[/quote]

Not sure who I'd replace on my list to include Green. These guys were dominant. But if I had to, maybe Sean Taylor.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730148]Choosing to forget Smith's, Deion's and Champ's time with the skins?[/quote]

Yeah I debated about Champ, but he's played in Denver longer. Deion and Smith had their glory years elsewhere.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Dang, so non-Skins. Didn't read that part. I'll edit mine and remove Taylor.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[B]DL [/B]
Warren Sapp
Dwight Freeny
Michael Strahan
Richard Seymoure
Simeon Rice


[B]LB[/B]
Ray Lewis
London Fletcher
Brian Urlacher
Lawrence Taylor
DeMarcus Ware

[B]DB[/B]
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu
Darrell Green
Darren Sharper
Sean Taylor

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Mattyk;730163]Yeah I debated about Champ, but he's played in Denver longer. Deion and Smith had their glory years elsewhere.[/quote]

True, though Smith put up better numbers and was here longer than most remember.

Guess I misunderstood your rule, thought it was that they could never had played for the skins

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730169]True, though Smith put up better numbers and was here longer than most remember.

Guess I misunderstood your rule, thought it was that they could never had played for the skins[/quote]

Guess there's no point in the rule, most don't play along any way :Smoker:

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

D-Line
Carl Eller
Deacon Jones
Bob Lilly
Doug Atkins
Rosevelt Grier

LB's
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Nitchie
Dick Butkus
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary

DB's
Willie Wood
Johnny Sample
Ronnie Lott
Richard "Night Trane" Lane
Herb Adderley

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Was kind of hoping you'd have Jim Thorpe on there, Longtimefan

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

D Line: Mean Joe Green, Dwight White. LC Greenwood, Ernie Fats Holmes (the steel curtin) + Bruce Smith + Randy White + Too Tall Jones.

LB: Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, LT, Ray Lewis

DB: Deion Sanders, Mel Blount, Ronnie Lott, Donnie Shell, Lester Hayes

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Mattyk;730146]Branching off from our five best QB, RB, WR thread, let's address the D. Who are your 5 best you've seen at defensive line, linebacker, and defensive back, NON-Skins?

Mine in no particular order:

Defensive line:
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
John Randle
[B]Howie Long[/B]
Warren Sapp

Linebacker:
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Derrick Thomas
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

Defensive backs:
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Rod Woodson
Champ Bailey
Ed Reed[/quote]

I've always thought Howie Long was overrated -- some made the case that his entry into the HOF was largely due to his popularity as a broadcaster/TV personality.

I'd replace him with Clyde Simmons -- 121 career sacks to Long's 84. I just remember the Simmons/White duo wreaking havoc when they were with the Eagles.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730176]Was kind of hoping you'd have Jim Thorpe on there, Longtimefan[/quote]

I knew you'd be watching SS..JT was just a little before my time.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Yeah Long's off the field stuff may have made him more recognizable, but his football resume is impressive regardless:

Drafted in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, Long would play 13 seasons for the club wearing the number 75. His very rare combination of size, strength and quickness made him a fearsome force on the Raiders defensive line, earning eight Pro Bowl selections. Long had high aspirations early in his career. He told Football Digest in 1986 that he wanted "Financial security, and I want to be in the Hall of Fame...That's my goal...and I'd like to win a few more Super Bowls." [3] Along the way, he was also named First-team All-Pro three times (in 1983, '84, and '85) and Second-team All-Pro twice (in 1986 and 1989). The fact that he was often, if not usually, double-teamed by opponents makes these honors that much more remarkable. He was selected by John Madden to the All-Madden teams in 1984 and 1985 and was named to the 10th Anniversary All-Madden team in 1994.

Long was voted both the NFL Alumni Defensive Lineman of the Year and the NFLPA AFC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1985. He capped off a stellar 1985 season earning the George S. Halas Trophy for having been voted the NEA's co-NFL Defensive Player of the Year (along with Andre Tippett). Additionally he was named the Seagrams' Seven Crown NFL Defensive Player of the year. The following year, 1986, Long was voted the Miller Lite NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year. (Both those awards were taken by polls of NFL players). In 1986 Long was voted to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and was key in helping the Raiders record 63 sacks and being the number one defense in the AFC.[4] From 1983-86 the Raiders defense recorded 249 sacks, which tied with the Chicago Bears for tops in the NFL over that span.

Long collected 91½ sacks during his career (7½ are not official, as sacks were not an official statistic during his rookie year).[5] His career high was in 1983 with 13 sacks, including a career-high 5 against the Washington Redskins on October 2, 1983. He also intercepted 2 passes and recovered 10 fumbles during his 13-year career. At the time of his retirement, he was the last player still with the team who had been a Raider before the franchise moved to Los Angeles. He won a Super Bowl title with the Raiders in 1984 (following the 1983 season). Long's signature defensive move was the "rip," which employed a quick, uppercut-like motion designed to break an opposing blocker's grip.

Pro Football Weekly (PFW) named Long as one of the ends on its All-time 3-4 defensive front, along with Lee Roy Selmon, Curley Culp, Lawrence Taylor, Andre Tippett, Randy Gradishar, and Harry Carson. PFW based its "Ultimate 3-4" team on the vote of over 40 former NFL players, coaches, and scouts.[6]

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Hard to argue with any of these, but there are some runner ups who might get overlooked -- Bryant Young of the 49ers for example. During the mid-90's when San Fran got sick of getting trampled by Emmitt Smith in the playoffs, they hit the lotto with Stubblefield and Young back to back in the '93 and '94 drafts. (They knew just when to get rid of Stubblefield too -- the bastards.)

There was a stretch when Young was considered the best DT in the league.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=SmootSmack;730176]Was kind of hoping you'd have Jim Thorpe on there, Longtimefan[/quote]

Being limited to just fve players at each position, it hardly puts a dent in all the many great players I've had the pleasure of watching through the years. There are a host of other names I could add to the list at each position and wish they didn't have to be slighted.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

5 at each position...sorry.

[B]DT[/B]
Mean Joe Greene
Reggie White
Randy White
Jerome Brown
Alan Page

[B]DE[/B]
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Ed Too Tall Jones
Carl Eller
Charles Haley & *Deacon Jones (invented term sack)

[B]MLB[/B]
*Dick Butkus (only on film) too great not make list
Jack Lambert
Ray Lewis
Mike Singletary
Junior Seau

[B]OLB[/B]
Lawrence Taylor
DeMarcus Ware
Derrick Brooks
Jack Ham
Shawn Merriman (before knee injury)


[B]Safety[/B]
Ronnie Lott
Ken Houston
Paul Krause
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu & Jack Tatum

[B]CB's[/B]

Darrell Green
Mike Haynes
Rod Woodson
Mel Blount
Donnie Shell

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Longtimefan;730175]D-Line
Carl Eller
Deacon Jones
Bob Lilly
Doug Atkins
Rosevelt Grier
[/quote]

Now your talking! That, folks, is the "Who's Who" of the front 4 in NFL history.

(Cant believe I had to page down that far just to see Deacon's name on a list).

Somehow have to make room for Joe Greene though. Are ties allowed???

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=sandtrapjack;730216]Now your talking! That, folks, is the "Who's Who" of the front 4 in NFL history.

(Cant believe I had to page down that far just to see Deacon's name on a list).

Somehow have to make room for Joe Greene though. Are ties allowed???[/quote]

I wanted to find room in there for Joe Green, Jethro Pugh, Alan Page, Lamar Lundy and Merlin Olson.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

D-Line:

"Mean Joe" Greene
Deacon Jones
Bob Lilly
Gene "Big Daddy" Lipscomb
Reggie White


LB:

Chuck Bednarik
Dick Butkus
Mike Singletary
Lawrence Taylor
Derrick Thomas


DB:

Herb Adderley
Lem Barney
Mike Haynes
Dick "Night Train" Lane
Ronnie Lott


(DB was the toughest list to cut down to 5; I had 11 on the list and did not want to take any of them off - - and Darrell Green wasn't one of the 11 because he was a Redskin!)

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

I think Mike Haynes should be on a lot of lists. He was truly underrated and one of the best ever at the corner position.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

Lol, I love threads like these because you can see how old some of the members are.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Dirtbag359;730360]Lol, I love threads like these because you can see how old some of the members are.[/quote]

I represent that remark.

Your comment reminds when I was making my list how the rule changes that were made in the late 80's leading up to today to create more offense and how that has changed the game. How the younger fans might not realize the extent and its effects.
All of the recent Qb's and recievers who have hall of fame stats thanks to all of the rule changes like no touching recievers after five yards, liberalized holding by o-lineman and no breathing on Qb's. You can't judge on stats alone.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

All right I will play along.

LB:
Mike Singletary
Ray Lewis
Lawrence Taylor
Derrick Thomas
Demarcus Ware

DL:
Reggie White
Richard Dent
John Randle
Micheal Strayhan
Bruce Smith of the 90s.


CB:
Deion Sanders
Ronnie Lott
Sean Taylor ( I have to add him, I know the rules, but this is one of the best and most exciting players I have EVER seen)
Ed Reed
Troy Polomalu.... or whatever.

Man I cannot think of some of the greats from the 80s and 90s, I guess the offensive players do get all the glory!!

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=sandtrapjack;730216]Now your talking! That, folks, is the "Who's Who" of the front 4 in NFL history.

(Cant believe I had to page down that far just to see Deacon's name on a list).

Somehow have to make room for Joe Greene though. Are ties allowed???[/quote]


One of the prerequisists is that you had to see them play. Those guys were before my time, and most of the young bucks on this board! I have been watching since about 83-84.

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

[quote=Dirtbag359;730360]Lol, I love threads like these because you can see how old some of the members are.[/quote]


Dirtbag:

I saw my first college football game in 1948 - - I was 5 years old.

I saw my first NFL game in 1951.

The last dinosaur died in 1953... ;)

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

LB:
LT
Singletary
Derrick Thomas
Patrick Willis
Matt Millen ( underrated IMO )

DL
Reggie White
Bruce Smith
Javon Kearse ( Man that was one monster year...)
Charles Haley
Jared Allen

DB
Lott
Haynes
Rod Woodson
Aeneas Williams
Ed Reed

Re: 5 best you've ever seen (DL, LB, DB)
 

DL
Reggie White
Deacon Jones
Mark Gastineau (though he let personal issues shorten his career)
Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Bruce Smith

LB
Lawrence Taylor
Ray Lewis
Mike Singletary
Derrick Brooks
Kevin Greene

DB
Rod Woodson
Troy Polumala (sp?)
Ed Reed
Ronnie Lott
Nnamdie