The greatest 44 Players of All Time.

[Tarlam!]

11 on Offense. Defense. Kick/Punt. Return. That's 44. Tought task.

Who are they?

I'll go first with an OLB:

Taylor, Lawrence. My favourite player, ever.

(born February 4, 1959, in Williamsburg, Virginia), commonly referred to as LT, is a retired Hall of Fame American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League (NFL). He is often considered to be one of the greatest defensive players in the history of football, and has been called the greatest defensive player of all time by media members, former players, and coaches.

After an All-American career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), Taylor was drafted by the Giants with the second overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft. Although controversy surrounded the selection due to Taylor's contract demands, the two sides quickly resolved their issues and Taylor won several defensive awards after his rookie season. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Taylor was a disruptive force at outside linebacker, and is widely considered to have changed the pass rushing schemes, offensive line play, and offensive formations used in the NFL. Taylor produced double-digit sacks seasons consecutively from 1984 through 1990, including a career high of 20.5 in 1986. He also won a record three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his performance in the 1986 season. He was named first-team All-Pro in each of his first nine seasons and a key member of the Giants' defense, nicknamed "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew", that led New York to Super Bowl XXI and XXV victories. During that time Taylor and fellow linebackers Carl Banks and Hall of Famer Harry Carson gave the Giants linebacking corps a reputation as one of the best in the NFL.

[RashanGary]

I nominate Reggie White for defense. I think he'd be somewhere in the top 11 defenders of all time.

[HarveyWallbangers]

11 on Offense. Defense. Kick/Punt. Return. That's 44. Tought task.

Good topic, but shouldn't it be 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 1 kicker, 1 punter, 1 punt return, 1 kick return? Maybe like 1 coverage guy. I don't think anybody could name 11 punt coverage guys.
:D

QB Joe Montana
RB Jim Brown
RB Walter Payton
WR Jerry Rice
WR Don Hutson
TE Kellen Winslow
OT Anthony Munoz
OT Art Shell
OG Forrest Gregg
OG John Hannah
OC Mike Webster

DE Reggie White
DE Deacon Jones
DT Bob Lilly
LB Lawrence Taylor
LB Ray Nitschke
LB Dick Butkus
LB Mike Singletary
CB Deion Sanders
CB Herb Adderley
S Ronnie Lott
S Rod Woodson (CB also)

K Morten Anderson
P Ray Guy
KR Brian Mitchell
PR Deion Sanders
COV Steve Tasker

[Rastak]

11 on Offense. Defense. Kick/Punt. Return. That's 44. Tought task.

Good topic, but shouldn't it be 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 1 kicker, 1 punter, 1 punt return, 1 kick return? Maybe like 1 coverage guy. I don't think anybody could name 11 punt coverage guys.
:D

QB Joe Montana
RB Jim Brown
RB Walter Payton
WR Jerry Rice
WR Don Hutson
TE Kellen Winslow
OT Anthony Munoz
OT Art Shell
OG Forrest Gregg
OG John Hannah
OC Mike Webster

DE Reggie White
DE Deacon Jones
DT Bob Lilly
LB Lawrence Taylor
LB Ray Nitschke
LB Dick Butkus
LB Mike Singletary
CB Deion Sanders
CB Herb Adderley
S Ronnie Lott
S Rod Woodson (CB also)

K Morten Anderson
P Ray Guy
KR Brian Mitchell
PR Deion Sanders
COV Steve Tasker'

Nice list although I'd have Sayers instead of Payton. Night train Lane instead of Sanders. Mean Joe Greene or Alan Page instead of Bob Lilly.
Maybe Conrad Dobler or Alex Karras might make the list.

[Harlan Huckleby]

That list is hard to argue with.

The only one that sticks out is Bob Lily, he was really good for a long time, but he wasn't dominant like the other defensive players on the list.

Don't know if Montana is better than old timers like Otto Graham & Y.A. Tittle.

[Rastak]

That list is hard to argue with.

The only one that sticks out is Bob Lily, he was really good for a long time, but he wasn't dominant like the other defensive players on the list.

Don't know if Montana is better than old timers like Otto Graham & Y.A. Tittle.

Or Johnny Unitas!

[The Shadow]

Dick Butkus & Jim Brown were by far the best players I ever saw.

[b bulldog]

I'd take Sanders over Payton. The best players I've seen are Reggie,Rice,LT and Montana. I'm 34.

[oregonpackfan]

Johnny Unitas was a better QB than Joe Montana, IMO.

[Guiness]

These lists are always so impossible - comparing guys from different eras. The physical differences are always so huge. They did a hockey one a few years back, and Bobby Orr finished second - even though there's no doubt there are a mess of defensemen who followed him that did what he did, and better. And arguably (barely though) the most dominant player ever, Mario Lemieux, finished fourth...

Having said that, hats off to HW for giving us a list to pick apart :P

QB is of course tough, but Montana is hard to argue with. Have to give a nod to Manning though...and I also like the idea of Night Train.

DT is tough as well - so hard to judge that position. But you have to give Sapp a look. Like him or not, he's got longevity, and has been playing at a high level for some time.

[KYPack]

11 on Offense. Defense. Kick/Punt. Return. That's 44. Tought task.

Good topic, but shouldn't it be 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 1 kicker, 1 punter, 1 punt return, 1 kick return? Maybe like 1 coverage guy. I don't think anybody could name 11 punt coverage guys.
:D

QB Joe Montana
RB Jim Brown
RB Walter Payton
WR Jerry Rice
WR Don Hutson
TE Kellen Winslow
OT Anthony Munoz
OT Art Shell
OG Forrest Gregg
OG John Hannah
OC Mike Webster

DE Reggie White
DE Deacon Jones
DT Bob Lilly
LB Lawrence Taylor
LB Ray Nitschke
LB Dick Butkus
LB Mike Singletary
CB Deion Sanders
CB Herb Adderley
S Ronnie Lott
S Rod Woodson (CB also)

K Morten Anderson
P Ray Guy
KR Brian Mitchell
PR Deion Sanders
COV Steve Tasker

Good list Harve.

Forrest Gregg was a RT, not a G. He did make All-Pro one year at G because of an injury to Kramer. 44 is a pretty good number, why not pick extra players on O, D, ST and have a 50 man roster?

[Harlan Huckleby]

I was thinking about Bob Lilly, thought it would be fun to highjack the thread and call for a Caucasion Hall of Fame. The White Men of Granite.

Ummm, the list could easily be filled with the old time greats. To make it more interesting and challenging, lets just consider players since 1970.

QB Joe Montana
RB Larry Czonka
RB John Riggens
WR Steve Largent
TE Tony Gonzalez (Hispanics are white enough for our purposes)
T Anthony Munoz
C Mike Webster
G Dan Dierdorf

S John Lynch
LB Jack Hamm
LB Ted Hendricks
DE Mark Gastineau
T Dan Hampton


Good lord, I can't even think of a single corner back. A little help!

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

The only one I can think of ever is the one just drafted by the Browns. I think his name is Eric Wright and am pretty sure he's white. Other than that I have never seen any white CB ever.

[Patler]

How about 2007 HOF inductee Roger Wehrli?
Played from 1969-1982.

[RashanGary]

Edited to avoid thread jacking :)

[Tarlam!]

Nick, please don't jack my thread. This is about the best 44 players to have ever played, no race cards.

I think Wehrli is strong.

[Rastak]

How about 2007 HOF inductee Roger Wehrli?
Played from 1969-1982.


He was good. Paul Krause and Roger Wehrli could both be considered. Other guys to at least consider would be Bobby Bell....Too Tall Jones....


Hey, Bubba Smith!

[Scott Campbell]

CB Herb Adderley


Was Herb Adderly better than Willie Wood? I was too young to watch them play.

[KYPack]

CB Herb Adderley


Was Herb Adderly better than Willie Wood? I was too young to watch them play.

Both great HOF players at different positions. They were both excellent, but played two entirely different types of games.

Herb Adderley = LCB
Willie Wood = FS

Wehrli = CB
Krause = FS

Lotta great White safeties, not so many great White CB's

Pat Fischer was better than Wehrli, smaller, too.

Those are the only two HOF Caucasoid CB's I can think of.

Takes brothers to cover brothers, ya know?

There were some great DHB's in the two way era (Hutson among 'em) buth that get's real argumentative and almost impossible to figure.

[oregonpackfan]

CB Herb Adderley


Was Herb Adderly better than Willie Wood? I was too young to watch them play.

As KY stated, the two played at two different positions, Adderly at CB and Wood at FS.

Though both players were outstanding, I thought Adderly was outstanding at a slightly higher level than Wood was at his position.

Both men were not only fine players but fine human beings.

[4and12to12and4]

Joe Montana is overrated. He happened to be in a system under Walsh that caught the rest of the NFL by surpise. No one could figure out the West Coast offense. He had the best WR ever to play to help him, he had a great offensive line, a great RB, a great defense. His all around team talent helped make him as good as he was. I could name ten QB's I think are better than Montana. To me, Favre, Peyton, Marino, Elway, Unitas are easily better than him.

Barry Sanders was NOT better than Walter Payton. He was the most electrifying, exciting RB ever, but he was horrible in short yard situations, because he danced around in the backfield trying to make a huge play to much. Heck, his coaches even took him out of the game in goal line situations. Walter Payton was, to me, the second best RB when it came to needing one or two yards on third down to keep a drive alive. The only one better, Jim Brown. That guy was a monster. LT is slowly moving up the charts on my all time best RB's. He is something special. Almost impossible to tackle one on one in the open field.

Deion Sanders shouldn't be in this list because, as great a one on one coverage corner and returner as he was, and as electrifying as he was once he got an interception, I couldn't consider him in this list because of a glaring weakness in his game. He tackled like a kicker. I couldn't even stand to watch him trying to tackle someone, it was an embarrassing sight.

When you consider the greatest QB ever, I know I'm a homer, but, I think Favre is No.1. I know even you Packer fans will disagree with me here, but I have reasoning. When I consider a great football player, I consider ALL parts of his game. A QB should have good vision, good touch, strong arm, durable, and a leader. Favre isn't the best as far as great touch on the long ball, but he is better than average. He is 1st in arm strength (maybe some would argue Elway, but I think Favre just beats him out in that category). He has great vision, he tends to throw to 7 or more receivers per game. He's never had a great group of receivers to throw to for many years in a row. He's had some very good receivers, but usually only one at a time, then they would leave due to age or injury, then he'd get one more. Most of the other QB's most consider better than him have had much better receiving threats to throw to. Brett until two years ago, never had a losing season, which is unbelievable in itself. All the other QB's went through bad stretches of losing seasons. He is obviously the most durable QB and maybe the most durable football player to EVER walk on to a football field. He is a GREAT leader. So, all in all, looking at EVERY aspect of a QB's game and responsibilities, I think Favre, although not the best in ALL categories is the best in some and close to the best in the others. He is the COMPLETE package, and that is why I think he is the best QB of all time. Yeah, I'm a homer, but who cares.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I respect King's opinion when it comes to historical analysis. He puts a lot of thought and research into it.

I have Joe Montana at QB. He has Otto Graham. It's hard for me to argue against either guy. He has Montana as a reserve. We both have Jim Brown at RB. I didn't rank FB. I have Walter Payton as my second RB. He has Payton as a reserve. We both have Don Hutson and Jerry Rice at WR. He has John Mackey at TE. I have Kellen Winslow. He has Winslow as a reserve. We both have Anthony Munoz, John Hannah, and Forrest Gregg on the OL. He doesn't have Art Shell or Mike Webster on his reserve list. We both have Reggie White and Deacon Jones at DE. We both have Bob Lilly at DT. We both have Lawrence Taylor, Ray Nitschke, and Dick Butkus at LB. I have Singletary as my 4th LB. He had Ray Lewis. He has Singletary as a reserve. We both have Deion Sanders at CB. I have Herb Adderley as the other corner. He has Night Train Lane. He doesn't have Adderley on his reserve list. We both have Ronnie Lott at S. I have Rod Woodson as my other safety. He has Sammy Baugh. He has Woodson as a reserve. Vince HAS to be the Head Coach of this team.


My All-Time Team
Vintage players often get the nod -- but not always
By Peter King

This week SI.com let four writers live out a GM's dream. The assignment? Pick three Dream Teams in each of the four major team sports: one for the best of all-time, one built to win right now and one built for five years from now. Each team features a complete roster of players, including reserves, as well as coaches. Check out our experts' picks, then weigh in with your thoughts.

The surprises on my all-time team? Not many. These sorts of teams have been chosen so many times over the years that there's no use in trying to reinvent the wheel. Just put the best guys on from the first 87 seasons of NFL history and don't make apologies for saying Don Hutson's better than Jerry Rice.

I am a stick-in-the-mud for a few things, however: I like Otto Graham at quarterback, and it will be hard for anyone to exceed what he did in 10 professional seasons. Impossible, really. He played in the championship game of his league 10 times in 10 years, while being the unquestioned best passer and leader throughout his era. I still think Hutson's the best player of all time, because he put the receiving numbers so far out of reach by 1945 that no one caught him for 40 years. But I don't think older is always better. Adam Vinatieri is the best kicker today, and in history, because he's so clutch. Reggie White, Ray Lewis and Deion Sanders make the cut ... and I very nearly picked Terrell Owens for my bench, but chose Raymond Berry because Owens drops too many passes.

I picked a 46-man squad, which includes one extra player on defense because there have been so many four-man lines throughout history as well as so many four-man linebacking crews. I didn't want to commit to either a 4-3 or a 3-4, so I have both. For the purposes of this team, Lewis moves outside to play with Lawrence Taylor.

Let the arguments begin.

OFFENSIVE BACKS

QB | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns (1946-55)

A quarterback should be measured -- most of all -- by winning. Graham quarterbacked his team to the championship game of his league 10 times in 10 years, winning seven titles. And he led the league in passing seven times in those 10 years.

RB | Jim Brown | Cleveland Browns (1957-65)

When you can run between the tackles the way he did, and still be able to turn the corner skillfully enough to average 5.2 yards a carry, you earn the right to edge the great Walter Payton for this honor.

FB | Bronko Nagurski | Chicago Bears (1930-37, '43)

The archives paint such a hammer-headed picture of Nagurski -- along with his ability to run it well and often -- that he seems like the Ice Age Mike Alstott with Jerome Bettis production.

RECEIVERS

WR | Don Hutson | Green Bay Packers (1935-45)

Best receiver of all time. Just look at the numbers. In a dead-ball era, he caught three times as many passes for three times as many touchdowns as anyone in the first 25 years of the NFL.

WR | Jerry Rice | San Francisco 49ers (1985-2000), Oakland Raiders (2001-04), Seattle Seahawks (2004)

Other guys were faster. Other guys had more athleticism. No one wanted it more, and no one had better hands. Rice is a player for every age, not just this one.

TE | John Mackey | Baltimore Colts (1963-71), San Diego Chargers (1972)

As a combo platter of blocker, receiver and cluth team player, no tight end has been better.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

T | Anthony Munoz | Cincinnati Bengals (1980-92)

I once watched Munoz's line coach, Jim McNally, grade a gametape of his. "Every week it's like this," McNally said. "As close to perfect as a player can play." No player except Munoz can say he was all-pro and made the Pro-Bowl 11 years in a row.

G | John Hannah | New England Patriots (1973-85)

As technically sound as Munoz was, so was Hannah -- plus he was as mean on the field as he was gentlemanly off it.

C | Mel Hein | New York Giants (1931-45)

Its's so hard to compare eras, obviously, and Hein played from 1931 to '45. But no player in history played both ways, every week, for 15 years and at such a high level for a good team.

G | Jim Parker | Baltimore Colts (1957-67)

Parker was the only offensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl four times or more at two positions -- guard and tackle.

T | Forrest Gregg | Green Bay Packers (1956, '58-70), Dallas Cowboys (1971)

Close call over Jonathan Ogden, the best tackle of the past 15 years. Gregg played 188 straight games at a real man's man position, winning six NFL titles along the way.

OFFENSIVE RESERVES

QB John Unitas, Joe Montana
RB Walter Payton, Marion Motley
OL Dwight Stevenson, Gene Upshaw, Johnthan Ogden
WR Lance Alworth, Elroy Hirsch, Raymond Berry
TE Kellen Winslow

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

DE | Deacon Jones | Los Angeles Rams (1961-71), San Diego Chargers (1972-73), Washington Redskins (1974)

If they'd counted sacks in his day, he'd hold the all-time record. He was so fast and tough, Jones put the "fearsome" into "Fearsome Foursome."

DT | Joe Greene | Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-81)

Ask the Steeler players from a generation ago, and they'll tell you Greene was the keystone to the four Super Bowl wins. Selfless and dominant.

DT | Bob Lilly | Dallas Cowboys (1961-74)

The bedrock foundation of the Dallas defense for 15 years, Lilly was there every Sunday -- he played in 196 consecutive games -- and made every offensive game-planner work around him.

DE | Reggie White | Philadelphia Eagles (1985-92), Green Bay Packers (1993-98), Carolina Panthers (2000)

No defensive lineman ever -- Joe Greene was close -- rushed the passer and stopeed the run with the skill and consistent greatness of White.

LINEBACKERS

OLB | Lawrence Taylor | New York Giants (1981-93)

As dangerous and impactful a defensive player as has ever played the game -- ask the Redskins -- and he played the run pretty well, too.

ILB | Dick Butkus | Chicago Bears (1965-73)

You can't have an all-time team without Butkus, who was a sledgehammer inside the tackles and an instinctive player from sideline-to-sideline.

ILB | Ray Nitschke | Green Bay Packers (1958-72)

Voted the NFL's all-time best linebacker in 1969, which would get an argument from Butkus. Nitschke was the defensive key to Green Bay's greatness.

OLB | Ray Lewis | Baltimore Ravens (1996-present)

For as long as I cover this game, I'll never see a more athletic linebacker than Lewis was in 2000, when he willed the Ravens to a Super Bowl title. He's declining now, but was a consistent 10-year playmaker at a high level.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

CB | Deion Sanders | Atlanta Falcons (1989-93), San Francisco 49ers (1994), Dallas Cowboys (1995-99), Washington Redskins (2000), Baltimore Ravens (2004-05)

I feel bad putting a non-tackler on this defense. Butkus would have hated him. But the fact is, Sanders is the best cover corner in NFL history, and there's no room for arguments.

SS | Ronnie Lott | San Francisco 49ers (1981-90), Los Angeles Raiders (1991-92), New York Jets (1993-94)

Let's face it: In the era of football we all know best, no secondary player has been as feared and respected as Lott, the best combination of hitter, cover safety and corner in football history.

FS | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins (1937-52)

He's here not because he was the second-best safety of all time, but because he deserves two roles on this team (he's also my punter). The most versatile great player ever. Quarterbacked, too.

CB | Night Train Lane | Los Angeles Rams (1952-53), Chicago Cardinals (1954-59), Detroit Lions (1960-65)

Nice debut in 1952: 14 interceptions led the league ... in a 12-game season!

DEFENSIVE RESERVES

DL Gino Marchetti, George Connor, Bruce Smith
LB Chuck Bednarik, Harry Carson, Mike Singletary
DB Mel Blount, Rod Woodson

SPECIAL TEAMS

K | Adam Vinatieri | New England Patriots (1996-2005), Indianapolis Colts (2006-present)

It's no accident New England won three Super Bowls, all by a field goal ... and got to the first one because Vinatieri made maybe the most clutch kick in history, a 45-yarder through a snowstorm to propel New England past Oakland in the 2001 playoffs.

P | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins (1937-52)

He's here because, even though the rules were different then, and favored punters, he led the league in punting four straight years (1940-43) and averaged an insane 51.4 yards per boot in 1940. No punter has come within 2.5 yards of that for a season. Ever.

Returner | Gale Sayers | Chicago Bears (1965-71)

The best open-field runner in history, he scored 22 touchdowns as a rookie. His career kick-return average of 30.6 yards is still the best in NFL history.

Player | Steve Tasker | Houston Oilers (1985, '86), Buffalo Bills (1986, '87-97)

His old special-teams coach, Bruce DeHaven, once made up a tape for me to watch, with 10 plays Tasker made that either won games or turned games Buffalo's way.

COACHES

Head Coach | Paul Brown | Cleveland Browns (1946-62), Cincinnati Bengals (1968-75)

The most innovative man in pro football when the game was being birthed in the 1940s and the '50s. His best coaching job: Taking the Browns from the All-America Football conference to the NFL in 1950 -- and dominating the bigger league from the start.

Offensive Coordinator | Bill Walsh | Head coach, San Francisco 49ers (1979-88); assistant coach, Oakland Raiders (1966), Cincinnati Bengals (1968-75), San Diego Chargers (1976)

Interesting that Brown and Walsh worked together with the Bengals in the early years -- and Walsh always thought Brown stunted his growth. No one could hold Walsh back from building the prototype offense for today in San Francisco.

Defensive Coordinator | Bill Belichick | Head coach, Cleveland Browns (1991-95), New England Patriots (2000-present); assistant coach, Detroit Lions (1976), Denver Broncos (1977-78), New York Giants (1979-90), New England Patriots (1996), New York Jets (1997-99)

The brains, with Bill Parcells, behind the solid D of the '80s Giants. After a rough time in Cleveland as head coach, he has proven his worth as an all-timer with New England. A chameleon defensive coach. You never know what D he'll pull out of his gameplanning hat.

[LEWCWA]

How do you get 44 out of 11 offense+ 11 defense +Kr+pr? adds up to 24 in my math book!!