Football Friday: Complete Your Own NFL Jigsaw Puzzle
This idea was brought on by a post a week ago about how the Pittsburgh Steelers have produced some of the best linebackers in NFL history.
What I’ve decided to do is allow you to pick a team and chose one position that you feel a particular team has excelled at over the years. Here are my choices:
Quarterbacks: 49′ers - Joe Montana, Steve Young, Jeff Garcia
Running Backs: Browns – Marion Motley, Jim Brown, Ernest Byner, Eric Metcalf Kevin Mack
Tight Ends: Chargers – Kellen Winslow, Antonio Gates
Wide Receivers: Raiders – Fred Biletnekof, Cliff Branch. Tim Brown, Jerry Rice
Offensive Line: Redskins – Jeff Bostic, Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, Chris Samuels
Defensive Line: Vikings – Alan Page, Jim Marshall, John Randle
Linebackers: Steelers – Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Jason Gildon
Secondary: Eagles – Eric Allen. Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor, Brian Dawkins, Wes Hopkins
Special Teams: Bears- Gale Sayers, Devin Hester
Note: be prepared to validate your selections for possible debate. Only one team per position.
Thanks for the love on this.
The Chargers are definitely the BOMB when it comes to tight ends, but I think their wide receivers would like a word with you: Lance Alworth, John Jefferson, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler. That’s a close call since Winslow and Gates were clearly the premier players at their positions, but I believe two of the wideouts are already in the Hall of Fame. The Chargers, quiet as its kept, could also make a STRONG!!! case for Running Back: go back to the original baby blues — Keith Lincoln, Paul Lowe, Chuck Muncie, Gary Anderson, Lionel “Little Train” James, James Brooks, Marion Butts, Natrone Means, and, of course LaDainian Tomlinson. I think I’ll take their running backs.
When I think of the Raiders, I definitely think of wide receivers, but I also think of their corner backs. The Raiders were the ultimate in your face team because of their relentless bump and run style. “Old Man” Willie Brown, Jack Tatum, George Atkinson, Lester Hayes, Vann McElroy, Mike Haynes, Nnamdi Asomougha, Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson (8 picks at FS at age 37), Darren Perry (another former Steeler). For me, that’s the group.
Also – with the wide outs, you’ve got to give a little love to Swervin’ Mervyn Fernandez. Holla!!!!
For the Chicago Bears, I don’t think it could a position other than Middle Linebacker, honestly — unless you said Running Back and just rolled Payton and Sayers. The Bears have featured the most popular LBs of their generations (if we say Urlacher is post Ray Lewis). Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher. That’s the Holy Trinity of Middle Linebackerdom.
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Since your NOTE explains how you did what you did, you can disregard what I wrote…
With that said, your note appears to be at odds with this:
The Browns running backs get an edge just because of Jim Brown — but with respect to quality over time, the Chargers would walk all over them. I’d give the Steelers the edge at MLB too. I think the Raiders secondary, historically, is infinitely better than the Eagles. The Eagles would need to draft 8 or 9 future HOf’ers to even get in the conversation. I actually like the Eagles for Special Teams. Vai Sikahema, Allan Rossum (you drafted him), and many others have made this a great unit.
Thanks…very creative question for the day.
I sorta rushed it out there but my wideouts came down to the steelers and Chargers and since the Bolts were a lock for tight end I took that route. The Bolts make one hell of a case for Backs as to the Cowboys.
I agree w/you on the Raider secondary, more talent and far more intimidating.
My bad my wideouts came down to the Raiders and Chargers
Well, the Raider receivers definitely have more post-season juice. As much as I liked the Raiders back in the day, I’ll take Jefferson and Chandler over damn near anyone I’ve ever seen play the game. They were phenomenal.
No argument from me.
I’m not feeling the Vikings for the defensive line. The greatest failing of that team, before signing Pat and Kevin Williams, was that for all their talent, the D-line was light in the ass and was pushed around in big games especially against teams like Dallas, Pittsburgh, Oakland and others.
I think, for the sake of argument, I’ll go with the Giants over the Vikings. I’ll take Leonard Marshall, Jim Burt, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyora, Fred Robbins, Justin Tuck, George Martin.
I’d even take the Bears – Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, Alex Brown, Tommie Harris, Steve McMichael, Trace Armstrong, The FRIDGE, etc.
The Cowboys are in the conversation too with Bob Lilly, the Doomsday Defense and Charles Haley and Tony Casillas and Leon Lett and DeMarcus Ware (hybrid). Yep — definitely, definitely, definitely NOT feeling the Vikings on the D-line.
Definitely some better D-Lines out there just wanted to see what some of the readers came up with. Even Green Bay
Reggie White, Gilbert Brown, Grady Jackson (My homie swears he weighs 500 lbs., Tim Harris, Baja Gbiamia
I can see why you picked the Redskins for O-line, but I’m wondering if they merit the pick on a generational basis. Chris Samuels is aiiight, but he’s not the best left tackle in the game. I don’t believe he’s in the same class as the elite guys like Ogden (retired), Pace, or Walter Jones. So, for me that leaves the Hogs and the post-Denver Mark Schlereth as standouts on the line.
What about the Cowboys? Erik Williams, Nate Newton, Mark Stepknowski, Tuinei, Donaldson, Larry Allen, Kevin Gogan, John Gesek, Tom Rafferty, John Fitzgerald, Pat Donovan, Herbert Scott, recent HOF inductee Rayfield Wright.
I was going to chose the Dallas line of that era. I’ll bever forget Super Bowl XXX Erik Williams absolutely destroyed Greg Lloyd on a sweep. One of the Greatest offensive lines that you’ll see.
Erik Williams was on of the first players to hold his own against Reggie White.
Yeah, but Emmitt only had around 50 yards and he scored 1 late TD. Don’t get me started on that game.
Neil O’($!!#$$%@@#)Donnell!!!@!#$!#!$!$!##!!@@$##***!*@!@!#!@!@!#!#(!#(!#(!@@$
TBR:
Follow your first bruh…It’s almost always right.
Uh…the Eagles of 1990?!?!
Not just one year Mizzo. TBR said OVER THE YEEARS.
Running Backs: Rams- Jerome Bettis, Eric Dickerson, Cleveland Gary, Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson
mkrob, If it’s not asking too much could you put an entire team together?
Quarterbacks: Colts- Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, Chris Chandler, Jeff George and Jim Harbaugh.
Ronglover, I’m only putting up the ones I disagree with or can’t really argue with.
That’s cool.
Buffalo Bills: O.J. Simpson, Joe, Cribbs, Thurman Thomas, Willis McGahee
Hard to argue with the wide receivers you have but I will just for the heck of it.
Wide Receivers: Cowboys- Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Drew Pearson, Bob Hayes, Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn
Wide Receivers: Vikings – Ahmad Rashad, Anthony Carter, Chris Carter, Jake Reed, Randy Moss
QBs: Vikings – Fran Tarkenton, Randall Cunningham, Dante Culpepper.
Yeah he did. My bad.
Steelers secondary. Mel Blount, Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake (slept on), Donnie Shell, Troy Polamalu.
Ronglover: He said one per team, can’t have quarterbacks and receivers from the vikings. If that’s the case I will use the Cowboys receivers and tight ends- Jason Witten, Mike Ditka, Jay Novacek. Plus many, many more.
I agree with you Mizzo, my secondary is the same as yours, but since you can’t use two, i took the linebackers from the Steelers. He missed Greg Lloyd, Chad Brown and Earl Holmes on the Steeler linebacker list.
Cardinals Secondary: Larry Wilson, Aeneas Williams Adrian Wilson, Roger Wehrli, Dick “Night Train” Lane
Cardinals Receivers: Roy Green, Mel Gray, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, David Boston
I’m just naming them to be naming them, my bad.
Actually we (TBR and ronglover) are the same person, I’m on a different PC.
Rams RB list without Lawrence McCutcheon? Without Wendell Tyler? Say it ain’t so!!
Colts QB list without Bert Jones? Say it ain’t so!!!
Viking receiver list without Sammy White? Say it ain’t so!!! Gotta give Nate Burleson some love for handlin’ thangs when Moss was injured during Daunte’s big year.
Big up MKROB…I was going to mention the Cowboys TE’s and actually forgot about Mike Ditka. I did remember Billy Joe Dupree. So, we’re even. BTW – I’ve got the entire Steeler list. That’s just scratching the surface — too many to name.
Y’all are really, really holding it down. Damn!!!