Monday, May 30, 2005

 

5 Best Ever

I just read an article about the Denver Broncos' questionable off-season acquistitions (Clarrett, Dayne, Cleveland linemen, et al). It was an interesting read even if I didn't agree with every assertion. One of the big points of the article was how stupid Denver was for signing Jerry Rice. The author admitted Rice's past greatness but questions if he has anything left or his usefullness at this point in his career. As a Bronco fan, I have my own questions, but I'll leave it up to Rice to prove himself in camp. If he's willing to compete for a job, doesn't expect to be handed one (at all indications are that he's willing to work), then I think it's a harmless move.

The thing about this article that really got me thinking was the assertion that Rice is the greatest player to ever put on pads. It's hard to argue with, he's joining a Bronocs team whose all time leading receiver is current player Rod Smith with just over 700 receptions. Rice has over twice that many catches. The numbers are staggering, but numbers are weird. I've only been watcing football since the late 1970's, a day when a great receiver might finish the year with 60 catches, guys routinely double that number in a season now. Rice has played in a pass happy era in which teams play a 16 game schedule. Numbers can show you a lot, but really are only valid within an era. Comparing Lynn Swann's numbers to Jerry Rice's is a joke. Swann was a very dangerous receiver in his day, but over his career caught about 20% of the passes Rice has in his career.

It did get me to thinking, who are the greatest players I've ever seen. I have to have seen them, so I can't say Bronco Nagurski is the best player ever, even though an old timer might be able to make a convincing arguement. Numbers can be used, but they aren't the be-all, end-all arguement. Besides, some positions don't generate important numbers. No, this list is simply from my observations, players I watched play and thought were great football players. My top 5:


Walter Payton Running Back - Chicago Bears I read that, if he had wanted, Payton could have been an All-Pro at almost any position on the football field. He's the greatest player I ever saw because he could do it all. He was fast, quick and powerful, I've never seen another runner with his all-around running skills. Plus he was a fantastic receiver and blocker, probably the best running back at those skills during his era.

Jerry Rice Wide Receiver - San Francisico, Oakland, Seattle, Denver I am not slighting Rice at all by placing him second to Payton, in fact I think it's a huge compliment to put any WR this high. Rice is terribly dangerous on any type of route, a threat to go all the way from any spot on the field. Even if he lacked the speed of the real burners in the league, Rice's hands and route running more than made up for it. And he was fast enough, something I usually say about defenders, but was so fitting for Rice. He wouldn't beat you to the end zone by 20 yards, but it's still only worth 6 points no matter how much you beat your man by.

Earl Campbell Running Back - Houston, New Orleans Jim Brown retired from football the year I was born, but during my senior year in high school, he was considering a comeback. He was that feared when he played that even 18 years later people thought he could still be great. Campbell had the same impact on a game as Brown, they were two players who effected a game by simply wearing the uniform. Campbell was a punishing, battering ram runner with impressive speed. He joined a good Houston Oilers team in 1978 and immediately turned them into Super Bowl contenders. Even Walter Payton couldn't do that to Bears teams by himself. Payton was a better all around RB, but Campbell was the guy you wanted when you just needed to poiund the ball at your opponent. That, in the end, was his undoing. He was most likely over-used by coach Bum Phillips and his career, though great, was relatively short.

Lawrence Taylor Linebacker - New York Giants This is the toughest pick for me. I had a huge problem when Taylor went into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, since he was suspended for a season for drug use. One year of his career, he was completley useless, not because of an injury or poor play, but because of a bad decision he made. Still, he was the greatest defensive player I've ever seen. He was surrounded, most of his career, by great defenders. Even so, offenses always had to account for Taylor on every down. It's very seldom that a player has to be game-planned around. Any offensive coordinator who didn't design his game plan around Lawrence Taylor was in for a long afternoon. He was the most amazing pass rusher in NFL history, and one of the top 10 run defenders as well.

John Elway Quarterback - Denver Broncos This won't seem fair since I'm a Bronco fan, but in all truth, I've always tried to temper my enthusiasm for Elway. Growing up I always said the Roger Staubach and Dan Fouts were the best QB's I ever saw, Staubach for his situational awareness, Fouts for his ability to win with sub-par talent around him. Elway had both of those traits. I'm sure I'll hear from Joe Montana fans, but look at the three teams Montana took to Super Bowls and compare them to the first three teams Elway took to Super Bowls. Elway got three teams to the Super Bowl based almost entirely on his talent. He won two Super Bowls with fantastic teams around him, proving the importance of team work in the utimate team sport. Even at that, I only rate him ahead of Montana by the slimest of margins.


That's my top 5, the best football players, in my opinion, that I've ever seen. I'm sure everyone elese's list will differ from mine, and that's fine. Feel free to disagree, I do allow comments........

BOJ

Comments:
what about Ronnie Lott?
 
It's hard to argue against Ronnie Lott. He was a safety in college, but was such a great cover man that he started his NFL career at the corner, and he was a Pro-Bowl caliber corner.

As great as he was at the corner, he was an even better safety. The sad thing is that a lot of people will remember him simply as a big hitter. He was a big hitter, but he was one of the best pass coverage safeties in the game while being the best run stuffer at his position. You couldn't fool him on a play (except for one notable time against Denver's Glyn Milburn - but that was one sweet move), and nobody played with more heart.

In the end, though, an all time great at his position, but I couldn't move anyone out of my top 5 for him.

BOJ
 
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