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Best Safety in NFL

Astcloud11

Astcloud11

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A few days ago some one aggravated Tyrann Mathieu which led him to tweet "I'm the highest paid Safety but yea, ok" or something like that, inferring that he was the best Safety in the NFL.

A couple gator fans were tweeting about that conversation and surprised me (because they weren't bias).

[TWEET]768633004038160386[/TWEET]

[TWEET]768634560263380996[/TWEET]

[TWEET]768635064334753793[/TWEET]

So guys...who is the best NFL safety?

Hard question if I had to answer....Ed Reed is known as a Safety who transformed the position and expectations of a Safety, not to include how notorious he was for being the Devin Hester of Interceptions.

'NFL Films Presents': Houston Texans safety Ed Reed and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu - NFL Videos


Sean Taylor on the other hand, I can't honestly say is CRUCIAL to the game of football in america. But he definitely has his place in the game as a model of what everyone wants from their Safety. Nearly every star of todays game looked up to him and wanted to hit like him or move like him and have his instincts.

Thoughts?


Hahaha Gator fans didnt have any Safeties to compete
 
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If Sean had his whole life ahead of him, I think he would've been the greatest safety of all time. I'm partial to Ed b/c Ed's my guy...but taking off my Ed Reed bias glasses for a moment, I might have to go old school as far as best NFL safety. Ronnie Lott literally sparked fear from that position. Ronnie is probably the best overall safety I've ever seen since he could disrupt the center of the field. I think Sean would've been that combo of Ed and Ronnie which is y I said he would've been the greatest had his life not been taken from him.
 
Sean had the potential but didn't get the chance to see it through.

Ed Reed gets my vote.
Brian Dawkins is in the discussion right after Reed
 
Imo Ed is da goat. B Dawk and Lott are also top shelf.

ST isn't in the conversation. We lost him right when he was turning the corner but never got to see his best years.
 
It's unfair to compare because Sean didn't get the chance. Which is ****ed.

For the guys who got the chance and I got to see, it's between Ed Reed and Ronnie Lott. For those who didn't get to see Ronnie Lott, he was basically version 1.0 of what you saw from Sean Taylor: a big Safety with corner feet, instincts, and a horrible attitude (perfect for the position).

I'll always be biased to Ed Reed, who is my favorite football player ever. But, I've read some pretty solid arguments (statistical and otherwise) on behalf of Lott.
 
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It's ed and Lott... With troy a close second. We remmebered sean for what he did at Miami, which was great. His first couple of years in the league were good, but not transcending like ed reed was. That yr before he died he was going to enter that conversation at best safety without a doubt. But man... Ed.... I say he the goat because even when the qb made the right read on where the ball should go, Ed still picked it off and took it to the house. Usually if u make a mistake as a qb it will **** u in the end, but ****, when when u make the right play and he picks u off what can u do?
 
There's been phenomenal safeties to play the game of football honestly, but I hands down give the nod to Sean Taylor. Polamalu was incredible as a rover and unpredictability on top of the overall ability to change the game and make the big play when needed. Brian Dawkins as a diehard Giants fan I couldn't stand and probably never will but was also very solid and all around could do everything. You have then Rod Woodson who might've revolutionalized the center fielder aspect of the position. You have the incredible Ronnie Lott. Not much could be said about changing the safety image and being feared on the back end. Jack Tatum who also would head hunt and destroy anything in his path to the ball carrier. And then Ed Reed obviously partially biased here but wow what a free safety should be, never considered fast enough yet never seemed to get burned. Incredibly heady football player always in the right spot making the right play. Steve Atwater insanely tough. Having said all these the reason for Sean Taylor in my opinion was he could do everything from the safety position. He was fast as ****, he would lay you out no matter how big you were or even sometimes if you were on his team, and he would make the game changing play. Just one of a kind really in my opinion he did at least everything as good as all these guys and had the physical attributes to surpass them all. Sorry for the rant just talking about Sean gets me fired up my favorite player of all time.
 
Ed Reed is the greatest Pure Safety of All-time.
Then I would say Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson (who all played Corner as well), Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins & George Atkinson, are the 2nd tier below Ed imo.

Sean Taylor was the most naturally gifted & talented Safety to ever play the game of football, it just sucks his life was cut short as he was on the cusps of evolving into that upper echelon. He was having his best season in the pro's before he was killed... Smh, I still remember that sh*t like yesterday.
I never cried so much for someone who wasn't my own family member that passed away in my life.
 
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Liberty City El said:
Ed Reed is the greatest Pure Safety of All-time.
Then I would say Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson (who all played Corner as well), Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins & George Atkinson, are the 2nd tier below Ed imo.

Sean Taylor was the most talented Safety to ever play the game of football, it just sucks his life was cut short as he was on the cusps of evolving into that upper echelon. He was having his best season in the pro's before he was killed... Smh, I still remember that sh*t like yesterday.
I never cried so much for someone who wasn't my own family member that passed away in my life.
Click to expand...

I agree 200%. Sean by far was the most talented safety, but he wasn't there yet..... But boy was he on his way
 
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Liberty City El said:
Ed Reed is the greatest Pure Safety of All-time.
Then I would say Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson (who all played Corner as well), Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins & George Atkinson, are the 2nd tier below Ed imo.

Sean Taylor was the most naturally gifted & talented Safety to ever play the game of football, it just sucks his life was cut short as he was on the cusps of evolving into that upper echelon. He was having his best season in the pro's before he was killed... Smh, I still remember that sh*t like yesterday.
I never cried so much for someone who wasn't my own family member that passed away in my life.
Click to expand...

4 of those players were Raiders. Just thought I'd add that.
 
Liberty City El said:
Ed Reed is the greatest Pure Safety of All-time.
Then I would say Ronnie Lott, Rod Woodson, Charles Woodson (who all played Corner as well), Troy Polamalu, Brian Dawkins & George Atkinson, are the 2nd tier below Ed imo.

Sean Taylor was the most naturally gifted & talented Safety to ever play the game of football, it just sucks his life was cut short as he was on the cusps of evolving into that upper echelon. He was having his best season in the pro's before he was killed... Smh, I still remember that sh*t like yesterday.
I never cried so much for someone who wasn't my own family member that passed away in my life.
Click to expand...

I still remember it like it was yesterday, as well. I still can't get over it, how he died. Somehow I wish the NFL would put him in the HOF....he was that good in that short period of time.
 
difficult to compare players of different eras directly due to a few factors.

Sean Taylor misses this discussion because of career length sadly, but might have been.

To me it is between Reed and Polamalu for the modern safety, and I'll take Reed.
 
Ed, Troy, Lott, can't really go wrong with any of those choices.

I'll throw this name out there for the "career cut too short" division: Kenny Easley, who was the Ed Reed of his day before having to retire early due to kidney disease.
 
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We'retheBoss said:
Ed, Troy, Lott, can't really go wrong with any of those choices.

I'll throw this name out there for the "career cut too short" division: Kenny Easley, who was the Ed Reed of his day before having to retire early due to kidney disease.
Click to expand...

At his best Kenny Easley was a monster A true enforcer physically and great ball skills. His 1984(where he was the defensive player of the year) was among the best ever...
 
Rellyrell said:
If Sean had his whole life ahead of him, I think he would've been the greatest safety of all time. I'm partial to Ed b/c Ed's my guy...but taking off my Ed Reed bias glasses for a moment, I might have to go old school as far as best NFL safety. Ronnie Lott literally sparked fear from that position. Ronnie is probably the best overall safety I've ever seen since he could disrupt the center of the field. I think Sean would've been that combo of Ed and Ronnie which is y I said he would've been the greatest had his life not been taken from him.
Click to expand...

Well said... I also feel this way
 
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I go:
1. Ed Reed - He could do it all. Made big plays when they were needed. Never out of position. Great against the run and pass. Seemed like he knew what the other team was going to run before they did.
2. Ronnie Lott - Fierce hitter and very intimidating. Not quite as much of a playmaker as Ed but sure did make eyes wander when they were anywhere in the middle.
3. Polamalu - Very much like Ed in that he was always around the ball. Played with no regard to his body.
4. Sean - Would've been the GOAT had his life not been cut short. Such a great player and man. I still to this day watch the pro bowl video where he blows up Buffalo's punter. Quite funny.
 
Sean T is the Bo Jackson of safeties. He pure talent was undeniable, he did things that no one was or could do. But just did not get to do it long enough to give them the nod as GOAT.

It is absolutely Ed Reed. No talking, no discussion. Long career. Pro bowler, Super Bowl champ, super well respected around the league as the best. Had the picks, the TDs, the PRs. I honestly think he should be in the conversation as the greatest defender in the history of the game.
 
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