forums

Greatest Canes - NFL only careers

I’m surprised no one mention Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham. I know their still playing but they are the most productive TEs from Miami. Easily HOFers
 
Advertisement
MiamiHotline said:
Ray Lewis. One of the greatest linebackers I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

Seriously, and this is not a as a homer, you've got multiple others in the conversation?

Lewis played 3/4 and 4/3, ranging from 220 to 260 pounds, and, per wikipedia:

Lewis had career totals of 2,061 total tackles (1,567 solo), 19 forced fumbles, 117 passes defended, 102.5 stuffs for a loss, 41.5 sacks, 20 fumble recoveries, 31 interceptions for 503 yards, one safety, and three touchdowns in 228 games. He has been selected to 13 NFL Pro Bowlgames, a record for an inside/middle linebacker, in his 17 seasons, and led the NFL in tackles five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). In 2003, Lewis led all linebackers with six interceptions, a total matching the post-merger all-time record for a middle linebacker in a single season. Lewis was named first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and second-team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, and 2010. His 10 total All-Pro selections is a record for an inside/middle linebacker and ties the record for a linebacker (Lawrence Tayloralso has 10 selections). In 21 career playoff games, Lewis has totaled 214 tackles (135 solo), two sacks, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions for 54 yards, 15 pass deflections, 10.5 stuffs for a loss, and one touchdown.

If you have multiple candidates, who are they? Not being a ****, just really curious.
 
Advertisement
keenan-reynolds-stiff-arm.gif
 
NFL HOF: 1. R. Lewis, 2. T. Hendricks, 3. J. Kelly, 4. Ed Reed*, 5. Irvin, 6. Sapp, 7. Kennedy, 8. Gore*, 9. Otto

(*On the way)

On the bubble: Edge, Wilfork, A. Johnson, Wayne

Would have but for tragedy: J. Brown, S. Taylor

High level NFL careers: Be. Blades, O. Anderson, Portis, Armstead, Olsen, Shockey, J. Graham, C. Campbell, Beason, A. Rolle, Hester, Vilma, B. Franks, D. Harrah, C. Foreman, Feagles

Really solid in NFL for long time or really good for shorter time: Lang, Holmes, ***an, Maryland, McKinnie, Searcy, Harrah, Kosar, Testaverrde, B. Franks, McGahee, D. Williams, Barrow, D. Smith, E. Brown, Gary Dunn, Jim Burt, Stubbs, B. Owens
 
Advertisement
rustywalkedaway said:
Seriously, and this is not a as a homer, you've got multiple others in the conversation?

Lewis played 3/4 and 4/3, ranging from 220 to 260 pounds, and, per wikipedia:

Lewis had career totals of 2,061 total tackles (1,567 solo), 19 forced fumbles, 117 passes defended, 102.5 stuffs for a loss, 41.5 sacks, 20 fumble recoveries, 31 interceptions for 503 yards, one safety, and three touchdowns in 228 games. He has been selected to 13 NFL Pro Bowlgames, a record for an inside/middle linebacker, in his 17 seasons, and led the NFL in tackles five times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004). In 2003, Lewis led all linebackers with six interceptions, a total matching the post-merger all-time record for a middle linebacker in a single season. Lewis was named first-team Associated Press All-Pro in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and second-team All-Pro in 1997, 1998, and 2010. His 10 total All-Pro selections is a record for an inside/middle linebacker and ties the record for a linebacker (Lawrence Tayloralso has 10 selections). In 21 career playoff games, Lewis has totaled 214 tackles (135 solo), two sacks, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions for 54 yards, 15 pass deflections, 10.5 stuffs for a loss, and one touchdown.

If you have multiple candidates, who are they? Not being a ****, just really curious.
Click to expand...
I personally rank Ray Lewis as the best defensive player (career) I have seen, all things consodered (leadership + motivation + clutch + overall play + position importance).

Other LBs you’d have to consider in the LB discussion would include LT, Butkus, Singletary, T. Hendricks, D. Brooks, Bednarik, Seau, Ham, D. Thomas, Lambert

While Ray is the best, imo, on his accomplishments, LT truly changed the game and some see that as a reason to rank him higher.
 
Defense
Hendricks
Lewis
Sapp
Reed
Tez

Each is a NFL HOF (Reed will be) and on All-Decade teams. Add Taylor and Brown, who would have had HOF careers had tragedy not taken their lives too soon.

Each was so good new players are compared to them, and while there may be players as good you cannot honestly say anyone is better.
 
Ethnicsands said:
I personally rank Ray Lewis as the best defensive player (career) I have seen, all things consodered (leadership + motivation + clutch + overall play + position importance).

Other LBs you’d have to consider in the LB discussion would include LT, Butkus, Singletary, T. Hendricks, D. Brooks, Bednarik, Seau, Ham, D. Thomas, Lambert

While Ray is the best, imo, on his accomplishments, LT truly changed the game and some see that as a reason to rank him higher.
Click to expand...

True, LT is the greatest defensive player of all time. No one did what he did before he came along. He reinvented the OLB position.

Another player I’d rank almost the same category is Ronnie Lott. He dominated games from the safety position like no one else before him.
 
Advertisement
Tad Footeball said:
Hester is the best kick returner in NFL history in my book.
Click to expand...

It's not even close. For God's sake, NFL teams started to bytch and moan about how easy it was for him to return kicks that they literally changed the rules b/c of him. Hester should be in the HOF and it's a shame that the NFL treat ST guys like chit.
 
native said:
Dan Morgan without the concussion problems would have been an all-time great.
Click to expand...

Dan was a beast. If it wasn't for the concussions, like you said, no doubt he would've been vying for the HOF. Still holds the NFL record for most tackles in a SB game.
 
Advertisement
gruntking said:
Simply a shiit load.

But Reed and Lewis have to be 1 and 2 … Kelly has to be included... fvcker was a beast... made me a Buffalo fan in Miami.
Click to expand...
Only if you never heard of Ted Hendricks. It was said that he had over 100 QBs sacks while at UM, but they didn’t keep stats for sacks back then. He was the most dominant defender to ever play here, then has a HOF NFL career. There’s a reason an award is named after him.
 
Ethnicsands said:
I personally rank Ray Lewis as the best defensive player (career) I have seen, all things consodered (leadership + motivation + clutch + overall play + position importance).

Other LBs you’d have to consider in the LB discussion would include LT, Butkus, Singletary, T. Hendricks, D. Brooks, Bednarik, Seau, Ham, D. Thomas, Lambert

While Ray is the best, imo, on his accomplishments, LT truly changed the game and some see that as a reason to rank him higher.
Click to expand...

I understand the argument for LT, but I actually thought he was kind of limited. His one trick was truly great, but he wasn't very versatile.
On the other hand, they didn't really ask him to be versatile.

That versatility is what seals it for Ray, for me. I've never seen a guy play so many roles and positions, and changing his body so drastically to do them, much less doing each at an arguably unparalleled level. Maybe Charles Woodson could have done something like that (multiple corner spots and then an outstanding free/hybrid safety), but we'll never know as he wasted so much of his early career.
 
Advertisement
Back
Top