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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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]

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.

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

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.

5 at each position...sorry.

DT
Mean Joe Greene
Reggie White
Randy White
Jerome Brown
Alan Page

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

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

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


Safety
Ronnie Lott
Ken Houston
Paul Krause
Ed Reed
Troy Polamalu & Jack Tatum

CB's

Darrell Green
Mike Haynes
Rod Woodson
Mel Blount
Donnie Shell