Who’s the best Left Tackle you have ever watched?

[BearNorth]

Old guy weighing in:

 

Forrest Gregg - 3 x Super Bowl titles, 75th & 100th Anniversary Team.

Art Shell - 2x Super Bowl Titles, 100th Anniversary Team, 56-52 as head coach

 

Both have to be in this discussion.

 

The athletic all time Top 100 has Munoz at 12 [0 titles], Gregg at 36 [3 titles], Ogden at 60 [1 title], Jones at 64, Shell at 76 [2 titles].

[warrior9]

15 hours ago, boyst said:

Honestly, boseli was so overrated.

 

And Munoz is the only answer for anyone over 35 

Not really true, there were a lot of legends recently as well. Joe Thomas is one of if not the best LT to ever play and saying he's better than Larry Allen is a REALLY big long shot (i know Allen was primary guard but he did play LT as well).

[boyst]

Just now, warrior9 said:

Not really true, there were a lot of legends recently as well. Joe Thomas is one of if not the best LT to ever play and saying he's better than Larry Allen is a REALLY big long shot (i know Allen was primary guard but he did play LT as well).

Today's OL is way different than yesterday's. Those guys back in the 80's and 90's were massive powerhouses that beat the ***** out of each other. In the 60's and 70's it was even worse with protection but the guys were not there yet with athleticism on the OL. They were just big. The 80's and 90's finally combined to get the athletic big guys. Today's OL is more athletic and more mobile than ever before. It's amazing. Top recruits across the country to college are not the big 7' 300 lbs monsters anymore. They're agile, 240-260 lbs dudes who move.

[warrior9]

4 minutes ago, boyst said:

Today's OL is way different than yesterday's. Those guys back in the 80's and 90's were massive powerhouses that beat the ***** out of each other. In the 60's and 70's it was even worse with protection but the guys were not there yet with athleticism on the OL. They were just big. The 80's and 90's finally combined to get the athletic big guys. Today's OL is more athletic and more mobile than ever before. It's amazing. Top recruits across the country to college are not the big 7' 300 lbs monsters anymore. They're agile, 240-260 lbs dudes who move.

100% man. The game has evolved as have the athletes playing the game due to science, training, supplements, recovery, etc etc etc. 

 

I mean shoot Jalen Carter is 6'4 320 or something and ran a 4.8 40.. That's just absurd. 

 

To the point of the OP, Larry Allen kind of paved the way for big athletic guys to just pull, maul, move, etc people. He was truly unbelievable. Joe Thomas is probably the best "technical" LT of all time though... just my opinion. 

[Mr. WEO]

34 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

Joe Thomas.

 

Imagine playing your entire 11 year career, 166 straight games for a team that stunk (except for 1 season). All pro every season, voted on by his peers. That's how great he was. 

 

he was the anchor of what was one of the worst O-lines every year he was playing.   A career of futility, zero impact.

[GunnerBill]

6 minutes ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

he was the anchor of what was one of the worst O-lines every year he was playing.   A career of futility, zero impact.

 

that is not true re. the Browns oline. They had pretty good offensive lines in the early part of the last decade - that 2010-2015 period. The teams stunk, sure. But the offensive line was by far their best unit in that period. 

[jayg]

15 hours ago, US Egg said:

Anthony Munoz

 

15 hours ago, drummernut74 said:

Anthony Munoz ... no question about it ... period ... end of story.  He is the Gold Standard.  I actually just saw / heard him do a Private Speaking engagement at a work related convention last month.  Truly fascinating.  His collegiate career was marred by injuries, and he was still drafted 5th overall in his class.  Was ranked the 12th best player in NFL history.  Boselli was dominant ... but Munoz was SPECIAL!  He OWNED Bruce Smith in his prime

 

15 hours ago, scuba guy said:

Thank you was just going to right this

 

15 hours ago, boyst said:

Honestly, boseli was so overrated.

 

And Munoz is the only answer for anyone over 35 

He was a better actor  

 

 

 

[msw2112]

I hate to give props to a Buckeye, but Orlando Pace was pretty damn good.  I agree that you can't argue with Anthony Munoz either.

[benderbender]

If we're giving Tony Boselli the award despite a short career, then Dan Dierdorf gets the crown for the best two years ever. Hall of famer, First-Team All-Pro three times, made six Pro Bowls and was on the Hall of Fame's All-1970s team.

[Mr. WEO]

22 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

that is not true re. the Browns oline. They had pretty good offensive lines in the early part of the last decade - that 2010-2015 period. The teams stunk, sure. But the offensive line was by far their best unit in that period. 

 

in the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king...

 

 

By 2015, D's were just T-ing off on Browns QBs.

 

should have drafted Peterson

 

[Solomon Grundy]

Bruce Armstrong and House Ballard

[bills_fan]

16 hours ago, Mister Defense said:

I hated Tony Boselli.

 

Watching him throw our beloved little Bruce Smith around like a rag doll, looked like me trying to knock over my brother's much bigger friends when we played football: I couldn't budge them, like I was running into an immovable wall.  No chance.

 

That was my perspective sitting in the front row, 40 yard line on the Bills' sideline, at the Bills' playoff game against the Jaguars.  

 

Our great Bruuuce reduced to an afterthought, made me realize just how good that pri#* was, the best left tackle I had ever seen play.

 

I think the entire game, Kelly getting 'knocked out', and in his last game, and the once dominant Bills losing to the short lived Jags, at home!, made those images of Bruce getting manhandled stick with me to this day.

 

So I was very happy the day I found out Boselli was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.

 

 

 

 

I was also at that game.  And had the exact same reactions as you.  Very well written and summarized.

[Mark Vader]

Orlando Pace

[Jerome007]

Boselli was super dominant every time I saw him play. Not only against Bruce, but when it was a MNF or whatever and I somehow happen to see the Jags. And he was nasty too. So light on his feet for a big guy.

 

For once, a LT was interviewed after the game when the Jags beat the Bills in the playoff and Boselli had thrown Bruce around. A LT interviewed for the one on-the-field post game interview! I had never seen it before or since.

 

I recall being pissed at the Bills coaching staff. Bruce could be moved around, not Boselli. Do stunts, put him over center, put him on the other side! But do something!

[Rock'em Sock'em]

Specifically against Bruce Smith: Richmond Web

 

[hondo in seattle]

2 hours ago, boyst said:

Today's OL is way different than yesterday's. Those guys back in the 80's and 90's were massive powerhouses that beat the ***** out of each other. In the 60's and 70's it was even worse with protection but the guys were not there yet with athleticism on the OL. They were just big. The 80's and 90's finally combined to get the athletic big guys. Today's OL is more athletic and more mobile than ever before. It's amazing. Top recruits across the country to college are not the big 7' 300 lbs monsters anymore. They're agile, 240-260 lbs dudes who move.

 

Blocking rules have changed, too.  

I remember being taught to block in high school.  Our coaches instructed us to hold onto our own jersey's with our hands to avoid illegally using hands on the defender. 

 

In the mid 1970s and before, NFL lineman had to keep their hands to their chest in closed fists when blocking.  In 1978, the NFL began allowing blockers to extend their arms and use open hands.  While this was a huge win for offensive linemen in general, it was especially helpful for pass pro and contributed to the NFL becoming a "passing league."  

 

 

[frostbitmic]

When I read the title to the thread my first thought was Anthony Munoz and I'm going to stick with it.

 

Jones, Peters, Ogden and Williams would probably say Munoz as well.

[Rigotz]

Jonathan Ogden

 

6'9" 345 and moved like a Tight End.

 

He would completely erase elite pass rushers and was a battering ram in the run game.

 

Despite being humungous, was nearly always healthy as well. 9-time All Pro. First ballot hall of famer. 😳

Edited November 14 by Rigotz

[That's No Moon]

I was a Johnathan Ogden fan. He could beat you any way you wanted.

[Prospector]

Langston Walker